Community Service Is Important To Longtime Area Accountant Jay Froehlich
Whenever a community is being built, there are people who step up and stand out as leaders. But there are also those who work diligently behind the scenes — carrying out the missives, offering improvements and making sure the ducks stay in a row.
When Wellington was young, it was lucky enough to have Jay Froehlich working behind the scenes to help the community grow.
Like many early Wellington residents, Froehlich hailed from New York, where he had graduated from Hofstra University. Inspired by an uncle who was an accountant, he was working as a licensed certified public accountant when a visit to his wife Trish’s parents in Florida convinced him to move south in the 1980s.
Froehlich was immediately hired by a CPA firm in Palm Beach Gardens but soon moved to Wellington because of the excellent schools.
“Trisha’s parents liked Wellington and recommended it,” Froehlich recalled. “I saw the opportunity for a CPA practice here, as Wellington was an up-and-coming community and close to home. After long commutes in New York, close to home worked very well.”
Over his 35 years in Wellington, Froehlich helped shape the community through thousands of volunteer hours. One of the first things he worked on was the annual Wellington Holiday Parade, co-chairing the event for several years alongside Sharon Edelman Reuben and, later, David Leland.
“In 1990, I joined the board of the Palms West Chamber of Commerce and was vice president of operations for three years,” Froehlich said. “I worked on the exercise path behind the old chamber building with Bobby Ewing, Michael Mauck, Mark Miles and others.”
Froehlich also donated time as a t-ball coach; a budget committee member at the Acme Improvement District, Wellington’s pre-incorporation government; a member of the Wellington Incorporation Committee; and as treasurer of the Wellington Cultural Society.
He also volunteered at many of the hometown events in the fledgling community, such as Huck Finn Day, the Fourth of July celebration and WestFest. He was active with the Boy Scouts and the Wellington Boys & Girls Club, serving on its board as executive secretary and as committee chair for its Little League before the Village of Wellington took over this function.
Froehlich sat on the Parish Council for St. Rita Catholic Church. He was also executive officer, then training officer, for the U.S. Naval Sea Cadet Corps Palm Beach, and acted as treasurer of the U.S. Navy League Palm Beach Council from 2002 to 2013, winding up his service as treasurer of the Navy Seal Foundation Palm Beach Tribute in 2013.
“I think that pretty much covers it,” Froehlich laughed. “I participated because I wanted to give back, participate with my son John in his activities, and be able to help people and our youth. I kept my accounting practice in Wellington all that time because most of my clients were here, and the clients that were not, were still close.”
In 2004, he teamed up with fellow accountant Beatriz “Betty” De La Rua to form the Froehlich & De La Rua CPA Firm.
“When I was lucky enough to have Betty become my partner, we decided that Wellington was definitely the place for our practice,” Froehlich said.
This included the company’s evolution into an international accounting and consulting firm, De La Rua’s specialty.
“Our practice is constantly busy, as we work mostly with business clients, as well as international clients,” Froehlich said.
He cites “constantly changing tax laws, and accounting rules and practices” as the most challenging part of the job, noting that the weeks just prior to April 15 are especially busy, “mainly due to procrastinators.”
Yet, except for a higher-than-normal number of equestrian clients, accounting and tax preparation are pretty much the same in Wellington as everywhere else, he said.
Froehlich enjoys helping clients maximize their businesses and “plan properly for tax consequences.”
He offered a bit of advice to those people just starting out as an accountant.
“For young people coming into this career, be prepared for constant changes and challenges,” Froehlich said. “This career can definitely be rewarding and satisfying.”
His uncle’s legacy lives on, with one more helpful hint. “Find a great partner!” Froehlich added.
The Froehlich & De La Rua CPA Firm is located in the Chancellor Corporate Center at 12008 South Shore Blvd., Suite 210, in Wellington. For more info., call (561) 795-9500 or visit www.froehlichcpa.com.
