The Office of Veteran and Military Affairs (OVMA) has announced the addition of four esteemed individuals to its advisory board throughout 2024. These new members will join the current board in offering strategic counsel to the University on enhancing programs and initiatives for military-connected students. The four board members all have a personal connection to military service, either having served themselves or having been a member of a military family. In addition, they all carry a commitment to the University as alumni or members of the Central New York community.
The four new board members are the following:
Wilder Leavitt
Wilder Leavitt, an attorney in Bethesda, Maryland, is a Syracuse alumnus with a degree in aerospace engineering. He later earned a master’s degree in management from MIT and a juris doctor from American University. Leavitt’s military service includes work as an aircraft and munitions maintenance officer in the U.S. Air Force, where he was responsible for the sustainment of various aircraft operations. His commitment to supporting military-connected students extends beyond his military career, with philanthropic contributions to the University through the Wilder J. Leavitt and Mary P. Morningstar Scholarship for Military-Connected Students.
Leavitt expressed his vision for the OVMA board: “I believe military service members, veterans and those connected to the military have served, or will serve, their country as warrior-scholar-citizens. While on the advisory board, I hope to create and implement tools and programs that develop the best traits of our military-connected students: exceptional professional competency, robust intellectual achievement, and informed participation in civic discourse.”
Kenneth Marfilius
Kenneth Marfilius, a U.S. Air Force veteran, is the assistant dean of the Office of Online and Distance Education in the David B. Falk College of Sport and Human Dynamics and an associate teaching professor in the School of Social Work. An alumnus of Syracuse University with a degree in psychology, Marfilius went on to earn both a master of social work and a doctorate in clinical social work from the University of Pennsylvania. He has served in numerous roles in the Air Force, including mental health therapist and family advocacy officer, and has worked at the Syracuse VA Medical Center. Additionally, Marfilius has taken on the role of associate director for the recently launched OVMA Resiliency Group.
Marfilius expressed his excitement about joining the OVMA Advisory Board. “Through my experiences as a U.S. Air Force veteran and my current roles at Syracuse University, I’ve dedicated my career to advocating for those who have served our country,” he says. “This opportunity allows me to extend my unwavering dedication to the well-being of student veterans and military-connected individuals at the University.”
Tyrone Muse
Tyrone Muse is the president and CEO of Visions Federal Credit Union (VFCU), headquartered in Endwell, New York. With over 30 years of experience in the financial services industry, Muse has been instrumental in creating opportunities for military-connected students at the University to learn financial planning and secure their futures. He is also a certified public accountant with professional experience at Pricewaterhouse Coopers and GE Asset Management. Muse has served on various boards and received numerous accolades for his community advocacy.
Muse, who is the son of a veteran, shared his enthusiasm about joining the OVMA board. “As a son of a veteran, working with the board and leadership of the OVMA to help carry forward the legacy of this great university is a gift,” Muse says. “I look forward to sharing my knowledge and experience from the financial services industry to help the advancement and betterment of veteran and military-connected students at the University.”
Pia Rogers
Colonel Pia Rogers has served for 22 years as an active-duty U.S. Army officer. She currently holds a key role in the Office of the Chief Legislative Liaison at the Pentagon. Her extensive career includes various legal and leadership roles, earning her such prestigious awards as the Bronze Star Medal and Legion of Merit. A graduate of the S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications, Rogers also holds a juris doctor and master of public administration from Syracuse University.
“I am in awe of the vital role and commitment that Syracuse University provides to our veteran heroes through the OVMA, and there is no greater honor than to continue to advance these great initiatives as a member of the advisory board,” says Rogers.
Leavitt, Marfilius, Muse and Rogers join the following advisory board members to help advance the University’s initiatives to support military-connected students at the University:
To learn more about OVMA and the University’s historic commitment to military-connected students, please visit the Office of Veteran and Military Affairs website.
