Meet The Board

Tom is the Chair of our Board, and a member of the second graduating class of 1964. Tom is the only Board member that can boast of having been a student in the three homes of Roselle Catholic … the old St. Joseph’s convent, the orphanage and the current building finished in 1963.

 

Tom has been passionately animated about his reconnection with Roselle Catholic.  A graduate of Monmouth University, he retired in 2010 as Vice Chairman of Ryan Partnership the marketing agency he co-founded in 1984, which has grown to become one of the premiere marketing agencies in North America, headquartered in Wilton, Connecticut, with offices in 7 US cities, specializing in promotional, direct and interactive marketing and creative design and communication.  

 

As head of the Board’s Marketing Committee, Tom has, time and time again, put the talents and resources of his livelihood at RC’s disposal.  His contributions since reconnecting with RC are many.  Of note, Tom contributed and equipped a room that will now be used to digitally produce our school yearbook and literary magazine: The RC Publication Center.  He currently serves as the Editor of the Alumni Magazine, The Lion, bringing his marketing and creative talents to the composition, design and production of this highly awaited publication.

 

Tom lives in Weston, CT with his Merni.  He spends his summer in Normandy Beach, NJ and has four children, and three grandchildren.

 

 

James Cole '66

Jim heads the Finance and Budget Committee, serves as Vice-Chair of the Board, and is a proud member of the Class of 1966, the first class to spend their entire four years at the Raritan Road campus of Roselle Catholic.

 

Jim’s extensive accounting/finance experience began locally with MacArthur Petroleum & Solvents Company.  But Jim’s real story, and his passion to serve on our Board, is a bit more involved.

 

In 1983, Jim decided it was time to realize a dream he first had while at RC, left his career and became a Peace Corps Volunteer.  In less then six months, Jim found himself in Botswana, in Southern Africa and stayed there for four years as a Volunteer.

 

After returning to US, Jim joined the U.S. Agency for Int’l Development (USAID) in a financial management role, and later joined headquarters staff at Peace Corps in Washington, DC. In his position as Partnership Development Coordinator, he was responsible for initiating discussions and maintaining relations with other U.S. Government (USG) agencies exploring inter-agency collaborations. Jim managed agreements that provided additional resources to the Peace Corps, from both USG agencies, and corporate and foundation donors.

 

Since his relocation back to New Jersey, Jim has been employed by the City of Rahway in its Revenue and Finance office.

 

 

James Donnelly

Jim Donnelly, who heads the Board’s Mission and Strategic Planning Committee, has been a member of the New Jersey State Bar since 1995.  A member of the Union County Prosecutor’s Office, Jim has experience in narcotics investigations, homicide investigations, juvenile offenses and extensive background in search and seizure operations.  He has, without a doubt, been a helpful and reliable resource for Pat Hagan during Pat’s tenure as Assistant Principal.

 

Jim Donnelly is not a graduate of Roselle Catholic. He graduated from St. Benedict’s Prep in Newark.  Jim is, however, a LION, at heart … and, he also has a Lion’s heart.

 

Jim is a great coach, having served as coach of our JV Boys Basketball Team.  He knows how to motivate kids … he is able to instill in them a value system while they are having fun.  With his wife, Kim, Jim also moderated the Mock Trial Team.

 

The values RC attempts to instill in students at would be much more difficult to accomplish without the personal example and teaching of coaches like Jim.

 

One of the most significant contributions Jim has made to the RC community is the development of a Philosophy of Athletics that guides the entire athletic program as a single entity.  

Brother John Dunning, FMS

Raised in New York City, a center of Marist activity, Brother John Dunning, has been a Marist Brother for over forty years.  He received his Bachelor's Degree from  Marist College, a Master of Arts in Teaching Degree from Webster University, and a Master of Social Work Degree from Boston College. Over his long and distinguished career, he has been a teacher and counselor in Marist schools in Texas, New York and New Jersey, and has done social work in various agencies in Brooklyn as well.
 
He currently serves as a Guidance Counselor at St. Joseph Regional High School in Montvale, New Jersey (an Archdiocese of Newark regional high school, like RC) where he has introduced that community to  the Marist charism.  He is also active in the Marist Brothers' programs at their retreat facility in Esopus, New York, both during the school year and during the summertime, when he directs food services for young campers and their counselors.

 

Tom Fischetti '70

Tom, who grew up in Elizabeth, graduated from RC in the Class of 1970, and has been an ardent supporter of the school for many years.  Through his company Eastern Sheet Metal, he has contributed to countless projects on the RC campus.  Recently, he has helped in the fabrication and fit-up of RC’s dynamic new learning center: Lab 2020, and is always available for help and advice with facility improvements.  His experience and talents are certainly an asset to the work of the Board’s Physical Plant & Campus Safety Committee, of which he is an active member and contributor

 

Tom and his wife, Nancy Wischusen Fischetti, reside in Cranford, and have two children together, Matthew and Mary, who are also RC alumni. 

 

 

Virginia Gilcrest GC '67

Virginia, who is better known as Gina, growing up in Roselle and attending St. Joe’s, is part of Girls Catholic history, having graduated in the first GCHS class.  Also, as a parent of two 2011 RC grads she has been immersed in, and has been involved first hand with the community, culture and values of RC her entire life.

 

Gina is well suited to head the Board’s Academics and Technology Committee, as currently she is Principal of the Ernest J. Finizio, Aldene Elementary School in Roselle Park, and holds degrees in Biology from Montclair State and an advanced degree (MA) from Kean University in Educational Administration, as well as a Registered Nursing Degree from Elizabeth General School of Nursing.  Her career, since 1971, has taken her into the classroom as a Middle School teacher; as a Staff Nurse, Special Care Nursery; as Co-director/teacher of a preschool in Guatemala; as a Science and Computer teacher in Middle School; to her current administrative role as a school Principal.

 

For over 30 years Gina has been involved in youth/girls athletics, coaching softball and basketball, and is currently assisting as an AAU girls basketball coach.

 

In addition to Gina’s many personal talents, experiences, and achievements (oh yeah, she ran in the 1995 NYC Marathon), along with her dedication to RC, she undoubtedly provides our Board with the much needed and desired Girls Catholic representation.

 

 

Tom Higgins '73 

Tom graduated RC, Class of 1973, where he competed on champion track teams that were part of RC's nationally renowned track program of the 60's and early 70's.  He attended Manhattan College after RC, graduating magna cum laude in May 1977, with a Bachelors of Business Administration in Accounting, and became a CPA in 1981.  

Tom brings his experience to the Board, sitting on the Budget & Finance Committee.  He is Chief Financial Officer and Senior Vice President, Finance of the College Board, where he provides both operational and programmatic support to the organization, oversees the finance and procurement units, and is the chief financial spokesperson for the organization.  In great measure from his experience with the College Board he has made major contributions to our critical tuition aid initiatives.

 

 

John Jago '73

Born in Jersey City NJ, John and his family moved to Roselle in the summer of 1960.  He then graduated from St. Joseph the Carpenter School and in RC’s class of 1973

 

John, a graduate of Rutgers University, is no stranger to the workings of a Board, as he has served as Executive Board member of the Normandy Beach Yacht Club and President of the Deauville Beach and Bay Association and was formerly a Board Member of the South Brunswick Athletic Association and the South Brunswick Police Athletic League.

 

Additionally, John has served as an Executive Board Member of the Fathers Club of St. Joseph’s in Metuchen, and knows first hand the issues facing a private Catholic high school today.

 

John puts his Board experience to work on the RC Board’s Marketing and Communications Committee, he has already championed a fresh approach to advancing our gift-supported activities and is the Chair of the annual RC Golf Classic.

 

 

Mohamed Jalloh '97

RC graduate Class of 1997, Mohamed is a three-term Union County Freeholder and an attorney, living in Roselle.  He earned a Bachelor of Science from Syracuse University and his Juris Doctor degree at Rutgers University Law School.

 

Always an active member of his community, Mohamed was the director of the Tenth Leadership Institute at Syracuse, a Student Representative to the Syracuse University Quality Council, and a founding member of the African American Male Congress Honors Society.  At Rutgers, he became a member of the Student Bar Association, served as the student representative on the Curriculum Committee, and was a member of the Association of Black Law Students and the Association of Latin American Students.

 

Freeholder Jalloh is a staunch advocate of education.  At Syracuse he served as an undergraduate teaching assistant.  He continues this advocacy as an adjunct Professor at Kean University, where he teaches negotiation, debate, citizenship, public speaking and communications law.  In addition to serving on the Roselle Catholic Board, he is also a member of the advisory board of St. Joseph the Carpenter Middle School, Roselle.

 

With his educational, legal and government experience, he has brought new insights and perspective to the RC Board and community as a member of the Board’s Mission and Strategic Planning Committee.

 

 

John Korn '84

John, who sits on the Board’s Marketing and Communication Committee, graduated from RC in the Class of 1984.  He is married to Jennifer Collins Korn ’86, and they reside in Basking Ridge together with their four children, and have the distinction of being the first generation of RC classmates to eventually marry.

 

John and Jennifer served as Chairpersons of our 50th Anniversary Family Day and 5k Race.  He has also been a contributor to THE LION magazine and assisted in coordinating the Golf Classic and a “Kentucky Derby Day” alumni gathering.  He shares the Board’s passion for the mission of RC and is a tremendous addition to the discussions and workings of the Board.

 

John graduated from Moravian College , Bethlehem, PA, with a BA in History.  He has worked in the investment management space for close to 20 years and is currently Senior Vice President for Pioneer Investments.  In this role, he has sales responsibility for New Jersey.

 

In his free time, John enjoys skiing, golf, running and researching his family history.  He has completed two marathons and recently started competing in triathlons.  

 

 

Peter Lyons '73

Peter, who sits on the Board’s Alumni Development and Relations Committee, was born in Elizabeth, grew up in Cranford and graduated from RC in 1973 where he ran cross country and track.  He graduated from the University of Virginia in 1977 with a BA in Economics with High Distinction.  Peter then attended Georgetown University Law Center where he was an editor of the Georgetown Law Journal, and graduated in 1980 Magna Cum Laude.

 

Peter joined Shearman & Sterling in 1980 as an associate, and was elected a partner in 1989.  At S&S, he represents clients in acquisitions and sales of public and private companies, asset acquisition and disposition transactions and joint ventures.  Peter previously headed the Firm’s San Francisco and Palo Alto office and the Firm's Worldwide Mergers & Acquisitions Group and served as Managing Partner, Americas.  He currently manages the Firm's relationship with a number of clients, including BASF AG, BiogenIdec, Boston Scientific, Deutsche Bahn, Deutsche Bank, JetBlue, Nokia, Siemens AG and Textron.

 

Peter and his wife, Jodi, moved to Rye NY in 1990 and have four children.

 

 

Kevin Mahoney

Kevin, who heads the Board’s Physical Plant & Campus Safety Committee, is an RC parent, having attended Bishop Loughlin High School in Brooklyn, New York.  He and his wife, Nancy, have been involved with RC as parents and volunteers since 1996.  All three of their children, Rob, Caitlin and Conor attended and graduated from Roselle Catholic.  They have a warm appreciation for the great work going on at RC. 

 

Kevin retired from Verizon Communications ending his career of almost 40 years as the Director of Government Affairs in Brooklyn/Staten Island.  He now devotes his time to the Plainfield Habitat for Humanity, the Elizabeth Coalition, the Noble Maritime Collection in Staten Island, and the Knights of Columbus in Cranford.

John O'Neil

Brother Dan O’Riordan, FMS
Brother Dan graduated from Archbishop Molloy High School in NY in 1985 and University College Cork, Ireland in 1989. He began his teaching and coaching career in Cork, Ireland before returning to the U.S. in 1990. He spent two years teaching and coaching soccer at Roselle Catholic prior to entering the Marist Brothers. During his novitiate, he earned an MA from Marist College and also served as the college's first Women's soccer coach.
 
After his Novitiate, he returned to Archbishop Molloy for four years and served as a teacher, councilor, campus minister and track coach. His next six years were spent in West Virginia where he served as teacher, campus minister and coach at Bishop Donahue High School. He returned to Roselle Catholic in 2004 and served as teacher, coach, and Development Director. In 2011, he responded to the needs of the Marist Brothers by accepting a newly created position of Vocation Director for the U.S.
 
Brother Dan serves as a member of the RC Development Committee as well as "auctioneer" for RC’s annual golf outing. He also was recently elected to the Provincial Council of the Marist Brothers. Some of his honors include Bishop Donahue Wall of Fame 2004, Roselle Catholic's You Make A Difference Award winner 2010, and Archbishop Molloy Hall of Fame 2010. 
 
Brother Dan is grateful for the nine years he had the privilege to work at Roselle Catholic and for the many friendships he made during that time which will always continue to be part of his life. The young people, colleagues and Alumni he worked closely with during his tenure continue to be a great inspiration to him. He is also delighted that his current job allows him many opportunities to continue to be an active presence to the Roselle Catholic community.
 

George Schott '73 – Member Emeritus

George grew up in Elizabeth, and attended Immaculate Conception Grammar School. While at RC, George was actively involved in Student Council and the Forensics Club.  During his senior year he was Student Council President.

 

After graduating from RC, Class of 1973, George received his BA in International Studies with highest Departmental and University honors, as well as an MA from Johns Hopkins’ School of Advanced International Studies (SAIS) in Washington, D.C.

 

George has held numerous senior management positions during a lengthy career on Wall Street.  Among his assignments, he served as Head of International for Smith Barney; Global Head of Fixed Income and Derivative Sales for ING; and posted to Singapore for five years with Drexel Burnham Lambert (and frequently crossed paths with other RC alumni in Asia).  More recently, George has been an operator and investor in several private equity-backed companies.  He is a founder of PayChoice, the 4th largest payroll company in the US.  

 

In addition to his four children, George is passionate about his work with Catholic education-related charities such as the Shepherd's of Youth organization based in Newark, NJ.  He has spearheaded a partnership between RC and the Shepherd's to help worthy Inner-City scholars gain access to an RC education.  George currently lives in Texas, where is he part is on the senior management team of D & D Power, LLC.

 

 

Ed Sisk '75 

Ed, an active contributing Board Member of the Physical Plant & Campus Safety Committee, is an RC graduate class of 1975 and was a member of the RC baseball team which won the Parochial “A” North title.  He graduated from Union College with an AA in Liberal Arts/Early Childhood Education.  He has served as Assistant Varsity Softball coach and is currently the Junior Varsity Softball coach at RC. Ed just recently retired as a 30 year veteran of the Elizabeth Fire Department where he rose to the rank of Chief of the Department in 2003. He also served as a Deputy Municipal Emergency Management Coordinator for the City of Elizabeth, Deputy Mutual Aid Coordinator with the Union County Fire Mutual Aid System and a Senior Advisor to the New Jersey State Fire Marshal.

 

Ed has chosen to work in volunteer positions serving as the Chairman of the Board of Directors for the Elizabeth New Jersey Firemen’s Federal Credit Union, a Trustee with the 200 Club of Union County and as President of the Friendly Sons of Saint Patrick of Union County.  He is currently working as a contractor for New Jersey Civil Service serving in the capacity of Subject Matter Expert and also serves as the Chairman of the Trustees for the Elizabeth Firemen’s Relief Association.

 

Ed and his wife Helena reside in Elizabeth with their three children Eddie, Class of 2001; Nick, Class of 2003 and Erin Marie, Class of 2006.

 

 

Robert Stickles '66

Dr. Robert Stickles is the President-Principal of Roselle Catholic.  He graduated from RC in 1966, his class being the first to spend four years at the Raritan Road campus.  While a student at RC, Bob was active in student government and in basketball and track.  Bob attended Princeton University, from which he graduated in 1970, and thereafter earned a doctorate in Education from Columbia University and a law degree from Rutgers University.

 

Education and the law have been the two passions of Bob's professional life.  He worked in schools for the first ten years of his career, and then practiced law for almost thirty years, earning the "New Jersey Super Lawyer" designation from New Jersey Monthly Magazine on four separate occasions.  He returned to education in 2008, teaching at St. Joseph Regional High School in Montvale before coming back to RC as Principal in 2010.  He became the RC President in 2012.

 

Bob is a Trustee of the New Jersey State Bar Foundation (the educational arm of the State Bar Association), a Trustee Emeritus of the Sunrise House Foundation in Lafayette, New Jersey, and a member of the Board of Visitors at New Jersey Institute of Technology in Newark.  St. Catharine Church in Glen Rock, his home parish, has awarded
Bob its 2013 Jubilee Medal in recognition of his long and dedicated service to that parish and its ministries, including a stint as Chair of its Parish Council.  And he has been cited by a number of charitable organizations for his pro bono legal and educational services on behalf of poor children.  Bob remains connected to the law as Senior Counsel in the Newark office of Buchanan, Ingersoll and Rooney, a national law firm headquartered in Pittsburgh.  He and his wife Victoria, an elementary school teacher, have three children and three grandchildren.

 

 

Lydia Tobiasz '01

An RC graduate Class of 2001, Lydia sits on the Marketing and Communication Committee and has played a hands-on role in the imperative need to harness new media/electronic platforms.

 

Upon graduating RC, Lydia enrolled at Marist College, and later Duquesne University in Pittsburgh PA, where she graduated Magna Cum Laude as a double-major in Marketing/PR and Psychology.  She began her career with the Pittsburgh Penguins, focusing on corporate sales, service, and special events.  During that time, Lydia also attended Point Park University, where she earned an MBA with a concentration in Sports, Arts, and Entertainment Management. 

 

Following a 2009 Stanley Cup Victory, Lydia happily relocated from the backwoods of Western PA, to manage Corporate Hospitality Sales for Madison Square Garden and quickly reconnecting with the RC/Marist community.  In her current role, she is responsible for concert and sports properties suite sales, working directly with major corporations and firms on new business development and strategic partnership opportunities.  

 

Lydia happily resides in the ‘concrete jungle’ and is thrilled to continue serving the RC student and alumni community.

 

 

William Trelease '72

Bill heads the Alumni Development and Relations Committee, and a graduate of RC’s Class of 1972.  Throughout RC’s past 45 years, some remarkable runners have borne the RC insignia.  Bill was one of those runners. Bill led RC to its 1972 Union County Championship title, running the 4th fastest time ever by a high school student in the state of New Jersey by winning the 880 in a time of 1:52.9 which qualified him to participate in that year’s All American Invitational in Baton Rouge – the National Championships of High School Track and Field.  The race took place on graduation day, so Bill’s best friend walked across the stage and presented Bill’s diploma to his parents.  Bill brought honor and glory to both his family and his school that day when he took 3rd place with a personal best time of 1:51.7.  

 

Bill attended Manhattan College and was awarded the Jasper Award as the track athlete with the highest academic index.  A managing general agent, Bill founded an independent firm, Cromwell Management, in the mid-90’s and retired in 2012.  He currently resides in Union with his wife Kathy, a Girls Catholic graduate, and four children: Meghan, Brian, Clare and Brendan, all graduates of Roselle Catholic.

 

In addition to his passion for family and RC, he is a Civil War history authority, and working to become a licensed Gettysburg battlefield guide.

 

 

Sister Alice Yohe, SSJ

Sister Alice brings to our Board a link with Girls Catholic High School and the Sisters of St. Joseph.  Sister Alice, while at CGHS, served as a teacher of business, as well as the librarian and moderator of the basketball team … which meant she sat on the bench at every game to pray and cheer for the team.

 

After assignments at several other schools, she came back to Roselle to live at St. Joe’s, while working as the assistant to Msgr. Tom Kleissler, the founder of Renew.  She is presently Director of Religious Ed at St. Joseph the Carpenter and has worked with students from RC’s Xtian Community Service class.  In addition to Religious Education Director Sister Alice is a member of the St. Joseph the Carpenter School Advisory Board and serves as the Administrative Assistant to the Principal of the school. Marketing and Development projects are her main focus in this position. Sister Alice’s experience and insight is a valuable asset to the Board’s Mission and Strategic Planning Committee.