Ruse on the Loose: East Hanover man giving back through YMCA
Growing up in Brooklyn, Alex Serrano always loved playing basketball at the local YMCA.
So when he was approached about joining the board of directors for the Metropolitan YMCA of the Oranges, he was happy for the chance to get involved with them.
"I like the Y's community involvement. I think it's a great place, number one, to improve the community's health. It's key, having that access to the community. I toured the East Orange Y last week and their facilities in Maplewood and it's just impressive how involved they are in the community," the East Hanover resident said.
"It's a big responsibility but I enjoy doing it, helping the community. It should be exciting."
Serrano, a mergers and acquisitions specialist and co-managing partner of Citrin Cooperman's Livingston office, has also been the scholarship program director of their annual High School Accounting/Business Student Grant program for the past seven years. Over that time, the company has given more than $200,000 in scholarships to high school students pursuing a business or accounting career.
The scholarship awards students $1,000 a year for four years and is based on academic achievement. After enrolling in college, they must take at least 12 credits per semester while maintaining a 2.75 GPA.
"We go to the schools and talk about a career in accounting, give them a little information about the profession, how much money they can make right out of college. Just kind of an incentive for them to see that it's a good career," said Serrano, a certified public accountant.
"We have a scholarship committee and we get the applications. I get a lot of my staff involved in each of the offices. It's actually fun. We do a lot. We give the guidance counselors fliers to give to the kids about the scholarships. We target more low income type areas for the scholarships, where it's most needed."
As a volunteer member of the board, Serrano has already been appointed to both the finance and investment committees and is embracing all the responsibilities that go with it. He will also help out with other projects during the year and help determine whether or not to implement changes to some existing programs.
"The executive director there really does a good job. They run it like a business. You have to go through the interview process and then the rest of the board has to approve you in order to be able to become a member. I was actually recruited by another board member," said Serrano, an avid golfer.
"Not everybody gets in. They're looking for people to contribute both financially and also with their time to help them run a good organization. My background as a CPA is pretty well diversified and I've run different activities over the years."
At the East Orange YMCA, Serrano learned how the youngsters who attend their afterschool programs can get assistance with their homework and a healthy meal. Through a grant from Capital One, computer labs help children improve their schoolwork.
"It's a smart type of program that helps them with their homework, helps them improve the specific subjects they're taking in school like sciences and math, things of that nature and it's a smart program which is really, really good. They have a very large food program for the kids. The director there told me if they didn't have that program, a lot of those kids would go without having three meals a day which is really bad," Serrano said.
"So these are the things they do and when you hear that, it kind of makes you proud and makes you know that you're doing something good, helping this organization to succeed doing these things. They run very good programs. A lot of people are not aware of how extensive the Ys are involved in the community."
Working with his family in the retail business, Serrano realized he hated working seven days a week and guided himself into the accounting business. After graduating from Brooklyn College, he joined Citrin Cooperman in 1985 and moved to East Hanover in 1993. After raising a son and daughter with his wife Josephine, he's ready to join the Y's 33-member Board of Directors.
"I kind of disconnected from the Y and now I've had a chance to get back into it as a board member. Life gets in the way. Kids, family, education, growing your business, things happen along the way. So now I have an opportunity to get involved and I'm taking advantage of it. Absolutely."
Help the Homeless
June is a one-year-old little miss who was rescued from impound. She is an absolute doll and loves everyone. She is known for wrapping her paws around her foster moms neck and giving her kisses. She is most definitely a lap cat who loves attention.
If you are interested in meeting June, visit mtolivetnr.org and fill out an adoption application and a representative will get back to you soon. All adoption fees include spay/neuter, vaccinations, FIV/FeLV testing, de worming/fleeing, and micro chipping.
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