NJCPA Hires Aiysha “AJ” Johnson as New CEO and Executive Director
Washington, D.C. (May 5, 2023)–The New Jersey Society of CPAs has named Aiysha “AJ” Johnson its next CEO and Executive Director. Johnson has over 22 years of experience in association management and strategy, including as the Executive Director for the Americas Region of BKR International (BKRI). Johnson will succeed Ralph Thomas, who is retiring after more than 23 years as NJCPA’s top executive. She will begin her new role on June 12.
At BKRI, one of the top-ten global accounting associations, Johnson oversees the vision and implementation of the mission and strategic focus of the Board of Directors. She is responsible for leading membership, marketing, partnerships, HR, IT, educational events, and meetings. She also tracks legislative activities on behalf of the member firms and maintains strong relationships with AICPA.
Prior to her work at BKRI, Johnson held various leadership positions, including Director of Brand Experience and Marketing and also Knowledge Resource Director at Association Forum. She also worked as the Clinical Product Advisor at Vizient, the nation’s largest healthcare performance improvement company, supporting members with complex benchmarking needs. Additionally, she was the Program Development/Innovative Learning Manager at the American Dental Association.
Johnson holds a Bachelor’s degree in Health Education and Promotion from Western Illinois University. She also has a Master of Arts degree from the University of Chicago’s Crown Family School of Social Work, Policy, and Practice.
About NJCPA
Founded in 1898, the New Jersey Society of Certified Public Accountants (NJCPA) is the largest professional organization serving the needs of Garden State CPAs and aspiring CPAs. With a membership of more than 13,000, the NJCPA represents the majority of New Jersey CPAs in public practice, business & industry, government and education. We support our members through a variety of education, networking, leadership and volunteer initiatives.
The NJCPA offers hundreds of continuing education programs annually to help members increase their value to their clients, companies or organizations and to help CPAs meet their continuing education requirements. Eleven chapters and numerous committees and interest groups made up of hundreds of CPA volunteers develop programs and address issues to help all members be successful professionals.
We also represent the profession’s interests before lawmakers and regulatory bodies. The NJCPA is active in the state legislature, and works closely with outside groups to monitor and respond to issues that affect CPAs and their clients.
Additionally, we’re committed to promoting public confidence in the integrity, objectivity, competence and professionalism of CPAs and the quality of their services.
To learn more about NJCPA, visit https://www.njcpa.org/
About Sterling Martin Associates
Sterling Martin Associates (SMA) is a leading specialty national search firm conducting chief executive-level searches for associations and nonprofit organizations. SMA has built an outstanding reputation by providing impeccable service to its clients and by placing exceptional talent in associations and nonprofits. Based primarily in Washington, DC, SMA has offices in New York, Chicago, Orange County, CA, and Portland, OR.
Since founding the firm in 2006 with a mission to combine his search expertise with nonprofit board experience, David Martin now leads a highly experienced, diverse team of 15, combining in-depth client analysis with the latest search technologies to create effective, personalized searches. Since the day he founded the firm, David has personally taken a leadership role with every search, for every client.
