SOM ExteriorSchool of Medicine
About Us

Board of Governors

Mary Ann Christopher, MSN, RN, FAAN, Chairwoman

Mary Ann Christopher, MSN, RN, FAAN, is a strategic health care executive and board director with an exceptional record of innovation and market expansion at leading payor, provider, and technology companies. Christopher was the CEO of a community based health care system in the US with $2B in revenue and over 18,000 interprofessional team members. She served as an Officer of a $13B health plan. She has led mergers, integrations and turnarounds at multibillion-dollar organizations, launched far-reaching community health initiatives and driven aggressive growth and diversification strategies. Christopher has provided crucial leadership on dozens of boards and commissions, including the boards of private equity backed companies, driving top line revenue growth with successful exits and profitability. She has served on Finance, Audit, Compensation, and Executive Committees of Boards.

Vincent J. Amabile

Vincent J. Amabile has been a director of Teton Advisors, an asset management firm, since May 2012. The company has $1.5 billion in assets under management. He also managed a family partnership, Amabile Partners, since 2000. Prior to founding Amabile Partners, he spent six years at the investment bank, Superior Street Capital as a Senior Advisor.

Keith Banks 

Mr. Banks is a former Vice Chair at Bank of America. Prior to his retirement in 2024, he was Chief Investment Officer of the Pension and Benefits Plan responsible for all investment related matters for the pension, defined contribution and deferred compensation plans encompassing approximately $80 billion in assets. 

Banks was a member of Bank of America’s Chief Executive Officer’s Management Committee. Previously, he was a member of the Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) Committee, the Global Diversity & Inclusion Council and a member of the Bank of America’s Charitable Foundation Board. 

Previously, he was head of the Investment Solutions Group for four years which supports Merrill Lynch Wealth Management, Bank of America Private Bank, Retirement & Personal Wealth Solutions, and Consumer Investments encompassing $4.2 trillion in client balances. Prior to being named Vice Chair in 2017, Banks served as president of U.S. Trust, Bank of America’s Private Bank for nine years. 

Jeffrey R. Boscamp, M.D.

Dr. Jeffrey Boscamp was appointed the dean of the Hackensack Meridian School of Medicine (HMSOM) on December 9, 2022. Prior to that he had served as interim dean since January 2022.

Dr. Boscamp previously served Hackensack Meridian Health (HMH) as co-chief academic officer (CAO). As co-CAO of HMH and interim dean of HMSOM, Dr. Boscamp developed, promoted and organized programs at Hackensack Meridian Health and the School of Medicine to promote lifelong learning across the continuum of undergraduate medical education, graduate medical education and continuing medical education.

Prior to becoming interim dean, Dr. Boscamp served as vice dean. He is a professor of pediatrics at the Hackensack Meridian School of Medicine. A longstanding and highly-regarded leader at Hackensack University Medical Center, he also served as a member of the Hackensack University Medical Center Medical Executive Committee and continues to serve on the Hackensack Meridian Health Board of Trustees Academics Committee.

Linda Bowden, MA, MBA, MSW

Linda Bowden, MA, MBA, MSW, retired as New Jersey regional president of PNC Bank in July 2021. Bowden was responsible for providing executive leadership and supporting client relationship and business development initiatives across the firm’s lines of business in the region and greater New York City.

Bowden was named among the “25 Women to Watch” by U.S. Banker magazine and was recognized as one of the “Best 50 Women in Business” and “Power 100” by N.J. business news publication, NJBiz. She is also a member of the N.J. Hall of Fame in the Enterprise category.

Amy Cradic, MA

Recently appointed Vice President of Government Affairs and Policy for NJ Resources (NJR). Before joining NJR, Cradic served as Chief of Staff in Governor Christie’s administration and performed the role of Chief Operating Officer for the State of New Jersey, managed the Governor’s agenda, provided strategic direction for budgetary Matters, policy and planning, communications as well as legislative and constituent relations. Prior, Cradic served in the Governor’s office as Deputy Chief of Staff and senior policy advisor.

Ulises Diaz

Ulises Diaz is the Senior Vice President of Government and Community Affairs at Horizon Blue Cross Blue Shield of New Jersey.

Prior to joining Horizon BCBSNJ, Diaz served as Director of Government Affairs at Verizon in New Jersey, responsible for NJ State Legislative and Regulatory functions.

Diaz previously served as Vice President of External Affairs at United Water in New Jersey where he was responsible for government and public affairs, communications, and business development. At United Water, he was successful in privatizing the water and wastewater concessions of Puerto Rico ─ the largest privatization of its kind valued at $5 billion.

Frank Fekete, CPA

Frank Fekete, CPA, is managing partner with Mandel, Fekete & Bloom, CPAs, a certified public accounting firm based in Jersey City, NJ. He has been with the firm for more than 40 years.

Fekete serves as Chairman of the Hackensack Meridian Health System Board of Trustees and is a member of the Executive Committee. He chairs the Executive Compensation Committee.

Robert C. Garrett

Robert C. Garrett is the CEO of Hackensack Meridian Health, New Jersey’s largest health network with 18 hospitals, more than 500 patient care locations, 36,000 team members, 7,000 physicians and the Hackensack Meridian School of Medicine. 

The network has played a major role in the COVID-19 pandemic, including treating 85,000 patients and administering 850,000 vaccines and developing major breakthroughs including the state’s first rapid COVID test, developing nearly a dozen clinical trials for COVID therapies, including convalescent plasma therapy. The network also created a rapid COVID variant test to more effectively treat patients and better track the virus. Recently, the network received a record $108 million NIH grant to develop new therapies to treat the virus and future threats. 

Under Mr. Garrett’s visionary leadership, the network has made major strides in medical education, behavioral health care, cancer care, innovation, research and advancing Diversity, Equity and Inclusion.

The network opened the first private medical school in New Jersey in decades. The Hackensack Meridian School of Medicine offers an innovative curriculum that includes a three-year path to residency, a community immersion program and interdisciplinary learning. More than half of the graduates are serving residencies in network hospitals, a major goal in creating the school. 

 

Robert S. Hekemian, Jr., MSc

Robert S. Hekemian, Jr., MSc, has been involved in a variety of real estate activities for over 40 years, including property management, leasing, mortgage financing, construction, and acquisitions of multifamily, residential, and commercial properties located throughout the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States. He has served as Chief Executive Officer of Hekemian & Co. since 2021. From 2004 to 2020, he served as President and Chief Operating Officer of Hekemian & Co. From 1983 to 2003, Hekemian served as Executive Vice President of Hekemian & Co. He is principally responsible for identifying real estate acquisitions and evaluating the performance of the real estate properties managed by Hekemian & Co. with a view toward strategic decision making.

Vaughn L. McKoy, JD, MBA

Vaughn L. McKoy, JD, MBA, provides strategic business and legal advice to a diverse group of clients, often serving in the role of outside general counsel, on matters relating to regulatory, corporate governance, ethics and compliance, government affairs, and commercial litigation. In addition to serving in private practice at prominent law firms, McKoy worked directly for private corporations as well as public entities at all levels of government.

As the COO of the City of Paterson, NJ, McKoy was appointed by the mayor to help lead the city’s transformation and new policy implementation. He led several economic development projects, including the restoration of the Hinchliffe Stadium, one of two remaining Negro League baseball stadiums in the country.

William J. Montgoris

William Montgoris retired as Chief Operating Officer of The Bear Stearns Companies, Inc. in 1999, a position he held since August 1993 after spending 20 years with the company. While at Bear Stearns, Montgoris also served as the company’s Chief Financial Officer from April 1987 until October 1996.

Robert O'Hara

Robert O’Hara is a retired partner of The Goldman Sachs Group, Inc. A member of the Hackensack University Medical Center Board of Trustees and currently serving on the Finance Committee, he is also a founding governor of the Hackensack Meridian School of Medicine. O’Hara serves as chairman of the Adaptive Sports Foundation, is the Founder of the Hudson Farm Club, recently named one of the nation’s top ten sporting Clubs, and a member of its Foundation Board of Directors. 

Richard Park, M.D.

Richard Park, M.D., is the Co-Founder and Managing Partner of Ascend Capital Partners and Chief Executive Officer of Rendr Care Physicians. He was the Founder CEO and Board CHairman of CityMD – Summit Medical Group.

Previously he served as the Associate Director of the Nassau University Medical Center Emergency Department. He was chief resident in emergency medicine at LIJ/Albert Einstein College of Medicine from 2002-2003.

Illana Raia

Named one of the first 250 entrepreneurs on the Forbes Next 1000 List and recognized twice by Fast Company’s World Changing Ideas, Illana Raia is the founder and CEO of Être - a mentorship platform for girls. Believing that mentors matter as early as middle school, Illana brings girls directly into companies they choose to meet female leaders face to face.

Rev. Msgr. Joseph R. Reilly, S.T.L., Ph.D.

Rev. Msgr. Joseph R. Reilly assumed the presidency of Seton Hall University on July 1, 2024. A Seton Hall alumnus and ordained priest of the Archdiocese of Newark, Monsignor Reilly brings a profound understanding of the University's Catholic identity and a bold vision to elevate its standing among the nation's leading institutions of higher learning. His distinguished career encompasses diverse leadership roles within Seton Hall, including Vice Provost of Academics and Catholic Identity, Rector/Dean of Immaculate Conception Seminary School of Theology, and Rector of the College Seminary at St. Andrew's Hall. He served as a founding member of the Hackensack Meridian School of Medicine Board of Governors from 2016 through 2019.

 

Suzanne M. Spero

Suzanne M. Spero is the Executive Director of The MCJ Amelior Foundation, a family foundation created to help fund programs in Newark, NJ, and surrounding communities. The Foundation assists entities in encouraging mentoring relationships, creating unique entrepreneurial opportunities, and promoting national and local participation in voluntary community programs and services. The Foundation has expanded into the international arena. It engages in work to promote reducing the number of people who live in extreme poverty, with a particular focus on ending deaths from malaria.

Keara Gilligan 

Student Representative

Jacqueline Dorgan

Student Representative