Our Team

Salim Omar, CPA is the rare accountant who guarantees success to clients who follow his advice. As one of New Jersey’s top CPAs, clients from across the state hold Salim in the highest esteem. He believes small businesses are the foundation of our economy and has dedicated his practice to helping them attain financial health and security through his services. With this mission in mind, he’s been able to build one of the most successful and respected firms in the state of New Jersey and has hundreds of raving fans across the state (check out the testimonials section).His education includes a unique blend of two financially-based accreditations: Masters Degree in Accounting and a Certified Public Accountant. His professional background includes experience as a former Chief Financial Officer and, for the last seventeen years, as a small-business owner in New Jersey. He is author of the popular book “Straight Talk About Small Business Success In New Jersey.” His articles appear in publications around the country including prestigious industry publications such as Accounting Today and The CPA Journal. His passion to help small-business owners succeed – and his personal business success – makes him a much-in-demand speaker, panelist, writer and advisor.

Salim says: “I hate for small business owners to get bogged down in unnecessary, time-consuming detail when I can help them enjoy their businesses – and life — more fully. This is what The Omar Group is all about – removing the roadblocks and paving the way toward success for every entrepreneur.”

Rodney Deloe, CPA is Straight Talk CPAs’ Chief Operating Officer, responsible for the firm’s organic and strategic growth. His professional background includes senior financial roles including Chief Financial Officer at both publicly traded and privately held organizations, as well Partner at a public accounting firm.

With extensive experience in both public and private practices, Rodney has continuously provided exceptional value to his stakeholders while building systems that leverage technology and human capital. He has been involved in over a dozen mergers and acquisitions during his career, including acquisitions involving multi-million-dollar organizations. He is a regional and national speaker on mergers and acquisitions, focusing on due diligence and integration activities.

Rodney’s education includes a bachelor’s degree in Accounting and a Certified Public Accounting license from Pennsylvania. His work on acquisitions while acting as the Chief Financial Officer for a business earned him the Pittsburgh Business Times CFO of Year Award for 2014. 

Jackie Bieda, CPA, has been a CPA since 2008 and has extensive accounting and tax background, from country club controller to CPA firm tax accountant. As a country club Controller, she worked closely with her A/R and A/P bookkeepers, assisted club members with their accounts, and prepared monthly financial analysis & reports. As a CPA firm accountant, she has worked with clients from many different industries, and provided daily accounting support, tax return preparation, and tax planning strategies and projections. Jackie graduated from California University of Pennsylvania in 2001 with degrees in Accounting and Computer Information Systems.

In her free time, Jackie enjoys golfing, spending time with family, and traveling.

In her words: “I strongly believe that for a business to evolve it has to be fun, and it has to exercise your creative instincts. That’s why I love what I do.”

Lonnie Sciambi is a Strategic Advisor on the Straight Talk CPAs team. He is also the Managing Director and CEO of Value Force, LLC through which he advises entrepreneurs and small business owners, internationally. Lonnie is author of the best-selling book, Secrets to Entrepreneurial Success.

He has spent more than thirty years involved with small businesses. As an entrepreneur, Lonnie founded, grew and sold two of his own companies. He has been CEO of both public and private companies and completed successful turnarounds of eight companies in disparate markets. As an investment banker, Lonnie was involved in raising more than $350 million in capital and completed more than three dozen merger and acquisition transactions. As an angel investor he has invested in more than a dozen small businesses and has been advisor to several hundred companies. Lonnie started his career at IBM. His background also includes management positions with EDS and Citicorp. He holds a B.S. degree in Electrical Engineering from Drexel University.

Vrajesh Shah, CPA has more than 25 years of tax planning and financial reporting for both small and large businesses and is a valued member of our team. As Straight Talk CPA’s Tax Consultant and Accounting Advisor, he provides his expert research, thoughtful analysis, and diverse knowledge to our clients to help them minimize and resolve their most complex tax and accounting issues.

In his words: “The biggest expense for most taxpayers is their income tax bill. Its been very gratifying to help clients slash their tax bill so they are paying the least amount legally possible. My role at Straight Talk CPAs entails guiding our clients towards a sound financial and tax reporting system.”

Pat Coleman is a Financial Accountant with a degree in Economics and Accounting from Rutgers, The State University of NJ. She is our Quickbooks Doctor, responsible for resolving our client’s accounting software issues and expanding their use of financial accounting software to manage their businesses more efficiently. Pat started her career at Merrill Lynch in NYC and spent the last ten years as a controller for a NJ based business. Pat has been a consultant for many businesses, large and small, and understands the financial concerns that business owners face daily.

Pat says: “I enjoy the challenge of implementing strategies for businesses to succeed. I am here to help them overcome the obstacles that come along with running a business.”

Helen Passariello is our bookkeeper and payroll-sales tax specialist. She holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Business Administration from Brooklyn College, City University of New York. She has over 20 years’ experience in the accounting industry. She worked for a Wall Street firm for over 15 years that maintained books and records for independent NYSE floor brokers. She also holds NASD series 27 certification.

Helen says: “It’s important to have accurate books and records as well as timely payroll and sales tax filings. By assisting small businesses with these functions, it allows them to concentrate on growing their business.”

Elliot Krauss is a senior tax professional with a Masters degree in finance/investments from Bernard M. Baruch College and a Bachelors of Science degree in finance from Long Island University. He has more than 30 years of experience in financial systems and reporting, commodity management and purchasing while employed by Merck & Co., Inc., a Fortune 500 pharmaceutical company. He joined The Omar Group in 2005.

Elliot says: “It has been very gratifying to help clients with the preparation of their personal tax returns. My interaction with clients and the discussions I have had on tax saving strategies have resulted in many fulfilling client relationships.”

Beth Giannotto is a Senior Tax Advisor with a Bachelor of Science degree in Accounting from the University of Massachusetts, Magna Cum Laude.

Beth began her career at Arthur Andersen as an Auditor and spent the last ten years as a senior tax advisor at various tax firms. She has also served as a Trustee at the Count Basie Theatre and continues to do so.

As Straight Talk CPA’s Senior Tax Advisor, Beth provides expert tax advice and likes to explore “what if” scenarios to help our clients minimize their taxes and stay compliant with the tax authorities.

Beth says: “I’ve always enjoyed working with people. I love helping clients discover ways to reduce their tax obligations, maximize their savings and plan for their future.”

Donna Azzolina is our administrative assistant with more than 30 years of experience ranging from office administration to sales and account management. At Straight Talk CPAs, Donna helps keep the office in tip-top shape by keeping financial records organized, answering important prospect and client calls, and keeping the office systems updated with important data and information.

In her words: “I really enjoy getting to know our clients, answering all of their questions and resolving their concerns quickly. We strive to provide excellent customer service. The personal touch we offer our clients is what sets us apart from other firms.”