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FOUNDATION STAFF |
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E. Ramone Segree |
Vice President for Institutional Advancement/ Foundation Executive Director
Email: rsegree@lagcc.cuny.edu |
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Angela Wambugu Cobb |
Director of Development
Email: awcobb@lagcc.cuny.edu |
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Maria
Riggs |
Foundation Officer
Email: mariarig@lagcc.cuny.edu |
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Nidia
Cordova |
Development Coordinator
Email:
ncordova@lagcc.cuny.edu |
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Ria Tillery |
Development Office Assistant
Phone: 718-482-5610
Email:
foundation@lagcc.cuny.edu |
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Contact: |
LaGuardia Community College Foundation
31-10 Thomson Ave, Room E508
Long Island City, NY 11101
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Attn: Ria Tillery |
Development Office Assistant
Phone: 718-482-5610
Email:
foundation@lagcc.cuny.edu |
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LaGuardia Community College Foundation
helps students achieve their dreams by providing a safety net to
those in
financial need |
BOARD OF DIRECTORS
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John Vogt (Chair)
Regional Director of Restaurant Operations for White
Castle. A native of Elmhurst, Queens, Mr. Vogt has
worked at White Castle for 38 years, and is currently in
charge of stores in the New York region including the
five-boroughs of New York City, as well as Rockland,
Nassau and Suffolk counties. Mr. Vogt is currently the
President of the Sunnyside Chamber of Commerce, Chairman
of the Sunnyside District Management Association, and is
presently organizing a Civic Association called American
Venice. |
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Ismael Betancourt
A successful businessman, leader and dedicated community
member who has made significant contributions to the
financial services industry and to the organizations he
serves. Since then, he has expanded his business, Lazer
Check Cashing, and is currently the Owner and Chief
Operating Officer of five financial service centers
located in Manhattan, Brooklyn and Queens. Mr.
Betancourt owns three ColdStone Creamery franchises in
Puerto Rico. He also serves on the Board of the
Financial Service Centers of America and was a Board of
Director for the Financial Service Centers of New York
where he served on the Scholarship Committee. Mr.
Betancourt achieved a very important personal goal of
running the New York City Marathon where he raised over
$11,000 for the Alexander Graham Bell Association for
the Deaf and Hard of Hearing which provides hearing
services to low income individuals, school children and
industrial workers. |
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James K. Brennan
Retired Vice President of Electric Generation at KeySpan.
Mr. Brennan joined the Long Island Lighting Company in
1973 and held various positions including Plant Manager
of Northport and Port Jefferson Power Stations. Mr.
Brennan holds a B.S. degree in Marine Engineering from
SUNY Maritime College and an M.B.A. degree from Adelphi
University. He is a Licensed Professional Engineer in
the State of New York. |
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Ms. Cecilia Briones
Ms. Briones is currently a Director in the Wealth Management Division of UBS AG serving Latin American clients. She was born in Santiago, Chile and immigrated to the U.S. in 1969. She has had an extensive career in the Wealth Management business working with Latin American countries at Marine Midland Bank, ABN Amro N.V. and Merrill Lynch. Ms. Briones has traveled extensively because of her work and enjoys visiting new countries and experiencing different cultures. She resides in Bayside, New York with her husband Gaston, who runs his own export business. |
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Bob Cohen, Ph.D.
President and Chief Executive Officer of Scarborough Research since 1993. Under Dr. Cohen’s leadership, Scarborough has grown into a multi-faceted consumer research firm whose services are used by marketers, media companies and agencies for shopping, media and lifestyle insight about American consumers. Prior experience includes Managing Partner of Yankelovich Partners, directing its West Coast consulting activities. He served as the Director of Marketing Strategies for the Los Angeles Times. Dr. Cohen earned a Doctorate in Sociology from Columbia University with a focus on mass communications and public opinion research. He taught courses in research methods, mass media and public opinion at Columbia University, New York University and the New School for Social Research. Dr. Cohen is the President of the Market Research Council and past chair of the Council of American Survey Research Organization. |
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Don DeFosset, III
Investment Analyst at U Capital, an event-driven and
special situation hedge fund based in New York. Prior to
U Capital, Mr. DeFosset was Vice President at GC
Andersen Partners and Analyst at Donaldson, Lufkin &
Jenrette. He has a B.S.E. in Industrial & Operations
Engineering from the University of Michigan.
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Larry Green
Owner of J.G. Electrical Installations, Inc. a
commercial electrical contracting company with 25
employees located in Ridgewood, Queens. Mr. Green has
owned J.G. Electrical since 1991 and was a longstanding
member of Local 3 International Brotherhood of
Electrical Workers as a Master Electrician. He is a
member of the National Electrical Contracting
Association and a graduate of the Empire State Labor
College. |
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Peter Grant Jordan, Ed.D.
As Vice President of Enrollment Management and Student
Development at LaGuardia Community College, Chief
Enrollment and Student Affairs Officer providing
leadership in the areas of recruitment and retention.
Dr. Jordan was previously Director of Admissions at
Polytechnic University in Brooklyn for over ten years,
having the distinction of being the first African
American appointed to that position at a private
university in New York State. He is a native of
Barbados, grew up in East Harlem in New York City, and
is a graduate of the New York City public school system.
He earned a B.A. in English and History from Colby
College in Waterville, Maine and holds an M.S. in
Operations Management from Polytechnic University and a
doctoral degree in
Higher Education Management from the University of
Pennsylvania. |
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Paul M. Higbee
Mr. Higbee is a partner of G.C. Andersen Partners, LLC, a merchant banking firm engaged in investment banking for emerging growth and middle-market companies. Mr. Higbee advises clients regarding, mergers, restructurings, and financings. Mr. Higbee has over 30 years of experience in all facets of investment banking. Prior to joining G.C. Andersen in 2001, Mr. Higbee was a Managing Director at Deutsche Banc Securities, PaineWebber, and Burnham Lambert. Mr. Higbee serves as a member of the board of directors for several public and private companies. Mr. Higbee received an B.A. in Economics from Princeton University and an MBA from the Wharton School. |
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Peter Katopes, Ph.D.
Before coming to LaGuardia, Vice President of Academic Affairs Peter Katopes was Campus Dean/Dean of Faculty of the Ammerman Campus of Suffolk Community College. He is also the former Associate Dean of Business and former Associate Dean of University College at Adelphi University. His varied publications include scholarly writing about adult education, the Vietnam War and the Harlem Renaissance. His doctorate and master’s in English are from SUNY Stony Brook, with a BA from St. John’s. He is a poet and musician and he grew up in Astoria, Queens. |
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Sara Kim, Ph.D. (Vice-Chair)
President/CEO of SK Management Consulting Company and
CEO/CFO of St. Mary’s Ambulatory Surgery Center, L.L.C.
previously Dr. Kim was President/CEO of The LASIK Eye
Center and President/CEO of Arts, Music & Beyond. She
received a Doctor of Education at Teachers College,
Columbia University in New York, a Master of Arts at New
York University and Bachelor of Arts, Seoul National
University in Seoul, Korea. She is currently a Board
Member of Sejong Soloist String Ensemble from Julliard
School in New York, where she serves as Treasurer. |
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Nick Lugo
After serving as President of the New Bronx Chamber of Commerce for three and half years, Nick announced in April, 2006 the establishment of the New York City Hispanic Chamber of Commerce. Mr. Lugo founded Casa Publications, Corporation, parent company of the Spanish-language weekly newspaper, La Voz Hispana. He also took over the family travel business in memory of his father and mentor, changed the name from Cophresi to Nick Lugo Travel, a name that has become synonymous with air travel in New York’s Hispanic communities. The same year, Mr. Lugo founded the Hispanic Maketreting & Advertising Group where he serves as CEO. Mr. Lugo served as a member of numerous boards including the National Economic Development Association, Ponce De Leon Federal Bank, the Governor’s Committee on Transportation Bond Issue, the Puerto Rican Dance Theatre, Inc., and the South Bronx Puerto Rican Development Corporation and as a member of the Advisory Boards for the NYC Off Track Betting Corp and Banco Popular. |
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Gail O. Mellow, Ph.D.
President of LaGuardia Community College in NYC, one of
the most ethnically diverse campuses in the U.S.
LaGuardia is a two-year public college, serving over
50,000 students from 160 countries. During her eight
year tenure, the College has won numerous awards. Dr.
Mellow spearheads local economic development with
LaGuardia’s Small Business Development Center, and NY
Designs, a business incubator for design professionals.
Dr. Mellow is the co-author of three books and more than
thirty articles. Her third book, “Minding the Dream: The
American Community College”, was published in 2008. She
received an A. A. from Jamestown Community College, a
B.A. from SUNY Albany, and her M.A. and Ph.D. from The
George Washington University. |
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Mr. Pedro J. Perez
Pedro J. Perez is the first Hispanic in the 91 year history of the New York State Police to be designated the First Deputy Superintendent for the New York State Police, the second in command of the Division of State Police. Mr. Perez co founded and co chaired the Hispanic Conference of Upstate NY, an entity committed to the cultural, economic, and educational development of Latino youngsters, their neighborhood, and the community at large. A graduate of the prestigious FBI National Academy in Quantico, Virginia, he has earned an Associate’s Degree in Child Development, a Bachelor’s of Science in Public Administration, and a Master’s Degree Public Administration in 2002.
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Jose L. Orengo, Esq.
Executive Director for Government Relations of LaGuardia
Community College. Mr. Orengo, previously the founding
Executive Director of the Foundation, is a licensed
attorney and graduate of Queens College and CUNY Law
School. He has worked as a legislative attorney for the
New York City Council and was the Deputy Borough
President of Manhattan under C. Virginia Fields. Mr.
Orengo is currently on the Board of Directors of the
Puerto Rican Bar Association, serving as the treasurer.
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Raymond G. Saleeby
President & CEO of Remco Maintenance, LLC. Mr. Saleeby
is an entrepreneur having successfully started several
firms for himself and for large corporations. He was the
Managing Director and Co-Founder of Blue Ridge Partners,
a management consulting and venture development firm
focused on business process outsourcing, particularly
for banking and brokerage businesses. Formerly he was
Co-Founder and President/CEO of FirstPoint, a technology
services corporation with a business value network
consisting of national contractors and financial
services companies. Mr. Saleeby acquired and served as
the President/CEO of FirstPoint Energy’s wholly owned
subsidiaries Teldata Solutions, Myutility Inc.,
UtilityOne and Energy Information Services. Mr. Saleeby
is currently a member of the Board of Directors of
Energy New England. |
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Mr. Suresh L. Sani
Mr. Sani is Vice President of First Pioneer Properties, Inc., a family owned company, which manages commercial buildings and land owned by family related entities across the U.S. A graduate of Harvard College and New York University School of Law, Mr. Sani was formerly an associate in the Real Estate Department at Shea & Gould in New York City, and is a current member of the New York Bar. Mr. Sani serves on the Dean’s Strategic Council at New York University School of Law and is also a member of the Compact Committee, an elected committee that oversees the curriculum at the Port Washington Public Schools. |
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E. Ramone Segree
E. Ramone Segree was appointed Vice President for Institutional Advancement/Foundation Executive Director at LaGuardia Community College in February 2009. A Certified Fundraising Executive (CFRE), Mr. Segree, in 2002, established Segree Associates, a fundraising and strategic-management firm, and before that led advancement efforts at several higher education institutions. Mr. Segree is a faculty member in Columbia University’s M.S. in fundraising management program, and he has served on numerous civic, cultural and professional boards including the Association of Fundraising Professionals. Mr. Segree received a bachelor’s degree in political science and education from California University of Pennsylvania, a master’s degree in community psychology and organizational development from Pennsylvania State University, and an honorary associate’s degree from Community College of Allegheny County. |
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Marilyn Skony Stamm
Ms. Skony Stamm is the Chief Operating Officer of Stamm International (SIC), a 70 year old, privately held global mid-sized manufacturer and distributor of industrial and commercial heating, ventilating, air conditioning equipment, chimney and flues. Ms. Skony Stamm is responsible for strategic and financial planning, budgeting, investment management, acquisitions, tax, audit and overseeing the operating subsidiaries in the United States, Canada, England and Ireland. Prior to joining Stamm International, she was Vice President and Curriculum Development Officer for Chase Manhattan’s Global Bank reporting to the Vice Chairman. She also worked for the Continental Grain Co., one of the world’s largest privately held commodity companies where she was a Vice President of Conti Currency, a subsidiary specializing in risk management and currency arbitrage. Ms. Skony Stamm holds a BA in Political Science from Northwestern University and an MA in International Law and Finance from the Fletcher School of Law & Diplomacy affiliated with Tufts and Harvard universities. |
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Jane Schulman
Jane E. Schulman is the Vice President of the Division of Adult and Continuing Education (ACE) at LaGuardia Community College, where she leads the division’s senior leadership team. Last year ACE served over 35,000 adults, children and businesses in a wide variety of programs, courses and workshops. Serving at LaGuardia for 30 years, Jane has greatly contributed to making LaGuardia Community College a city, state and national model in the field of adult and continuing education. Over the years, Jane has secured grant funding of more than $25 million, and created and promoted numerous entrepreneurial programs that are responsive to the needs of individuals, businesses and the community. She is recognized by the New York State Department of Education as a leader in career development, and has authored training materials that have been implemented throughout the state. Jane has spearheaded many successful initiatives, including the establishment of a Workforce1 Career Center on campus and strengthening the use of educational technology within ACE. Jane's educational background includes an undergraduate degree from SUNY at New Paltz and an MS in Guidance and Counseling from Brooklyn College. |
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André Taylor
An alumnus of LaGuardia Community College, a dynamic
author, speaker and consultant in demand, teaching
individuals and organizations how to lead and win. Mr.
Taylor is an accomplished business leader with diverse
experience, including executive positions on Wall
Street, leading the marketing activities of
multi-national organizations, and building successful
entrepreneurial companies. Clients for Mr. Taylor’s
leadership development work include small and large
corporations, associations, individuals, athletes,
celebrities, educational institutions, government
agencies and many of the world’s most recognizable brand
names. He has won numerous awards and has been featured
in a wide range of international media. |
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Tai Wang
Co-Founder and Vice-President of W.A.C. Lighting
Company, a manufacturing and distributing company for
lighting fixtures, with locations in Garden City, New
York, Los Angeles, California, Dallas, Texas and
Dongguan, China. Ms. Wang, an accountant by trade,
graduated from the Zui-Li Business College in her native
Taiwan. She has been a member, volunteer and officer in
many civil and philanthropic organizations such as the
Asian American Cultural Association, the Chinese
Cultural Association of Long Island/Chinese School,
Rotary Club-Chinese Gift of Life, West Hempstead Rotary
Club, the Alliance for Smile Foundation, and the
International Leadership Foundation. In addition, Ms.
Wang has co-founded the Hope School at Ziang-Xi, China
as well as the W.A.C. Scholarship Program in China. Ms.
Wang received the 2007 Gift of Life Award and the 2007
Ellis Island Medal of Honor. |
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