Board of Trustees

Michael Roberge joined the Board of Trustees of Hofstra University in 2014 and currently serves as chair of the Board.

Over a career spanning more than 30 years in the investment industry, Roberge held leadership roles at MFS Investment Management, including president, chief investment officer, and chief executive officer. He joined MFS in 1996 as a municipal credit analyst and held roles including senior vice president, associate director of fixed income research, portfolio manager, and chief investment officer for U.S. investments and co-director of global research. He serves as vice chair of the board of Horizons for Homeless Children and holds the Chartered Financial Analyst designation.

Roberge serves as chair of the Joint Zucker School of Medicine Board and served as co-chair of the Capital Campaign Executive Committee.

Roberge earned a Master of Business Administration from Hofstra University in 1992.

Kathryn Marinello joined the Board of Trustees of Hofstra University in 2022 and currently serves as vice chair of the Board.

Marinello is the former president and CEO of PODS LLC. She previously served as president and chief executive officer of Hertz Global Holdings and held leadership positions at General Electric, including division president roles with GE Capital and GE Fleet Services. She also held leadership roles at First Data Corporation. Her experience includes strategy, operations, and business restructuring.

She serves on the boards of Thrivent Financial and other corporations.

Marinello received the Alumni Achievement Award in 2009 and the Alumnus of the Year Award in 2021.

Marinello earned a Master of Business Administration from Hofstra University in 1984.

Martha Pope joined the Board of Trustees of Hofstra University in 2000 and currently serves as vice chair.

Pope began her career in government with the U.S. Senate, where she served as sergeant at arms and secretary of the Senate. She was the first woman and the only person to hold both positions. She later served as senior adviser to the Northern Ireland peace process and contributed to the Good Friday Agreement.

Pope served on the Honors College Advisory Board and received the Honorary Alumna Award in 2024.

David Mack joined the Board of Trustees of Hofstra University in 1983 and currently serves as secretary of the Board.

Mack is senior managing partner and vice president of The Mack Management and Construction Corp., which developed into Mack-Cali Realty Corporation (now Veris Residential). He has also served as vice chairman of the Metropolitan Transportation Authority and as a commissioner of the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey.

Mack received the Estabrook Award in 1983, the Alumni Achievement Award in 1993, the Presidential Medal in 2001, and the Alum of the Year Award in 2006. He was named a Hofstra Gala honoree in 2024. Mack earned a Bachelor of Business Administration from Hofstra University in 1967.

Donald Schaeffer joined the Board of Trustees of Hofstra University in 2015 and is the immediate past chair.

Schaeffer is owner and president of Schaeffer & Sam, CPA, P.C. He is a certified public accountant in New York. He works with families and privately held businesses on tax, estate planning, and accounting matters. He has served as a trustee of family foundations and trusts and as a director of GTJ REIT, Inc.

Schaeffer was named an honorary alumnus in 2014 and was the Hofstra Gala honoree in 2025.

Tracey Ant joined the Board of Trustees of Hofstra University in 2025.

Ant serves as head of middle and large business at The Hartford, overseeing underwriting, growth, and operations across 14 business units. She previously held roles at Marsh & McLennan Companies and began her career as a casualty underwriter at ITT Hartford.

She serves on Hofstra’s Women in Leadership Advisory Board and was co-chair of the Capital Campaign Executive Committee. Ant received the Alumni Achievement Award in 2018.

Ant earned a Bachelor of Science in finance from Hofstra University in 1987.

Alan Bernon joined the Board of Trustees of Hofstra University in 1990.

Bernon is a founding partner of Sequel Holdings and has served as an adviser and investor since its formation in 2002. He sits on the investment committee of all Sequel funds and serves on the boards of two companies funded by Sequel Holdings: Chairman Foods and Mrs. Gerry’s Kitchen. Bernon also serves as president and chief executive officer of Dairy Farmers of America (DFA), where he leads the executive leadership team to ensure the overall health of DFA’s Dairy Brands Division.

He served as chair of the Board of Trustees from 2014 to 2019.

He received the Alumni Achievement Award in 1996, the Alumnus of the Year Award in 1986, and the School of Business Alumni Association Distinguished Service Award in 1985. He was named a Hofstra Gala honoree in 2017.

Bernon earned a Bachelor of Business Administration from Hofstra University in 1976.

Kenneth Brodlieb joined the Board of Trustees of Hofstra University in 2014.

Brodlieb is chairman of East Hills Auto Group, an automobile franchise consisting of five dealerships on Long Island.

Brodlieb serves on the Frank G. Zarb School of Business Dean’s Advisory Board and is a member of Zarb’s Executives in Residence Program.

Susan Catalano joined the Board of Trustees of Hofstra University in 2016.

Catalano serves as chief people officer at Omnicom Group, Inc., where she leads U.S. human resources operations and oversees strategic talent initiatives across thousands of employees and global functions. She previously served as chief administrative officer and chief people officer at WeWork Inc. and spent more than 20 years at Citigroup Inc., where she held roles including managing director and senior human resources officer, global head of recruitment.

Fred Davis Jr. joined the Board of Trustees of Hofstra University in 2021.

Davis Jr. is a partner in tax services at Aprio, an independent global business advisory firm, where he provides tax and accounting services to high-net-worth individuals, private equity firms, financial services entities, and not-for-profit organizations. Before joining Aprio, Davis Jr. was the tax managing partner in the New York office of Mitchell & Titus LLP, leading the firm’s tax and accounting, compliance, and reporting practices. He has more than 20 years of public accounting experience, specializing in serving tax-exempt organizations and public and private companies.

Davis Jr. served as president of the Alumni Organization and president of the Black/Hispanic Alumni Association. Davis Jr. received the Alumni Achievement Award and the Black/Hispanic Alumni Recognition Award in 2014.

Davis Jr. earned a Bachelor of Business Administration in accounting from Hofstra University in 1985.

Michael DeDomenico joined the Board of Trustees of Hofstra University in 2020. 

DeDomenico is managing partner and owner of Avnatar Capital LLC, a private equity firm focused on investments in credit and infrastructure, and provides guidance on capital allocation, investor relations, and value creation for portfolio companies.

He serves on the Frank G. Zarb School of Business Dean’s Advisory Board and received the Alumnus of the Year Award in 2023. DeDomenico earned a Bachelor of Science from Hofstra University in 1969.

Michael Delaney joined the Board of Trustees of Hofstra University in 2019.

Delaney served as chief aerospace safety officer and senior vice president, global aerospace safety, at The Boeing Company. In that role, he led enterprise safety strategy, integrating product and services safety, aerospace safety analytics, and the company’s Global Aviation Safety System. He previously held engineering and program leadership roles, including responsibilities for airplane development, commercial engineering, and digital transformation initiatives. He also led Boeing’s Confident Travel Initiative during the COVID-19 pandemic.

He is a member of the Fred DeMatteis School of Engineering and Applied Science Dean’s Advisory Board and received the Alumni Achievement Award in 2017.

Delaney earned a Bachelor of Science in aerospace engineering from Hofstra University in 1985.

Craig Dempster joined the Board of Trustees of Hofstra University in 2023.

Dempster is the chief executive officer of Trilliad, a market-leading growth services provider (GSP) that offers full-service solutions across consulting, technology, agency services, sales performance, and talent services. Dempster previously served as global chief executive officer of Merkle Inc. He previously served as president of Merkle Americas, where he oversaw operations across North and South America and led digital transformation initiatives across global markets. He also held roles at Digitas and HSBC, where he focused on digital strategy, brand optimization, and customer analytics.

Dempster is an executive in residence in the Frank G. Zarb School of Business and received the Alumni Achievement Award in 2019.

Dempster earned a Bachelor of Arts in political science from Hofstra University in 1994.

Peter Kalikow joined the Board of Trustees of Hofstra University in 1988.

Kalikow is president of H.J. Kalikow & Company, a privately owned real estate and development firm with a portfolio of residential and commercial projects. He previously served as chairman of the Metropolitan Transportation Authority and as a commissioner of the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey.

Kalikow was named Hofstra University’s Alumnus of the Year in 1988, received the Alumni Achievement Award in 1993, and was honored at the 2009 Hofstra Gala.

Kalikow earned a Bachelor of Science in business administration from Hofstra University in 1966 and was awarded an honorary doctorate in law from Hofstra University in 1986.

Arthur Kremer joined the Board of Trustees of Hofstra University in 1990.

Kremer is chairman of Capitol Insight Group and founded Empire Government Strategies, a government relations consulting firm that advises municipalities, nonprofit organizations, and corporations on policy initiatives. Kremer is a former partner and chair of the Municipal and Regulatory Affairs Department at Ruskin Moscou Faltischek P.C., where he specialized in cannabis law, corporate and securities, energy, and municipal and government affairs.

He served as a member of the New York State Assembly from 1966 to 1988 and chaired the Assembly Ways and Means Committee for 12 years. He serves as chair of the New York Affordable Reliable Electricity Alliance.

Diana Lake joined the Board of Trustees of Hofstra University in 2012.

Lake is a former medical oncologist at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, where she specialized in the diagnosis and treatment of breast cancer. Her clinical interests include breast cancer prevention, early detection, and therapies that address both the medical and emotional needs of patients. She has participated in the development of multidisciplinary care models and oncology treatment. She has mentored physicians, participated in public health initiatives related to cancer awareness and access to care, and serves as an adviser to nonprofit organizations focused on women’s health and equity in medicine.

Lake is a member of the Women in Leadership Advisory Board and received the Alumni Achievement Award in 2011.

Lake earned a Bachelor of Arts in biology from Hofstra University in 1968.

Kurt Lambert joined the Board of Trustees of Hofstra University in 2023.

Lambert has more than 30 years of experience across capital markets, health care infrastructure, and impact investing in Europe, the Caribbean, and Africa. He founded Harcourt Investment Consulting in 1997. He serves as chairman of Forlam Ventures, has held a board seat at Quantex AG for over 13 years, and co-founded RepRisk, where he served on the board for 16 years, including as chairman from 2010 to 2023. He is also founder and chairman of Sils Dialysis.

He established the Forlam Health Clinic in Barbados and launched a kidney testing program through the Forlam Foundation and Sils Dialysis, which has screened more than 3,500 individuals. He also served as trustee and chairman of the African Foundation (UK Trust), now known as Wild Impact, supporting locally led education, health care, and livelihoods projects across Africa. He was awarded the Order of Freedom of Barbados in 2025. He carries the title The Most Honorable.

Lambert earned a Bachelor of Science in mathematics from Hofstra University in 1988 and was awarded an honorary doctorate of humane letters from Hofstra University in 2022.

Stella Mendes joined the Board of Trustees of Hofstra University in 2018.

Mendes serves as senior managing director and global leader, financial services, at FTI Consulting, where she leads the firm’s global practice serving banks, credit unions, and other financial services institutions. In this role, she directs advisory work involving anti-money laundering (AML), the Bank Secrecy Act (BSA), the Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC), and regulatory compliance matters. She previously served as president and chief operating officer of First National Bank of New York and as compliance and bank secrecy officer.

She is a member of the Women in Leadership Advisory Board and received the Alumni Achievement Award in 2013. Mendes holds the CAMS certification and earned a Bachelor of Science in professional studies from Hofstra University in 2009.

Janis Meyer joined the Board of Trustees of Hofstra University in 1993.

Meyer serves as counsel in the Professional Practices Group at Clyde & Co US LLP, where she advises law firms and corporate legal departments on professional responsibility, risk management, firm governance, and regulatory compliance. She previously served as a partner and general counsel at Dewey & LeBoeuf LLP and was a member of the two-person wind-down committee that oversaw the firm’s bankruptcy and dissolution. She also clerked for the Honorable George C. Pratt in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of New York and the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit.

She served as chair of the Board of Trustees from 2011 to 2014. She is also a special professor of law at Hofstra University, where she teaches The Practical Aspects of Lawyering and Legal Ethics.

Meyer was inducted into the Maurice A. Deane School of Law’s Hall of Fame and was honored with the Outstanding Women in Law Award in 2018 and the Law Distinguished Alumni Award in 1998. She also received the Alumni Achievement Award in 1994.

Meyer earned a Juris Doctor degree from Hofstra University in 1981.

Marilyn Monter joined the Board of Trustees of Hofstra University in 2003.

Monter is executive vice president of the Holiday Organization, a Westbury-based real estate development company founded by her father, Gerald Monter, in 1951. The Holiday Organization has been developing properties on Long Island and in Florida, Pennsylvania, and New England, including private home communities, residential rental communities, retail and commercial buildings, golf courses, and sports facilities.

She served as chair of the Board of Trustees from 2008 to 2011. Monter earned a Juris Doctor degree from Hofstra University in 1976.

Samuel Ramos joined the Board of Trustees of Hofstra University in 2020.

Ramos is a former senior legal adviser to Global Atlantic Financial Group, a subsidiary of KKR & Co. He previously served as managing director and associate general counsel at Goldman Sachs & Co. and practiced law at Sullivan & Cromwell LLP. He serves on the U.S. Federal Reserve Board’s Insurance Policy Advisory Committee.

He served as a member of the Maurice A. Deane School of Law Dean’s Advisory Board and was inducted into the law school’s Hall of Fame at its inaugural event in 2022.

Ramos earned a Juris Doctor degree from Hofstra University in 1991.

Debra Sandler joined the Board of Trustees of Hofstra University in 2008.

Sandler is founder and chief executive officer of Mavis Foods, a company producing Caribbean-inspired products. She previously served as chief health and well-being officer at Mars Inc., where she led global initiatives related to nutrition, health, and sustainability. Earlier in her career, she held senior executive roles at Johnson & Johnson, including president of McNeil Consumer Healthcare, where she oversaw brands such as Tylenol, Motrin, and Zyrtec. She serves on corporate and nonprofit boards, including Gannett Co. Inc., Archer-Daniels-Midland Company, and Dollar General Corporation.

Sandler earned a Bachelor of Business Administration in marketing from Hofstra University in 1982.

Jason Savarese joined the Board of Trustees of Hofstra University in 2021.

Savarese is a partner at Goldman Sachs, where he works in institutional sales and client coverage. He works with pension and endowment clients on portfolio implementation strategies and has contributed to product development across fixed-income and alternative-asset platforms. Savarese earned a Bachelor of Science in applied economics from Hofstra University in 1995.

Michael Seiman joined the Board of Trustees of Hofstra University in 2014.

Seiman is chief executive officer and founder of Evermore Games LLC and previously served as chief executive officer and chairman of CPXi (Digital Remedy). He founded the company in 2000 and developed it into a global digital advertising and technology firm with offices across the United States and partnerships worldwide, providing performance marketing and data-driven media solutions.

He is the chair of the Entrepreneurship Advisory Board and a former member of the Hofstra College of Liberal Arts and Sciences Dean’s Advisory Board. Seiman earned a Bachelor of Science in computer science from Hofstra University in 2001.

Leonard Shapiro joined the Board of Trustees of Hofstra University in 2013.

Shapiro is president of Commander Enterprises, a real estate investment and management firm, where he oversees the acquisition, leasing, and operation of a diversified portfolio of commercial and residential properties. He has also served as a consultant and investor for privately held ventures.

Shapiro received the Honorary Alumnus Award in September 2021.

Joseph Sparacio joined the Board of Trustees of Hofstra University in 2009.

Sparacio serves as general agent at National Life Group. He spent more than 20 years with MassMutual, where he held multiple leadership positions, including managing partner, overseeing financial advisers and business development strategy.

He has served on both The Lawrence Herbert School of Communication Advisory Board and the Rabinowitz Honors College Advisory Board. He is the former president of the Alumni Organization and received the Alumni Achievement Award in 2009.

Sparacio earned a Bachelor of Arts in speech arts from Hofstra University in 1989.

Elizabeth Velez joined the Board of Trustees of Hofstra University in 2026.

Velez is president and principal of the Velez Organization, a family-owned general construction and construction management firm based in New York City. Since 1989, she has led the firm’s strategic growth and diversification.

She serves on the board of the New York City Economic Development Corporation and was appointed to the Metropolitan Transportation Authority Board in 2022. She previously served on the New York City Property Tax Reform Commission and several state and city advisory boards focused on pandemic recovery and rebuilding efforts in Puerto Rico.

Velez serves on the Frank G. Zarb School of Business Dean’s Advisory Board and received the Alumni Achievement Award in 2022. Velez earned a Bachelor of Business Administration in management from Hofstra University in 1989 and a Master of Business Administration in management from Hofstra University in 1994.

Edward Watson joined the Board of Trustees of Hofstra University in 2024.

Watson is a limited partner and adviser at NYCA Partners and a founding partner at New Bridge Consulting Group. He has held senior executive roles at Citigroup and Fannie Mae. At Citigroup, he served as chief financial officer and head of capital markets and private client operations, and at Fannie Mae, he served as executive vice president overseeing operations, technology, and general services during the company’s conservatorship.

He is a member of the Frank G. Zarb School of Business Dean’s Advisory Board and the Zarb Alumni Association and received the Alumni Achievement Award in 2013. Watson earned a Master of Business Administration from Hofstra University in 1989.

Jeffrey Weiner joined the Board of Trustees of Hofstra University in 2026.

Weiner is co-founder of Integrity Automotive Group, which operates automobile dealerships and service centers throughout the New York metropolitan area. He previously spent more than four decades at Marcum LLP, serving as managing director from 1990 to 2024 and becoming the firm’s first chairman and chief executive officer in 2017. During his tenure, he helped expand Marcum from a small firm into a nationwide organization with more than 4,000 employees and guided its $2.3 billion acquisition by CBIZ in 2024.

He is a member of the Frank G. Zarb School of Business Dean’s Advisory Board and received the Alumni Achievement Award in 2004.

Weiner earned a Bachelor of Business Administration in accounting from Hofstra University in 1979.