Month: September 2021

Keep up-to-date with what’s happening in the supply chain diversity space both nationally, regionally, and locally as well as get the latest NYNJMSDC news.

MBE Spotlight: Rivera & Montes CPA

Josué Rivera is a tax and business advisory partner with Rivera & Montes CPA where he advises small and medium-size businesses with their accounting, compliance, and tax needs. Josue has over 22 years of professional experience, 19 of them with PwC. His expertise spans across multi-national companies, large compliance engagements, and large family-owned businesses in industries such as finance, manufacturing, pharmaceuticals, entertainment, distribution, construction, and telecommunications. He has successfully managed to advise large family-owned businesses from soup to nuts, including providing advice on their corporate tax planning, financial wealth, and individual tax requirements.

Josue has given presentations on Puerto Rico and United States tax developments and has taught seminars in both jurisdictions on tax transactions. In addition, he has written articles for national newspapers and been interviewed by news media.

He holds a bachelor’s in business administration with a major in accounting, magna cum laude, and a Juris Doctor degree, both from the University of Puerto Rico. He holds a CPA license in the states of New York and Puerto Rico.

Javier Montes is an assurance and business advisory partner with Rivera & Montes CPA where he advises small and medium-size businesses with their accounting, audit, and regulatory and compliance needs. Javier has over 16 years of experience within assurance and advisory services. Prior to starting Rivera & Montes CPA in 2017, he spent 13 years working at EY within the assurance practice working with a variety of industry-leading financial services clients, including banks, broker-dealers, and hedge funds, providing audit and advisory services. He has also worked with several small and medium-sized companies providing accounting and financial reporting advice.

Javier also has extensive experience working on complex accounting matters, including recognition within US GAAP and IFRS accounting frameworks.

Javier holds a B.S. in Accounting, magna cum laude, from Pontificia Universidad Catόlica de Puerto Rico. He is CPA licensed in the state of New York and in Puerto Rico, and he is a member of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants and the New York State Society of Certified Public Accountants. Javier also actively participates in the NY Chapter of ALPFA.

Corporate Spotlight: PSEG

The NY & NJ Minority Supplier Development Council has selected PSEG and Marisol Ramirez, PSEG Supplier Diversity Manager, as our Corporate Spotlight recipient for National Hispanic Heritage Month. The Council selected PSEG and Marisol for their many contributions to diversity, equity, and inclusion within PSEG and our communities.

Ramirez (who goes by “Mari”), a proud Newarker of Puerto Rican descent, hails from the town of Guánica, Puerto Rico. She says she loves to volunteer and has actively participated in activities at PSEG and in the community.

Ramirez first got introduced to a career in Supplier Diversity in 2017, after working in PSEG’s Accounts Payable Department since 2014 –a transition that came naturally to her. “I’ve been an advocate of diversity and inclusion my entire life, so when I learned we had an opening for a Supplier Diversity Manager, it piqued my interest, and I’ve never looked back.” Since then, Ramirez has hit the ground running, fully committing herself to her employer’s supplier diversity objectives. A dedicated leader in both her community and her career, Ramirez is a member of Adelante EBRG, serving as vice-president of operations and trustee of the membership committee. She also serves as the site leader for the PSEG Procurement Local Inclusion Team, as well as a member of the Women’s Network and PSEG PRIDE Employee Business Resource Groups.

Ramirez served as treasurer and on the board of directors for the Newark Puerto Rican Day Parade from 2015 through 2017, which earned her the Award of Merit with the PSEG Recognizing Excellence in Volunteerism Award in 2016.

She serves as vice-president of the NJ BPU Supplier Diversity Development Council and as a board member of Saint Michael’s Hospital in Newark. Ramirez also served as Chair of the Diversity & Inclusion Committee of the Borough of Roselle Park in New Jersey from 2019 through 2020.

Ramirez received her Bachelor of Science degree in business administration/accounting from Montclair State University in New Jersey. She serves as a sister of Mu Sigma Upsilon Sorority, Inc., where she served on several board positions.

In her spare time, she enjoys traveling, spending time with family and friends, reading, cooking, and dancing. She is the mother of two young adult women, Rosa Ariana and Lisandra Isabel, and dogs named Jake and Lola, rescue dogs from Puerto Rico and South Carolina, respectively.

2021 Hispanic Heritage Month

In honor of Hispanic Heritage Month, The Council celebrates the prosperity of our nation’s Latinx/Hispanic communities, businesses, and business owners. For more than 30 years our country has officially recognized their rich history, customs, and contributions during this 30-day period from September 15 through October 15. 4.65 million Hispanic-owned businesses in the U.S. employ 2.82 million people.

Hispanic/Latinx businesses lead the way. We applaud communities in New York and New Jersey that fully commit to the growth and development of our region’s Hispanic-owned businesses. In neighborhoods with large Hispanic/Latinx populations, our Hispanic-owned businesses band together to produce goods and provide services that remind customers of their native countries while boosting local markets. Some of these items are difficult to find or replicate in traditional American shops, providing these minority business enterprises (MBEs)with a loyal customer base and a steady stream of income.

Over the past 10 years, our nation has witnessed a 34 percent increase in the number of Hispanic-owned businesses. Additionally, prior to the current pandemic, Hispanic MBEs generated approximately$500 billion in revenue while employing nearly 3 million people. Unfortunately, the COVID-19 crisis continues to negatively impact all MBEs including those with Hispanic/Latinx owners. To help navigate these challenges, Council leadership continues to identify resources and provide business development opportunities to help MBEs thrive. By working together, we all grow and prosper. Hispanic Heritage Month brings awareness to the resilience of Hispanic/Latinx communities and highlights the driving force and contributions MBEs play in our nation’s economy and across the world. We thank, support, and salute you!

CERTIFIED HISPANIC OWNED BUSINESSES

In honor of Hispanic Heritage Month, the NYNJ MSDC presents a listing of
Council-certified, Hispanic owned businesses.

Learn More

Sincerely,

Terrence Clark