Campus & Community

Office of Multicultural Advancement Announces Members of New Advisory Council

Friday, February 22, 2019, By News Staff
Several members of the Office of Multicultural Advancement’s new alumni advisory council came together this week for a welcome dinner in New York City. Front row: Dr. Ruth Chen; Rosann Santos ’95, Candace Carnage ’90, Kristin Bragg ’93, Rachel Vassel ’91, Zhamyr Cueva ’93. Back row: Victor Holman ’82, Tara Brown Favors ’95, Keith Brown ’82, Charles Willis Jr. ’90, Vincent Cohen Jr. 9’92, William (Billy) Hunter ’65 and Chancellor Kent Syverud.

Several members of the Office of Multicultural Advancement’s new alumni advisory council came together this week for a welcome dinner in New York City. Front row: Dr. Ruth Chen; Rosann Santos ’95, Candace Carnage ’90, Kristin Bragg ’93, Rachel Vassel ’91, Zhamyr Cueva ’93. Back row: Victor Holman ’82, Tara Brown Favors ’95, Keith Brown ’82, Charles Willis Jr. ’90, Vincent Cohen Jr. 9’92, William (Billy) Hunter ’65 and Chancellor Kent Syverud.

Syracuse University’s Office of Multicultural Advancement (formerly the Office of Program Development) in the Division of Advancement and External Affairs has created a 25-person alumni advisory council to further the office’s mission in fostering diverse alumni involvement with the University and supporting Black and Latino students.

Council members are leaders in their fields; participate in two meetings per year and hold two -year terms; support University fundraising efforts and participate in key events; make an annual gift to the Our Time Has Come Scholarship Program; and mentor an OTHC Scholar.

“In our 37-year history, we’ve never had an advisory council to support our efforts. We look forward to having this accomplished group work together with us as University volunteers, donors and advocates for the diverse communities that we serve,” says Assistant Vice President Rachel Vassel ’91.

Members of the newly formed advisory council are:

  • Dave Bing ’66, H’06, businessman, former mayor of Detroit and inductee of the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame
  • Michael Blackshear ’91, senior vice president and North America chief compliance officer at Chubb
  • Kristin Bragg ’93, senior vice president for ad sales strategic planning at Turner Broadcasting System Inc.
  • Keith Brown ’82, senior vice president of content at Firelight Films
  • Candace Carnage ’90, chief operating officer of The Bronx Defenders
  • Vincent Cohen Jr. ’92, partner with Dechert LLC
  • Derrick Coleman ’90, retired NBA player and founder of D.C. Elite
  • Zhamyr Cueva ’93, owner of Blend LIC, Blend On the Water and Blend Astoria
  • Wesley C. Dias ’74, chief executive officer and president of Argosy Consulting Group
  • Tina Eskridge ’95, senior director of retail operations for North and Latin America at Microsoft
  • Tara Brown Favors ’95, human resources managing director at Morgan Stanley
  • Victor Holman ’82, lieutenant colonel, U.S. Army; secretary of the general staff for the U.S. Army Training and Doctrine Command
  • Monica Houston ’90, former Modesto, California, city auditor
  • William (Billy) Hunter ’65, retired executive director of the NBA Players Association
  • Gisele Marcus ’90, executive vice president of strategic initiatives and operations/chief operating officer of the St. Louis Regional Chamber
  • María Meléndez ’89, commercial litigation and disputes partner with Sidley Austin LLP
  • Fatimah Muhammad-Moody ’90, CBT 2020 co-chair and chief executive officer of LinkVisum Consulting Group
  • Connie Orlando ’89, executive vice president and head of programming at BET Networks
  • Shawn Outler ’89, executive vice president and chief diversity officer at Macy’s Inc.
  • Jamal Salmon, vice president of marketing analytics at Paramount Pictures
  • Jessica Santana ’11, executive director and co-founder of New York On Tech
  • Rosann Santos ’95, CBT 2020 co-chair and director of strategic initiatives for student affairs at John Jay College
  • Gwynne Wilcox ’74, partner with Levy Ratner, P.C.
  • Charles Willis Jr. ’90, portfolio manager at JPMorgan Asset Management
  • Charles Wynder Jr. ’86, priest in charge, Holy comforter of the Episcopal Church, Program Staff Office for Social Justice and Advocacy Engagement, the Episcopal Church in Washington, D.C.

The first Multicultural Advancement Advisory Council meeting will take place on campus April 11-12, including the Our Time Has Come Scholarship Program Reception at the Chancellor’s House on the evening of April 11. Council members will also take part in the first annual Syracuse University LEAD Volunteer Leadership Summit on April 12-13, which brings together all University volunteer boards across schools, colleges and units, as well as Syracuse University Regional Councils.

For more information about the Office of Multicultural Advancement, visit syracuse.edu/alumniofcolor, email suma@syr.edu or call 315.443.4556.