Board of Governors

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.

Christopher has written extensively and addressed international audiences on health care equity, access, and financing. Christopher has been named among the NJBIZ’s list of the Best 50 Women in Business (2017), the Top 50 Most Powerful Health Care Leaders in New Jersey and received the prestigious American Nurses Association Honorary Human Rights Award.

Christopher is a Board Director of private equity backed RestorixHealth, Health Recovery Solutions, Hazel Health and Legacy Hospice, Unitek, and True Learn. She is a Senior Operating Adviser for the private equity company, LLR Partners.

Christopher was President and Chief Executive Officer of Visiting Nurse Service of New York (2012-2014) and Visiting Nurse Association Health Group of New Jersey (2001-2011), the largest community- based nonprofit home care and hospice organizations in the nation.

She was a founding member of the Hackensack Meridian School of Medicine and formerly served as Vice Chair of the Board of Trustees at the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey, facilitating its merger with Rutgers University. She served as a congressional appointee to the National Advisory Council on Nursing Education and Practice for the US Department of Health and Human Services. She served as a past member of Health Research and Educational Trust of New Jersey (HRET) of the New Jersey Hospital Association. Christopher serves on the boards of the New Jersey Healthcare Quality Institute and Christian Brothers Academy.

Christopher has a Master of Science in Nursing from Seton Hall University and a Bachelor of Science in Nursing (summa cum laude) from Fairfield University. She has been awarded honorary doctoral degrees from Fairfield University and Monmouth University.

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.

For 27 years Vincent managed Maro Leather Company, a private import, export company based in Newark. Mr. Amabile began his career at Prudential Insurance Company in 1967, as an Investment Analyst. His work in finance includes a role as an advisor to GGCP, Inc.

Vincent serves on the board of the JFK Medical Center Foundation. He previously served on the boards of the Gabelli Arbitrage Fund and Adelante Real Estate ETF. Vincent holds an M.B.A. from Columbia Business School and a B.S. from Holy Cross College.

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. 

During his career at Bank of America, he also served as president of the Global Wealth & Investment Management division and president and Chief Investment Officer of Columbia Management. He joined Bank of America in 2004, following FleetBoston Financial’ s merger with the company. Prior to this, Banks held the roles of Chief Investment Officer and CEO of FleetBoston Financial’s asset management organization. 

Before joining FleetBoston in 2000, Banks was a managing director and head of U.S. equity for JP Morgan Investment Management. During his 16 years at JP Morgan, Banks served as global head of equity research, head of U.S. equity research and as a portfolio manager and equity research analyst for the chemical and textile industries. Banks began his investment career as an equity research analyst at Home Insurance Company in 1981. 

Banks earned his bachelor’s degree in economics from Rutgers University. He graduated with high honors and was elected to Phi Beta Kappa. In 2019, he was inducted into the Rutgers Hall of Distinguished Alumni. Banks also earned his MBA in finance from Columbia Business School. He is a Chartered Financial Analyst. 

Banks is a member of the Board of Advisors of Columbia University Irving Medical Center and Columbia Business School Board. He is Chair of the Hackensack Meridian Health Board of Trustees and a member of the Red Apple Board. He was also on the Board of Directors of Lincoln Center and a member of the Rutgers Board of Governors. 

He is a frequent commentator on CNBC, Fox Business and Bloomberg.

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.

Dr. Boscamp joined the then Hackensack Medical Center in 1987. He founded the Section of Pediatric Infectious Diseases and the Steven Bader Immunologic Institute and provided essential pediatric infectious diseases support to the Tomorrow’s Children’s Institute, the largest pediatric hematology-oncology program in the state of New Jersey.

Dr. Boscamp joined the then Hackensack Medical Center in 1987. He founded the Section of Pediatric Infectious Diseases and the Steven Bader Immunologic Institute and provided essential pediatric infectious diseases support to the Tomorrow’s Children’s Institute, the largest pediatric hematology-oncology program in the state of New Jersey.

Dr. Boscamp was the chairman of the Joseph M. Sanzari Children’s Hospital and held the Marvin I. Gottlieb, M.D., Ph.D., Endowed Chair of Pediatrics for 14 years. During his tenure the Children’s Hospital achieved meteoric growth and achieved full voting membership in the National Association of Children’s Hospitals (NACHRI). Dr. Boscamp helped lead the design and building of a free standing Children’s Hospital on the campus of Hackensack University Medical Center and developed and recruited a faculty practice of pediatric subspecialists. Under Dr. Boscamp, the Joseph M. Sanzari Children’s Hospital achieved a national top 50 ranking in U.S. News and World Report; the first Hackensack Meridian program to achieve this as well as the first children’s hospital in New Jersey to be ranked in the top 50 nationally.

Dr. Boscamp assumed the role of chief academic officer and Designated Institutional Official (DIO) at Hackensack University Medical Center (HUMC) in 2013.

Dr. Boscamp achieved Accreditation Council of Graduate Medical Education (ACGME) accreditation for new residencies at HUMC in pediatrics, internal medicine, urology, obstetrics and gynecology, surgery and orthopedics as well as many new fellowships in internal medicine and pediatrics. He also transitioned five programs at Palisades Medical Center from American Osteopathic Association (AOA) accreditation to full accreditation by the ACGME.

Dr. Boscamp was integrally involved with the founding of the school of medicine since the concept of starting a school was discussed. He co-chaired the search committee that brought founding dean Bonita Stanton to the school.

At the School of Medicine he is the course co-Director for a major first year basic science course: Immunity, Infection and Cancer (I2C). In March 2020, with covid overwhelming the clinical services of HMH, Dr. Boscamp selected 8 medical students to be embedded in these clinical services to research emerging information on the epidemiology, disease manifestations and treatments of Covid-19. The students produced 70 papers in 6 weeks and the details of this innovative “pop-up” course were published in Academic Medicine. He also teaches a very popular wine appreciation course (with a set curriculum and textbook).

He represents the SOM on the national level as a member of the Josiah Macy sponsored Consortium of Accelerated Medical Pathway Programs (schools of medicine that have 3-year graduation programs) and is a member of the American Association of Medical College’s (AAMC) Council of Deans. Dr. Boscamp led the design and implementation of the innovative accelerated medical education program (phase 3-residency) that allows a medical student to graduate in three years and likely move to a Hackensack Meridian Health residency program. He continues to guide that program as part of his work to create a seamless transition from undergraduate medical education to graduate medical education.

In addition, Dr. Boscamp was Chairman of the NJ Chapter, American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), Committee on Infectious Diseases and a member of the executive committee of that organization. He was appointed by Governor Christie Todd Whitman as a member of the Catastrophic Illness in Children Relief Fund Commission and was an advisor to Governor Jon Corzine in the H1N1 Influenza outbreak in 2009. He is a fellow of the AAP and the Pediatric Infectious Diseases Society and a member of the Infectious Diseases Society of America, the Infectious Diseases Society of New Jersey, and the American Society for Microbiology. Dr. Boscamp is board-certified in pediatric infectious diseases, is a member of Alpha Omega Alpha, and was the recipient of the Lawrence B. Slobody Prize at New York Medical College awarded to the outstanding pediatric student in their medical school class. He received the Outstanding Teacher Award in Pediatrics at Morristown Memorial Hospital, and was recognized with the Attending of the Year Award in the Department of Pediatrics at the UMDNJ (Now Rutgers)-New Jersey Medical School.

Dr. Boscamp has been an invited speaker at more than 175 CME programs.

Dr. Boscamp received his B.A. from Williams College (Williamstown, MA) and his M.D. from New York Medical College (New York, NY). He was a research associate at Harvard Medical School (Boston, MA) and did his pediatric residency at Babies Hospital, Columbia Presbyterian Medical Center (New York, NY). After completing pediatric training, he was a resident in internal medicine at Yale University School of Medicine, Greenwich Hospital (Connecticut). He subsequently completed a fellowship in adult and pediatric infectious diseases at the Albert Einstein College of Medicine (Bronx, NY).

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.

Prior to joining PNC in 2009, she was the managing director of Wachovia Wealth Management. Bowden began her career as a teacher for seven years in Wyckoff, N.J.

Bowden is active in a range of community programs and is a member of the executive committee of the N.J. Symphony Orchestra. In addition, Bowden is a member of the board of Jersey Central Power & Light, a founding board member and executive committee member of the Hackensack Meridian School of Medicine, a board of trustee and executive committee member at Fairleigh Dickinson University and recently joined Horizon Blue Cross Blue Shield Foundation Board. She received the Fairleigh Dickinson University PINNACLE award, the highest alumni honor. Bowden is also the former chair of the Board of Directors of the N.J. State Chamber of Commerce and served on the board of the Drumthwacket Foundation. Bowden is a past board and executive committee member at Choose New Jersey, as well as a board of trustees member of the New Jersey Performing Arts Center and a past member at Newark Alliance.

Bowden earned an M.S.W. from Columbia University, an M.A in institutional counseling from William Paterson University, an M.B.A. with a concentration in finance from Fairleigh Dickinson University, and a B.A in education from Rowan University. Bowden completed the National Trust School at Northwestern University and earned a Certified Trust Financial Advisor designation.

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.

A veteran of state government for nearly 25 years, Cradic has worked in both Republican and Democratic Administrations. She served as an Assistant Commissioner in the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection (NJDEP), taught as an adjunct professor at The College of New Jersey, and worked in the communications departments at the New Jersey Commission on Higher Education and the NJDEP.

Additionally, she served as a delegate for the Center for U.S. Global Leadership, a gubernatorial appointee to the Mid-Atlantic Ocean Regional Planning Body and the Drumthwacket Foundation, and as a member of the Natural Areas Council, Garden State Preservation Trust, and Aquaculture Advisory Council.

Cradic received her Bachelor of Arts degree in journalism from The College of New Jersey and a Master of Arts degree in mass communication from New York University.

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.

Diaz is a former Chairman of the Hackensack University Medical Center Foundation where he continues to serve as a trustee. He was also appointed by Governor Corzine as a Commissioner on the New Jersey Turnpike Authority. Diaz is a member of the Hispanic Institute and the Meadowlands Chamber of Commerce and Commerce and Industry Association.

He holds a B.A. in business administration from Rutgers University.

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.

He joined the Hackensack University Health Network Board of Trustees in 2011 and served as vice chair and treasurer. He also chaired the Executive and Physician Compensation Committee and served on the Board Development Committee. In addition, he chaired the Strategic Planning Committee and participated in the merger of Hackensack and Meridian Health. Fekete also chairs the Hackensack University Medical Center Mountainside Joint Venture Board.

Fekete is also Chairman of the Board of St. Peter’s University and serves on the boards of Provident Financial Services and John Cabot University in Rome, Italy. He previously served as a member and chair of the board of Christ Hospital and as past chair of the Christ Hospital Foundation.

Fekete earned his Bachelor of Science in accounting at St. Peter’s University (Jersey City, NJ) and he received his CPA license in 1978.

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. 

To streamline breakthroughs in care, the network opened the Center for Discovery and Innovation in May 2019, which focuses on cancer and infectious disease, multiple myeloma and regenerative medicine. The center is committed to accelerating the pace of bench to bed discoveries. 

Mr. Garrett is also playing a major role in global healthcare and was named Chair of the World Economic Forum’s Health and Healthcare Governor’s Community in August 2023. In this two-year term, Mr. Garrett will help define the industry agenda and drive change with the Forum to improve access to healthcare and outcomes and to drive efficiency in the industry. 

In 2019, the network merged with Carrier Clinic, New Jersey’s largest behavioral health provider, to expand access to treatment, better coordinate care and innovative therapies. The merger resulted in the opening of the first urgent care behavioral health center in New Jersey as well as a new state-of-the art destination addiction treatment center in northern New Jersey. Additionally, the network invested $24 million to open an expanded Carrier Behavioral Health at Raritan Bay Medical Center. 

The network is also ranked No. in the U.S. by Fair360, formerly Diversity Inc. based on six measures: leadership accountability, human capital diversity metrics, talent programs,
workforce practices, supplier diversity and philanthropy. 

The network’s comprehensive and robust Social Determinants of Health program is a national leader, screening more than 1 million patients and providing 3.5 million referrals for community services as of September. Additionally, the program includes a seven-day meal delivery plan for at-risk hospital patients upon discharge. 

Mr. Garrett’s leadership and strategic vision have garnered much professional praise including: ranked No. 1 in The CEO Forum’s 10 CEOs Transforming Healthcare in America for the last three years. Mr. Garrett was also ranked 40th in Modern Healthcare’s 100 Most Influential People in Healthcare in 2023. He is also ranked No. 6 in New Jersey in the ROI Influencers: Power List 2024.

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.

Hekemian has served as a director of FREIT Maryland since 2007 and was appointed as Chief Executive Officer of FREIT Maryland in April.

Hekemian formerly served on the Board of Oritani Bank and was Chair of the Loan Committee. Hekemian is a member of the Board of Governors of Hackensack University Medical Center and a former director of the Hackensack University Medical Center Foundation. He formerly served on the Board of the New York Philharmonic and was the former Chairman of the Bergen County Community College Foundation. Hekemian is a Board Member of the Oritani Charitable Foundation, he was appointed Condemnation Commissioner by the State of New Jersey, and he has served on various corporate and charitable committees. He is a current Board Member of the Hackensack Meridian School of Medicine and chairs the Student Affairs Committee.

Hekemian majored in Finance and Real Estate and minored in Justice at the American University. He earned a Masters of Science in Management from the MIT Sloan School of Management, having also been named an MIT Sloan Fellow in 1994.

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.

McKoy held successive leadership roles for more than a decade with a major regional utility company. Initially assistant general counsel, he served as president of a related foundation before assuming the role of managing director/vice president of legal for a newly established subsidiary.

As an Assistant Attorney General and Director of the New Jersey Division of Criminal Justice, McKoy directed the overall legal and business operations of the 1,000 employee, $60M division. He also served as an Assistant United States Attorney.

Recently, McKoy was selected as a member of the prestigious Merit Selection Committee of the U.S. District Court, which helps to select federal magistrate court judges, and was appointed to the Boards of Hackensack Meridian School of Medicine and Middlesex Water Company where he is a member of the Audit Committees. McKoy is also the New Jersey Chair for Tiger 21. Deeply committed to supporting local communities, McKoy is a long-time leader of nonprofits, serving as a board member for regional organizations, including, UNCF, The Dfree Global Foundation, Inc., The Boys and Girls Clubs of New Jersey, and Mentor New York.

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.

Montgoris serves as the Lead Independent Director of Carter’s, Inc., and the board of Hackensack University Medical Center. He is a trustee emeritus of St. John’s University and Colby College. Montgoris was previously on the board of Stage Stores Inc, as its Non-Executive Board chair and was a member of the board of directors of OfficeMax, Inc. from July 2007 until November 2013.

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. In addition, he is currently the president of Career Guidance, a nonprofit company serving the New York metropolitan area. O’Hara was past Chairman of the Make-A-Wish Foundation of New Jersey and received Honoree of the Year awards from the Make-a-Wish Foundation and the Adaptive Sports Foundation.

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. He has received numerous teaching awards, including: Teaching the Teacher Fellowship for the NS-LIJ Medical System, NS-LIJ Medical System Teaching Award, Osler Dispensary Teaching Attending of the Year Award, and Graduating Resident Teaching Award. He is co-founder and co-director of The Manhattan Written Board Review Course and co-editor of the text, Intensive Review for the Emergency Medicine Qualifying Examination.

Park holds an M.D. from Albert Einstein College of Medicine, and B.S. in Economics from The Wharton School of Business at the University of Pennsylvania.

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.

Illana is chair-elect of the International Space Station U.S. National Lab Education Subcommittee and serves on the National Girls’ Collaborative Project Champions Board. Illana contributes to the Forbes Business Council, has authored 60+ articles for HuffPost, Ms. Magazine and Thrive Global, and her award-winning book Être: Girls, Who Do You Want To Be? was released on Day of the Girl 2019. Her second best-selling book, The Epic Mentor Guide, arrived during Women’s History Month 2022, sparking a weekly conversation on LinkedIn with The Epic Mentor Newsletter.

Before launching Être in 2016, Illana was a corporate attorney at Skadden Arps in NYC and a guest lecturer at Columbia University. She graduated from Smith College and the University of Chicago Law School, where she was Managing Editor of The Legal Forum.

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. His unwavering commitment to integrating the Catholic mission into academics has been instrumental in shaping local and international initiatives, establishing academic programs that distinguish Seton Hall as a beacon of Catholic higher education. Monsignor Reilly's contributions extend beyond the University, as evidenced by his service on the Board of Trustees of Seton Hall and the Archdiocesan Priest Personnel Board. His leadership has garnered international recognition, including his appointment as chaplain to His Holiness by St. John Paul II in 2005 and as Missionary of Mercy by Pope Francis in 2015. Additionally, he has served the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops as a member of the Faithful Citizenship Strategy Committee and the Catholic Social Teaching Task Force. Monsignor Reilly holds a Bachelor of Sacred Theology from Pontifical Gregorian University in Rome, a Licentiate in Sacred Theology from Pontificio Istituto Teresianum in Rome, and a Doctorate in Philosophy from Fordham University. His exceptional qualifications and unwavering dedication position him as a visionary leader poised to guide Seton Hall University towards an even brighter future.

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.

As Co-Vice President, Suzanne serves on the Board of Trustees of the New Jersey Performing Arts Center Women's Association. She is also on the Board of Directors of Mentor: The National Mentoring Partnership and co-chairs the Governance Committee. She is on the board of Points of Light. In addition, Suzanne serves on the Board of Trustees of LifeCamp and the Governing Board and Members Committee of the Newark Alliance. She is a Co-Founder of Jersey Cares, which organizes teams of socially-minded individuals for community service projects. Currently, she serves as an Advisory Board Member of the Co-Co, a cooperative community for women of all stages of life and career, to help them thrive and to enable them to fulfill their shared desire to aid the community at large.

Before nonprofit work, Suzanne worked in Washington, DC, for Congresswoman Marge Roukema. Suzanne graduated from Drew University's College of Liberal Arts with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Political Science.

John F. Williams, MD, Ed D, MPH, FCCM, was the 16th President of SUNY Downstate Health Sciences University, a position he held from 2012- 2016. He was also Professor of Anesthesiology, Critical Care Medicine, and Public Health at Downstate.

As president of Downstate, Williams promoted collaboration and a multidisciplinary focus across the academic and clinical disciplines as he has guided the University through a period of significant financial challenges; developed an innovative health care delivery system model for Brooklyn; transformed the clinical operation to align with population health management and federal and state reform initiatives; advanced Downstate’s role as Brooklyn’s hub of health education, biomedical research, and clinical care; engaged Downstate in long-term planning to develop new models of integrated, value based, and patient-centered care; established programs and policies to improve infrastructure and drive sustainability; and launched forward-looking initiatives to ensure responsible stewardship of Downstate’s resources.

Previously, Williams was Provost and Vice President for Health Affairs at The George Washington University. He also served as Dean of the School of Medicine and Vice President for Graduate Medical Education at the School of Medicine and Health Sciences, and Assistant Dean for Admissions for the School of Medicine and Health Sciences. He was a member of the faculty for 28 years and is Professor Emeritus at George Washington University.

President George W. Bush, and three subsequent Secretaries of Homeland Security, appointed Williams to the Homeland Security Advisory Council of the United States. He was appointed by Thomas Ridge, former Secretary of Homeland Security, to the Emergency Response Senior Advisory Committee of the Department of Homeland Security, and he was appointed by President George W. Bush to the Emergency Services, Law Enforcement, and Public Health and Hospitals Senior Advisory Committee. He was also appointed, by the Mayor of the District of Columbia to the Domestic Preparedness Task Force for the metropolitan Washington area, and he was a member of the Health and Medical Subcommittees of this Task Force. He has also served as a Director of Universal Health Services Inc.as a member of the Advisory Board at Atlas Research LLC, the National Advisory Committee of the Robert Wood Johnson Clinical Scholars Program, the American Public Health Association, the American Medical Association, the New York Academy of Sciences, the American Society of Anesthesiologists, and the Society of Critical Care Medicine. William is a member of the board and active volunteer for Washington, DC based Food & Friends.

His honors include the Order of Vasco Nunez de Balboa from the Republic of Panama for his efforts to create the International Center for Tropical Disease and Genomic Studies, a commendation from The United States Public Health Service Commissioned Officers Foundation for his lifelong commitment to health in the United States, a commendation from the students of George Washington University for his dedication the students, a medal from the Academy of Traditional Chinese Medicine for his contributions to the health of the people of China, a Certificate of Appreciation and Plaque from the Shanghai Second Medical University for his dedication and support, a flag of the United States of America from Congressman Edward J. Markey for his outstanding contributions to the improvement of the health of the nation, a distinguished alumni award from Boston University for his outstanding contributions to his community and profession, the People’s Medal from the People’s Republic of China for his medical contributions to the people of China, the Outstanding Clinical Teacher of the Year award from the American Medical Student Association, and a Distinguished Service Award from the Association of Yale Alumni in Public Health. In 2006 the American Diabetes Association honored him as Father of the Year.

Williams earned a Bachelor of Arts from Boston University in 1970, a Master of Science from The London School of Economics and Political Science in 1973, a Master’s of Public Health from Yale University in 1975, and Doctorates of Medicine (1970) and Education (1996) from George Washington University.