Lizza & Associates
Your Full Service Accounting Firm
The Lizza & Associates Team
Joseph Lizza, CPA
Joseph A. Lizza, MBA, CPA, CGMA established the accounting firm of Lizza & Associates in 1991. Prior to establishing his own practice, Joseph received his Bachelor’s Degree in Accounting from St. Peter’s College in 1978. After fulfilling the requirements established by the State of New Jersey, he became a Certified Public Accountant in May 1981. In addition to his CPA license, Joseph earned his MBA in Innovation and Entrepreneurship from Felician College in May 2009, and was most recently awarded the Chartered Global Management Accountant (CGMA) designation from the American Institute of CPAs and the Chartered Institute of Management Accountants. The CGMA designation recognizes professionals who have a deep understanding of finance and have expanded their business skills through experience as management accountants to help drive better business decisions. Joseph also holds membership in the American Institute of CPA’s (AICPA), and the New Jersey Society of Certified Public Accountants (NJCPA).
For over three decades, Joseph's expertise in finance and accounting has allowed him to become a leader in the industry. These efforts have been consistently recognized by his clients and peers as he was awarded The Five Star Top Wealth Manager’s Award in Business Planning for 2011, 2012, and 2013 as appeared in New Jersey Monthly Magazine. Most recently in 2014 Joseph was recognized by The Italian Voice as the recipient of the 2014 Best of New Jersey Award of Excellence. In addition to his achievements as a CPA, Joseph is also an active member of the business faculties of several prestigious institutions of higher education such as Rutgers University, Fordham University, and Felician College as well as the Becker CPA Review Company.
Joseph's excellence in teaching was also recognized by his reception of several awards such as Teacher of the Year (Rutgers Accounting Society), Teaching Excellence (Becker CPA Review Company), and the Dean’s Award for Teaching Excellence (Fordham University). Joseph also serves on the Board of Directors for the HealthBarn Foundation and Granny's Hope for Change.
Maria Torrillo - Office Manager
Maria Torrillo-Office Manager- joined Lizza & Associates in 2008. Maria graduated from The Berkeley School of Manhattan in 1982. As our Office Manager, Maria is responsible for the management, procurement and operations of our office. She coordinates all human resource functions as well as manages payroll and communications with office services vendors.
Maria is a dedicated business professional with a versatile administrative support skill set. She has volunteered her services over the past six years for the Lizza & Associates run Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) program. Prior to joining Lizza & Associates, Maria’s experience spanned over 20 years with a variety of major firms throughout New York City.
Sudha Sriram - Senior Associate
Sudha Sriram -Senior Associate- joined Lizza & Associates in 2008. She is a graduate of the University of Madras and has over 6 years of tax expertise. Sudha has extensive experience with the preparation and review of tax returns, payroll compliance and reporting, and financial reporting and business tax matters.
As a member of the Lizza & Associates team, she has participated in the Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) program each tax season. Before joining Lizza & Associates, Sudha worked in the banking industry for several years.
Matthew Kmetz - Senior Associate
Matthew Kmetz -Senior Associate- joined Lizza & Associates in February 2012. Matt is currently pursuing his MBA at Felician College with an anticipated graduation date of 2016. He is scheduled to sit for the CPA exam within the next year. Matt has extensive experience in personal income tax and small business areas, as well as financial preparation and reporting. In addition to his responsibilities with the firm, Matt serves as the coordinator of our community outreach program.
In this role he oversees the planning and operation of the VITA program run by Lizza & Associations in conjunction with Felician College. In his spare time, Matt is a member of the Wallington High School Business Education Advisory Committee.
Joseph Kennedy - Associate
Joseph Kennedy - Associate- joined Lizza & Associates in 2013. Joe is a graduate of Felician College, with a BS in Accounting. He is currently pursuing an MBA at Felician College in Innovation and Entrepreneurial Leadership with an anticipated graduation date of May 2015.
Joe is scheduled to sit for the CPA exam in the coming months. His responsibilities with Lizza & Associates include tax preparation, tax season correspondence, and financial reporting. Joe also serves as a site coordinator for the VITA program that is run by our firm each tax season. Before joining the L&A team, Joe had several years of experience working within the Hospitality/Food Beverage Industry as a Manager.
Anthony Carullo - Senior Associate
Anthony Carullo -Senior Associate- joined Lizza & Associates in 2013 after spending 7 years in the Market Research industry. Anthony is a graduate of Bryant University and is currently enrolled at Farleigh Dickinson University where he is enrolled in the MS in Accountancy program.
Once completed with the program, Anthony anticipates sitting for the CPA in the near future. His responsibilities include tax preparation and financial reporting for small business. Anthony enjoys spending time with his wife, Amanda, daughter, Gianna, and son, James. He volunteers annually each summer and fall as a junior football coach.
Samantha Markowski - Associate
Samantha Markowski - Associate- is one of our new team members at Lizza & Associates, having joined us in 2014 after studying Accounting at Ramapo College. Her responsibilities include tax research, tax preparation, financial reporting, and numerous internal functions.
Samantha servers as a site coordinator for the firm’s involvement in the VITA program, which is part of the firm’s community outreach program. Samantha looks forward to developing her career with the firm and gaining experience in the tax and accounting industry. She plans to obtain her CPA license in the near future.
