The Elisabeth Haub School of Law at Pace University honored three distinguished leaders of the legal community, as well as outstanding alumni, during its 28^th Annual Law Leadership Dinner, held at the Westchester Country Club on March 7, 2023. The celebration was one of the law school’s most successful fundraisers in history, raising vital funds in support of student scholarships, faculty research, and innovative programs.

The Law Leadership Dinner, first held in 1995, is the signature fundraiser for Haub Law and provides the setting for the presentation of the Distinguished Service Award, which honors individuals or organizations that have made outstanding contributions to the legal community, as well as the Rising Star Award, recognizing excellence in practice among alumni in the first 15 years after graduation. This year also marks the second year that Haub Law has awarded the Haub Impact Award to honor an individual who has made a lasting impact on the Haub Law community.

At this year’s Dinner, more than 200 alumni, faculty, students, elected officials and members of the judiciary, and distinguished lawyers attended the event, which was emceed by Board of Visitors member Paul Saunders, Distinguished Visitor from Practice, Georgetown University Law Center. Both Horace E. Anderson, Jr., Dean of the Elisabeth Haub School of Law and Pace University President Marvin Krislov, gave remarks, speaking of the important role that Pace University and the Law School play in supporting our communities, producing leaders, and making a difference.

The 2023 Distinguished Service Award was presented to Susan S. Brown JD '87, Co-Founder, Of Counsel, Glassman & Brown, LLP, and to Anna Marciano Romanella JD '00 VP, Sustainability Zone North America Nestle, General Counsel & Head of Sustainability Nespresso USA. The Haub Impact Award was presented John T. O'Connor JD '86, Partner, Hunton Andrews Kurth LLP. The Dinner was co-chaired by last year’s Distinguished Service Award Recipient, Mayo Bartlett ’92 and the inaugural Haub Impact Award recipient John C. Lettera ’99.

Lisa Dalfonso, Senior Vice President and Assistant General Counsel of Keurig Dr. Pepper Inc., presented the Distinguished Service Award to Anna Marciano Romanella. During her remarks, Ms. Dalfonso spoke of Anna’s “thirst for knowledge and compassion to be of service for others,” along with her “sincere empathy and unparalleled ethics.” A member of the Advisory Board of the Sustainable Business Law Hub at Elisabeth Haub School of Law, Anna Marciano Romanella is VP, Sustainability Zone North America Nestle, General Counsel & Head of Sustainability, Nespresso USA. Since joining Nestlé five years ago, Anna has advanced the company’s sustainability commitments while helping deliver more sustainable solutions for their customers and consumers. “A proud alumni of Pace, Anna has raised funds, lent her voice, and volunteered to benefit Pace and its students,” remarked Dalfonso.

Carla D. Glassman, a Haub Law graduate and Co-founder of Glassman & Brown, LLP, who now serves as Of Counsel to the law firm, presented the Distinguished Service Award to Susan S. Brown. During her remarks, Ms. Glassman described Susan Brown as a bar association leader and a philanthropist, among much more. “Susan is a zealous advocate who always advocated as hard for the client who couldn’t pay a fee as she did for the one who could,” said Ms. Glassman. A founding member of the law firm Glassman & Brown, LLP, Susan is Counsel to the firm where she practices primarily in the areas of Guardianship, Elder Law, and Estates and Trusts. Over the course of her career, Susan has built strong professional relationships throughout the Westchester County legal community, serving as the immediate past President of the Board of the Westchester Women’s Bar Association Foundation. Previously, she has also served as a Vice President of the Westchester Women’s Bar Association and as co-chair of its Estates and Trusts Committee.

John T. O’Connor was presented with the Haub Impact Award by alumnus John C. Lettera. Mr. Lettera noted that “John’s lawyering skills speak for themselves.” He continued describing John as an avid listener, who is very involved in pro bono work and with charities, with a “unique way of inspiring young lawyers how to think rather than what to think,” and someone who believes in the power of higher education as the foundation to a productive and successful career. John T. O’Connor is a Partner with Hunton Andrews Kurth LLP and has more than 30 years of experience counseling clients on mergers and acquisitions, private equity transactions, equity financings, and general corporate matters. His practice primarily involves representing corporate issuers and private equity investors in the technology and retail and consumer products sectors and has represented clients in the energy and financial services sectors in a broad range of domestic and cross-border transactions and bankruptcy-related mergers and acquisitions.

An early highlight of the dinner was the presentation of the Rising Star Award to: Jonathan Campozano '17, Staff Attorney, Neighbors Link Community Law Practice; Hana Heineken '10, Attorney, ClientEarth; Najia Khalid '09, Partner, Wiggin and Dana LLP; and Shamik N. Trivedi '08, Special Counsel, Internal Revenue Service’s Office of Chief Counsel.

Dean Horace Anderson noted the importance of the presentation of the Rising Star Award. “These four successful alumni represent what the Haub Law mission is all about. These individuals have already demonstrated their leadership in the profession and a commitment to giving back. We are proud to call them Haub Law alumni and are confident that they will leave a lasting influence on not just the legal community, but far beyond it.”

The 2023 Law Leadership Awards Dinner was made possible in large part to a number of generous sponsors, which you can view in the event program.

View photos from the 2023 Law Leadership Dinner.

Peruvian and first-generation graduate Lauren Cordova, PA-S, ’22, is making a place at the table for herself and other students in underserved populations. She chose the Physician Assistant (PA) Pleasantville program in the College of Health Professions (CHP) because of the emphasis on cultural sensitivity, community service, and diversity and that it teaches the importance of representation in healthcare. “After my interview, I knew that I would be supported during my time here and would have multiple opportunities during my clinical year,” said Lauren.

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As a student in the program, Lauren was given a membership to the New York State Society of Physician Assistants (NYSSPA). She took advantage of this opportunity and began attending their webinars because she believes it is important to learn outside of the classroom to become a well-rounded PA. She was then appointed student director for NYSSPA to serve as a student representative, partnering with two students from other New York State PA programs. Lauren was most passionate about speaking for the student perspective in board meetings. She was also responsible for sending communications to students in New York PA programs about scholarship opportunities and legislative updates as well as gathering contact information from each student society throughout the state. She hopes to continue to advocate with NYSSPA in her future workplace and utilize what she has learned to give more opportunities to others.

Lauren was also selected to serve on the CHP search committee for the new Health Science program chair. “I thought it was important that the students feel supported by the selected candidate and that there was someone who was active in advancing our learning resources, whether that be rotation sites, mentorships, or scholarship opportunities,” she said. “This was my opportunity to use my student voice.”

“As a first-generation, Peruvian PA student, I know that I cannot always wait to be invited to the discussion and that I must pull a chair up to the table and make the changes that I want to see happen. I am someone that always wants to be involved in whatever organization I am a part of,” said Lauren. Working for these organizations enhanced her education and taught her that everything in life is a learning experience, “it reminded me that it’s okay to be uncomfortable but to know your limitations.”

Since graduating in December 2022, Lauren has been studying for the Physician Assistant National Certifying Exam (PANCE) and will be taking a trip to Thailand with her peers from the PA Pleasantville program. She is excited to begin her career as a cardiothoracic surgery PA and eager to continue to be a voice for the PA community and a mentor to future PA students.

Franco, a nationally licensed mental health counselor and clinical supervisor, has served in faculty and leadership roles at Pace for 36 years

Following a national search, Joseph R. Franco, Ph.D., has been appointed provost and executive vice president for academic affairs at Pace University, the University announced on Wednesday.

Franco, a nationally licensed mental health counselor and clinical supervisor, has held an impressive array of leadership and faculty roles during his distinguished 36-year tenure at Pace University. Most recently, he served as interim provost since August following the departure of Vanya Quiñones, Ph.D., who became president of California State University, Monterey Bay.

“Pace University has a proud tradition of creating opportunities for its students, and Dr. Franco embodies that mission,” said Pace President Marvin Krislov. “He has proven himself to be not only a collegial and compassionate leader but also someone deeply committed to the success of everyone in our Pace Community—our students, our staff, and our faculty. It is clear he brings to this role wisdom, experience, and a deep well of respect across the institution. I am very excited to continue to work with Joe, and eager to build on his successes at Pace.”

During his more than three decades at Pace, Franco has served in a variety of capacities. Prior to serving as interim provost, he was an associate provost for academic affairs since December 2021. A member of the Pace faculty since 1987, he is a full professor in the Psychology and Mental Health Counseling Department on the Pleasantville Campus, and he has served as senior associate dean for Dyson College of Arts and Sciences as well as chair of the Westchester Faculty Council, among many other leadership roles.

“As a first-generation student, I understand Pace’s mission of Opportunitas and believe that the university continues to open doors and provide life-changing opportunities for its students, faculty, and staff,” Franco said. “I’m honored to serve Pace in this capacity, and excited about the important work we continue to do here across all of our campuses.”

Franco has taught on the undergraduate, graduate, and doctoral levels, and he has served as program director and director of clinical field supervision for the master’s of science program in Mental Health Counseling. In 2021, Franco was honored with our Jefferson Award for Public Service. He is also a practicing clinician who is a licensed mental health counselor, a nationally certified counselor, and a past downstate president for the New York Association for Counselor Education and Supervision.

A native New Yorker, he holds a B.S. in psychology from Mercy College, two M.S. degrees from Long Island University, and an M.Phil and Ph.D. from the CUNY Graduate Center.

Franco’s appointment comes at an exciting time for Pace University. The University is adding or revamping programs at Pace, mostly on the graduate level, to reflect market needs and demands and making significant investments in science labs, health care simulation labs, and classroom space. The university also recently announced plans for the transformation of One Pace Plaza, its central building in lower Manhattan, to include new academic spaces, a modernized residence hall, and a new state-of-the-art Performing Arts Center that will serve its performing and creative arts programs.

About Pace University

Pace University has a proud history of preparing its diverse student body for a lifetime of professional success as a result of its unique program that combines rigorous academics and real-world experiences. Pace is ranked the #1 private, four-year college in the nation for upward economic mobility by Harvard University’s Opportunity Insights, evidence of the transformative education the University provides. From its beginnings as an accounting school in 1906, Pace has grown to three campuses, enrolling 13,000 students in bachelor’s, master’s, and doctoral programs in more than 150 majors and programs, across a range of disciplines: arts, sciences, business, health care, technology, law, education, and more. The university also has one of the most competitive performing arts programs in the country. Pace has a signature, newly renovated campus in New York City, located in the heart of vibrant Lower Manhattan, next to Wall Street and City Hall, and two campuses in Westchester County, New York: a 200-acre picturesque Pleasantville Campus and the Elisabeth Haub School of Law in White Plains.