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ALPFA NEW YORK

NEWSLETTER
ABOUT US June Edition 2010
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.

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.

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June Edition 2010

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

On the cover: Photograph by Cristian Guamanzara,

ALPFA NY Committee member

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

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.

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 31 st 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

The ALPFA New York Chapter

Welcome Aboard! is now on
We would like to welcome our new board members:

Oswaldo A. Gonzalez– Director of Data & Technology

Ramon Valet - Vice President of Corporate Relations We know you are part of it and we want to be more connected to
you to serve you better
Elisa Palacios -Vice President of Marketing & Communications
FOLLOW US
www.facebook.com/alpfanewyork

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UPCOMING EVENTS

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

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

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

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!
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”

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ALPFA NY Cares Community Service Program - VITA 2010

Continued...

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.

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.

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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.
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Students of ALPFA Corner—Get Ready for the Convention

Contributing writer: Yos Bugallo

Networking with Mickey and The ALPFA NY Chapter has

your ALPFA familia in Orlando! 13 Student Chapters
Although classes may have ended, finals may have passed and Get involved with your chapter
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- Baruch College Monroe College
mer, the national convention is one of the highlights for ALPFA Binghamton University New York University
student members. This year’s convention will be held in Or- Colgate University Pace University
lando, FL on July 31 – August 4. Cornell University Queens College
Few organizations provide students with an opportunity to be Fairfield University St. John’s University
meet industry leaders, executives and rising stars in organiza- Fordham University Syracuse University
tions. Each year, over 2,000 ALPFA members converge for 4 Lehman College
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
Student event at Baruch College
Start setting aside savings for travel and lodging costs
Refresh your business wardrobe – be on the lookout for any
summer sales To learn more about the convention from past attendees, sign
up for the ALPFA Student Pre-Convention Event (keep an
Update your resume with any work or school related experi- eye on your inbox for an invitation!)
ence you had this past semester
Professionals, would you like to share your convention experi-
Request a copy of your unofficial transcript (should include
ence with students? We would love your help! If you are inter-
your Spring 2010 grades)
ested in participating in our event please email
Check out the ALPFA website to see what companies are Yos.Bugallo@ey.com
attending the convention – start making a list of companies
you may want to meet
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Connecting Members With Corporate Sponsors:

ALPFA New York & UBS— A Fitting Partnership
Contributing writer: Cindy Saad

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. Panel discussion at the UBS Midtown office

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
National President Hector Perez shared some highlights on
challenges of 2009.
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.
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!
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!

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6th Annual Women of ALPFA Summit

Collaborative Competition: Sharpening Your Competitive Edge
Contributing writer: Jennifer Auerbach-Rodriguez
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- In the midst of the panel discussion
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.
Panelists Gina Biondo (PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP),
Ana Chadwick (GE), Marlene Devotto (Ernst & Young),
Emily Portney (JPMorgan Chase & Co.), and Vicky Ritter
On the left: Sonia Dulá, (Goldman Sachs) followed Dulá in a reflective session of
Bank of America Key- how collaborative competition has played a role in their
note Speaker professional development. Moderated by Kathryn Mayer
(Center for Microfinance Leadership), the panelists re-
Below: Cindy Saad, vealed how it was a blend of innate attributes, technical
Women of ALPFA Di- expertise, and good timing that landed them in their cur-
rector and committee
rent positions.
members, Ana Marte
and Claudia Espinosa
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!‖

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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.
4 Don’t shy away from traditional male roles

Top to bottom:
BNY Mellon Speaker Delia Marshall;
Kathryn Mayer , Moderator

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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

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ALPFA New York

Board of Directors Thanks to our local chapter sponsors for their continued support
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
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