News Release: October 20, 2003
Contact: Steve Wilson, ext. 245The New Jersey Business & Industry Association will present V. Peter Traphagen with its Public Service Award during the 2003 Awards for Excellence Dinner to be held October 21 at the Westin Princeton in Forrestal Village. Traphagen is chair of the New Jersey Society of Certified Public Accountants (CPAs) Personal Financial Planning Committee and a founding partner of Traphagen and Traphagen CPAs of Roseland.
The Public Service Award is presented annually to individuals for outstanding service in the public interest. Traphagen is being recognized for setting up a program to provide free financial services to the families of victims of the September 11 terrorist attacks.
"The events of 9-11 have touched us all, but none more than the families and loved ones of the victims," NJBIA President Philip Kirschner said. "Peter Traphagen saw an opportunity to help. Even as the families were still grieving for their loss, Peter Traphagen and the volunteers at the New Jersey Society of Certified Public Accountants were preparing them for the future. It is with great pride and gratitude that the New Jersey Business & Industry Association presents its Public Service Award to Peter Traphagen."
Traphagen initiated the New Jersey CPA Help Center to provide up to six months of free financial and tax assistance to individuals and families who lost family members in the September 11 terrorist attacks. The Help Center is staffed by more than 40 NJSCPA volunteers and has helped more than 100 New Jersey residents.
The Center's volunteers provide a broad spectrum of assistance, including establishment of a cash flow plan, applications for federal and state benefits, assistance with tax plans, and creation of financial action plans.
In 2003, NJSCPA Personal Financial Planning Committee expanded the Center's services to include an ongoing pro bono program. With the onset of the Iraq war, the committee extended the Help Center's services to the spouses of active duty military personnel.
Since 1984, NJBIA annually has honored a select group of its members with an Award for Excellence. The Awards for Excellence winners demonstrate outstanding achievements in one of three award categories: Environmental Quality, Outstanding Employer, and Enterprise. A Public Service award is also presented to one or more individual business professionals. All NJBIA member companies are eligible to be nominated.
An independent panel of judges comprised of members of the Service Corps of Retired Executives (SCORE) selected the winners along with three NJBIA policy committees chairs: JoAnn Trezza, Human Resources Committee; Edward Hogan, Environmental Quality Committee; and Tim Carden, Economic Development Council.
WithumSmith+Brown, the New Jersey-based accounting and consulting firm, verified the information supplied by the winning applicants.
With more than 20,000 member companies, NJBIA is one of the nation's largest state-level employer associations.
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