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Rockefeller Advisory Board

Vincent J. Abramo BA '67 is in the Career Civil Service at the United States Department of State, Washington D.C., where since 1992 he has been Construction Safety & Occupational Health Manager, Overseas Buildings Operations. In this position he provides over-sight of global construction contracts on new construction and major renovation of U.S. Embassy projects worldwide.

In the years 1984-1992, Mr. Abramo was the founder and director of Construction Management Training International, a consulting effort established to serve U.S. government agencies, the World Bank, and the U.S. China Business Roundtable in outreach efforts to the People's Republic of China under the Science & Technology Protocols established by Presidents Jimmy Carter and Ronald Reagan.

Prior to his work in China during 1981 to 1983, Mr. Abramo served as an adjunct professor on a participating agency agreement through the U.S. Department of Labor, with construction industry expertise, at the Institute of Labor Management Relations, Rutgers University.

As the director of the Job Corps Construction Training Programs (1976-1981) administered by U.S. Department of Labor, U.S. Department of Agriculture and U.S. Forest Service, he expanded the program from 12 centers in 1976 to 38 centers in 1981. At its peak the program trained more than 42,000 inner city youth for construction industry jobs each year. In the early seventies (1970-1976) Mr. Abramo began his career with the United States Department of State, as a foreign service officer assigned to the U.S. Peace Corps Headquarters in Washington, DC. In this position he was Chief of Construction and Vocational Education Programs, Africa Bureau.

For the past 35 years Mr. Abramo's career in international affairs has taken him to more than 130 countries. He is a member of the American Bar Association's Standing Committee on Law & National Security and a member of the U.S. Defense Intelligence Agency's Joint Military Intelligence College Alumni Foundation.

He graduated from the University at Albany in 1967 with a BA in Political Science, after which he finished a post-graduate year in French at the University of Lyon, France. He attended Georgetown University Graduate School of Government part time 1968-1970 while teaching high school history in the Washington D.C. schools.

In 2001 he was awarded the Master of Science Strategic Intelligence / National Security from the Joint Military Intelligence College, U.S. Defense Intelligence Agency Washington D.C., where he is now working toward his doctoral degree.

Gerard Citera '77 is Counsel in Davis Polk & Wardwell's Financial Institutions Group and a senior lawyer in the firm's Broker-Dealer and Market Regulation practice in New York City. He was previously Executive Director and Manager of the Regulatory Control Group for US Equities at UBS Securities. He manages legal, compliance, and regulatory risk for the Equities business, where his group acts as the primary watchdog for securities research, trading and sales. In addition, he provides advice and guidance on market structure issues pertaining to the U.S. and foreign securities markets and serves on various firm wide committees.

Previously, Mr. Citera worked as Deputy General Counsel at PaineWebber Incorporated, where he managed the Capital Markets Group of the Legal Department. He spent nine years at Wilmer, Cutler & Pickering as an Associate and Special Counsel where he counseled banks, broker dealers and other financial institutions on a wide variety of legal and regulatory matters, including defending corporations and individuals in SEC and SRO investigations and litigation. Before joining Wilmer, Cutler, Mr. Citera served as an attorney with the Securities and Exchange Commission in the Division of Market Regulation and the Office of General Counsel. He was a member of the appellate litigation team representing the SEC in various federal and state courts.

Mr. Citera is a member of the Securities Traders Association of New York, the Legal and Compliance Division of the Securities Industry Association, and the Securities and Exchange Commission Alumni Society. He has published numerous articles and practice outlines on securities related issues and is a frequent speaker at SIA and other industry group meetings.

Since 2003 Mr. Citera has been a member of the Rockefeller College Advisory Board. Mr. Citera also chairs the Financial Market Regulatory Initiative Advisory Council, a collaboration of Rockefeller College, the College of Computing and Information, the School of Business, and the Albany Law School.

Mr. Citera received his BA in Political Science (magna cum laude) from the University at Albany in 1977 and his JD (magna cum laude) from the University at Buffalo in 1980.

Mr. Citera, with Mr. John Malitzis, received the U Albany Alumni Association's Excellence in Alumni Service Award in 2007 for the work they did to establish the Program in Financial Market Regulation.

Patricia Campbell '71, '78 is Executive Vice President of Tufts University. She was formerly Vice President for Finance and Administration at WGBH in Boston, where she oversaw administrative operations, served as treasurer and played a leadership role in policy development. Prior to her work at WGBH, Ms. Campbell was the Executive Associate Dean at the Tufts University School of Dental Medicine, where she served as Chief Operating Officer, responsible for strategic planning, budget and finance and administrative operations. Previously in her professional path, Ms. Campbell served as Director for Administration for the Capital District Psychiatric Center, and Deputy Commission, Administration and Finance, at the New York State Office of Mental Health.

During her career at the New York State Assembly in the Ways and Means Committee Program and Staff, Ms. Campbell served as Director of Budget Studies, Budget Analyst, and Legislative Coordinator for Human Services. Previously Ms. Campbell worked as a Program Research Specialist at the New York State Office for the Aging, where she advocated such issues as health care for the elderly, and program development. She has served extensively in her community through being a chair of the Dental Outcomes Assessment Committee, almost a decade long member of the Tufts University Administrative Council, the University Information Technology Committee, and the Human Resources Senior Advisory Board. While in Albany she served as the development chair for the Interfaith Partnership for the Homeless

Ms. Campbell has been a member of the Rockefeller College Advisory Board since 2003.

Ms. Campbell received a BA in 1971, and a Masters of Library Science in 1978, both from the University at Albany. While at the University at Albany, she was a member of Chi Sigma Theta. Ms. Campbell received an MLE from the Institute on Leadership in Higher Education at Harvard University, and will soon complete the requirements for a Masters in Public Health.

John F. Cape is a national expert on state budgets and public policy, with over 30 years experience in the public sector. Prior to joining PFM, Mr. Cape served as the Director of the Budget for New York State. As Director, he was New York's chief financial officer and the principal fiscal advisor to the Governor, heading the Division of the Budget, whose 350 staff members oversee a $113 billion operating budget and $50 billion debt portfolio.

Mr. Cape began his State career in 1973, working as Municipal Management Consultant and Federal program manager before joining the Division of the Budget in 1980. During the following 26 years, he had the opportunity to oversee funding for virtually every State program area. He headed the Division's Federal Relations office, working with organizations including the National Governors Association advocating for changes and enhancements to Federal programs including Medicaid, Welfare and Transportation. After being named Assistant Director in 1997, he went on to oversee the State's, economic and revenue forecasting, tax policy, capital planning and finance, and cash management. He also directed the State's debt policy, including management and issuance of all State-related debt, Federal securities disclosure, and rating agency relations. The author of major budget reform and debt reform statutes, in 2000 he was promoted to Deputy Director, overseeing statewide budget planning, development, negotiation and execution, advancing to First Deputy in 2002 and Director in 2004. He also served as Chairman of the State's Public Authority Control Board and a Director of the Local Government Assistance Corporation.

A nationally known speaker on state fiscal and policy issues, and a recognized advocate for fiscal integrity and transparency, Mr. Cape serves as a Senior Fellow of the Rockefeller Institute of Government, is a Fellow of the State Academy of Public Administrators, and has served on the Executive Board of the National Association of State Budget Officers. He also serves on the New York City Independent Budget Office Advisory Board. He is the 2006 recipient of the Center for Technology in Government's Rudolph W. Giuliani Leadership Award, and recipient of the American Society for Public Administration's Charles Evans Hughes Award.

Mr. Cape received his B.A. from the State University of New York Empire State College and pursued graduate study at the Rockefeller College of Public Affairs.

Mr. Cape is based in Albany and New York City, New York, and co-leads PFM's Strategic Consulting practice for state governments in conjunction with former State of Iowa Budget Director, Randall Bauer.

Dana Chasin is Senior Advisor, Federal Fiscal Policy, at OMB Watch. Prior to this, he was a Fellow in the Office of US Senator Mark Dayton (Democrat from Minnesota), where he handled research and drafting of judicial nominations, domestic economic policy issues, and Social Security. In 2004 Mr. Chasin worked on the speech writing team of the Democratic National Convention Committee in Boston, Massachusetts. Earlier that year, he was a Legislative Fellow at the Office of Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton in Washington, DC where he researched and wrote documentation on manufacturing legislation and amendments to the USA Patriot Act. In 1997 to 2002, he was the Director of Development and Communications and Project Finance at Societe Generale in New York City. There he was responsible for overseeing industry and government relations, development, and implementation of marketing strategy. In 1996 Mr. Chasin was employed at the New York State Democratic Coordinated Campaign in New York City, where he was special assistant to the Deputy Political Advisor. He recruited and managed interest-based constituency teams for the Clinton/Gore campaign and the Congressional Democratic slate in New York.

In 1993 through 1996, Mr. Chasin was a Senior Program Officer at Financial Services Volunteer Corps in New York. He developed and implemented financial sector technical assistance projects on capital markets development, central bank operations and municipal and public finance, and regulatory reform with finance leaders in seven Eastern European countries. In the late 1980s to early 1990s, Mr. Chasin was the President of Europolitics Consulting, Inc. and an Associate at Kaye, Scholer, Fierman, Hays and Handler. In these positions he provided legal and commercial advice to US firms and institution operations in Eastern Europe with such clients as George Soros, Prudential-Bache, and Harvard University. In 1983 Mr. Chasin was Assistant Director at the Speechwriting and Issues Department for the Mondale Presidential Campaign.

Mr. Chasin is a member of the Bar in the State of New York, Massachusetts, and Washington DC. His publications include articles in Newsweek, the Wall Street Journal, the Journal of Commerce, and Christian Science Monitor. He is on the Board of Directors for Social Accountability International. He is the Founder of the Empire State Democratic Initiative.

Mr. Chasin received his MPA from the Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University in 2004. He earned his JD from Harvard Law School in 1988, and his Bachelors from Yale University in 1983.

James D. Douglas is the Smithsonian's Director of Human Resources, a position he has held since 2004. In this position, Mr. Douglas supervises a staff of human resource specialists and support personnel in effectively implementing a comprehensive human capital program involving four separate employment systems for over 6,000 employees in the Smithsonian Institution (federal civil service, Smithsonian trust fund employment system, Smithsonian Enterprises employment system and Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute (Panama) employment system).

From 1995 to 2004, Mr. Douglas served as Deputy General Counsel for the Institution where he advised Smithsonian management on a variety of legal issues, particularly in the area of employment and labor relations, successfully representing the Institution in litigation before the courts and administrative bodies. He also advised Smithsonian management on the legal nature of the Institution and its relations with the government, tort claims, FOIA and privacy, contracts, real and personal property, gifts, intellectual property, and appropriations law issues.

From 1985 to 1995, Mr. Douglas served as Assistant General Counsel at the Smithsonian, and served as Acting General Counsel from April 1995 through November 1995. Prior to moving to the General Counsel's office, he served as Director of Labor and Employee Relations for the Institution from 1977 to 1985. Mr. Douglas was a labor relations specialist and management analyst with the Community Services Administration from 1972 to 1977.

Mr. Douglas received his J.D. degree from George Mason University School of Law School in 1983, his M.P.A. degree from the Nelson A. Rockefeller College of Public Affairs and Policy at the University at Albany in 1972 and his B.A. degree in political science from the State University of New York, College at Fredonia in 1971. He is a member of the bar of Virginia and federal courts.

Charles H. Fritts '73 serves as Senior Director for Federal Government Relations at the Biotechnology Industry Organization. Prior to this Charlie was the Vice President of Government Relations for the American Gas Association (AGA). He represents AGA and its 195 member companies before Congress and the Federal agencies in the areas of energy, pipeline safety, research and development, and taxation. In 1992, he joined the AGA as the Associate Director of Congressional Relations. He brings over 30 years of Congressional and Executive Branch lobbying and legal experience to his position.

Mr. Fritts began his career in government relations in 1974 when he worked for a member of Congress. Since then, he has represented the legislative and regulatory interests of the Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corporation (Freddie Mac), the National Apartment Association and the Mortgage Bankers Association. He also practiced law in Virginia. He is a member of the District of Columbia Bar and the Virginia Bar.

Mr. Fritts earned his BA in Political Science from the University at Albany in 1973. He earned his JD from George Mason University School of Law in 1980.

Martha Gagné, MPA '91 began her government career in 1990 in the New York State Division of the Budget. Her portfolio included the higher education budget for New York, including all the SUNY/CUNY schools. She then joined the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) in 1992 to oversee the President's Federal Drug Control Budget, which included the Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP) accounts, as well as all supply and demand drug programs. In 1996, Martha was named Director of the American Council for Drug Education (ACDE) in New York City, which included a prestigious board of scientific advisors in the field of drug abuse prevention and treatment. In 1999, Martha became a Deputy Director of D.A.R.E., coordinating demand reduction with the European Union. Martha joined ONDCP in December 2001 as the Director of Corporate Outreach for the National Youth Anti-Drug Media Campaign. In 2006, she entered the Senior Executive Service as Assistant Deputy Director of Demand Reduction at ONDCP. Martha holds a Bachelor’s in Political Science and Spanish from Pace University (1989) and a Masters in Public Administration from the Nelson Rockefeller College (1991) in Albany, NY.

Maryanne Gridley '77 recently retired as Executive Director and chief administrative officer of the Dormitory Authority of the State of New York, positions she held since 2002. The Dormitory Authority is a public benefit corporation formed by New York State to finance and build facilities for higher education, health care, the court system and nonprofit organizations.

Prior to her appointment, Ms. Gridley was First Deputy Secretary to Governor Pataki, serving as a senior advisor on policy issues. From 1995-99, she was with the Governor's Office of Public Authorities, first as Assistant Secretary and then as Deputy Secretary. From 1985-95, she was Assistant Deputy Comptroller for Cash and Debt Management in the Office of the State Comptroller. In this position, she mastered the management of complex fiscal issues related to the issuance of the state's general obligation bonds and day-to-day cash management. Ms. Gridley began her state government career in 1977, when she joined the staff of the State Senate Finance Committee, rising to Senior Legislative Budget Analyst.

Ms. Gridley has served on several governmental boards and commissions. In February 2003, Governor Pataki appointed her as Chairperson of the Local Government Assistance Corporation. She has been Director of the Pennsylvania Station Redevelopment Corporation since 1999, and a Member of the Albany Downtown Business Improvement District Board since April 2002. She also served as a Member of the Supervisory Board for the City of Troy, NY from 1996-97, and was the Assistant Treasurer of the Local Government Assistance Corporation from 1990-95.

In November 2002, the Nelson A. Rockefeller College of Public Affairs honored Ms. Gridley with a Distinguished Alumna Award in Public Administration and Policy. She also received the Municipal Forum of New York's Public Sector Career Service Award in 2000.

Ms. Gridley earned her bachelors degree from Newton College of the Sacred Heart in Newton, Mass., and an MPA the University at Albany in 1977.

Nancy G. Groenwegen was appointed Counsel to the Comptroller by State Comptroller Thomas P. DiNapoli in December 2010. In her role as general counsel, Ms. Groenwegen leads a team of 50 lawyers providing advice to the Comptroller and to the many critical operating divisions of the Office of the State Comptroller. On matters related to the Comptroller's jurisdiction, Nancy and her team also advise state agencies, local governments and the members of the public.

Nancy's position with the State Comptroller is one of several executive positions she has held in New York State. She is our most recent past Commissioner of the State Department of Civil Service, serving in tandem as President of the Civil Service Commission. Before being appointed as civil service commissioner, Ms. Groenwegen served as an assistant attorney general in the New York State Department of Law under Attorneys General Robert Abrams and Eliot Spitzer. Nancy has considerable expertise about policy and employee relations which she brought to positions as counsel for the New York State School Boards Association and the Governor's Office of Employee Relations. Nancy served in a variety of roles in the administration of former Governor Mario M. Cuomo.

Nancy was named the outstanding alumni of the Department of Political Science in 2008, and she is the 2011 recipient of the University at Albany Alumni Association's Excellence in Service Award.

Thomas Herman '78 has been a partner with Sutherland, Asbill & Brennan LLP since 1989, where he represents buyers and sellers of businesses, and serves as principal outside counsel to numerous businesses in a wide range of industries. From 1981-1988, Mr. Herman was an associate with Sutherland, Asbill & Brennan LLP.

Mr. Herman has served on several committees of the corporate and banking law section of the State Bar of Georgia which have had a significant impact on corporate practice in Georgia. He currently serves on the Corporation Code Revision Committee. He served on the committee as secretary when it drafted the revised Georgia Business Corporation Code. Mr. Herman is a member of the Negotiated Acquisitions Committee of the Section of Business Law of the American Bar Association. He speaks extensively on corporate law issues in continuing legal education programs.

Since May 2003, Mr. Herman has served on the Rockefeller College Advisory Board. He is also a member of the Order of the Coif and Phi Beta Kappa.

Mr. Herman graduated summa cum laude with a BA in Economics, and a minor in Political Science from the University at Albany in 1978. In 1981, he earned his JD from the University of Virginia School of Law.

Frank R. Jazzo '80 is a member of the law firm Fletcher, Heald & Hildreth, P.L.C., which provides legal services in the field of telecommunications. Mr. Jazzo counsels television and radio broadcasters on compliance with the rules and regulations of the Federal Communications Commission. He provides advice on political broadcasting regulations to broadcasters, political media firms, and major political campaigns. Mr. Jazzo has had extensive experience in the satellite communications field. Mr. Jazzo is currently serving as co-managing member of the firm.

Mr. Jazzo serves as Washington counsel for the Alaska Broadcasters Association, the Arkansas Broadcasters Association, the Mississippi Association of Broadcasters and the New Mexico Broadcasters Association. He has been a regular speaker before other state and national associations. Mr. Jazzo is presently co-chairman of the Federal Communications Bar Association (FCBA) Mass Media Practice Committee. He is serving on the Arlington County, Virginia, Cable Television and Information Technology Advisory Commission. He is an associate member of the Association of Federal Communications Consulting Engineers (AFCCE), and a member of the Society of Satellite Professionals International (SSPI).

Mr. Jazzo graduated (magna cum laude) from the University at Albany in 1980 with a dual Bachelors degree in Business Administration and Political Science. While attending the University, he interned at the New York State Assembly, he was a member of the Pep Band and was active in intramural sports. He earned his JD from the UCLA School of Law in 1983. While in law school, he was a comments editor on the Federal Communications Law Journal and worked for the U.S. House Telecommunications Subcommittee.

Lawrence J. Korb is a Senior Fellow at the Center for American Progress and a Senior Adviser to the Center for Defense Information. Prior to joining the Center, he was a Senior Fellow and Director of National Security Studies at the Council on Foreign Relations. From July 1998 to October 2002, he was Council Vice President, Director of Studies, and holder of the Maurice Greenberg Chair.

Prior to joining the Council, Mr. Korb served as Director of the Center for Public Policy Education and Senior Fellow in the Foreign Policy Studies Program at the Brookings Institution, Dean of the Graduate School of Public and International Affairs at the University of Pittsburgh, and Vice President of Corporate Operations at the Raytheon Company.

Dr. Korb served as Assistant Secretary of Defense (Manpower, Reserve Affairs, Installations and Logistics) from 1981 through 1985. In that position, he administered about 70 percent of the Defense budget. For his service in that position, he was awarded the Department of Defense's medal for Distinguished Public Service. Mr. Korb served on active duty for four years as Naval Flight Officer, and retired from the Naval Reserve with the rank of Captain.

Dr. Korb's 20 books and more than 100 articles on national security issues include The Joint Chiefs of Staff: The First Twenty-five Years, The Fall and Rise of the Pentagon, American National Security: Policy and Process, Future Visions for U.S. Defense Policy, Reshaping America's Military, and A New National Security Strategy in an Age of Terrorists, Tyrants, and Weapons of Mass Destruction. His articles have appeared in such journals as Foreign Affairs, Public Administration Review, New York Times Sunday Magazine, Naval Institute Proceedings, and International Security. Over the past decade, Mr. Korb has made over 1,000 appearances as a commentator on such shows as The Today Show, The Early Show, Good Morning America, Face the Nation, This Week with David Brinkley, MacNeil-Lehrer News Hour, News Hour with Jim Lehrer, Nightline, 60 Minutes, Larry King Live, The O'Reilly Factor, and Crossfire. His more than 100 op-ed pieces have appeared in such major newspapers as the Washington Post, New York Times, Wall Street Journal, Washington Times, Los Angeles Times, Boston Globe, Baltimore Sun, Philadelphia Inquirer, and Christian Science Monitor.

Dr. Korb received his Ph.D. in Political Science from the University at Albany in 1969. He was honored as the Rockefeller College Distinguished Alumnus in Political Science in 2006.

Michael A. Lampert '73 is Senior Vice President and General Counsel of BGC Securities. He formerly was Vice Chairman of the Litigation Department at the law firm of Saul Ewing, where he serves on its Intellectual Property Practice and the Financial Services Group. Previous to his position at Saul Ewing he was a partner at McManimon and Scotland, Newark, NJ, an associate and then partner at St. John, Oberdorf, Williams, Newark, NJ and an associate at Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison in New York City.

Mr. Lampert serves on the editorial board of The New Jersey Lawyer. He has been a panelist on several programs of the New Jersey Institute for Continuing Legal Education. In each of the last three years he served as faculty for the ALI-ABA program on Intellectual Property Licensing Today. He frequently speaks at the Association of Corporate Counsel – America functions. He was an adjunct lecturer at Benjamin N. Cardozo Law School from 1978-1980.

Mr. Lampert was a finalist in the Ames Moot Court competition. He is the author of several publications, including "The Internet and Personal Jurisdiction," 198 N.J. Lawyer 47 (1991); chapter 4 of "Removal," in "N.J. Federal Practice and Procedure," N.J.L.J. Press, 2000; chapter 29A in "Special Issues in Settlements Under New Jersey Law," in "Settlement Agreements in Commercial Disputes" Aspen Law Business, 2002.

Mr. Michael Lampert served as president and member of the board of directors for the Alumni Association for the University at Albany from 1973-1985.

Mr. Lampert received a B.A. (magna cum laude) in Political Science from the University at Albany in 1973, and a law degree from Harvard University Law School in 1976. While at the University at Albany, he was President of the Student Association from 1971-1973; a member of the University Senate; and Who's Who. He was a member of the honorary, Myskania. Mr. Lampert received the Alumni Association's Excellence in Service Award.

John F. Malitzis '89 is the head of the Market Surveillance Division of New York Stock Exchange Regulation, Inc. He previously was the Vice President, Surveillance and Market Surveillance Specialist of the New York Stock Exchange. In this position, Mr. Malitzis is responsible for surveillance of all trading at the point of sale by individual specialists and specialist member organizations for compliance with the NYSE rules and federal securities laws. Prior to his current position Mr. Malitzis was Assistant General Counsel at NASDAQ-Amex Market Group in Washington, DC.

Prior to joining the Exchange, Mr. Malitzis was a senior vice president and associate general counsel for the Institutional Equities Division of Citigroup Global Markets, Inc. Earlier in his career, Mr. Malitzis was a trial attorney at the Commodities Futures Trading Commission. Prior to being a trial attorney, he was a teaching fellow at Catholic University and a law clerk at the U.S. Department of Labor.

Mr. Malitzis is a member of the Rockefeller College Advisory Board and the co-chairman of the Advisory Council to the Program in Financial Market Regulation.

Mr. Malitzis received his BA in Political Science from the University at Albany in 1989. While at the University at Albany, he was a member of Purple and Gold, the Albany Student Press, the University Chorale, and the Student Council. Mr. Malitzis received his JD from Boston College Law School in 1992, where he graduated Phi Beta Kappa and summa cum laude and was editor for the for the commercial law journal at Boston College.

Mr. Malitzis, with Mr. Jerry Citera, received the U Albany Alumni Association's Excellence in Alumni Service Award in 2007 for the work they did to establish the Program in Financial Market Regulation.

Jennifer Manner '86 is Deputy Bureau Chief, Public Safety and Homeland Security Bureau at the Federal Communications Commission. She has a focus on broadband and other related issues. Ms. Manner previously worked as a Principal at ZComm Strategies LLC, where she was a consultant on telecommunications regulatory policy issues. Before that, Ms. Manner was Vice President of Regulatory Affairs at SkyTerra Communications, LLC, where she handled the company's domestic and international regulatory and policy issues. Before joining SkyTerra, Ms. Manner served as Senior Counsel to FCC Commissioner Kathleen Abernathy with responsibility for wireless, international and new technology issues.

Ms. Manner joined the Commissioner's office after working at MCI Communications Corporation, later WorldCom, Inc., as Associate Counsel for Foreign Market Access and then as International Wireless Services and Director of International Alliances.

Prior to this position, Ms. Manner was an associate in the Communications Group at Akin, Gump, Strauss, Hauer and Feld, L.P. Before joining Akin, Gump, Ms. Manner was an Attorney-Advisor at the FCC.

Ms. Manner currently serves as an adjunct professor at Georgetown University Law Center and the Washington College of Law at American University. Ms. Manner has published several books on telecommunications issues and has written numerous law review articles.

Ms. Manner received her B.A. from the State University of New York at Albany, from which she was recently awarded the Distinguished Alumni Award for Political Science. She received her J.D. cum laude from New York Law School and LL.M. with distinction from Georgetown University Law Center. Ms. Manner is admitted to practice in Washington, D.C., New York and Connecticut.

Laura Masse is Executive Vice President, Marketing for Crown Media Holdings, Inc., owner and operator of Hallmark Channel and Hallmark Movie Channel. Based in New York and Los Angeles, she oversees all facets of brand-building and marketing for the channels. Masse reports to Bill Abbott, President and Chief Executive Officer, Crown Media.

Ms. Masse directs strategic and creative teams responsible for developing the networks' consumer, affiliate and ad sales marketing efforts. In addition, Masse is the key liaison with Hallmark Cards in developing synergistic opportunities with its other brand extensions, including Hallmark Magazine, Hallmark Flowers and the nearly 4,000 Hallmark Gold Crown® stores.

Previously, Ms. Masse served as the Senior Vice President, Marketing and, with her team, provided strategic development, creative direction and implementation on all marketing activities for the network.

Before joining Hallmark Channel, Ms. Masse was Vice President of Marketing for American Movie Classics (AMC) from 1998-2001. Her responsibilities included oversight of the network's integrated consumer marketing, ad sales marketing, and affiliate marketing, as well as the network's website, magazine and broadband offerings.

From 1995-1998, Masse drove distribution and online marketing initiatives for Discovery Communications, Inc. As Division Director of Marketing for Discovery Channel Online, she supervised the site's consumer positioning and advertising. As the Division Director of Affiliate Marketing, Ms. Masse crafted strategies with Discovery's MSO partners and forged key relationships with national non-profit organizations including the PTA, AARP, and the national Headstart Association.

Ms. Masse also held Account Management positions at Earle Palmer Brown and Muller Jordan Weiss advertising agencies in New York City, where her clients included The Learning Channel (TLC), The Walt Disney Company, Chase Manhattan Bank and Conrad International Hotels.

Ms. Masse's team has won numerous awards for their work, including a 2006 CTAM Silver Mark Award and a 2004 Brand Builder Award by Promax & BDA, which recognizes innovative marketing and promotion executives responsible for leading today's premier broadcast and cable companies. She also led the network to win a CTAM Southern California Golden Palm Award for its 2005 "Hollywood Holiday Sweepstakes" and a CTAM Retail Case Study Competition recognizing the channel's 2003 holiday promotion.

She earned her B.A. in Political Science at the University at Albany.

Howard Shapiro is a graduate of the University of Pennsylvania's Wharton School of Finance and Commerce (1961), where he earned a B.S. in Economics, and its Law School, where he received his Juris Doctor cum laude (1964). After serving as an attorney with the Federal Power Commission in Washington, and as an Assistant District Attorney in Manhattan in the Homicide Bureau, he served as Assistant Counsel and First Assistant Counsel to Governor Nelson A. Rockefeller and then as Chairman of the New York State Commission of Investigation. From 1973 until 1998 Mr. Shapiro was affiliated with the law firm of Helm, Shapiro, Anito & McCale. Beginning in 1975 he served as the Director and General Counsel of the Energy Association of New York State, whose members were the major investor-owned electric and gas companies in New York State. In December 1992, Mr. Shapiro was named as the Association's first President and on December 4, 2000 he was elected as President and Chief Executive Officer.

Over the years, Mr. Shapiro has been active in the Albany community having served on the Board and as President of Equinox Inc., a human services organization, for more than 15 years. Equinox operates a domestic violence shelter, a youth shelter and a drug and other substance abuse counseling center along with several other important programs. He now serves on the Advisory Board of the Rockefeller College of Public Affairs & Public Policy at the University at Albany, State University of New York and on the Board of the Government Law Center at the Albany Law School.

Mr. Shapiro retired from the Energy Association in October 2005 and now is engaged in the practice of law and energy consulting on a part-time basis, along with his community service activities. He enjoys swimming, golfing, hiking, biking, playing tennis, traveling and spending time with his family, especially watching his children and grandchildren grow.

Barbara VanEpps joined the staff of the New York State Conference of Mayors—NYCOM—in 2006 as Director of Intergovernmental Finance, and was promoted to Deputy Director in 2008. NYCOM is currently celebrating its 100th year as the statewide association representing and serving city and village governments in New York. As Deputy Director, Barbara assists in the overall administration of the association, is responsible for all areas of municipal finance, and coordinates NYCOM’s legislative advocacy efforts. She authored “Connecting the Dots: A Blueprint for Revitalizing Our Communities and Our State,” and developed NYCOM’s highly successful public advocacy website, “StopTheTaxShift.org.” She has also been integral in increasing NYCOM’s visibility at the State Capitol and strengthening its relationship with the larger cities in New York State.

Prior to her employment at NYCOM, Barbara served in the office of the New York State Division of Budget as a Principal Budget Examiner. During her thirteen-year tenure, she worked primarily on local government issues and programs, including municipal taxes, distressed cities, public sector compensation and benefits, and the AIM Program. She has extensive knowledge of state and local government issues, including municipal finance, State mandates and State aid.

Barbara holds a Bachelor of Arts from the Binghamton University and a Master of Public Administration degree from the Rockefeller College of Public Affairs and Policy, University at Albany. In 2010, Barbara was selected to be the commencement speaker for the graduate recognition event in Rockefeller College.

Lewis Wiener '84, is a partner in the Washington, D.C. office of Sutherland, Asbill & Brennan LLP where he specializes in complex commercial litigation and related matters. Prior to joining Sutherland, Mr. Wiener served as a trial lawyer with the United States Department of Justice where he was twice recognized by the Attorney General for special achievement. While at the Department of Justice, Mr. Wiener both prosecuted and defended cases on behalf of the federal government. He was lead government counsel in one of the largest class actions ever filed against the United States.

Mr. Wiener is a past-President and currently serves on the Board of Governors of the Court of Federal Claims Bar Association. He is a judicially appointed member of the statutorily created Court of Federal Claims Advisory Council. In 2004, Mr. Wiener was awarded the Court's Golden Eagle Award, the highest honor bestowed by the Court, for sustained and exemplary service to the Court of Federal Claims. He was also a recipient of the Randolph Thrower Award for achievement and sustained contributions to the Court of Federal Claims Bar Association. Mr. Wiener is on the Board of Directors of the Washington Lawyers Committee for Civil Rights. In 2007, the Committee presented Mr. Wiener with an award recognizing his contributions to pro bono work and the representation of individuals in the disability rights area.

Mr. Wiener is former co-chair of the Rockefeller College Advisory Board. In 2003 Mr. Wiener became the recipient of the Rockefeller College Distinguished Alumni Award.

Mr. Wiener received his BA degree from the University at Albany in 1984, cum laude, where he majored in Political Science and History. Following his graduation from the University at Albany, Mr. Wiener earned a JD degree in 1987 from the Washington College of Law at American University, where he was the managing editor of the American University Journal of International Law and Policy.