St. John’s Alumnus Jerry Musi ’91CBA: Never Stop Learning

Long hours were familiar, whether he was delivering newspapers or selling men’s suits part time at a mall. He can still relate today as a partner at the accounting firm RSM US LLP.  

Mr. Musi credits his professors for sparking his interest in accounting, recalling, “I liked the professors. They were really motivating. One professor was a tough educator and grader. He was an expert in different tax topics and IRS code. I did very well because I had a real interest in tax, and he earned my respect.” 

After graduation, he landed at a smallaccounting firm in Garden City, NY, and prepared for certification exams. “It was very hard,” he remembers. “Passing my certified public accountant exam was a big accomplishment.” 

In 1994, he joined McGladrey & Pullen (now RSM US LLP), and has been there ever since. A taxpartner for 10 years, Mr. Musi loves learning new things and likes a challenge, which a career in tax provides. 

“An interesting fact about me—which might also be boring—is that I like to preparetax returns.” 

Mr. Musi explains that after accounting mergers, expansions, and name changes, RSM US is the “leading professional service firm servicing the middle market for accounting tax and consulting.” He is a tax lead in RSM’s Financial Services industry, specializing in compliance, consulting, and structure formation, staying close to tax legislation and investment fund trends.  

A member of theDepartment of Accountancy Advisory Board of The Peter J. Tobin College of Business, he reflected “Making partner at RSM was instrumental in my professional tax life.” 

Technology has revolutionized the tax industry. “I could not do my tax return manually today,” he noted, recalling preparing and filing his first tax returns by hand.  

“Technology is much more than tax preparation,” he explained. “It’s about information sharing.” Cloud-based solutions and artificial intelligence have changed the game. “We can turn around tax information faster than ever,” he said. 

Mr. Musi credits his success to his parents, devout Catholic immigrants from southern Italy, who supported him through college. He used to commute to work with his father, a carpenter in New York City.  

“He was enormously proud of what I did and had accomplished,” he said. 

Everyone understands the demanding workload before April’s tax deadline, so when his 86-year-old father fell seriously ill one spring, Mr. Musi joked, “Now, dad? Couldn’t you wait until after the busy season?” 

Humor affirms that he is “a people person,” and he advises today’s students to network. “The more people you meet, the more you develop,” he said. 

Recalling college memories of JPOD’s Tavern, Spring Fling, and Beta Alpha Psi, the international accounting honor society for financial information students and professionals, he shared, “Before St. John’s, I was sheltered. During college, I learned, expanded my horizons, and opened doors for innovative ideas.” 

Mr. Musi’s passion for varied cultural and religious perspectives inspired him to improve RSM’s culture of diversity and inclusion. He was an instrumental member of the RSM cultural diversity and inclusion movement, creating employee networking groups to emphasize learning, collaborating, and the importance of understanding different perspectives and backgrounds. 

“I’m a big fan of education,” he said. “Each day you should be learning something new.”