Afsheen Shamsi has over a decade of experience in communications in the non-profit sector and has served as Director of Communications and Marketing at the Graduate School of Education (GSE) at Rutgers University for the last five years. Under Afsheen’s leadership, Rutgers GSE has become nationally recognized for its excellence in communications and has won several awards for many projects that she has led. She has been instrumental in developing and articulating the communications strategy for various non-profits and achieved greater visibility on the national and international stage for her non-profit clients and employers. Afsheen has worked with non-profits focused...

Amy Hawley Alvarez has been with Teachers College for more than 6 years. She currently serves as the Assistant Director of School and Community Partnerships as well as the Teachers College Community School Liaison. In these roles, she supports a wide range of programming, including all TC programming at TCCS. Ms. Alvarez is also Co-Director of TC’s Staff Advocacy & Support Council. Prior to TC, she was a senior managing editor at Cambridge University Press....

Arthur Gianelli is the current President of Mount Sinai St. Luke's. Prior to joining St. Luke's, Gianelli worked at the Nassau Health Care Corporation, a publicly run healthcare delivery system that provides high-quality care to Nassau County's most vulnerable populations, first as Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer and then as President and CEO. Gianelli has served or currently serves on the Board of Directors of the Long Island Association, Island Harvest, and Regional Policy Board 2 of the American Hospital Association, and he also serves on the Executive Committees of Healthfirst and America’s Essential Hospitals. Gianelli holds degrees...

Isadora Wilkenfeld is Director, Cathedral Programming and Communications. A native of Connecticut, she has been part of the Cathedral staff since 2012.

Dr. James Gandre, an educator and musician with a deep commitment to students and the development of American conservatory learning, returned to Manhattan School of Music to assume the presidency in May 2013. He had previously served the School for fifteen years. In 2000, Gandre became Dean of Chicago College of Performing Arts at Roosevelt University, where he ultimately went on to serve as the University’s Provost and Executive Vice President. As a performer, Gandre has appeared as a tenor soloist with the Cleveland Orchestra, London Classical Players, Philharmonia Baroque Orchestra, and members of the San Francisco Symphony. His professional...

Loftin Flowers is the Associate Vice President for Government Relations and leads the University’s engagement and advocacy efforts with federal, state and city government. Loftin holds a B.A. in History from Haverford College and an M.P.A. from Columbia University. Prior to his role at Columbia, Loftin worked in Washington, DC at the national offices of the Children's Defense Fund, the Democratic National Committee, and John Kerry’s 2004 campaign for President....

Matthew Camp is a government relations expert with 15 years of experience in politics, public policy, and advocacy and is currently the Director of Government Relations for Teachers College, Columbia University, where he cultivates relationships with government officials, develops innovative education programs, and secures funding for the College. He is also completing a Ph.D. in Politics & Education at Columbia University. In the past, Camp has taught political science at Columbia University, political advocacy at Teachers College, and SAT, ESL, GED/TASC courses though organizations including New York Cares, the New York Public Library, and Columbia Community Impact. He holds a...

Paula Mayo is the President and Executive Director of The Interchurch Center, a position she has held since 2008. Ms. Mayo has over thirty years’ experience in the non-profit sector as a senior executive professional. Ms. Mayo has held prominent positions at United Way of New York City and South Street Seaport Museum, where she served as Executive Director for the last five years of her seventeen-year tenure. She has also held positions at Lincoln Center and the 92nd Street YM-YWHA. She holds degrees from Hunter College, and certifications in fundraising and real estate and property management from New York...

A proud Harlem native, Phoebe-Sade Arnold is Director of Community Affairs for Columbia University. Phoebe's responsibilities include project tracking, constituency outreach, and oversight of special projects and programs that relate to matters of urban planning, land use, and community affairs. Working in conjunction with the Associate Vice President of Planning and Community Affairs, Phoebe attends Community Board meetings, public and private forums, and other community oriented events on behalf of the University. Phoebe’s portfolio also includes managing the University’s portion of the West Harlem Development Corporation in-kind space process. Phoebe received her Bachelors in Political Science from the State University...

The Rev. Dr. Serene Jones is the 16th President of the Union Theological Seminary. The first woman to head the 182-year-old institution, Jones occupies the Johnston Family Chair for Religion and Democracy. She is a Past President of the American Academy of Religion, which annually hosts the world’s largest gathering of scholars of religion. Jones came to Union after seventeen years at Yale University, where she was the Titus Street Professor of Theology at the Divinity School, and Chair of the University’s Program in Women, Gender and Sexuality Studies. She is the author of several books including Trauma and Grace...

Shailagh Murray is currently the Executive Vice President for Public Affairs at Columbia University. She earned her BA from the University of Missouri-Columbia, and her MS in Journalism from Northwestern University. She began her career in journalism, spending more than two decades covering local, national, and international stories for The Tampa Tribune, The Wall Street Journal, and The Washington Post. Her areas of focus included the transition from communism to democracy in Eastern Europe, the rise of the European Union, four United States presidential elections, and major legislative and political developments in the U.S. Congress. In 2011, Shailagh was appointed...

Sian Beilock is the 8th President of Barnard College. A cognitive scientist by training, she is focused on further developing Barnard as a singular institution. Prior to her appointment, Beilock spent twelve years at the University of Chicago and served in a variety of roles, such as the Stella M. Rowley Professor of Psychology, Vice Provost for Academic Initiatives, and the Executive Vice Provost. In her research, Beilock focuses specifically on success in math and science for women and girls and the impact of performance anxiety. Beilock earned her bachelor's at the University of California, San Diego, and her master's...

Appointed in 1993, Virginia Connor is the longest serving female head of an ongoing school in New York City through her role as Head of School at St. Hilda's & St. Hugh's. Virginia has taught every elementary grade and has been a director of lower school, a director of middle school, an admission officer, and a director of curriculum development. She earned her Bachelor of Science in Childhood Education from Wheelock College and her Master's from Teachers College, Columbia University. Currently, she serves on the Board of Trustees of The Brearley School, the New York State Association of Independent Schools...

Virginia Ryan has worked in the Barnard College's Office of the General Counsel since June 2014. Prior to that, she practiced at Fordham Law School for 6 years doing Public Finance transactions. She switched her focus to Higher Education Law and worked at Fordham University Office of the General Counsel and then at Columbia University in an administrative role. She works closely with the offices of the Dean of the College, Dean of Studies, Residential Life, Disability Services, and also on faculty matters. Virginia has lived in NYC's Upper West Side for 24 years and has maintained a longstanding personal...

William H. Peabody III  is an innovative executive with over 30 years of experience in designing and directing impactful initiatives focused on operations, strategic planning, and facilities management. Throughout his career, William has placed a strong emphasis on continuous improvement and effective communication, allowing him to nurture and build out high-performing, collaborative teams. As COO, William will work closely with senior executives and the Board of Trustees to develop and implement organizational goals, operational strategies, and policies for the organization. He will also provide leadership, vision, and oversight for Union’s business operations encompassing sound, ethical, and transparent processes that ensure...