Technology Update (E1704109)

Rachael Bell is the Content & Communications Director for the New Jersey Society of CPAs. She manages content for the NJCPA's digital and print platforms, including njcpa.org, New Jersey CPA magazine, NJCPA Pulse and social media. Rachael is also the community manager for Connect, the Society's online community for members. Together with Don Meyer, NJCPA Chief Marketing Officer, Rachael provides social media training to CPAs throughout the state. Twitter @RachaelBell

Clifford Cook, CPA founded Excalibur Systems in 1986 and has assisted companies with the implementation, management, and security of their digital assets. As a leading managed services provider for the past 28 years, Excalibur Systems specializes in making best of breed technology understandable and available to small and medium sized businesses.

Mr. Cook has designed, implemented, and managed data center and wide area network infrastructures throughout the US and Canada. His largest implementation was over 120 locations, with 6 data centers, and over 4,000 users. His CPA background along with his passion for technology has enabled him to effectively communicate and educate the chief executive in the need for digital security and risk mitigation strategies. From the network operations center in Saddle Brook, New Jersey, Mr. Cook and staff manage the monitoring, remediation, and compliance of customers’ systems on a 24 x 7 basis.

Mr. Cook holds a BA from Rutgers in accounting and an MBA with distinction from Pace University in Information Systems and Finance. He also has certifications from Cisco, Checkpoint, VMWare, Citrix, and Hewlett Packard. He is a member of the AICPA and is active in the NJCPA Bergen Chapter.

Don is the chief marketing officer of the NJCPA, responsible for setting the vision, strategy and direction for the organization’s marketing, communications and membership campaigns and for driving the success of a deep and broad swath of organizational initiatives. Functional areas of accountability include digital assets (web, social media, email), content and news distribution (including the organization’s flagship publication, New Jersey CPA), membership, media relations, public relations, next generation recruitment, executive communications and internal communications. He also oversees graphic design, market research, and advocacy and legislative communications. Don came to the NJCPA from the Craft & Hobby Association, where he was director of marketing and public relations.