Alumni Spotlight: Al-Nesha Jones, CPA ’07 ’13 MBA

The 200+ clients of West Orange, New Jersey’s ASE Group receive much more than year-end tax preparation. Al-Nesha Jones, CPA ’07 ’13 MBA, and her all-female team of financial professionals educate and provide year-round expertise to help business owners build their enterprises, and their community. “My firm’s clients work hard and have great ideas,” Jones explains. “What they often don’t have is good financial know-how. By educating and guiding our clients throughout the year, we empower them to grow their businesses.”

When Jones formed ASE Group in 2016, she brought considerable corporate experience as an Associate Manager of Financial Reporting at Prudential Financial and as an Assurance Senior at EY, where she began her career as an intern from Montclair. The pivot might have been prompted by the need for flexibility to raise her family, but it also reflected a personal sense of mission as well as what she observed as a real need in her community.

“I had a successful career working for very large companies, but I didn’t feel like I was having an impact,” she explains. “At the same time, I had friends and neighbors who were struggling to make their small businesses thrive. They knew they had to pay taxes but didn’t know how to plan for them. They needed more comprehensive guidance. I saw an opportunity to make a real contribution. I wanted to see them win.”

In addition to tax, accounting, and financial counseling services, Jones educates the community through free bookkeeping and tax classes and her Tea & Tax Talk Blog. She also teaches a Quickbooks Online Certification course at Essex County College.

When Jones jumped off the corporate ladder to start her own community-minded company, it was not the first time she looked at her options and decided to pivot. “First of all, I was planning to attend college out of state, but when I was offered the Edward J. Bloustein Scholarship to attend a New Jersey state college, I began touring campuses. I loved Montclair and liked the idea of staying close to home.”

“My dad worked in programming, so I initially enrolled at Montclair as a computer science major,” Jones continues. “I knew very quickly that it wasn’t for me, however, so I switched to business and accounting classes.”

Working full-time in retail and customer service meant taking classes early in the morning, in the evening, and on weekends. The demanding schedule did not keep Jones from immersing herself in campus life, however. “I served as a peer leader and helped with new student orientation,” she says. “I loved meeting the new students and made a lot of friends.”

Jones’ involvement in Montclair has continued – and grown – since graduation. She understands the power of mentorship and regularly volunteers her time mentoring students. “I received such wonderful mentorship from my professors and counselors, before I even knew it was mentorship,” she says with a laugh. “They were always there to give advice and answer questions. Recruiting events on campus introduced me to people I would not have met otherwise, and ultimately led to my first professional role. I kept in touch with some of my professors over the years and later, when I was starting my own firm, they continued to inspire and support me.”

When Jones was introduced to the Black Alumni Advisory Council at last year’s homecoming, she saw another opportunity to give back to her alma mater. “I remember what it was like, coming to Montclair as a first-generation college student,” she says. “Montclair is very diverse, but it is also big! It can be a challenge for a new student to figure out where they fit in.”

“There were so many people at Montclair who helped me create a path to success,” she adds. “They taught me how to pursue my own definition of success. I want to do the same for others.”

For Jones, this now includes looking to the Montclair campus when recruiting new team members for the ASE Group. “I hired a paid intern from the University, who is now an employee,” she says. “So much good has come out of my involvement with Montclair. It energizes me.”

The 2022 recipient of the NJCPA Ovation Award – DEI, Jones also participates in the ProConnect Customer Council for Intuit Inc. and is a member of the Intuit Trainer/Writer Network, an elite, worldwide group of professionals who teach other accountants how to use Intuit tools. She is an inaugural member of the CHIP Professionals Council, an organization that bridges the gap between consumers of financial products and financial professionals of color, a member of the National Black Society of CPAs and the National Association of Black Accountants, and President of the nonprofit organization Black-Owned Everything. In 2021, Jones was a CPA Practice Advisor 40 under 40 honoree.

Although her three children are more than a few years away from college, Jones is hoping they will consider following her footsteps to Montclair. “Montclair put me in such a good position professionally,” she says. “I met President Koppell recently and learned about the new programs and majors being added. But as much as the University grows, you can still feel the strong sense of community here.”