Mr. Sam Battaglia,
Trustee Emeritus, Alumni Parent
Mr. Battaglia has thirty nine years in the Energy business and retired from Dominion Virginia Power in 2007. He is a graduate of the University of Maryland. He has served twelve years on the Nutley Board of Education, four years as President and four years as the Commissioner of Public Affairs. He was winner of the Jaycee Award for Health and Education contributions. He has been a Trustee of 1st Cerebral Palsy of New Jersey since 1974 and Beacon College since 1997.
Mr. Jonathan Cherry
Mr. Cherry is President and CEO of LifeStream Behavioral Center in Leesburg Florida. He is a highly experienced behavioral healthcare executive with a leadership background in several large community mental health centers in the state of Florida. Mr. Cherry has been successful in building, strengthening, and financing innovative programs with a critical eye toward strict budget management.
John E. Dittmer, Ph.D., Biology
Dr. Dittmer has spent 40 years in academia, teaching and doing research in transplantation immunology. At Boston University Medical Center, Dr. Dittmer also served as University Faculty Senate President, on the Medical School Admissions Committee, and received Teaching and advising Honors from first year students and minority students. Appointed to Henan Medical School, Zhengzhou China, in 1985, he demonstrated research techniques and lectured to faculty and students. As Chair of Arts and Sciences at Brenau University, a private women’s college, he participated in an NIH Extern Fellowship, and obtained Federal funding for the graduate nursing program.
Mr. David Knowles
Mr. David Knowles is a "23 years and running" Allstate Insurance Agent. He was born and raised in Leesburg and is a graduate of the University of Florida. Mr. Knowles has worked on numerous boards and organizations in the Leesburg area. He was also elected to the Leesburg City Commission in 2000 and has served as Mayor in 2004 and again in 2010.
Thomas H. Langevin, Ph.D.
Dr. Langevin has served on various boards and commissions throughout his career, including service as member of the Hillsborough County/Tampa Historic Preservation Board on appointment of the governor of Florida. He was the first president of Teikyo Loretto Heights University, Denver, during its formation in 1989-1990 and subsequently served as senior advisor/executive assistant to the president of Chapman University, 1990-1991. In 1992, with Allen E. Koenig, Senior Associate of Thomas H. Langevin & Associates, he co-founded the Registry for College and University Presidents, a successful venture now in its fifteenth year. The Registry, in which Dr. Langevin remains Chair, is now a subsidiary of Collegiate Enterprise Solutions of Peabody, MA. The Registry is the premier agency for the placement of retired presidents and senior administrators to serve as interim presidents and vice presidents in colleges and universities.
Ms. Pamela M. Lawrence
Ms. Lawrence is the Managing Principal and co-founder of Restoration Capital Management LLC, a Registered Investment Advisor with the SEC. She has spent approximately 25 years in the investment business, the last 23 concentrating on investing in financially troubled companies. Ms. Lawrence has served as a member of the Board of Directors of American Buildings Corp., BDK Holdings, Inc., and Gardenway Inc. She is a member of the Financial Women's Association of New York and the New York Society of Security Analysts. She has also been a member on the Board of Directors of Catholic Big Sisters Big Brothers for fifteen years.
Ms. Eileen V. Marinakis, R.N., M.A., C.N.S.,
Chairman of the Board of Trustees, Alumni Parent
Eileen Marinakis is a R.N., St. Francis School of Nursing, and has a B.A. and M.A. in Nursing Education from Teacher's College, Columbia University. Ms. Marinakis also has certifications from the New Jersey State Department of Education as a Substance Abuse Coordinator and Supervisor of Curriculum and Instruction. She has a background in health services for special needs students, stress management, and substance abuse counseling. She is also a member of the Advisory Board and participating Counselor of the Traumatic Loss Coalition of Cape Counseling, Mental Health Services. Ms. Marinakis has received the New Jersey Governor's Teacher Recognition Award, New Jersey Governor's Council on Alcohol & Drug Abuse; Partner in Prevention Award, Cape Counseling Award for Professional Contributions to the Cape May County Traumatic Loss Coalition, and the New Jersey Governor's Council on Alcohol & Drug Abuse: Volunteer of the Year.
Edward P. Rekas, B.S. & M.B.A., Finance
Mr. Rekas’s 40 year professional career was split between the chemical industry and scientific membership organization management. His industry experience included positions at DuPont and W. R. Grace. At Grace he was involved in expanding markets and sales of specialty chemicals as well as managing a product line. His not-for-profit career included management positions at the American Chemical Society, the Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology (FASEB), and the American Society for Microbiology (ASM). At FASEB he held the positions of Director of Publications and later Chief Financial Officer. He recently retired from his ASM position as Deputy Executive Director and CFO. He and his wife now reside in Santa Rosa Beach, Florida.
William J. Somerset, D.O.
Dr. Somerset's is currently a Consultant and Associate for PhysIOM in Fort Collins, Colorado. As an educator, his academic appointments include University of Pittsburgh Medical School, College of Osteopathic Medicine, Temple University Medical School and Hospital University of Pennsylvania. His distinguished professional background includes Medical Director in the areas of Rehabilitation and Occupational Medicine.
Mr. Bruce Vincent
Mr. Vincent leads the New West Institute LLC (NWI), an organizational consulting firm which specializes in organizational and personal professional performance development. As an executive, coach, and teacher, Mr. Vincent has successfully influenced the careers of hundreds of executives, managers, sales, and service staff. Because of his varied background, he has an appreciation for the dynamics of a not-for-profit educational institution with a specialized mission such as Beacon College.
Richard O. Williams, Ph.D., M.S. Finance
Dr. Williams has spent 20 years in academia, teaching and doing research in European universities and with the World Health Organization in Africa. He has more than 15 years as a recognized investor in, and manager of, pre-public biotechnology companies, most notably Amgen, Bioveris and Supergen, all quoted on the NASDAQ. He is a manager of a private and public equities fund. Dr. Williams was the managing partner of Mara Venture Partners, LLC, an early-stage venture capital fund with offices in Brussels and Virginia, as well as the managing partner of an equities option trading firm with three seats on the Philadelphia Stock Exchange. Currently, Dr. Williams is a member of the American Society of Microbiology Investment Committee, as well as being on the Board of Directors of several private companies.
Vincent Ziccolella, Ph.D.
Dr. Ziccolella has over 30 years experience as an educational administrator. He was a school superintendent of the Greenburg-Graham School District for twenty-three years, a K-12 school district for residential students with learning disabilities and emotional handicaps. After retirement from the Greenburg-Graham S. District, he served as Interim Superintendent in Public School Districts throughout Westchester County, NY. From 1994-1998, he served on the New York State Governor's Commission on Education and has been recognized for his contributions in the field of education.
