On Tuesday, April 4, 2023, at a regular meeting, the Rotary Club of Westfield inducted two new members: Vincent Luongo and Michael Kaufman.
Rotary is an organization of successful local business people who want to “give back” to the community. The Rotary Club of Westfield has projects to address local hunger issues, help homeless veterans, collect used bicycles for the third world, raise funds for Ukrainian refugees in eastern Europe, accept exchange students from Brazil and Australia, provide scholarships to Westfield college students and community grants to other local organizations.
Vincent Luongo is a financial planner and portfolio manager with over 16 years’ experience in the financial services industry. Vincent focuses on creating comprehensive wealth management strategies for professionals, business owners, corporate executives, and wealthy families and individuals. Vincent also provides consulting services for business and corporate retirement plans, as well as corporate cash management.
Prior to joining Wells Fargo Advisors in 2019, Vincent started his career at Morgan Stanley and later UBS Financial Services working in Midtown Manhattan.
Vincent graduated with Honors from the University at Albany with a BS in Finance. Vincent obtained the CHARTERED RETIREMENT PLANS SPECIALIST and CHARTERED RETIREMENT PLANNING COUNSELOR degrees from the College of Financial Planning in 2011 and 2016, respectively. From 2021 through 2023, Vincent was recognized as a Five-Star Wealth Manager by Five Star Professional. He was also recognized as a Top Advisor by the Financial Times in 2016.
Vincent has been a long-standing member of the Mid Island Rotary club of Staten Island, having served as the President of the club in 2014 to 2016. He also served on the board and foundation committee. He was recently honored in 2021 as a Paul Harris Fellow.
Away from the office, Vincent enjoys sports and traveling and coaching his children’s many sports teams. He lives in Clark, NJ with his wife Chrystie-Lynn and four children.
Michael Kaufman is the new owner of Ink Well Printing in Kenilworth. He is married for 35 years to Jill. They have been residents of Westfield for 25 years, where they raised their two daughters – Samantha and Rebecca, and are now the proud grandparents of three granddaughters.
Mike graduated from the Rochester Institute of Technology for Printing Technology & Management. He has been the President of Cox Printers since 2001. Over his career he has successfully bought seven other printing companies and rolled them into his main company of Cox Printers.
Cox has been recognized as a leader in sustainable practices not only in NJ but on a national scale, they had on their roof for many years solar panels, wind turbines, honey bee hives assorted flowers and vegetables as well as by repurposing assorted items rather than creating garbage a mini golf hole and a chimney made for the swallows to roost in as well as high efficiency lights and HVAC units. Printing on 100% post-consumer recycled paper made by a hydro powered paper mill using solar powered digital equipment to print was one of their victories.
For the past three years Michael has focused on the digital marketing arena in conjunction with traditional printing and become the United States flagship franchise for a UK based company called Nettl Metro.
For years Mike was focused on family first, raising his daughters and heavily involved with the Father-Daughter program Adventure Guides at the Scotch Plains YMCA, as well as coaching them in rec softball for 10+ years. Proudly both daughters were integral members of the high school teams here in Westfield and his youngest played collegiate ball.
Michael and Jill feel strongly about helping people by supporting locally the NJ Food Bank, Bridges Outreach to end homelessness and Visions & Pathways to assist troubled and in danger youth. These are in addition to places such as The Utica Zoo and few other small private organizations.
The Rotary Club of Westfield meets the first three Tuesdays of each month for lunch at noon, at Limani Seafood Grill on North Ave. Guests are always welcome. For information check out the website www.westfieldrotary.com or contact club secretary Dr. D. Michael Hart by email at drmhart@yahoo.com
Photo: Left to right: Rotarian Lauren Barr; President Tony LaPorta; new member Vincent Luongo; new member Mike Kaufman; Past District Governor Dr. D. Michael Hart; Past President Dr. Ed Shen; President Elect Barbara Frantz; Rotarian Mary Ellen O’Boyle