At its recent annual meeting held in Belleville, NJ, the New Jersey Chapter of the Turnaround Management Association welcomed Allen Wilen of EisnerAmper LLP as its new president for the 2014-2016 term. Outgoing president Paul Rome, University Management Associates, will remain on the committee as chairman of the board. Outgoing chairman Nicholas Jalowski, Cambridge Financial Services, will remain on the board of directors. Both will assist the new president as needed.

“It’s been a terrific year filled with exciting conferences and interesting events. I am grateful for the support and camaraderie of my fellow NJTMA members along the way, and honored by your trust in my capabilities. There is much promise on the road ahead for this organization and I plan to keep an active role supporting Allen,” Rome said.

Allen Wilen is a partner in the firm’s Bankruptcy and Restructuring Group. He has over 20 years’ experience with bankruptcy, forensic accounting, corporate finance, and representing debtors, unsecured creditors and secured creditors in bankruptcy proceedings and out-of-court restructurings. In addition, he has spent considerable time in the areas of business operations, fraud investigation, contract damages and business valuation. He has also served as a fiduciary on many occasions, including as a receiver, provisional director, examiner, trustee and disbursing agent.

Wilen thanked Rome for his tireless service and said he’s ready to hit the ground running: “I wouldn’t be taking this on if Paul hadn’t made it look so easy,” he joked. “I look forward to taking us to the next level and growing our membership. One of my working philosophies has been to deploy proven principles in new situations, but I’ve also been around long enough to recognize when I don’t have an answer. That’s when you have to be smart and ask questions to learn. I’ll be asking Paul lots of questions.”

The 2014 slate of officers is comprised of:

Chairman: Paul Rome, University Management Associates
President: Allen Wilen, EisnerAmper LLP
Treasurer: Steven Agran, MorrisAnderson
Board Secretary: Betty Mantz, Mantz Support Services
VP Educational Programs: Paul Shur, Esq., Windels Marx LLP
VP Membership: Dennis Bobker, CTP, Phoenix
VP Outreach: Charles Snyder, Upland Business Capital
VP Networking: Jane Mitnick, SM Financial Services Corporation
VP Sponsorships: Harvey Topitz, Rivers Insurance Group

The officers were sworn in by NJTMA member Judge Rosemary Gambardella and will serve a two-year term.