Mr. Stephen Adzima (Appointed 2005)

Mr. Adzima is owner and President of Universal Electric Motor Service, Inc. He has been in business for over twenty-nine years. Mr. Adzima serves as a Councilman in Wallington and served formerly as Police Commissioner, Council President, and DPW and Water Commissioner. Mr. Adzima is a Division III Football All-American and a member of the Athletic Hall of Fame at William Paterson University. He earned a B.A. at William Paterson University in Economics and Business.

Mr. Adzima resides in Bergen County.

Ms. Maureen Conway (Appointed 2011)

Ms. Maureen Conway is a retired executive from Hewlett-Packard Company having served as VP and Chief Information Officer.  Most recently she was responsible for HP’s Emerging Market Solutions Group, pioneering applications in technology and business to benefit the social and economic needs of developing economies.    She was honored as a WPU Distinguished Alumni in 2003 and delivered the WPU commencement address in 2006.  Ms. Conway earned a B.A. from William Paterson University, an M.S. from Montclair State University and an M.B.A. from Temple University.

 Ms. Conway resides in Bergen County.

Ms. Nalani DeMarco Clisset (Appointed 2010) 

Nalani DeMarco Clisset is a third year Jazz Performance major and a member of the Honor’s College.  She came to William Paterson from Boulder, Colorado to study Jazz Voice and Upright Bass.  Nalani has served in the Student Government Association since fall of her freshman year, 2008, when she was elected as Representative for the College of Arts and Communications.  She served in that position until fall of 2010 when she was elected to be a Student Representative for the Board of Trustees. Nalani will serve on the Board of Trustees for a two-year term; 2010 – 2011 as the non-voting representative and 2011 – 2012 as the voting representative.  From the beginning of her college career, Nalani has been active in the William Paterson community as a leader and student, including her role as a Peer Health Advocate, since spring 2009; an executive board member for the Ballroom Dancing Club, since spring 2009; and a Resident Assistant since fall 2010.  Nalani will continue serving the students and the William Paterson community until she graduates in the spring of 2012.

Mr. Robert Guarasci (Appointed 2009)

Mr. Guarasci is President and CEO of  New Jersey Community Development Corporation, a private, non-profit community development and social service agency founded in 1994 and based in Paterson.  The mission of NJCDC is to create opportunities to transform lives through initiatives in the areas of housing, education, youth development and community building.  Mr. Guarasci previously served as Executive Assistant to the NJ Commissioner of Human Services and serves on the NJ Task Force on Child Abuse & Neglect.  Mr. Guarasci is the Founder and a Trustee of the Community Charter School of Paterson and serves on the Board of Trustees of the Paterson Alliance, a network of non-profit agencies serving Paterson residents. Mr. Guarasci earned a B.A. from George Washington University.

Mr. Guarasci resides in Bergen County.

Mr. Frederick L. Gruel (Appointed 1992)

Mr. Gruel is the President and CEO of AAA New Jersey Auto Club and has been with the company for over twenty-six years. Prior to that Mr. Gruel held several positions in higher education including Vice President of Administration and Finance at Thomas A. Edison State College, Trenton, NJ and Assistant Director, Office of Community College Programs for the State of New Jersey, Department of Higher Education. He earned a B.S. from Fordham University and an MBA from Florida State University.

Mr. Gruel resides in Somerset County.

Ms. Anna Marie Mascolo (Appointed 2009)

Ms. Mascolo is recently retired from Nassau County Community College (NCC) as Executive Assistant to the President and Counsel to the NCC Board of Trustees.  For 12 years, she served as Vice President for Legal and External Affairs and Counsel to the NCC board.  She has over 32 years' experience in labor and employee relations and human resources.  Ms. Mascolo has served in the higher education field for over 30 years.  She has been admitted to the New Jersey Bar and the New York Bar and is a member of the American Bar Association, the National Association for College and University Attorneys,  and the Bergen County Bar Association.  Ms. Mascolo earned a B.S. and an M.A. from Seton Hall University and a J.D. from St. John's University School of Law.  Ms. Mascolo was a participant in the Harvard University Institute for Educational Management.

Ms. Mascolo resides in Bergen County.

Mr. Vincent J. Mazzola (Appointed 1998) Chair

Mr. Mazzola is a retired Lucent Technologies executive having served as the President and Managing Director for Lucent Japan and as the President and CEO of Lucent India . Mr. Mazzola has over 24 years experience in the telecommunications field. He is a former Army officer and the recipient of the Bronze Star for his military service in Vietnam . Mr. Mazzola earned a B.A. from William Paterson University. He is a graduate of an advanced management program at the Wharton School and attended management courses at the University of Southern California. He is a member of the Mendham Borough Board of Education.

Mr. Mazzola resides in Morris County.

Ms. Linda Niro (Appointed 2009)

Ms. Linda Niro is the Executive Vice President and Chief Risk Officer of Grand Bank, N.A. in Hamilton Square, New Jersey. Previously, she served as Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer of Provident Financial Services, Inc. and The Provident Bank. She has over thirty years experience in the banking industry and was with Provident for twenty-six years. As a member of the executive leadership team of the bank, Ms. Niro shared responsibility for establishing the strategic direction of the company and the bank. Ms. Niro earned a B.A. from William Paterson University and is a graduate of the National School of Finance and Management and the Executive Development Program, both at Fairfield University in Connecticut. Ms. Niro serves the community on the Board of Dress for Success - Jersey City, as a member of the Scholarship Committee of Executive Women of New Jersey, and the Foundation Board of William Paterson University.

Ms. Niro resides in Somerset County.

Mr. William J. Pesce (Appointed 2002)
Vice Chair

Mr. Pesce recently retired as the President & CEO of John Wiley & Sons, Inc. since 1998. He was at Wiley since 1989 and in the publishing business for nearly 30 years, previously serving as President of W. B. Saunders when it was owned by CBS. Mr. Pesce is an overseer on the Board of the Stern School of Business at NYU. He is a corporate member of the Business Higher Education Forum. He earned a B.A. from William Paterson University and an MBA from New York University.

Mr. Pesce resides in Somerset County.

Dr. Henry J. Pruitt, Jr. (Appointed 1983)

Dr. Pruitt has been an educator for over 30 years serving in many capacities including as teacher, college department chairperson and principal. He retired as Principal of the Janis E. Dismus Middle School, Englewood, NJ in 1994. Dr. Pruitt is an educational consultant and serves on many community boards, including the Teaneck Public School Board, of which he is the current president. He has served as Chair and Vice Chair of the Board of the New Jersey Association of State Colleges and Universities. Dr. Pruitt has received numerous community awards for his educational leadership and promotion of diversity. He earned a B.A. from Hunter College, an M.A. from New York University and an M.Ed., and Ed.D. from Teachers College, Columbia University.

Dr. Pruitt resides in Bergen County.

Mr. Robert H. Taylor (Appointed 1990)

Mr. Taylor is a retired Vice President for Engineering, Design and Construction for AT&T.  Mr. Taylor worked as a development engineer and then in various management positions during a 40-year career in the Bell System, including 32 years at Bell Telephone  Laboratories  He is a former trustee of  Thomas A. Edison State College.  He represented WPU on the board of the New Jersey Association of State Colleges and Universities for eight years, including a term as chair.  Mr. Taylor has served the community on various boards and associations, and he is an Elder at The Presbyterian Church in his community.  Mr. Taylor earned a Bachelors of Engineering in Mechanical Engineering from Yale University.

Mr. Taylor resides in Somerset County.

 Mr. Stephen Tolud (Appointed 2011)    

Stephen Tolud is presently a junior studying Communication with a focus on Media Production.

Stephen began his studies at William Paterson University in the fall of 2009.  During the fall and spring of 2010-2011, he served as Sophomore Class President for the Student Government Association and also held the position as Chairman of the Public Safety Committee during that same year.  Stephen was elected as Student Representative to the Board of Trustees for the 2011-2012 term and will continue as a voting member during his senior year.  Stephen has been involved in multiple organizations and extracurricular clubs including The Pioneer Players, WPTV, intramural sports, and as an executive board member for Tau Kappa Epsilon. His involvement on campus also includes positions as an Orientation Leader during summer 2010, Desk Assistant from 2010-2011, and  Resident Assistant since fall 2011. Stephen looks forward to continuing his service to the WPU community and plans to graduate in spring 2013.

Dr. Kathleen Waldron (Appointed 2010) Ex Officio
President

Dr. Kathleen Waldron was appointed the seventh President of William Paterson University as of August 2, 2010.  She previously served for five years as president of Bernard M. Baruch College of City University of New York and for six years as Dean of the School of Business, Public Administration and Information Sciences at Long Island University’s Brooklyn Campus. Prior to her transition to higher education administration, Dr. Waldron held numerous senior management positions at Citibank over a 14-year period, including President of Citibank International in Miami from 1991 through 1995. Dr. Waldron has served as a member of the U.S. Presidential Committee on the Fulbright Program, a member of the Board of Directors of Shands Hospital in Gainesville, Florida, a member of the Florida International Bankers Association and a director of the Fulbright Association. She is a member of the Latin American Studies Association, the Financial Women’s Association, the Academy of Management, the Economics Club, the Association for a Better New York, and currently serves on the board of The Tinker Foundation. She is also on the Advisory Board of the Women’s City Club of New York. Dr. Waldron earned her Ph.D. in Latin American History from Indiana University.

President Waldron resides in Passaic County.