St. Bonaventure University

St. Bonaventure University Alumni Council


The St. Bonaventure University Alumni Council is composed of alumni from various class years, professions and geographic areas. The Alumni Council serves as an advisory board to the alumni office and the university.

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Members meet three times each year and are elected to two-year terms. If you would like to apply to become a member of the Alumni Council, please fill out our nomination form.

 

mark-battaglia-headshot sizedMark Battaglia, ’04, ’11: bachelor of business administration in business information systems, masters in business administration. Mark is a commercial lines account executive for Tompkins Insurance Agencies in the Rochester, New York area.  Previously, Mark worked on the enterprise risk management team for The Bonadio Group. Mark worked with the annual fund while attending St. Bonaventure, calling on several alumni each semester.  Since graduating, Mark has been actively involved with alumni chapters in Charlotte, Buffalo and Rochester.  In addition, Mark has worked with the Bona Athletic Fund on “Golf with the Bonnies” and “ROC City Hoops Classic” in Rochester. Mark is a native of Batavia, New York, and currently resides in Penfield, New York.  Two of Mark’s brothers and father have also graduated from St. Bonaventure.

Brendan Behan, ’03: Bachelor of Art in journalism and mass communication. Brendan is branch manager of Motion Industries in Rochester, N.Y. Motion Industries is headquartered in Birmingham, Ala. and is the industry leader in maintenance, repair, and operations replacement parts and service in North America. Previously, Brendan worked as an account manager at Motion Industries and has spent the last 16 years in the same industry. Brendan lives in Webster, N.Y., with his wife and fellow Bonnie Kathryn (Arney), ’04, and their two daughters, Norah and Reese, and two English bulldogs, Jenny and Otis.

R. Benvenuto sizedRich Benvenuto, ’70: bachelor of business administration in accounting, MBA finance ’77, Fordham University.  Rich retired in August of 2019 after SiriusDecisions Inc was purchased by Forrester Group.  He has over 45+ years of broad executive financial experience in venture-backed technology, consulting, research and sales and marketing organizations.  He has helped raise over $500 million in funding and participated in IPO’s, strategic mergers and acquisitions, startups and late-stage organizations as both CFO and VP of Finance and Administration.   Starting his career at what is now called PriceWaterhouseCoopers, he went on to positions of financial management at technology, research and advisory, consulting and manufacturing organizations.  Previous board experience at The Advisory Council and DigitalAttractions, Rich has also spent time working with numerous startups on various financial, product and sales issues.  While in Connecticut he spent over 20 years coaching basketball, baseball and soccer from town teams, travel, AAU and American Legion.  Rich and his wife, Pat (Proly) ’70, recently relocated to Belleair Beach, Florida from Weston, Connecticut.

Michael Britt, '02: bachelor of arts in political science. Michael is senior vice president of public policy and communications for Las Vegas-based gaming company Red Rock Resorts. Throughout Michael's professional career, he has managed successful political campaigns and corporate public relations initiatives across the country and internationally. Michael has spent over a decade in the national political arena and government, most notably, managing congressional and statewide political campaigns and serving two Presidential Administrations as Chief of Staff at the U.S. Department of Transportation and as Associate Political Director at the White House. Following his political service, Michael has led government relations and corporate communications departments for both Fortune 500 and privately held companies, including Wynn Resorts, UFC and Red Rock Resorts. Michael lives in Las Vegas, Nevada with his wife Elizabeth and three children, Lily Kate, Grace and Henry.

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Emily Ciraolo, ’08, ’09: Bachelor of Arts in journalism and mass communication, Master of Arts in integrated marketing communications. Emily is the CX communications manager at Cisco where she supports change and program management initiatives for their customer experience organization. She is an active member of her community, serving on Leadership Buffalo’s board of directors as well as on the advisory boards of Next Generation United and LEAD with Purpose for United Way of Buffalo & Erie County. She holds volunteer positions with Hugh O’Brian Youth Leadership New York West, PRSA Buffalo Niagara, and the Taste of Buffalo. During her time at Bona’s, Emily was a member of the women’s swimming team, BonaResponds, Student Government Association, and American Advertising Federation. She is the proud recipient of the Woman of Promise award. Emily lives in Buffalo, N.Y., and is a proud dog mom to Carlo, a certified therapy dog. Together, they bring smiles to the community through the SPCA Serving Erie County’s Paws for Love program.  

Laurie Colagiovanni headshotLaurie Forino Colagiovanni, '88: bachelor of arts in history. Laurie is the managing director of a hospital-based program that combines infection prevention, equipment distribution and RFID technology. She helped launch Disinfection Management Technology in 2014 and now works with healthcare facilities to lower infection rates of hospital-acquired infection and manages all of their patient care equipment. Laurie has served as the chapter president for St. Bonaventure's Cleveland area alumni, and worked on several local school fund-raising committees. Besides raising three teenagers, Laurie is also an award-winning pastry chef, and took cooking classes in Italy. She has high hopes that one or more of her children will follow in her footsteps and attend St. Bonaventure after high school.

Katie Dempsey webKathleen “Katie” Dempsey, ’75, 79: bachelor of arts in English and master of science in advanced teacher education. Katie was born in Olean, moved at the age of two to the Hudson Valley sixty miles north of New York City, and returned to Olean to attend her only choice for college, St. Bonaventure. Except for two years living and teaching in Maryland, Katie has lived in Olean since graduation in 1975. In 2012, after almost 33 years at Otto-Eldred Jr.-Sr. H.S. in Duke Center, PA, she retired as department chair and teacher of English in grades 7-12. She also taught a college-credit composition course at O-E through the University of Pittsburgh at Bradford. When she is not visiting her two adult daughters and their husbands and four grandchildren in Michigan, Katie belongs to a number of clubs and organizations in the Olean area. She volunteers at the Warming House, plays the snare drum with the 96th Highlanders Pipes and Drums band, and supports the Bonnies Athletic Fund. During the summer months, she can be found playing golf at the SBU Golf Club. Katie is honored, thrilled, and looking forward to being an active participant on the SBU NAAB.    

Pat DoylePatrick Doyle, '81: Bachelor of Science in economics. After graduation, Pat spent 18 years at Eastman Kodak where he held various roles with the last as a district sales manager. Pat also held various sales positions at Oracle Corporation over the balance of his career before recently retiring. He has been active in several youth organizations, including 10 years as a Little League baseball coach and board member. Pat is a native of Binghamton, N.Y., and currently resides in Bucks County, Pa. He met his wife, Joanna, through their sisters who were roommates at Bona's. They have three sons, Brian, Kevin, ’17, and Tommy, ’21. Pat followed his uncles Mike, ’57, and Denny, ’61, to Bona's. The family legacy now includes 13 Bonnies.

Peter GigliottiPeter M. Gigliotti, ’74: Bachelor of Arts in journalism. Pete has spent his 47-year professional career in various areas of communications, including newspapers, higher education administration/public relations, and crisis communications consulting. After graduation, he began a 14-year career with Gannett Inc., working at newspapers in Pennsylvania and West Virginia, and later served as communications director for the Pennsylvania Department of Community Affairs. Pete joined Shippensburg University in 1988 and served as the university’s chief communications and marketing officer, spokesperson, and senior advisor to the president for 28 years. Upon retirement in 2016, he founded CrisisComm LLC and has worked with educational and community organizations, as well as law enforcement and emergency service agencies. He serves or has served on various civic and community organizations, including as chairperson of the Easter Seal Society of Franklin and Adams Counties. During his years at SBU, Pete was captain of both the cross country and track and field teams. He earned his Master of Science in communication studies from Shippensburg University and his doctoral degree in educational leadership from Duquesne University. A native of Bradford, Pa., he currently lives in Shippensburg, Pa. He and his wife Ellen have two sons, Nicholas and Michael.

 

Jonathan HickeyJonathan S. Hickey, '98: bachelor of arts in political science, magna cum laude. After St. Bonaventure, Jon graduated cum laude from the State University of New York at Buffalo, School of Law and he is now the Confidential Law Clerk to New York State Supreme Court Justice Paul B. Wojtaszek. In this role, Jon is actively involved in all areas of the law including civil, criminal, and matrimonial disputes. Prior to serving in this role, Jon was a founding member of the law firm of Burden, Gulisano & Hickey, LLC. He is also a former Prosecutor in the Town of Clarence (New York). Prior to starting his own firm with two partners, he started his career as an attorney with Hurwitz & Fine, P.C., an association that began when he was in law school. In his community, Jon sits on the Board of Directors for the Erie County (New York) Bar Association as well as serving as a member on the Town of Clarence Zoning Board of Appeals. Jon was a 2018 Co-Chair of the St. Bonaventure University Gaudete Award Committee having served on the Committee in previous years. Jon continues to remain involved in youth sports by coaching his sons in baseball and basketball, in addition to serving on the Board of Directors for the Town of Clarence Baseball Association. Jon lives in the Town of Clarence with his wife Kelli and their two sons, Jack and Sam. 

Stephanie KarnasStephanie Karnas, ’06: bachelor of business administration in finance. Stephanie is an administrative vice president in the finance division of M&T Bank, where her primary role is to coordinate the company’s annual operating plan, track and measure financial performance throughout the year, and drive long-term process improvement. During her time at St. Bonaventure, Stephanie was captain of the Women’s Swimming & Diving team, a student ambassador for the Admissions Office, and was actively involved in SIMM, Finance Club, BonaResponds, and Vocallusion (a capella group). In her spare time, Stephanie is a Level 1 Crossfit trainer, working with athletes of all ages and backgrounds and enjoys being a part of their health and fitness journey. She has also served on the Board of Directors for the Buffalo & Erie County Botanical Gardens, and has been actively involved with the United Way Day of Caring during her time in Buffalo, where she currently resides.

Kimberly KayiwaKimberly Balthaser Kayiwa, '96: bachelor of arts in English. Kimberly is the claims team lead (Life Sciences) at Sedgwick Claims Management were she is responsible for managing complex and high exposure life sciences claims involving drugs, devices and nutraceuticals. Kimberly is a former practicing attorney with over ten years of experience in the life sciences area. She currently serves as a CASA (court appointed special advocate) for at risk children and has also served as a guardian ad litem for disabled adults and minors. Kimberly is the proud recipient of the Ideal Bonaventure Woman Award. She resides in Pittsford, New York with her husband, Francis Kayiwa (1997), and two children.

Kevin KelleherKevin Kelleher, ‘93: bachelor of arts in history. After graduating from St. Mary’s High School in Lancaster, NY, Kevin went on to earn his bachelor’s degree in history from St. Bonaventure University in 1993, followed by his juris doctorate degree from the University at Buffalo Law School. Upon earning his degrees, he moved on to work for the Atlantic 10 Conference in Philadelphia, where he served as the assistant director of championships and compliance. From there, he moved to Princeton, New Jersey, where he worked for a sports event management firm known as the Gazelle Group, as director of the Coaches vs. Cancer Classic held annually at Madison Square Garden. In the summer of 2000, Kevin returned to St. Mary’s High School, where he served as athletic director and enrollment director for six years. He also served as head coach of the men’s varsity basketball team and brought home the first ever New York State championship for St. Mary’s. He was also instrumental in the building of the school’s state-of-the-art athletic center, which still stands as one of the best high school athletic facilities in the state. In 2006, Kevin became an owner of ADPRO Sports, where he also served as vice president of sales & marketing. In 2014, he left ADPRO Sports to return to St. Mary’s High School as vice president for advancement. In September 2016, with a change in the school leadership model, he was named the first head of school in St. Mary’s 112 year history. In 1993, Kevin became a co-founder of the Chris Wanat Memorial Foundation. Through the work of this foundation, over $350,000 has been donated to various causes throughout the Western New York community.

Elaine NessleElaine Nessle, ‘06: bachelor of arts in journalism and mass communication. Elaine Nessle is a senior associate at a government affairs and communications firm based in Washington, D.C. Since 2015, she has also served as the executive director of a national 501(c) 6 advocacy association that her firm manages, the Coalition for America’s Gateways & Trade Corridors. The Coalition is dedicated to the expansion and modernization of America’s freight and goods movement infrastructure. Elaine manages the organization’s work to increase awareness of the benefits of trade infrastructure development and to coordinate legislative strategy and support. As a student at St. Bonaventure, Elaine participated in Students in Free Enterprise (SIFE), SBU-TV, and studied abroad through the Francis E. Kelley Oxford Program. Elaine is a third generation St. Bonaventure graduate; her two siblings and brother-in-law also graduated from the University. Elaine and her husband, Thomas Marchetti, live in Washington, D.C.

Matthew MinichelliMatthew Minichelli, '04: bachelor of business administration in finance. Matt is currently the specialty lines manager for Fort Orange Claim Service (FOCUS), an independent adjusting firm servicing the Northeast. He was previously the general manager for Arbitrage Adjusting Services until its merger with FOCUS in 2015. Matt is active in several industry-related associations. He operates the Metro New York office for the company. Matt was involved with the Annual Fund, managing the Bonathon during his time as a student at St. Bonaventure. Since graduating he has been active in numerous university activities including: the SHARE Program, Bonnies4Bonnies, the Athletics Department, and both the Metro New York and Buffalo Alumni Chapters. Matt is a native of Binghamton, New York and currently resides in Rockville Centre, New York. He is a member of a Legacy Family with several family members among the alumni of SBU.

Dan Riley headshotFr. Daniel Riley, O.F.M.,’64: bachelor of arts in philosophy and coursework in biology. He serves as chaplain to the National Alumni Association Board and is a friar priest of Holy Name Province of the Order of Friars Minor, the university’s sponsoring order. Fr. Dan is one of the founding members of the Franciscan mountain retreat, Mt. Irenaeus. He is president of “The Mountain” and serves on its board of directors. In 1990, Fr. Dan was named the Guardian of Holy Peace Friary, the Franciscan community of men based at Mt. Irenaeus. He works closely with all members of the University community from alumni to students to help meet their spiritual needs. Prior to his role at the Mountain, Fr. Dan held various positions throughout the Holy Name Province and at St. Bonaventure, including being a founding member and a director of campus ministry. Fr. Dan is a native of Rochester, New York.

Amy RumschikAmy MCCorry (Rumschik), ’03: Bachelor of Art in journalism and mass communication. Amy is a stay-at-home mom to her two young children. Prior to leaving the work force, she was a senior territory manager and field sales trainer for eight years with Becton Dickinson (and predecessor CR Bard), a multinational medical technology company that manufactures and sells medical devices, instrument systems, and reagents. Before that, Amy held senior sales and training roles with Molnlycke Healthcare, Shire Pharmaceuticals, and Citizens Bank. While attending St. Bonaventure, Amy was a member of the softball team, interned in the sports information department, and worked at the local branch of M&T Bank. She and her husband Bryan reside in the suburbs of Boston, Mass., where Amy is an active member of the Boston area alumni chapter. 

 

Shane RyanShane M. Ryan ’06: Bachelor of Arts in journalism and mass communication. Shane currently serves as a regional director for university advancement at the Rochester Institute of Technology (RIT). After receiving his degree from St. Bonaventure, Shane earned his Master of Education in counselor education (student affairs) from Clemson University in 2008. Over the last decade, Shane has dedicated himself to creating transformational experiences for alumni, students and their families to find success and develop an affinity for their institution of higher education. Prior to RIT, Shane has held roles in new student orientation, parent engagement, alumni relations, and admissions at several institutions, including Georgetown University, Stetson University, and Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University. Shane currently resides in Pittsford, N.Y., with his wife and fellow Bonnie Stephanie, ’06, and their beautiful daughter, Quinn.

Craig ViciniCraig A. Vicini, ’07, ’08: Bachelor of Business Administration in finance, Master of Business Administration. Craig is a senior investment analyst and assistant vice president for Federated Hermes, Inc., an investment manager headquartered in Pittsburgh, Pa. Since joining Federated Hermes in 2008, Craig has held multiple roles within the company, spanning across their investment management and decision support departments. While attending St. Bonaventure, Craig was involved with the Francis E. Kelley Oxford Program, Students In Money Management (SIMM), Finance Club, Students In Free Enterprise (SIFE), Campus Activities Board (C.A.B.), and Bonnies Visit Their High School. Since graduating, Craig has been actively engaged with the alumni chapter serving the greater Pittsburgh area. He is a native of Warren, Pa., and currently resides in Wexford, Pa. Craig’s father Duane also attended St. Bonaventure.

 

Mary Beth Wells webMary Beth Shea Wells, ’76: bachelor of business administration in accounting. She went on to earn her masters of business administration from Rutgers University in Newark in 1985. Since 2005, Mary Beth has been the accountant for St. Paul Parish in Princeton, New Jersey, serving on the finance parish council and the St. Vincent dePaul Society. She is responsible for all accounting, budgeting, insurance, and payroll/benefits for the church, school and cemetery. Prior to St. Paul’s, she was the finance director of the Princeton YWCA for seven years. Her volunteer activities have included treasurer for her children’s PTA, treasurer for her children’s CYO board. Her St. Bonaventure involvement has been with the annual fund, Bonnies Athletic Fund (BAF) advisory board, and Class of 76 reunion weekend planning. Mary Beth and her husband, Gary, reside in East Windsor, New Jersey. They have a son, Terence, and a daughter, Maureen ’11, ’12.



St. Bonaventure University’s alumni group transitions from board to council structure

Oct 24, 2022 The new SBU Alumni Council with President and Betsy Gingerich
St. Bonaventure’s National Alumni Association Board is streamlining its operation to become more efficient and make more of an impact.

The transition to the new model became official at the NAAB’s fall meeting on campus Saturday.

“The new structure of the Alumni Council will allow for greater flexibility and efficiency in its partnership with the Office of University Advancement and other university representatives,” said Dr. Jeff Gingerich, university president.

“More importantly,” Gingerich said, “the development of guiding principles will also create more structure and intentionality to the council’s efforts to bolster alumni engagement. I think this is such a positive step forward to take advantage of an alumni base that continues to amaze me with its passion and desire to support the university.”

Those guiding principles include:

  • supporting the mission and promoting the interests of the university.
  • continuing to strengthen the Bona Network for all alumni and students.
  • fostering a diverse and inclusive alumni community, one where all identities, experiences, and backgrounds come together to contribute to a strong and welcoming Bona family.
  • working to increase alumni engagement with and in support of St. Bonaventure via a wide range of opportunities including professional and social networking, volunteerism, and continuous learning.
  • promoting St. Bonaventure as a preferred school of choice.
  • encouraging philanthropic investment in the university.

In the transition from a board to a council, some changes will be made to the roles on the leadership team. The president and vice president roles will become chair and vice chair, respectively. During the transition period, the two current vice presidents will share the role of vice chair.

Pat Doyle, ’81, will remain chair, and Stephanie Karnas, ’06, and Mary Beth Wells, ’76, will share the role of vice chair until 2024. The role of secretary, held currently by Laurie Forino Colagiovanni, ’88, will remain part of the leadership team.

Additionally, a new role has been added to the leadership team; Emily Ciraolo, ’08, ’09, has been appointed by the university as alumni chapter representative. All five of their terms expire in two years.

Beginning in 2024, Alumni Council officers will be appointed by staff from University Advancement, subject to the approval of the university president. Formal officer elections by the Alumni Council members are no longer necessary.

The chair of the Alumni Council will continue to serve as an ex-officio member of the St. Bonaventure University Board of Trustees during the time of their term as chair.

Council membership will eventually be right-sized to 20 members, but gradually over the course of the next few years as the terms of current board members expire.

“This leaner structure aligns with national best practices to maximize alumni engagement,” said Bob Van Wicklin, vice president for University Advancement. “The new model focuses the priorities of the Alumni Council on needs that are more defined and aligned directly with university goals.”

Twenty Alumni Council members are optimal to carry through this work in a more engaging manner for “everyone involved with enhancing the impact of our remarkable alumni network,” Van Wicklin added.

“What’s important to understand,” Doyle said, “is that the new structure makes room for non-elected members to serve on committees as needed, which fosters inclusivity while also building a pipeline of potential new Alumni Council members.”

The decision to move to a more streamlined council structure was made collaboratively with NAAB members, Dr. Gingerich and Advancement Office staff members after initial discussions about the mission of the group were held at the NAAB meeting in April.

For more information about the transition of the NAAB, click here.

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About the University: The nation’s first Franciscan university, St. Bonaventure University is a community committed to transforming the lives of our students inside and outside the classroom, inspiring in them a lifelong commitment to service and citizenship. St. Bonaventure was named the #5 regional university value in the North in U.S. News and World Report’s 2022 college rankings edition.