University of Scranton appoints six new trustees

The University of Scranton has appointed six people to its board of trustees: John Boken P’16, P’22; the Reverend Thomas W. Neitzke, SJ; Crystal E. Newby, Ed.D. ’04, G’08; Reverend Angelo J. (“AJ”) Rizzo, SJ ’03; Joseph L. Sorbera Jr. P’08, P’08; and Anthony J. Yanni, MD ’88, P’21, P’23.

Boken is Managing Director of the Turnaround and Restructuring Services Practice at AlixPartners, an international consulting firm. With more than 30 years of experience in business recovery and restructuring, he specializes in complex, large-scale, national and cross-border cases, notably NRG Energy (2004) and Flying J (2011). He has often been appointed to leadership roles in client engagements, including as CEO, COO, CFO and Director of Restructuring (CRO), helping companies cope and resolve financial and operational difficulties. Most recently, he served as Assistant CRO for Pacific Gas & Electric Company (PG&E) in its landmark Chapter 11 bankruptcy case in California. His experience spans a variety of industries including energy, logistics, entertainment, residential construction, industrial construction, manufacturing, retail, healthcare, and agriculture.

Boken began his professional career with Arthur Andersen, eventually becoming director and co-owner of a leading boutique restructuring consultancy, Zolfo Cooper. In 2018, he and his associates merged their firm with AlixPartners, where he now occupies both a management position and continues as a senior advisor in client restructuring. In addition, Boken sits on the board of directors of The Pasha Group.

Boken holds a bachelor’s degree in finance from the University of Santa Clara. He resides in South Pasadena, California with his wife, Susie. They are the parents of three children: Brendan ’16, Connell and Eryn ’22.

Father Neitzke, Ed.D., is the Dean and Executive Director of Arrupe College at Loyola University in Chicago. Previously, he was President of the Creighton Preparatory School and was also an adjunct faculty member at the Graduate School of Creighton University. He has taught courses on strategic and political leadership, school law and the foundations of education, and has supervised internships in primary / secondary administration. He is also an adjunct faculty member at Jesuit Worldwide Learning: Higher Education at the Margins.

Father Neitzke served as Chairman of the Board of Trustees of Creighton Preparatory School prior to his tenure as President, and currently serves on the Boards of Trustees of Marquette University, Marquette University High School, and the Jesuit Academy. . Previously, he served on the boards of Georgetown Preparatory School, Loyola Academy, Seattle University, Brophy College Preparatory School, and the Boys and Girls Club of the Midlands.

Father Neitzke received a BA in Philosophy from Loyola University in Chicago, an MA in Educational Administration from the University of San Francisco, an MA in Divinity from the University of Santa Clara, and a Doctorate from the Creighton University focused on educational leadership.

Dr. Newby recently accepted the position of Senior Director of Admission, Access and Diversity Strategic Initiatives at the College Board. Previously, Dr Newby was the Senior Director of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion at the National Association for College Admission Counseling, where she served for eight years. Earlier in her career, she worked in admissions offices at Scranton University, Montclair State University, and Bloomsburg University.

Most recently, Dr. Newby joined the advisory board of the Philadelphia College Prep Roundtable, a college access and completion network. Additionally, she was a member of the 2015-2020 selection committee for the American School Counselor Association’s School Counselor of the Year award. In 2020, she interviewed Professor Ibram X. Kendi, winner of the National Book Award and New York Times bestselling author of “How To Be An Anti-Racist and Stamped: Racism, Anti-Racism and You,” co-authored by Jason Reynolds. In June 2021, Dr. Newby published an essay in “Chicken Soup for the Soul: I Speak Now: Black Women Share Their Truth in 101 Stories of Love, Courage and Hope.”

Dr Newby received a BA and MA from the University of Scranton and a PhD from Johns Hopkins University. During his undergraduate debut at Scranton, Dr. Newby received the Lawrence A. Mann Award, which recognizes leadership and service to the university community. As a student in Scranton, she was an active member of Performance Music, United Colors, Liva Arts Company and University Players. She has also been a resident assistant, guidance assistant and teleworking student.

Father Rizzo is a priest from the Eastern Province of the Society of Jesus in the United States, who began presiding over the Scranton Preparatory School in July 2021. Most recently he served as Director of Mission and Identity at the Regis New York High School.

Bro. Rizzo taught English, Religion, and Latin at Scranton Prep from 2011 to 2014. A former student of St. Joseph’s Prep in Philadelphia, he previously ministered in several other Jesuit high schools on the east coast. He served at his alma mater as a volunteer teacher in the school’s Alumni Service Corps. He was also director of Christian service at Loyola Blakefield for three years. He entered the Society of Jesus in 2007 and was ordained a priest in 2017. He was associate pastor at St. Ignatius Loyola Parish in Baltimore, and previously was a deacon at St. Theresa Catholic Church in Oakland, California. .

Bro. Rizzo has served as an administrator of St. Ignatius High School, St. Elizabeth High School, and Fairfield Preparatory School.

Father Rizzo received a BA in Biology and Philosophy from the University of Scranton, an MA in Pastoral Counseling from Loyola University in Maryland; a master’s degree in humanities from Fordham University and a master’s degree in divinity from the Jesuit School of Theology at the University of Santa Clara. Bro. Rizzo received a Doctorate in Catholic Educational Leadership from the University of San Francisco.

Sorbera is CEO and President of JLS Cost Management Systems, Inc., based in New York City. His firm manages the finances, costs and strategies associated with large construction projects carried out by companies in the United States and Europe. He is also a long-time member of the board of directors and executive management committee of Bideawee, a 118-year-old animal rescue and adoption organization.

Since 2004, Sorbera has served the University of Scranton in a number of capacities: first as an involved parent, then in a leadership role alongside then-president Reverend Scott R. Pilarz, SJ, in the Pride, Passion and Promise fundraising campaign. He was Executive in Residence for the Kania School of Management and a member of the University’s Board of Trustees from 2009 to 2015. He is currently a member of the President’s Business Council and received the President’s Medal in 2018.

Sorbera received her Bachelor of Management degree from the University of Phoenix. He and his late wife, Diane, have three children Christina, Diana ’08 and Joseph III ’08, and a granddaughter, Danielle Marie.

Dr Yanni is Senior Vice President and Head of Patient Guidance at Astellas, where he is responsible for leading the development and execution of the company’s global patient guidance strategy across all functions of the organization. . With a shared vision to better and more truly understand the real-world patient journey, as well as the continued development of a patient-centered corporate culture around the world, one area he focuses on is creation sustainable processes to address the key areas that matter to patients and by applying their unique knowledge to the entire product lifecycle – from initial research to development and ultimately use.

Previously, Dr Yanni held several positions at Sanofi, most recently as Head of Knowledge, Solutions and Patient Outcomes, where he led a global team to create an industry-first process to incorporate the perspective of the patient. patient and clinician in the decision of the research portfolio. manufacturing. Earlier in his career, Dr. Yanni spent nearly 15 years in clinical practice as a primary care physician, chief of internal medicine, and chief medical officer of a healthcare system in the northeastern United States. .

Dr Yanni currently sits on the Board of Directors of Patient Focused Medical Development. He was selected as one of the 100 Most Inspirational People of 2021 in the Life Sciences Industry by PharmaVoice Magazine.

Dr Yanni holds a BA from the University of Scranton, an MBA from the University of Massachusetts, and an MD from Drexel University School of Medicine (formerly Hahnemann). He is married to Karen (Fagin) Yanni ’88, G’08, and they have four children: Patrick, Gina, Nicholas ’21 and Elisa ’23.