December 4, 2024 – Marist is excited to announce the addition of five distinguished individuals to its Board of Trustees and the election of a new chair at the Board’s annual meeting on November 15. These talented professionals represent diverse backgrounds and industries. They also bring invaluable experience and a shared dedication to advancing Marist’s vision of improving the world through education.

“We are grateful to add these five new accomplished members to the Board,” said Ross Mauri '80/P'15, outgoing Chair of the Marist Board of Trustees. “These esteemed alumni have consistently demonstrated a passion for Marist and its students, and they will play an instrumental role in shaping our future at an exciting time.”

New Board Chair Elected
Ross Mauri '80/P'15 concluded his second term as chair of the Board. Mauri has served as a trustee since 1996 and as chair since 2018. During his tenure as chair, Mauri led the presidential search committee, oversaw revisions to the Board’s bylaws that significantly strengthened institutional governance, and supported experiential learning opportunities and endowed scholarships through a generous family pledge. Mauri will continue on the Board as Immediate Past Chair.

Genine McCormick '88/P'16, a CPA who has previously worked for Arthur Andersen & Co and Morgan Stanley, has served nearly 15 years on the Board, most recently as vice chair and chair of the Audit Committee, was unanimously elected to her first three-year term as chair. In addition to her distinguished record of Board service, McCormick has been a dedicated volunteer leader for many years, having previously served as national chair of the Marist Fund. She and her husband, Michael '88, also co-chaired the fund’s Alumni Division for two years and have supported a variety of programs at Marist through the McCormick Family Foundation they created, where she serves as Treasurer.

“I look forward to working with Genine as our new Board Chair,” said President Kevin Weinman. “She brings great leadership and professional expertise to the boardroom as well as deep passion for Marist as an alumna, parent, and generous donor who has supported students’ access to a Marist education. This distinguished group of new trustees highlights the strength of Marist’s alumni network and our growing reach across the country, and I look forward to working alongside them to elevate Marist to even greater heights.”

 

New Members of the Board of Trustees

Eileen Gilfedder Altobelli '82

Eileen retired in 2021 after an accomplished nearly 40-year career in Financial Services, most recently with BNY Mellon. Her roles spanned strategic client management, operational service delivery, and project development. A dedicated Marist alumna, Eileen served on the Marist Alumni Executive Board for nine years, including three as President of the Alumni Association. During her tenure, she also represented alumni on the Board of Trustees and contributed to the Presidential Search Committee in 2020. Currently, Eileen serves on the Board of Directors for the Marist Red Fox Navy, an organization of alumni, former coaches, and supporters of the Marist Rowing Program. A 1982 graduate of Marist with a Bachelor of Science in Environmental Science, Eileen was a captain of the women’s crew team during her collegiate years.

Lark-Marie Antón '99 

Lark is a communications and public relations professional with extensive experience shaping iconic brands. As Chief Communications Officer at Gannett, she oversees communications for a media portfolio that includes USA TODAY and the USA TODAY Network of more than 200 publications across the nation. With more than 20 years of experience in strategic communications and integrated marketing, she has also held executive roles at Hertz, Verizon, Loews Hotels and served as Deputy Press Secretary for Mayor Michael Bloomberg’s administration in New York City. Prior to joining Gannett, she served as Chief Communications Officer at Aura, a cybersecurity technology platform. She was named to PR Net’s “Marcomms Most Influential” list in 2024, received Ragan’s 2020 Top Women in Communications “Dynamic Do-er” award, and was honored with the 2017 “Rompepiedra” (Groundbreaker) Award by 100 Hispanic Women National, Inc. Lark earned a Bachelor of Arts from Marist and a Master of Arts in communication studies from West Virginia University. 

Laurie Aurelia Cerveny '90/P'26

Laurie is the firmwide Managing Partner of Strategy at the law firm Morgan Lewis. For nearly 30 years, she has been a trusted advisor to global companies on mergers and acquisitions, board governance, executive compensation, and disclosure and reporting matters. Laurie is Chambers-ranked and has been recognized as a Top Woman in Dealmaking by The Deal, a Distinguished Leader by the New England Legal Awards, and a Massachusetts Go-To Lawyer by Massachusetts Lawyers Weekly. She earned a Bachelor of Arts, summa cum laude, from Marist and a Juris Doctor, cum laude, from Boston College Law School. In addition to being a proud Marist alumna, Laurie is also an enthusiastic Marist parent.

Andrew Lutakome Kayiira, Jr. '04

Andrew is an accomplished capital markets executive, who in May received the Distinguished Alumni Medal, the highest honor for a Marist graduate. He currently serves as the Director of Technology and Financial Innovation at the Investment Company Institute (ICI), a leading association representing the asset management industry in service of individual investors. He is a well-respected industry voice and has held executive roles at several prominent investment banks. Andrew is also the co-founder of Eden Point Partners, a boutique consulting firm specializing in client-centered technology and transformation strategies. Andrew’s connections to Marist are deep. His father, the late Dr. Andrew Lutakome Kayiira, was a criminal justice professor at Marist in the 1980s and Uganda's Minister of Energy. His mother, Betty (Mutema) Kayiira, was a long-serving Marist employee, and two of his siblings also attended Marist. Andrew met his wife, Heather (Slizewski) Kayiira '02, during his first semester at Marist.

James Patrick McGurk III '97

Jamie currently serves as a General Partner at Balyasny Asset Management’s late-stage private investment group, BAM Elevate. Jamie has spent the majority of his career working with growth-stage technology companies and the last 10+ years focused on private equity investments. Over the course of his private investment career, Jamie has worked with recognizable high-growth technology companies including Airbnb, Slack, GitHub, Coinbase, Databricks, Lyft, Instacart, Samsara, Astranis, Klarna and others from early-stage venture to late-stage growth. During his time as an undergraduate student at Marist, Jamie was a member of the Men’s Lacrosse team, and subsequently earned a Master’s of Business Administration from Georgetown University.