1970s
Larry Rivarde (MBA ’77) has been appointed a corporator of Chelsea Groton Bank, a full-service mutually owned bank with over $1.4 billion in assets. Rivarde is chief operating officer of Mystic Aquarium in Mystic, Connecticut. He has previously served on Xavier University’s Business Advisory Council and AZA’s Safety & Diversity Committees. Over the years, he has facilitated many Diversity, Equity and Inclusion training workshops.
1980s
Henry Harteveldt (BSM ’81) has joined the board of directors of smarTours, a provider of direct-to-consumer, value-oriented travel experiences to exotic global destinations. Harteveldt is the founder and president of Atmosphere Research Group, an independent travel industry strategic market research and advisory firm. Prior to that, he spent 11 years at Forrester Research, leading its global travel industry research, andmore than 15 years in commercial and marketing roles at leading airlines and travel companies, including Continental Airlines, Fairmont Hotel Management Co., and GetThere. Harteveldt is regularly interviewed by journalists at CBS News, CNBC, Reuters, The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, The Times of London and Handelsblatt.
Pamela S. Whitten (BSM ’85) has been appointed president of Indiana University. Whitten is the university’s 19th president and the first female to hold the role. Prior to her appointment, Whitten had served as president of Kennesaw State University since 2018. She previously served as senior vice president for academic affairs and provost at the University of Georgia. An internationally recognized expert in the field of telemedicine, Whitten has also worked in the University of Kansas and Michigan State University medical departments.
Paul Sternberg (BSM ’87) was recently a guest speaker at a continuing legal education (CLE) course hosted by the New York attorney general. Sternberg is founder of Sternberg Law Firm, a practice in Houston that concentrates in the areas of Internet defamation law and business law. In addition to more than 10 years representing private clients who have been victims of defamatory cyber-attacks, he is the author of The Guide to Internet Defamation and Website Removal, a 2019 book that offers information on defamation law and step-by-step instructions on removing defamatory content and upholding your reputation online.
Eugene Green (MBA ’89) was recently elected to represent District D in the New Orleans City Council. Green is president of Nationwide Real Estate Corp. in New Orleans and previously served as chief of staff for Louisiana’s Second Congressional District Office, president of New Orleans Regional Business Park, executive assistant to the Mayor in the Mayor’s Division of Economic Development and director of the Office of Small and Emerging Business Development.
George Herrera (BSM ’89) has been named executive vice president, donor services, at MTF Biologics, a global nonprofit organization that saves and heals lives by honoring donated gifts, serving patients, and advancing science. Herrera joined MTF Biologics in 1997 as a regional director of donor services and most recently served as vice president, donor services. Prior to MTF Biologics, Herrera served as the director of development at Louisiana Organ Procurement Agency, where he was responsible for donor development and tissue sales and marketing. He also was director of development and public relations at the National Kidney Foundation of Louisiana.
Carla A. Moradi (MBA ’89) has been appointed as an independent director of Barrett Business Services Inc., a leading provider of business management solutions combining human resource outsourcing and professional management consulting. Moradi currently serves as senior vice president of Go-To-Market Transformation for Anaplan, a planning software company headquartered in San Francisco. Prior to joining Anaplan, Moradi was executive vice president of operations and technology for HUB International and was group vice president and CIO for Walgreens Boots Alliance.
1990s
Michael Bileca (BSM ’92) has been reappointed to the Miami Dade College District Board of Trustees by Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis. Bileca served eight years in the Florida House of Representatives before facing term limits in 2018. In his final House term, Bileca chaired the House Education Committee. Before his House career, Bileca founded Towncare Dental Partnership in Miami-Dade County. He merged Towncare with Dental Care Alliance in 2013 and moved on to serve as an executive at Dental Care Alliance.
Adam Hershey (BSM ’94) has been appointed interim CEO of General Cannabis Corp. A current General Cannabis board member and major investor, Hershey has over 25 years of investing experience in the public and private markets and is the founder, managing partner and portfolio manager of Hershey Strategic Capital, an opportunistic, alternative asset manager focused on active investing in small-cap public companies. General Cannabis Corp. is a Colorado-based cannabis company with deep expertise in wholesale and retail operations as well as cultivation consulting.
Ge (Gary) Cao (MBA ’97) has been named to the new position of vice president of enterprise analytics at Akron Children’s Hospital in Ohio. In his new role, he will oversee data and analytics strategy in support of the hospital’s strategic imperatives and goals. He joined Akron Children’s after serving in data and analytics leadership roles with Anthem, IXI Corp., Cardinal Health and most recently U.S. Venture Inc., where he led the strategic transformation initiative on data and analytics.
S. Douglas Pugh (PhD ’97) has been named interim dean of the Virginia Commonwealth University School of Business. Pugh has served as chair of the Department of Management and Entrepreneurship at VCU since 2012. He currently serves as associate editor of the Journal of Business and Psychology, and his research, which includes the study of affect and emotional processes in organizations, organizational climate and culture, service organizations, and organizational drivers of customer satisfaction, is documented in numerous book chapters and journal articles. Pugh was previously a faculty member at San Diego State University and the University of North Carolina at Charlotte.
Adam H. Brown (MBA ’98) has been appointed co-manager of Delaware Ivy High Income Opportunities, a New York Stock Exchange-listed closed-end fund trading under the symbol IVH. Brown currently is a senior portfolio manager for the firm’s high yield strategies within Macquarie Investment Management Fixed Income. He manages MFI’s bank loan portfolios and is a co-portfolio manager for the high yield, fixed rate multisector, and core plus strategies. He previously held positions in the leveraged finance group of Wells Fargo Securities and was co-portfolio manager of Four Corners.
2000s
Melody Chang (MBA ’01) has been named vice president, pharmacy operations, at American Oncology Network, a high-growth medical oncology provider with a focus on supporting the long-term viability of oncology treatment in community-based settings. In her previous role at Florida Cancer Specialists & Research Institute, Chang established the organization’s pharmacy operations, including drafting the pharmacy training manual and instituting the regional trainer program that enabled a standard practice throughout nearly 100 locations. Chang also worked as a lead pediatric oncology pharmacist at Lee Health in Florida and as an oncology pharmacist at MD Anderson Cancer Center Orlando.
Holly May (MFIN ’04) has been named executive vice president and global chief human resources officer at Walgreens Boots Alliance Inc. In that role, May will be responsible for the strategy and direction of innovative global HR programs, policies and practices that support WBA’s business goals and initiatives, and for ensuring fair and equitable treatment for all team members. May previously served as global chief human resources officer for Abercrombie & Fitch Co., managing all aspects of HR and environmental, social and governance (ESG) efforts across the company. Prior to that, she worked for Starbucks as senior vice president of Global Total Rewards and Service Delivery, responsible for consulting with the company’s board of directors and executive leadership team on the strategic direction of Starbucks’ global compensation and benefits portfolio. Prior to her time at Starbucks, May served in human resources leadership roles of increasing responsibility at ING, Voya Financial and Visa Inc., as an HR business partner and leading Rewards, DE&I and HR strategy.
Jeff Schiffman (BSM ’05) has been named vice president of communications and public affairs at the Greater New Orleans Foundation. Schiffman previously supervised much of the marketing and communication efforts throughout the admission recruitment cycle at Tulane University during his 16-year tenure. Schiffman was responsible for crafting a communication plan that attracted more than 26,000 students to New Orleans for their college experience while simultaneously working to create a positive change in the diversity of Tulane’s student body. The Greater New Orleans Foundation is dedicated to driving positive impact through philanthropy, leadership and action in the Greater New Orleans region.
Jack Karavich (MBA ’06) is the founder of Tigeraire, a startup dedicated to improving the comfort of football helmets and hard hats by combatting the negative effects of excess heat. Founded in New Orleans in August 2020 and now based in Baton Rouge, the company recently received $1.5 million in seed funding from Massachusetts-based General Catalyst, which has invested in tech companies such as Venmo, TikTok and Airbnb. The company’s first product is the Cyclone, a battery-operated blowing device that fits between the padding inside football helmets to provide cooling airflow. The device is currently being used by college football programs including LSU, Alabama, Clemson, Texas A&M, Maryland and Virginia as well as by a number of NFL players.
Amanda Meltzer (BSM ’06) has joined Balance Point Capital Advisors LLC, a leading provider of flexible capital to lower middle market companies, as chief financial officer. Prior to joining Balance Point in August, Meltzer was the controller at JLL Partners, a New York-based private equity fund, where she managed the accounting, financial reporting, tax preparation and regulatory compliance for the firm. Prior to JLL, Meltzer served as the controller at Psilos, a healthcare-focused venture capital firm. A CPA, she began her career in KPMG’s financial services group.
Travis Goff (MBA ’07) has been named athletic director at the University of Kansas. Goff is a KU alum and had served as deputy director of athletics and assistant vice president at Northwestern University since 2012. Prior to that, he worked at Tulane University as associate athletic director for external affairs.
John Herren (MBA ’09) has been named CEO of Wood Resources LLC, which produces and distributes wood products for industrial and commercial customers in North America as well as for the construction market. Herren brings more than 30 years of experience in the offshore energy and marine industry. He most recently held the position of president and CEO at Alabama Shipyard LLC in Mobile, Alabama. Herren began his career working as a commercial diver in the United States and West Africa, transitioning to management roles within the offshore oil and gas services industry in 1999.
Loreal Jiles (MBA ’09) has been named vice president, research and thought leadership, by the Institute of Management Accountants. Jiles will lead global research initiatives for the association of accountants and financial professionals in business and oversee IMA’s Committee on Academic Relations and the IMA Research Foundation. She has authored numerous IMA reports and will continue to focus on digital technology and expanding IMA’s groundbreaking Diversity Equity & Inclusion research to encompass a global perspective and actionable solutions.
2010s
Eli Minski (BSM ’11) has been named vice president of WM Partners, a middle-market private equity firm specializing in buyout investments in the health and wellness sector. Minski’s contributions in his new role will impact the company’s investments selection, portfolio build up, and subsequent value creation for their funds and all of their LPs. Prior to joining WM Partners in 2015, Minski worked as cash manager and treasury analyst at Nutranext.
Richie Gray (SSE ’02, MBA ’12) has been appointed chief financial officer of Green Scientific Labs, a leading cannabis and hemp compliance testing laboratory. Gray brings to his new position over 15 years of finance experience in mergers & acquisitions, private equity, and serving as a CFO. Based in Davie, Florida, the laboratory tests cannabis and cannabis-derived products to ensure product quality and consumer safety.
Sherri Sosa (MBA ’13) has been named president of Venue Nation, a new venue management business launched by entertainment company Live Nation. In the newly created role, Sosa will oversee all operations, business development and marketing for the company’s portfolio of 100+ venues in the U.S., including amphitheaters, ballrooms, theaters and clubs across the country, such as the House of Blues chain. Sosa brings over 25 years of
experience working at the intersection of entertainment, hospitality and venue operations, including 18 years with Caesars Entertainment Corp.
Jimmy Dunn (MBA ’14) has been named senior vice president and Private Client Group manager for the New Orleans market by Iberiabank, a division of First Horizon Bank. Dunn joined Iberiabank after graduating from the Freeman School and has worked in a variety of roles, most recently as commercial relationship manager while also overseeing the St. Charles Avenue and Oretha Submit your class notes online at Castle Haley banking centers and teams.Dunn will continue to manage his commercial portfolio in addition to his new role as Private Client Group manager.
Paula Andrea Fadul (MMG ’16) has been named regional marketing manager of Buscalibre, a Chile-based online retailer of books. In that role, Fadul will be responsible for developing initiatives, creating strategies and managing new projects to increase brand recognition in Chile, Colombia, Peru, Mexico, Argentina, the United States and Spain.
Caltha Seymour (MBA ’16) has been appointed to the Genasys Inc. board of directors. Genasys is global leader in critical communications systems and
solutions that keep people safe, including public safety, emergency warning, mass notification, critical event management, defense, law enforcement and homeland security. Seymour currently serves as a global senior manager for Eaton Corp., a diversified, multinational power management
solutions company. Seymour previously served as national distribution channel manager at Eaton Corp.’s Industrial Controls Division and as global program manager of Eaton Corp.’s Vehicle Group.
Carlos Quezada (MMG ’19) has been promoted to executive vice president and chief operating officer of Carriage Services Inc., a provider of funeral and cemetery services and merchandise in the United States. Quezada will be responsible for all field operational and sales teams and businesses at the company, which operates approximately 171 funeral homes in 26 states and 32 cemeteries in 12 states. Prior to joining Carriage, Quezada was a managing director for Service Corp. International, where he served in leadership roles for both sales and operations from 2009 to 2020.
Saima Qureshi (MBA ’19) has been named chief strategy officer of Rastegar Property Co., a vertically-integrated private real estate investment firm focused on residential, office, retail and industrial asset classes throughout the United States’ Sun Belt region. As part of the leadership team, Qureshi will vet new investment opportunities as the company plans to bring state-of-the-art developments to market across asset classes. Prior to joining Rastegar, she spent four years at the commercial real estate advisory firm Newmark.
