Brooklyn's Progress
April/May 2007

BANKING/ FINANCE

Ridgewood Savings Bank: Mr. Robert W. Donahue and Dr. Margaret M. Fitzpatrick were elected to the Board of Trustees at Ridgewood Savings Bank. They assumed their duties Jan. 1. Mr. Donohue brings more than 40 years experience in the electric utility industry. Prior to his retirement in 2003, he held management and senior executive positions at Consolidated Edison of New York. He now serves as executive vice president for PDR&C Corp.

Dr. Fitzpatrick is currently president and CEO of St. Thomas Aquinas College in Sparkill, New York. She has authored nine publications and her career in academic leadership, fiscal oversight, strategic planning, and advancement of institutional relations spans 32 years. Previously, Dr. Fitzpatrick was senior vice president of St. John’s University and campus minister and administrator of Queensborough Community College.

Ridgewood Savings Bank Trustee Richard Frame is retiring after 26 years of service to the bank. Mr. Frame was elected to Ridgewood’s Board of Trustees in 1980. Peter M. Boger has been promoted to executive vice president and chief lending officer from senior vice president and senior mortgage officer.

Thomas M. Ritter has been promoted to vice president–branch operations from assistant vice president and district manager. Geraldine Brennan has been promoted to vice president and deputy auditor from her previous position as assistant vice president and deputy auditor. LouAnn Mannino, assistant vice president, has been promoted to assistant vice president and district manager replacing Thomas M. Ritter; Scott Barber to assistant vice president from commercial lending officer; Connie Manolopoulos to assistant vice president from assistant residential mortgage processing underwriting manager; Kimberly Nathanail to assistant vice president from branch banking officer; and Edith Duchatelelier to branch banking officer from manager.

COMMUNICATIONS/ TECHNOLOGY

Verizon Communications Inc.: Dennis Strigl was promoted to president and chief operating officer at Verizon Communications, Inc. on Jan 1. Mr. Strigl, who has been president and chief executive of Verizon Wireless since it was formed in 2000, will take on the newly created role of COO in charge of the company's four business units: Verizon Wireless, Verizon Telecom, Verizon Business and Verizon Service Operations. He assumes the presidency from Lawrence Babbio Jr.

Additionally, Verizon Wireless' Chief Marketing Officer John Stratton assumed the new chief marketing officer job and Verizon Telecom's Chief Information Officer Shaygan Kheradpir, was elevated into the same role at the corporate level. Lowell McAdam, Verizon Wireless chief operating officer, will succeed Mr. Strigl as president of the wireless business. All three executives will report to Mr. Strigl.

EDUCATION

Bishop Ford Central Catholic High School: Brian Leary, managing partner of the Brooklyn office of Massey Knakal Realty Services, has been elected to the board of trustees for Bishop Ford Central Catholic High School in Park Slope, Brooklyn. Mr. Leary, who attended Bishop Ford, joined Massey Knakal’s Brooklyn office in 2003. He began his career managing a small construction and landscaping business that provided services citywide then went on to join Bear Stearns and Company as vice president of real estate and office services. After eight years, Mr. Leary formed Millennia Realty Services, which provided real estate and construction consulting services to small companies. Mr. Leary sits on the board of the Irish American Builders Society; he is an active supporter of the Brooklyn Philharmonic and Brooklyn Academy of Music. His public speaking engagements have included REBNY, Brooklyn Public Library, the Brooklyn Chamber of Commerce. He has also authored numerous articles for real estate trade publications.

Kingsborough Community College: Lavita McMath joined Kingsborough Community College (KCC) on Jan. 8 as its first director of government relations. Ms. McMath previously served as the government relations officer at the Brooklyn Museum for 6 ½ years. For more information about KCC, visit http://www.kbcc.cuny.edu/.

St. Francis College: Executive Vice President Richard Halverson, Vice President for Academic Affairs and Academic Dean Gerald Largo, and Athletic Director Edward Aquilone are retiring and will step down from their posts June 30. Mr. Halverson and Mr. Aquilone, have worked at St. Francis for more than 30 years. Beginning Jul. 1, the executive vice president will be replaced by two executives: Stephen Bogart will assume the title executive vice president and June Carroll McGrisken will become the new vice president for finance and administration. Timothy Houlihan, assistant dean of academic affairs will take over from Mr. Halverson, while Irma Garcia will become acting athletic director.

PUBLIC/ NON-PROFIT

Brooklyn Public Library: Dionne Mack-Harvin has been appointed executive director of Brooklyn Public Library, the fifth largest public library system in the country. Ms. Mack-Harvin who was selected after a nationwide search will be the first African-American woman to lead a major public library system. She began her career as a librarian at the Crown Heights branch of the Brooklyn Public Library. She has held several key positions within the system, including branch manager and regional librarian responsible for overseeing 24 neighborhood libraries. In 2003, she was promoted to director of the Central Library, where she served as chief administrator of the 350,000-square-foot facility, overseeing a $5 million dollar budget, and more than 100 staff members. In 2005, she was promoted to chief of staff. Ms. Mack-Haven was named interim executive director Jun. 2006 during which time, she managed the successful opening of Highlawn Library, oversaw the most successful summer reading program ever held at BPL (with a 44% increase in participation over the prior year), and worked closely with the mayor, City Council, borough president, state and federal governments, as well as the BPL Board of Trustees.

Bloomberg Family Foundation: Verna Eggleston, one of Mayor Michael Bloomberg’s earliest and longest-serving policy aides, will join the new Bloomberg Family Foundation to research and develop the Foundation’s projects. Ms. Eggleston has served as Commissioner of the New York City Human Resources Administration since Jan. 2002. She served as Deputy Administrator of Child Welfare under Mayor Ed Koch; Director of New York City's Family Shelter programs under Mayor David Dinkins; and, opened the City's first AIDS facility for HIV-infected infants. Prior to her appointment in the Bloomberg Administration, Ms. Eggleston served as the Executive Director of the Hetrick-Martin Institute. In a career spanning three decades, Ms. Eggleston worked as an administrator, advocate and policymaker in public, private and not-for-profit agencies helping children, adolescents and families. She has worked alongside former President Bill Clinton, Vice President Al Gore, New York State Senator Hillary Clinton, and Attorney General Janet Reno to advocate for hate crimes legislation, youth violence prevention, and adolescent mental health issues.

REAL ESTATE & CONSTRUCTION

Noble Strategy, LLC: Ceylon K. Frett, formerly senior account executive at Manhattan-based Cortel Business Solutions, accepted on Feb. 24 the position of director of business development at Noble Strategy LLC, a certified MBE/SBE/DBE professional construction resource firm based in South Orange, New Jersey. Mr. Frett will be heading up the company’s marketing and business development department, and working closely with president and CEO William S. Parrish, Jr. Noble Strategy’s focus is to provide construction management services to emerging businesses, including program, project and technology management services. The firm’s client list includes the New York City School Construction Authority and the New York City Center for Charter School Excellence. For further information contact Mr. Frett at 973-313-1006 ext. 306, or at cfrett@noblestrategy.com.