1

1

MISSION

ALPFA creates opportunities, adds value,

builds relationships for its members, the

community and its business partners while

expanding Latino leadership in the global

workforce.

ABOUT US

ALPFA is the leading professional asso-

ciation dedicated to enhancing opportuni-

ties for Latinos in the accounting, finance,

business and related professions.

VISION

ALPFA is the premier business organiza-

tion for expanding opportunities for Latino

Leadership in the global workforce.

ALPFA NEW YORK ALPFA NEW YORK ALPFA NEW YORK

NEWSLETTERNEWSLETTERNEWSLETTER June Edition 2010June Edition 2010

2

2

June Edition 2010

On the cover: Photograph by Cristian Guamanzara,

ALPFA NY Committee member

INDEX

3| To Our Members—Chapter Board Letter

4| NY Chapter Upcoming Events

5| ALPFA NY Cares Community Service Program – VITA 2010

7| Getting Involved and Making a Difference – An ALPFA Member Story

8| Students of ALPFA Corner– Get Ready for the Convention

9| Connecting Members With Corporate Sponsors – ALPFA & UBS

10| NY Celebrates the 6th Annual Women of ALPFA Summit

12| 2010 National Raffle

3

3

To Our Members - A Message from the ALPFA New York Chapter Board

Welcome Aboard!

We would like to welcome our new board members:

Oswaldo A. Gonzalez– Director of Data & Technology

Ramon Valet - Vice President of Corporate Relations

Elisa Palacios -Vice President of Marketing & Communications

The ALPFA New York Chapter

is now on

We know you are part of it and we want to be more connected to

you to serve you better

FOLLOW US

www.facebook.com/alpfanewyork

ALPFA has been and continues to be an organization run by volunteers passionate to serve our community. On behalf of my fellow

board members, I thank each and every one of you who has chosen to serve on one of our committees—it’s the personal time you take

and invest in our Chapter that makes it thrive and succeed. To this end, I am pleased to congratulate Ramon Valet on his promotion

from Director of Business Development to VP of Corporate Relations. I also hope you join me in warmly welcoming our newest

Board members, VP of Marketing Elisa Palacios and Director of Data & Technology Oswaldo Gonzalez.

The direction of our chapter is significantly guided by the voice of our membership. The NY Board has heard you loud and clear. We

recognize that you choose to be a part of ALPFA and we want to be sure we remain connected to you via common channels. As a re-

sult of our NY Chapter member survey we recently launched the ALPFA NY Chapter Facebook page. Over the next few months you

will see the chapter doing more in the social media arena so please stay tuned!

Looking ahead, we also hope to see everyone at the National ALPFA convention from July 31st through August 4th in Orlando, Florida.

The convention will bring many opportunities to connect with old friends and increase professional relationships. I would urge every-

one to join us this year at Lake Buena Vista, Florida as we continue to create the most exciting and valuable experience for profession-

als and students. The four-day event includes professional and student workshops, Women of ALPFA programming, panel discussions,

CPE credit, networking, Awards Gala, Career Fair with top companies, and more! Visit ALPFA online at www.alpfa.org for registra-

tion information and more convention details.

In closing, you can look forward to a summer full of events and opportunities to network with the ALPFA NY, our partners, sponsors

and friends. Hope to see you at the next event!

Sincerely,

Juan Cruz

Chief Operating Officer

Dear ALPFA New York Members:

On behalf of the New York Chapter Board of Directors, I am pleased to introduce the June 2010 ALPFA NY

Newsletter. Over the past few months there has been some exciting activity both locally and nationally and

we look forward to sharing the ALPFA experience with all of you. In this issue, you will read about our 2010

VITA program (an annual NY ALPFA Cares community service initiative), two exclusive events with corpo-

rate partners, GE and UBS, and the 6th annual Women of ALPFA Summit, one of our chapter’s Marquee

events. All of these events were resounding successes due in large part to the hard work and dedication of

volunteers who serve both on our Board and standing committees.

4

4

Monday, June 28, 2010 6:30-830 PM

REGISTER TODAY—Go to www.alpfanewyork.org for more information

UPCOMING EVENTS

To learn more about the Annual Convention in Disney, Florida, go to the ALPFA National website

www.alpfa.org

5

5

ALPFA NY Cares Community Service Program - VITA 2010 Contributing writer: Nadia S. Torres

The ALPFA New York Chapter partnered with the NYC Office of Financial Empowerment (OFE) to connect ALPFA

volunteers with the Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) Program during the 2010 Tax season.

ALPFA NY Cares creates opportunities for

members to give back to their community by

donating their time and talent, raising funds for

scholarships and partnering with other organi-

zations

Stephanie Simon of Amityville, NY is an Advertising Budget Analyst with Macy’s. Stephanie volun-

teered with VITA at the Downtown Brooklyn location and sites her favorite part of the experience was

―The joy in the client's eyes when [I] would tell them the amount of their refund!‖ An ALPFA NY mem-

ber since 2009, Stephanie’s VITA experience gave her an insight to her long-term career goal: start a non-

profit to provide financial education and counseling to low income families. These counseling services

would include: debt management, taxes, saving for college & retirement, and general budgeting. It is great

to know that there are great people like Stephanie that want to give back and empower others.

Carlos Limongi is an ALPFA NY member since 2007 and graduated from Baruch College in 2008. Car-

los is a Tax professional with experience in tax returns preparation and projections for high network indi-

viduals, as well as partnerships and foundations. Carlos is actively seeking employment and making valu-

able use of his time through VITA. Carlos’ first VITA experience was while he was still a Baruch stu-

dent in 2006, and he has volunteered every year since then.

―For me the best aspect about volunteering is meeting new people (clients and fellow volunteers), but

most importantly is the satisfaction a volunteer gets just by helping others, especially after seeing a cli-

ent's face full of gratitude”

Skilled volunteers gave their time in this service project at

locations throughout NYC five boroughs over the course of

January through April. Though the task seems daunting, the

tax preparation certified volunteers appreciated the training

provided by VITA and the OFE as a skill optimizing experi-

ence where they directly impacted hundreds of NYC house-

holds.

Each person completed the provided self study preparation

prior to achieving their certification in volunteer Income Tax

Preparation Certification, and was subsequently placed at a

VITA location within the borough of their preference.

The goal was to complete at least 36 hours of service over the

course of 12 weeks, and the impact these hours have on New

Yorkers in monumental! Many New York families with

lower incomes struggle to save money and avoid debt, many

times their tax refund is the sole source for emergency sav-

ings or significant needs to purchase or maintain items for

their families.

We can certainly appreciate the relief and gratitude these

families feel when a caring individual thoughtfully pre-

pares their tax return and informs them of their expected

refund. It is a truly empowering way to give back for both

the giver and the receiver! ALPFA thanks the NYC OFE,

VITA and especially our ALPFA VITA volunteers for

finding a valuable way to give back to the greater NYC

community!

6

6

ALPFA NY Cares Community Service Program - VITA 2010

Continued...

To connect with our individual volunteers or to learn more about how YOU can empower New Yorkers through

ALPFA for VITA or other financial education projects, contact us at communityaffairs@newyork.alpfa.org.

Jessenia Francisco is an ALPFA ―Backpack to Briefcase‖ success and the 2010 lead for the ALPFA

for VITA NY initiative. When the opportunity to take the lead was open, this recent Fairleigh Dickinson

University graduate eagerly requested to take on the job. Jessenia researched VITA programs, interviewed

potential partners with discernment, planned and distributed communications and managed nearly every

aspect of the service project. After successfully completing a 1 year internship with Merrill Lynch/Bank

of America, Jessenia secured a full time position with the Bank six months ago. It is no surprise that this

intelligent and amiable hard worker was spotted for her talent, and she is now an Intermediate Financial

Analyst in CFO Finance FP&A. Jessenia’s most favorable part of the experience was making the program

a success for ALPFA.

Holger Briones is a graduate student at the Baruch College Zicklin School of Business, working towards

his Master of Science in Accountancy and a committee member of ALPFA NY Cares. This tax season,

Holger diligently volunteered with VITA program at an Ariva site in his Bronx neighborhood. Of the

volunteer project, he expresses it as ―a feel-good experience everyday that he got to help taxpayers who

genuinely appreciated the service and graciously thanked him for his charitable contribution.‖ He also

shared with ALPFA the program was interesting, personally rewarding, and flexible. Holger looks for-

ward to obtaining his CPA and entering the world of external audit upon graduation in May 2011.

Notably, Holger participated in this year’s inaugural ALPFA Baruch Big Four Case Study, where his

team achieved first place, and the PWC Project Make It Count, a contest where his team was awarded

$5,000 to execute a creative and impactful community service initiative. Currently, Holger is an Audit

Intern with the NYC Department of Education’s Office of the Auditor General.

Jose Nunez, a Baruch alumnus from Corona, NY has been an ALPFA member for two years and cur-

rently sits on the ALPFA Cares Committee. For over a year, Jose has worked with Premier Real Estate as

a Leasing Specialist, and aims to continue pursuing a full-time career within Financial Services. To con-

tinue building on his Financial Services experience, this Licensed and diligent worker volunteers several

days each week with the Financial Clinic, where he counsels the non-profits’ clients on a spectrum of

their financial needs. Jose was a point of contact during the VITA project; a natural networker and re-

sourceful contributor, he was able to secure additional resources and relationships needed to execute the

volunteer project and to lay the ground work for future ones. We at ALPFA appreciate Jose’s willingness

to lead and serve.

7

7

Getting Involved and Making a Difference – An ALPFA Member Story

―Prognosis 2010—Restoring Public Confidence‖ ALPFA New York & GE Capital/NBCU

Contributing writer: Martin Ferrer

When first joining ALPFA in early 2009 I thought to my-

self, how can I make a difference? How can I increase my

involvement and allow myself to grow as a professional?

The answer was clear: ―become fully engaged‖. When

joining ALPFA, I quickly requested to become a commit-

tee member on the New York Chapter’s programs com-

mittee and my eagerness to support the team was greatly

welcomed.

When transitioning on to the committee, I was introduced

to a variety of professionals within the organization. Each

professional I encountered clearly resembled success

through their dedication, commitment, educational back-

ground, and current employment. I was genuinely im-

pressed.

As one of my first assignments on the committee, I was

asked to assist in the coordination and execution of GE

Capital/NBCU’s annual exclusive event. For many years,

ALPFA and GE Capital/NBCU have partnered together to

collaboratively make a difference in the finance and ac-

counting industry. Both organizations are pioneers in the

industry and have clearly demonstrated successful diversity

in the workplace, as well as leadership development.

On April 6, 2010 we saw all our hard work come to fruition

in a spectacular event. ―Prognosis 2010 – Restoring Public

Confidence‖ began with a few inspiring words from Jay

Ireland, President and CEO of GE Asset Management, and

ALPFA’s CEO Manny Espinoza.

The event then continued with a panel discussion moderated

by CNBC reporter Bertha Coombs and included Greg Cam-

eron, CFO, GE Capital Americas, Julie Schechter, General

Counsel, GE Retail Consumer Finance, and Barbara

Daniele, General Counsel, GE Capital Americas. They dis-

cussed the lending industry, challenges GE has encountered

throughout the past year, and how GE as a company has

overcome these challenges.

Listening to the speakers, and witnessing the energy of the

crowd, it was clear that this event was a hit. Following the

panel discussion, closing words were given by Martha Poul-

ter, CIO of GE Capital Americas, and ALPFA New York

Chapter President Theresa Torres, followed by a session of

networking.

Everybody in attendance was sharing thoughts, ideas, and

discussing the success of the event. When the event was

over, I left the building thinking… This is only the begin-

ning to a great year.

8

8

Students of ALPFA Corner—Get Ready for the Convention

Networking with Mickey and

your ALPFA familia in Orlando!

Although classes may have ended, finals may have passed and

study hours are no longer on your calendar, ALPFA still has

plenty of opportunities and ways to continue to build your ca-

reer! In addition to all the local NY events being held this sum-

mer, the national convention is one of the highlights for ALPFA

student members. This year’s convention will be held in Or-

lando, FL on July 31 – August 4.

Few organizations provide students with an opportunity to be

meet industry leaders, executives and rising stars in organiza-

tions. Each year, over 2,000 ALPFA members converge for 4

days of networking, industry learning, and reconnecting with

the ALPFA familia.

We know preparing for the convention, especially if this is your

first time attending, can be nerve-racking…and we are here to

help!

The ALPFA NY Student Affairs committee will host it’s

2nd Annual STUDENT PRE-CONVENTION EVENT

during the week of July 13th

This event is designed to help you...

Make the best use of your time at the convention

Learn how to leave an impression with top companies, in-

cluding how to research and prepare to meet top ALPFA

sponsors

Get your resume and interview skills ―convention ready‖

Understand what your ALPFA NY network can help you do

to prepare

To get you started, here are a few things you can start to do now

to make sure your convention experience is the best one yet.

Reach out to other ALPFA students to find out who is attend-

ing. See if you can split any travel/lodging costs

Start setting aside savings for travel and lodging costs

Refresh your business wardrobe – be on the lookout for any

summer sales

Update your resume with any work or school related experi-

ence you had this past semester

Request a copy of your unofficial transcript (should include

your Spring 2010 grades)

Check out the ALPFA website to see what companies are

attending the convention – start making a list of companies

you may want to meet

To learn more about the convention from past attendees, sign

up for the ALPFA Student Pre-Convention Event (keep an

eye on your inbox for an invitation!)

Professionals, would you like to share your convention experi-

ence with students? We would love your help! If you are inter-

ested in participating in our event please email

Yos.Bugallo@ey.com

Contributing writer: Yos Bugallo

Baruch College

Binghamton University

Colgate University

Cornell University

Fairfield University

Fordham University

Lehman College

Monroe College

New York University

Pace University

Queens College

St. John’s University

Syracuse University

Student event at Baruch College

The ALPFA NY Chapter has

13 Student Chapters

Get involved with your chapter

9

9

Connecting Members With Corporate Sponsors:

ALPFA New York & UBS— A Fitting Partnership

Contributing writer: Cindy Saad

National President Hector Perez shared some highlights on

new and exciting program enhancements to expect in 2010,

echoing the excitement UBS is sure to experience as they

participate in our national convention this year for the first

time, and urging folks in the room to get involved.

The evening continued with a panel discussion, where we

heard from 2 additional UBS leaders: Gabriel Melamed, a

managing director for Securities Product Control, and Patrick

Canavan, head of Group Operational Finance. From the eve-

ning’s speakers, the audience got an intimate understanding

of their various roles at the firm, their career transitions, and

how UBS provided those learning and growth opportunities.

Thank you to UBS for hosting us, we again welcome you to

the ALPFA NY family, and look forward to a strong contin-

ued partnership!

Interested in becoming a Corporate Sponsor of the

ALPFA NY Chapter? Contact:

Ann Marquez

ALPFA NY Executive Director

646-695-4202

ann.marquez@national.alpfa.org

to learn about the exciting

opportunities to partner with us!

UBS hosted ALPFA members at their midtown offices for an

inaugural informational event, entitled ―ALPFA NY & UBS: A

Fitting Partnership‖, kicking off the newly formed partnership

between UBS and the ALPFA New York Chapter.

The evening opened up with networking, where ALPFA mem-

bers had the opportunity to meet UBS leadership and HR repre-

sentatives. Will Robalino, who manages the North American

Rates business from a product control perspective and lead’s

UBS’s Finance Division’s Diversity Initiative, started off the

evening by sharing a bit about his career path and experiences at

the firm, describing the tremendous support UBS shows for in-

creasing the diversity talent pool and getting leaders involved at

all levels of the organization.

ALPFA New York Chapter President, Theresa Torres from Ver-

izon, welcomed UBS to the ALPFA NY family, thanking UBS

for choosing to invest in ALPFA- a true sign of the firm’s com-

mitment to diversity and leadership development, as well as a

strong sign that the industry is beginning to recover from the

challenges of 2009.

Panel discussion at the UBS Midtown office

10

10

Sonia Dulá, Head of Latin America Corporate & Invest-

ment Banking at Bank of America Merrill Lynch, kicked

off the 6th Annual Women of ALPFA Summit at Bank of

America Merrill Lynch on Thursday, May 20, 2010 as the

evening’s Keynote Speaker. Born in Mexico, raised in

Brazil and educated at Harvard, Dulá’s transnational per-

spective emphasized the notion of success as a relative

term. ―Anywhere outside of investment banking, invest-

ment banking is unimportant,‖ Dulá remarks.

Her message, nonetheless, permeated industries and sec-

tors. She echoed the importance of developing good judg-

ment, a skill that only comes from experience, utilizing

innate competencies, and defending what is right and hon-

est. Dulá attributes much of her own success to good for-

tune, her ability to synthesize ideas, deliver a clear mes-

sage, disarm colleagues with humor, and a relentlessly

focus on a specific task or project.

6th Annual Women of ALPFA Summit

Collaborative Competition: Sharpening Your Competitive Edge

Contributing writer: Jennifer Auerbach-Rodriguez

Panelists Gina Biondo (PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP),

Ana Chadwick (GE), Marlene Devotto (Ernst & Young),

Emily Portney (JPMorgan Chase & Co.), and Vicky Ritter

(Goldman Sachs) followed Dulá in a reflective session of

how collaborative competition has played a role in their

professional development. Moderated by Kathryn Mayer

(Center for Microfinance Leadership), the panelists re-

vealed how it was a blend of innate attributes, technical

expertise, and good timing that landed them in their cur-

rent positions.

All emphasized the importance of mentorship, both se-

lected and assigned, as sources of guidance and role mod-

els. Often it was the tutelage and support of others that

served as the competitive edge for the women to advance

in their careers. Following the panel discussion, Delia

Marshall, Senior Portfolio Manager at BNY Mellon, pre-

sented on the intriguing work being done on managing

emotional intelligence, exploring the factor it plays in

one’s ability to compete.

The evening’s high impact theme can be summarized by

Emily Portney, CFO of Equities & Prime Services at

JPMorgan Chase & Co., who shared a powerful message

to all professionals in the audience, ―You don’t have to be

ready to go to the next level; trust your instincts and leap!‖

On the left: Sonia Dulá,

Bank of America Key-

note Speaker

Below: Cindy Saad,

Women of ALPFA Di-

rector and committee

members, Ana Marte

and Claudia Espinosa

In the midst of the panel discussion

11

11

5

4

Some relevant points from the event:

Experience will help you develop judgment which will become

one of your best assets

Know your Top Five most innate traits and work on them – don’t

try to be something or someone you aren’t

Take Chances: Luck = Opportunity and you must seize it!

You don’t have to be 100% ready – go for it and stretch yourself

Remember Work/Life Balance: Be happy: It’s not just about the

work

Savings account TODAY; Shoes tomorrow

Success is defined at the personal level. It is unique and it is what

you believe to be true – not what anyone else thinks or tells you.

Not everything will go according to plan: No master plan of how

everything is going to go in your life will work – much of what will

happen will be based on the situations you find yourself in and the

opportunities that present themselves that you may have never

though of or planned for.

Don’t shy away from traditional male roles

Top to bottom:

BNY Mellon Speaker Delia Marshall;

Kathryn Mayer , Moderator

12

12

Enter the Mercedes-Benz Raffle!

Tickets are $20 each, and funds go towards helping top

scholarship students attend the Convention.

What You Could Win

1st Prize Winner will choose from a Mercedes-Benz 2011

SLK300 Roadster or a 2011 C350 Sport Sedan

2nd Prize A Disneyland® Resort Vacation: 4 nights at the Disney-

land® Hotel, four 2-Day Park Hopper® Tickets and a $500

AMEX gift card! (Restrictions may apply.)

3rd Prize

An Xbox 360 Elite Console

New this year: First place winner* will be announced by

phone call** live from the Gala, Tuesday, August 3rd at

this year's National Convention. For tickets go to www.alpfa.org

13

13

Thanks to our local chapter sponsors for their continued support ALPFA New York

Board of Directors

President

Theresa Torres

Immediate Past President

Santiago R. Carmona

Chief Financial Officer

Marisa Roel Garcia

Chief Operating Officer

Juan Cruz

Secretary

Habibe Rubio

VP, Finance

Diana Perez

VP, Membership

Ivan I. Paulino

VP, Programs

Danny Rojas

VP, Student Programs

Joseph Wehle

VP, Corporate Relations

Ramón E. Valet, Jr.

VP, Marketing & Comm.

Elisa Palacios

Director, Business Programs

Sergio Menacho

Director, Member Care

Martin Rodriguez

Director, Recruitment

Manuel Guerrero

Director, Community Affairs

Nadia Torres

Director, Student Programs

Yos Bugallo

Director, WOA Programs

Cindy Saad

Director, Cultural,

Networking, & Fundraising

Programs

Cynthia Conde

Director, Data & Technology

Oswaldo Gonzalez