Dear Adelphi Community,
I am excited to share some news with you today about our Board of Trustees, which provides governance and leadership to our University.
Over the past six years, our Board of Trustees has elected 19 new members—including seven women, eight people of color, and seven young alumni, one of whom is the renowned disability rights activist Emily Ladau ’13. Today, our board is 32 percent racially diverse and composed of members ranging from 29 to 78 years of age, with a gender balance of 40 percent women and 60 percent men.
Our most diverse board in the University’s 125-year history now has a newly inducted slate of officers, which I am proud to announce today. As we plan and launch a new five-year strategic plan, Momentum 2, they will bring valuable experience and perspective to our University’s leadership.
Marc S. Strachan ’81
Marc S. Strachan ’81 has been elected chair of the Adelphi University Board of Trustees. He joined Adelphi’s board in 2017 and has served as vice chair since 2020. A generous supporter of our University who established four multicultural scholarships in 2019, Marc is now the first male African American chair of Adelphi’s board. A senior-level marketing and advertising executive, Marc is chair of ADCOLOR, an organization that celebrates and advocates diversity in the creative and technology industries. He previously held positions as executive vice president and chief client officer at Publicis Sapient, North America, and vice president of on-premise strategy and multicultural marketing and director of brand marketing for Cîroc Vodka and Tanqueray Gin at Diageo, North America. In 2018, Marc earned a Certificate in Strategies for Leading Successful Change Initiatives from the Harvard Division of Continuing Education. Marc completed the University of South Florida’s Muma College of Business Diversity, Equity and Inclusion in the Workplace program in 2021. He is founder and head coach for Coach Marc Consulting and principal and chief marketing officer of Adgile Media Group, the nation’s first data-driven truck-side advertising/media company.
Carmen Ortiz ’78, JD, LLD ’12 (Hon.)
Carmen Ortiz ’78, JD, LLD ’12 (Hon.), has been elected as vice chair, and is the first Hispanic woman to serve in this role. She joined the Adelphi University Board of Trustees in 2018. Carmen is a partner at Anderson & Kreiger, focusing on internal investigations, white-collar criminal defense and civil litigation. She was U.S. Attorney for the District of Massachusetts from 2009 to 2017, overseeing investigation and litigation of significant and complex criminal and civil cases in matters involving financial and securities fraud, healthcare fraud, public corruption, money laundering, cybercrimes, national security, organized crime and violent crime. She directed the prosecution in the high-profile cases against the Boston Marathon bomber and organized crime boss Whitey Bulger. Prior to her service as U.S. Attorney, Carmen was a federal and state prosecutor and a defense attorney.
Loretta Cangialosi ’80
Loretta Cangialosi ’80 has been elected vice chair of the Adelphi University Board of Trustees, increasing the growing presence of women serving in board leadership positions. Loretta became a board member in 2013 and previously served on the President’s Advisory Council. She has more than 30 years of experience as a certified public accountant, and was most recently senior vice president and controller of multinational pharmaceutical corporation Pfizer Inc. At Pfizer, she oversaw accounting guidance, policies and training, external and internal financial reporting, consolidations, and internal controls and lent her expertise to various business development activities and transformational projects. Loretta also oversaw three major acquisitions and subsequent integration efforts in the corporation. Previously, she was a senior manager with KPMG in the New York Audit Group.
Leonard Achan ’99
Leonard Achan ’99 has been elected to serve as secretary for the Adelphi University Board of Trustees, after serving as a board member since 2016. He is the first male of Asian descent to serve in this role. A nurse and nurse practitioner turned healthcare executive for more than 20 years, he currently serves as president of the Innovation Institute at the Hospital for Special Surgery (HSS) in New York, where he joined the organization in 2016 as its chief innovation officer, leading the institute to cultivate, develop and commercialize care delivery and biomechanical device and life science technologies. Previously, Leonard was chief marketing and communications officer and chief of access services at Mount Sinai Health System in New York City, and senior associate dean for global communications, branding and reputation at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai. In 2020, he was included on the Crain’s New York Business prestigious Notable in Healthcare 2020 list and also received the Award of Distinction from Healthcare Leaders of New York. Leonard is also an artist who uses the self-taught mixed-media techniques of street and graffiti art to develop contemporary fine art pieces focusing on socioeconomic, political and cultural issues.
On behalf of the entire University, I extend heartfelt thanks to Ronald Lee ’67, our board chair since 2016 and trustee for more than 10 years. I also thank Susan Murphy, PhD, trustee for more than eight years and vice chair for the past five, and Lois Schlissel, JD, trustee for 12 years and secretary for the past four. They have made significant contributions to our University’s progress and success, and Adelphi has been fortunate to benefit from their deep commitment and leadership.
I am proud to welcome our new board officers and to celebrate the growing diversity of our entire Board of Trustees. Together, they will have a tremendous impact on the future of our University and our efforts toward becoming the welcoming and inclusive Adelphi we strive to be.
All the best,
Christine M. Riordan, PhD
President