The ALPFA New Jersey Chapter was launched in March 23, 2004 in the city of Newark and is currently one of the six largest ALPFA chapters across the nation with over 420 members as of July 31, 2007. Professional members account for 67% and student members account for 33% of our total membership. ALPFA New Jersey has one student chapter at Rutgers University in Newark, which was launched in the Fall of 2005. ALPFA New Jersey has experienced consistent growth since 2004; membership increased by 84% as of December 31, 2005 and an additional 40% as of December 31, 2006.

In 2006, ALPFA New Jersey had several accomplishments; we elected a new president, Gabriel Rodriguez, Jr., a CPA in the State of New Jersey and an Audit Senior Manager with Ernst & Young LLP. We also restructured our board to meet the needs of our growing membership and corporate partners. We hosted our first annual Women of ALPFA event, “Empowering Women to Achieve Professional and Personal Success”, on May 16th; over 120 people attended. We also hosted our first annual Summit, “Understanding the Latino Market and What It Can Do For You” on September 7th; over 210 people attended. ALPFA New Jersey was also awarded “Chapter of the Year” for the Northern Region at the 2006 ALPFA National Convention in August. The Chapter of the Year award is presented to the Chapter that has the most growth percentage and has shown its support to the organization by exemplifying the scholarship programs and commitment to providing career opportunities for business professionals. In addition, this Chapter has promoted diversity within Corporate America and/or Government and has shown a strong commitment to ALPFA and its members. The ALPFA New Jersey Board is well equipped to continue to meet and exceed the expectations of our members and corporate partners in 2007.

The ALPFA New Jersey Board of Directors encourage and provide an opportunity for members, students, corporate partners, and alliance organizations to interact, network, and socialize with professionals and colleagues from various industries throughout the year during our monthly events. ALPFA New Jersey hosts three types of professional events: professional development events, networking events, and financial workshops. We have also hosted two community service events under the ALPFA Cares program in January 2007: the Adopt a Family Program and the Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) program.