School of Business

 

Forty-seven alumni joined Dean Keep, faculty & staff at Stout NYC for an informal gathering in April (2012.)  Pictured, Chapter President Ken Baumann ’82 (First Vice President, Amalgamated Bank) with Mike Movsovich ’86 (Partner at Kirkland & Ellis LLP.) Read more here.

The College of New Jersey Department of Athletics and Recreation hosted its annual celebration of classroom achievement for their student-athletes at its Academic Honors Celebration on April 8th. Kimberly Brandley ’90 (accounting) was awarded the 2012 Alumni Citation Award. Brandley is a partner at J.H. Cohn. Read more here.

Three times each semester alumni meet with students on “3^rd Wednesdays” to talk about business and careers. This program is sponsored by the Dean’s Advisory Council, and coordinated by Council Chair, Rebecca Machinga ’92, Partner at WithunSmith+Brown. In February 2012, Kellie Miller ’01 (right) joined panel moderator and Council member David Gabauer ’04 (not pictured) in a panel discussion on “Demystifying Sales.”  Read more about this event in The Signal. Learn more about 3rd Wednesdays here.

Since graduating TCNJ with a B.A. in Economics in 2000,
Michael DeCicco has enjoyed an active duty career in the US Army.  His duties took him to Korea for 3 years, Iraq for 2 tours, around the USA, and now southwest Germany. During Major DeCicco’s 2 tours in Iraq, he served first as maintenance planner and executive officer and ultimately as a logistical advisor to the Iraqi Army. DeCicco has since worked at the Department of the Army Headquarters at the Pentagon and now in United States Africa Command. His current responsibilities include coordinating with the State Department on advancing US national security requirements through developing capabilities in East African militaries. In 2012 he will relocate to Memphis, TN for an Army assignment to train as a business manager with Federal Express.

Along the way, DeCicco earned his masters degree in Homeland Security from American Military University and has been married for ten years with two daughters. He asserts: “The College of New Jersey grounded me with the education I needed to succeed in my choice career.  The professors, curriculum, and ROTC program consist of some of the finest academic opportunities.”

Greg Kubikowski, from EisnerAmper LLP and Dean Keep’s Council for Student Engagement, moderated the November ’3rd Wednesday’ alumni panel on the benefits and challenges related to working in the international business world.  Alumni participants included Matt Johnson ‘06 & Greg Gatesman ‘97 as well as Dave Lewis ‘98 &  Matt McCann ‘08 via video chat. Read more in The Signal.

 Jacqui Town ’08 (marketing, chemistry) and her father Chip are taking their homebrewing hobby to a professional level.  Over the last year, they’ve been working on their business plan for microbrewery; Blackthorn.  Both have business backgrounds in sales, and Chip has been passionately homebrewing for 15 years.  Blackthorn will be located in the Monmouth/Ocean County NJ area, brewing traditional English and Irish ales.  The Town’s have been living in Ocean County for 25 years, and want their brand to have roots in their local community.  “My Dad and I have been brewing together for years, and our enthusiasm and love for beer is the fuel for our venture.  We grew up on the Jersey Shore, and would love Blackthorn to become integrated with this great part of the state.” For more information, please visit Blackthorn’s blog www.blackthornbrewingco.blogspot.com.

Finance grad Tejal Joshi ’01 is a vice president at Lehman Brothers Holdings, Inc. where she works with the “counter parties” in the bankruptcy, organizations that had derivative trading relationships with Lehman, to close out their accounts.  Read more in TCNJ Magazine.

 

Gregg Hollmann ’93 was recently featured in a TCNJ Magazine story on entrepreneurs.  He grew his DJ business — Ambient DJ Service — by focusing on Internet marketing. Asked what he’d tell someone considering starting a business, Hollmann advised following your passion—but proceeding cautiously.  Read more in TCNJ Magazine. 

 Sean Stern ’09 (economics) has had 5 abstracts of research accepted for publication this year and has been accepted in the Johns Hopkins PhD Program in Engineering for Professionals! Sean works at United BioSource in Bethesda, MD as a research assistant on health economics. During his senior year, he presented his thesis, “An Expanded Look into the Effects of Multi-Hospital Systems: Evidence on the Return to Quality Competition,” at the 2009 Omicron Delta Epsilon Undergraduate Business and Economic Conference.

The School of Business Alumni Chapter held it’s first Golf Outing in early fall 2011 at Gambler Ridge Golf Course in Cream Ridge, NJ.  The success of this program is credited to our chapter officers: Kenneth Baumann ’82, David Gaubauer ’04, Dean Katsoupas ’01 and Morayea Pindziak ’99. Read more about our chapter here.

 Dr. William W. Sondervan, who graduated Trenton State College in 1974 with a degree in General Business, recalls, “My education at Trenton State was the foundation for a lifetime of opportunities. I retired from the US Army as a LTC, became the Maryland State Commissioner of Corrections and then became a full professor and department chair at the University of Maryland University College. I went on the receve an EdM from Boston University, a MPA from JSU and an EdD from Virginia Tech.” Dr. Sondervan has won numerous local, state and national awards.

 2nd Lt.  Jansen F. Weaver ’10 writes “My time at TCNJ was definitely a memorable one. The relationships I created and experiences I had can never be matched. The School of Business in particular exposed me to the global implications of everyday events. [...] I am currently serving as an Intelligence Officer in the Marines, stationed in San Diego, CA. The skills that I gained from TCNJ such as: public speaking, organizational structure, communication effectiveness, and teamwork collaboration have served me well as a military officer. [...] I am very grateful for my time spent in Ewing, and would like to personally thank the professors of the SOB for their effort in making my undergraduate education full of enrichment.”

What could be more fitting than to have the TCNJ School of Business ranked by Businessweek as the top undergraduate business program in New Jersey (click here) just as we celebrate our 30th Anniversary? In the summer of 1981 the then Trenton State College formally established the School of Business as a distinct academic enterprise within the College (click here for a few old pictures).

A summer internship at the world’s largest beauty company turned into a career that has spanned 10 years for Kellie Miller, a 2001 Marketing Graduate. Her career path at L’Oreal provided a comprehensive view of the sales organization, from working internally with sales senior management at L’Oreal’s 5th Avenue New York Headquarters, to relocating to Washington DC in order to develop accounts in Virginia, Tennessee and the Carolinas. Read more about Kellie and select marketing alumni here.

 

After graduating in 2004, Jason McGrath turned an internship with Opinion Research Corporation in Princeton into a full-time position, where he built a strong background in corporate market research for global, Fortune 100 clients. Jason now is a Vice President with StrategyOne in Washington, DC. Read more about Jason and select marketing alumni here.

  

“I don’t know why anyone would be in this business if you don’t love movies,” says interdisciplinary business alumn Kevin Kasha ’83. Kasha serves as the executive vice president for worldwide acquisitions and co-productions at Anchor Bay Films, where recent distributions include Solitary Man with Michael Douglas and Jesse Eisenberg and City Island with Andy Garcia and Julianna Margulies.  Read more in TCNJ Magazine.

 On Amazon.com, Paul Leestma ’77 (interdisciplinary business) recollects “The purpose of My Times in Rhymes was to release to the world the poems I had written over the years, but few people had ever read. These poems were written about my experiences in life and love or the experiences of others I have known.” Read more in TCNJ Magazine.  

 

Now at Deloitte, Sean O’Grady ’04, a double major in business administration and communications studies, is already a veteran journalist, with an entrepreneur’s instincts for new story angles. Read “Covering the events that shape our world” in TCNJ Magazine. 

Tom Sabroe ’88 (l-r) gave business students Roger Shan, Dave Destefano, George Gonzalez, Annabelle Vintayen and Samantha Drofiak a tour of the New York Stock Exchange. Read more here. 

   

Guy Chiarello, a member of the Trenton State College baseball team from 1977-1981, was the guest speaker at TCNJ’s 24th Annual Department of Athletics Academic Honors Brunch. Chiarello, a 1981 business alumnus, is currently the Chief Information Officer (CIO) for JPMorgan Chase with worldwide responsibility for Information Technology. Read more here.

Five School of Business alumni joined TCNJ Foundation, the nonprofit, tax-exempt corporation that solicits, receives, and administers gifts, bequests, and trusts for the benefit of the College. See bios in TCNJ Magazine for: Kimberly Brandley ’90, Darren F. Baer ’91, Carl R. Gibbs, Jr. ’93, Shawn C. Rogers ’93, and Chris Ceraso ’93.

Twenty-six alumni and 97 students joined faculty and staff at a Finance Forum sponsored by JPMorgan at their NYC headquarters in March, 2011. Hosted by Guy Chiarello ’81, JPM’s CIO, the program included a panel discussion and networking reception.  Pictured above: Paul Sullivan ’85, Managing Director at Merrill Lynch (standing); Mike Movsovich ’86, Partner at Kirkland & Ellis LLP; Tejal Joshi ’01, VP Lehman Holdings; and Stephen Berenson, Vice Chairman of Investment Banking at JPM. See more here. Read more in TCNJ Magazine: The Secrets of their Success. 

 Gabe Alonso ’07 was the School of Business’ first self designed IDB major in music and business. While at TCNJ he booked shows for the Rathskeller, participated in the College Ambassador Program and TCNJ’s a capella group “The Trentones,” and completed internships at MTV Networks and EMI – Virgin Records, among other things. After working at Nickelodeon and MTV Networks, he recently accepted a position at 360i as a Community Manager. This Spring, Gabe gave a presentation to the School of Business Sophomore Seminar. He spoke about his time at TCNJ, how he prepared to enter the entertainment industry, and what he learned from the issues he encountered in his first job(s) post-TCNJ. He was able to provide the class with great insight regarding the trials and tribulations of the real world.

 Christopher Jones, CFO of Durante Rentals, graduated in 1990 with a degree in Business Administration and now serves as a member of Dean Keep’s Council for New Initiatives. In 1991, he started Progressive Solutions, Inc. an accounting and consulting firm in Princeton that specialized in helping start-ups and distressed companies.  After expanding to NYC and Long Island, he sold the company and with partners John and Anthony Durante, founded Durante Rentals, LLC in 2009. Durante Rentals was featured in the September 2010 issue of RER, the premiere trade magazine in the rental industry.  Read more.

 Mariano Pellegrino ’04 owns and operates Cremas Artisan Flavors in Union City, NJ, with his brother, Leandro. Their store, which specializes in Argentine ice cream and sorbets (“helados”) was featured in the December 2010 issue of Let’s Eat Magazine. Mariano graduated with a degree in international business from TCNJ, and worked at PricewaterhouseCoopers for five years. In 2009, he received a dual MBA/MS in International Business and Accountancy from St. Peter’s College.

 “I got a lot out of my time at TCNJ, and I wanted to give something back—even if it represents just a fraction of the value I gained from my college experience,” Jeremy Neuer ’96 said about the scholarship he and his wife, Christine, established in honor of his aunt, Lori B. Levine.  Neuer was recently promoted to senior director of the Edison office of Cushman & Wakefield, Inc.  Read more in TCNJ Magazine. 

Former Lions’ wide receiver Brendan Prophett ’98 is the director of pro personnel for the New York Jets. An economics graduate, Prophett is responsible for evaluating Gang Green’s upcoming adversaries and preparing scouting reports for players and coaches, maintaining emergency lists in case a player is injured and a replacement is needed, tracking other leagues for potential prospects, and assisting with the NFL draft. Read more in TCNJ Magazine.

  Tom Armenti ’09, who opened The Fat Shack to serve the late night food delivery needs of TCNJ students, remarked: “I’ve already heard stories of ambassadors mentioning us during their tours and organizations using names of Fat Shack sandwiches in trivia questions during philanthropy events. I think students would be happy to know that The Fat Shack was made by an old TCNJ student for TCNJ students.” Read more.

 

In 2009, finance grad James Valdes ’05 and company launched its beta site FishAddix.com, an online dock where the best anglers can research trends, learn new techniques and enhance their fishing ability, while sharing their fish stories. In their first year, they generated over 100,000 members and pages of fishing reports, pictures, videos, and blogs and created a marketing opportunity for fishing-related advertising and transactions. The ultimate goal is for fishermen to be able to log in, select any body of water in the world, and find out the best way to fish it, regardless of species, time of year, or conditions. According to Valdes, “Creating FishAddix is one of our most substantial accomplishments because we were able to discover and successfully pursue our passion for fishing, entrepreneurship and technology.”

CPA Rebecca Machinga ’92, a partner at WithumSmith+Brown, races stock cars in her free time. Machinga heads the firm’s real estate-services group, co-leads the their Women’s Leadership Development Group, and serves on TCNJ’s Dean’s Advisory Council for the School of Business. Read more in TCNJ Magazine.

A 1994 finance graduate, Michael Paladino is now lead gaming, lodging & leisure analyst for bond rating agency Fitch Ratings in New York. Last year he was featured in the Las Vegas Sun, as a gaming industry expert. Read the full article by Liz Benston here. He credits Dr. Mayo: “I decided to pick this career path and pursue the CFA designation primarily because of Dr. Mayo’s finance classes, particularly the security analysis class and the senior thesis.” Paladino co-authored two articles with Dr. Mayo in the summer 1995 and winter 1998 issues of the Real Estate Review and also co-authored a chapter of The Handbook of Municipal Bonds in 2008 on “Analysis of Tribal Casino Bonds.”

During the fall 2009 semester, Danielle Lombardi, Accounting ’03, returned to TCNJ to discuss “Transitioning to a Ph.D. Student.” The event was part of the Young Alumni Lecture Series, sponsored by the Honors Program and the office of Academic Affairs. Read more in The Signal. 

 Recalling the advice of two of his TCNJ professors—Thomas Breslin and Daniel Hall, who had encouraged their student to one day start his own business and never be afraid of failure—John Wert ’93 set out to start a company that would help its clients clarify, understand, and reduce their financial print expenditures, launching The Maverick Group Financial Print Consultants, LLC. The firm provides financial print invoice auditing and procurement strategies for public corporations and corporate law firms, investment banks, and accounting firms. Read more in TCNJ Magazine.

Guy Chiarello ’81 is the Chief Information Officer for JPMorgan Chase with worldwide responsibility for the firm’s information technology functions. He also received the Alumni Citation, the College’s highest honor, which recognizes individuals for outstanding community service and continued support to TCNJ. View Video Profile.

 

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