Ralph Albert Thomas became the first Black chief staff officer of a state CPA society when he joined the New Jersey Society of CPAs in 1999. He came to the role after heading due diligence for leveraged buyouts at Citibank, bringing financial-services experience into professional association leadership, and he serves the society as its chief executive officer and executive director.
The association world was not new to him. Thomas is a Lehigh University graduate who earned bachelor's and master's degrees there, and he went on to serve as a university trustee from 2001 to 2014. He led the Washington, D.C., chapter of the National Association of Black Accountants and later served as NABA's national president in the early 1990s, and he remains a lifetime member of the association. In 2000, NABA presented him its Special Presidential Award.
Thomas has argued that recruiting more Black accountants requires attention to what happens after they enter a firm. In a 2021 Journal of Accountancy interview, he emphasized mentorship, coaching and sponsorship: people who can help professionals understand their options and gain access to opportunities. He also urged senior leaders to take responsibility for inclusion and retention.
His professional service has included national and chapter leadership of the National Association of Black Accountants, membership on the AICPA's diversity commission and foundation board, and participation on university accounting advisory boards. These roles connect his own accounting career with the institutions that train and support those entering the profession.
A 2016 news profile described how he pushed the society to take a more active role in State House issues, extending its work into tax and economic policy debates. He led the New Jersey society for more than two decades, serving as the voice of more than 13,000 members on state and national issues, and retired as its chief executive effective June 2023.
