South Jersey BIZ - Issue #1 (January 2024)

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SJBiz_TopCEOs_0124FINAL.qxp_Layout 1 1 / 12 / 24 4 : 25 PM Page 3 Sponsored by TOP CEOs & CFOs JARROD C . GRASSO PETER C . CONNOLLY CEO , NEW JERSEY REALTORS CEO , NJMEP Grasso joined the association in Connolly brings a wealth of expe - 1999 ; before his role as CEO , rience to his role with 40 years ’ ex - he served as New Jersey Real - perience in operations , business tors ’ chief lobbyist , which in - development and general man - cluded advocating for the in - agement in the aerospace and de - dustry . He maintains an active fense industry , on top of serving as role with the National Associa - chairman of NJMEP’s board of di - tion of Realtors , having served rectors for over 12 years . He is a as a director and a chair of the Glassboro State College ( now Association Executives Com - Rowan University ) graduate who is mittee , and received the Na - looking to give back to the manu - tional Association of Realtors facturing industry , and leads with William R . Magel Award of Ex - an unwavering commitment to cellence for excelling in his role leaving a long - lasting positive im - as an association executive . pact on New Jersey’s economic well - being . Who would you credit as an impactful mentor ? What are your goals for 2024 ? My first boss , Assembly Speaker Jack Collins , and for - Continue to support New Jersey’s small and medium - mer New Jersey Realtors CEO Robert Ferguson sized manufacturers to improve their businesses , and re - shared their New Jersey political landscape wisdom main a mainstay of those statewide manufacturing busi - with me , but no one has impacted me more than my nesses . We’ll also focus on assisting our Southern New mother Faith Liguori . She raised my sister and I while Jersey manufacturers , which has been a neglected seg - balancing her career as director of human services in ment within the industry . It’s also important to increase Ocean County , and watching her balance a career and awareness of training and apprenticeships to high school family helped me become a better CEO to my staff , students and show them how manufacturing is a viable , understanding the importance of flexibility and that rewarding career . family comes first . JENNIFER DUBROW WEISS LISA CONLEY CEO , JEWISH FEDERATION OF SOUTHERN NEW JERSEY CEO , THE ARC GLOUCESTER Dubrow Weiss has been the For 32 years , Conley has been Jewish Federation of Southern dedicated to empowering indi - New Jersey’s ( JFSNJ’s ) CEO viduals with intellectual and de - since 2012 . Initiatives velopmental disabilities . She launched under her tenure in - started her career with The Arc clude the Aleph Adult Day Gloucester in 1991 and became Center , an affordable housing CEO in 2021 . Conley continues community for older adults to apply her knowledge and ex - and adults with special needs pertise toward providing quality called Weinberg Commons , services , advocating for the in - and the community security dividuals served , educating the initiative JFed Security , LLC . community and expanding the She is dedicated to building a reach of The Arc Gloucester to culture of trust , collaboration hundreds of individuals and and leading by example . Dubrow Weiss holds a mas - their families throughout South Jersey . ter’s degree in social work from Temple University , and began her career as an intern at JFSNJ’s agency , Jewish What advice do you have for tomorrow’s Family & Children’s Service . leaders ? Over the years , I have seen firsthand the importance What lesson shaped your leadership of a good team . Surrounding yourself with motivated philosophy ? people you can trust makes a monumental difference . Everyone needs someone to believe in them . If you I have been very fortunate to work alongside so many provide others with opportunities to grow and help wonderful people who have taught me and continue them navigate both their failures and their successes to teach me . Working in an ever - changing environ - along the way , you’ve exuded leadership by teach - ment , it is necessary to surround yourself with a vari - ing someone to be a leader in their respective role , ety of experience and expertise to bounce ideas off of which allows them to inspire others , as well . and explore new perspectives . 20 | SOUTH JERSEY BIZ | VOLUME 14 ISSUE 1 | SouthJerseyBiz.net

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SJBiz_TopCEOs_0124FINAL.qxp_Layout 1 1 / 12 / 24 4 : 25 PM Page 4 Sponsored by CHARLES KELLY CFO , VOLUNTEERS OF AMERICA DELAWARE VALLEY Kelly joined the Volun - teers of America Delaware Valley in 2011 , and is responsi - ble for the accounting , treasury , information technology , risk man - agement and vehicle fleet functions of the or - ganization . Prior to this , Kelly held financial and accounting roles in various not - for - profit and for - profit organiza - tions . An active member of his community , Kelly sits on several nonprofit boards of di - rectors and earned both his B.S . and MBA from La Salle University . Who would you credit as an impactful mentor ? Dan Lombardo , the CEO of Volunteers of America Delaware Valley , has been an im - pactful mentor for me . Dan has taught me to have empathy for not only the clients we serve , but also the employees we work with , and has also taught me to think strategically about how to get to where we need to be as an organization . Dan has always been a demanding boss , but also a great friend . L . SCOTT ELWELL BUSINESS ACCOUNTING SYSTEMS , PC Elwell has been with the firm since 1980 ; today , he is responsible for all aspects of managing the firm , from the daily operations to recruit - ment and , most impor - tantly , marketing and new client acquisition . Among other profes - sional accreditations , he’s an Enrolled Agent , a license granted by the Department of the Treasury — specifically the Internal Revenue Service ( IRS ) — allowing him to represent tax - payers before all administrative levels of the IRS , as well as an Accredited Tax Advisor and an Accredited Tax Preparer . Who would you credit as an impactful mentor ? Without question , my father Leon A . El - well . He started this practice in 1971 be - cause he wanted to be in control of his own destiny . His drive and passion to start an accounting practice after a career as an electrical engineer is an amazing accom - plishment . From the beginning , he under - stood what a client in the small business sector needs to be able to survive . SouthJerseyBiz.net | VOLUME 14 ISSUE 1 | SOUTH JERSEY BIZ | 21

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