Aiysha (AJ) Johnson enters her second year at the helm of the New Jersey Society of Certified Public Accountants after a first year of making the rounds – and listening. “It’s been amazing,” Johnson told NJBIZ during a recent meeting at the 2024 NJCPA Convention & Expo, held earlier this month in Atlantic City with a theme of Your Story. Your Success.

“I spent pretty much the entire year meeting with our members – listening to their challenges; understanding where there are opportunities; understanding how we can resource the things that need to be resourced, as we think about the pipeline,” Johnson explained. “But then also internally prioritizing. If we’re going to do something new, then is there something that we take away that’s not as impactful – doesn’t provide the same sense of value?

She has also been meeting with firm leaders, state legislative leaders and NJCPA‘s Emerging Leaders. “From my perspective, it’s a real privilege to be able to represent the voice of our members because we know that there are state-specific concerns as well as things that we have to think about within the profession,” Johnson continued. “Our members are feeling that the license is under attack – what it means to be a certified public accountant. There’s just increasing regulatory challenges. So, where we can have some headway and where we can coalesce to represent the needs of our members – that helps the profession.

“There’s just a lot to be done,” she stressed.

Johnson then discussed whether there was a particular message or challenge she was hearing from members during this first year leading the organization, which is coming off its 125th anniversary. “The technical issues are never going away – period,” said Johnson, pointing to other areas such as beneficial ownership information. “And I feel that our members want to know that we’re looking across the board, serving all members.”

There has been an effort to determine how the organization should apply its services and resources to members of different sizes and types. “Because we are representing all members,” Johnson explained. “And then obviously – thinking about our student engagement.”

Attracting talent

The talent pipeline has been a prominent issue in the accounting sector with numerous initiatives and efforts undertaken throughout the industry to help attract and retain talent in the workforce, including a first-of-its-kind Work for Credit program. There have been several partnerships here in New Jersey between accounting firms and higher education institutions, using a work-for-credit model to navigate the onerous 150-credit threshold that must be reached to become a CPA.

A panel discussion about that very topic took place during the NJCPA Convention.

“What I will say is that New Jersey has been at the forefront of this – with Saint Peter’s and PwC being the first to kick off this Work for Credit program in the state and nationally,” said Johnson.

She said that the national organizations, such as the AICPA and the National Association of State Boards of Accountancy, are aware of this program and are watching to see how things play out with it here while a number of discussions take place.

I think we have to show the relevance of the profession to the young people.
– Aiysha (AJ) Johnson, NJCPA

“The conversations I’ve been hearing from NASBA, AICPA is – if we’re going to go to 120, then we have to have some structure around it,” said Johnson. “Because right now, we know folks are taking – basket weaving. So, we want it to make sense and not lose the integrity of what those hours are intended for.”

In late May, NJCPA hosted an event in partnership with EVERFI and the Center for Audit Quality’s Accounting+ program at Barringer High School in Newark. The event drew more than 70 students who learned about diverse career opportunities in the accounting sector. It featured remarks from industry leaders as well as Newark Mayor Ras Baraka.

The event exemplified the sector and NJCPA’s aim to attract younger talent and tell the story of accounting to the next generation. “I think that events like that are so impactful because high school students can be in the room with CPAs and they’re telling their stories,” Johnson explained. “And they are hearing how they had impact. They’re not just sitting behind a desk. They’re flying to different countries and different states. They’re on these different engagements. They’re helping businesses, startups to not only stay afloat – but to think about their strategy for the future, whether that’s a tax strategy or some other financial processes.”

“For a student who wants to have impact; who wants to change their lives, their families’ lives, and to benefit the community – this profession is available to them,” Johnson continued. “And I think that that was an eye-opener – honestly.”

Shortage ‘impacts the entire economy’

NJCPA Chief Marketing Officer Don Meyer noted that for nearly the last year or so, NJCPA has been trying to reframe the conversation. “Where, certainly, the pipeline issues are a challenge for the profession – and firms and companies not being able to hire enough accounting talent is a concern,” Meyer explained. “But the real impact is on the client – or on the customer.”

During the Newark event, Meyer said Baraka made a point to stress how essential CPAs are to the business community as well as individuals and municipalities. “And a lack of CPAs doesn’t just impact the accounting firm or company, it impacts the entire economy,” said Meyer.

Meyer and Johnson agreed that more events and efforts like the successful Newark one – as well as another in May at NJCPA headquarters in Roseland, the Inaugural Accelerating Scholars in Accounting Event for more than 50 college students – were part of the plan as the organization and sector continues to tackle this challenge.

“It’s spot on in terms of what we need to do,” said Johnson. “We need to get out there, partner with other organizations and really create that sense of awareness around the profession. And then show these young people that there are opportunities within accounting that they just weren’t aware of. But how it could really help them to reach their life goals as individuals – and what they can do professionally.”

Johnson also spoke about what the convention theme of “Your Story. Your Success” meant to her. “What I hope attendees would walk away with is that everybody has a story to tell,” she said. Again, she stressed that accountants help businesses and organizations in a lot of ways and there are many sides to the industry — and that it is incumbent upon the industry to tell its stories.

And for the young generation, the opportunities in emerging sectors, such as the innovation economy, legal cannabis and more, offer opportunities and a different perspective on the industry.

“That’s why as an organization, as the infrastructure is being built up around the cannabis industry in New Jersey, we threw ourselves into that in a big way,” said Meyer. “Because we kept saying – these are going to be relatively small businesses that need a business plan. And the best place to go for a business plan is with a CPA. And so that’s why we’ve been trying to jump into some of these emerging sectors.”

“And I think it’s something that we have to do,” said Johnson. “I think we have to show the relevance of the profession to the young people – so that they understand what opportunities are available to them. And that the sky is really the limit. Also, I think that we need to keep people excited about the profession. Because we don’t want folks leaving in five and seven years either.”

She also said a significant number of retirements are imminent. “For us, I think it’s really important to show that accounting is not just the language of business,” said Johnson. “But really accounting is here as a support to all of these different areas.”

Johnson also looked toward the future of the organization. “I’m really pleased that we have a supportive board. We have recommendations on where to put our focus around telling the story,” she said. “Thinking about ways to reduce barriers to licensure, involving our members. It’s no one single thing. I’m just excited about us getting out there and laying the foundation across the board – and hopefully we’ll see some strides in the right direction.”