A Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs alumna who has supported student and faculty excellence through volunteer service and philanthropy has taken the helm of the Maxwell Advisory Board. Cathy Daicoff G’79 began her term as chair at the board’s annual spring 2025 meeting, held in March in Washington, D.C.
Cathy Daicoff G’79
Daicoff has been on the advisory board for more than 25 years, serving as its vice chair since 2019. She succeeds Ron O’Hanley ’80, who had served as chair since 2015 and is the chairman and chief executive officer of State Street Global Advisors. O’Hanley will continue as a member of the board.
“I want to thank and congratulate Cathy on becoming the new advisory board chair and thank Ron for his many years of leadership and sound counsel,” says Maxwell Dean David M. Van Slyke. “Both have made and continue to make immeasurable contributions to the school, its community and its mission, and I look forward to more accomplishments ahead under Cathy’s board leadership.”
Van Slyke also expressed his gratitude to Nate Shanok ’98, who succeeds Daicoff as vice chair. “I’ve no doubt he will serve us well in this role,” he says. “Since he joined the board in 2017, Nate has generously offered his time and expertise in support of our students and key initiatives.”
Comprised of alumni and friends of Maxwell, the advisory board meets in person twice a year and provides counsel to the dean and senior leadership on broad matters of policy and planning within the school, and guidance in areas such as fundraising, alumni relations and communications. Its members represent a range of experience and expertise, enriching Maxwell’s programmatic activities.
Daicoff says she is thrilled to serve as chair.
“It’s always an honor to give back to the school that helped me acquire the tools, knowledge and networks needed to be successful in my career in the financial world,” says Daicoff. “I am excited to work with this talented advisory board as we help the Maxwell School grapple with the challenges of today and prepare the leaders of tomorrow.”
Nate Shanok ’98
Daicoff was honored in the spring of 2024 with a Centennial Steward Award for her significant engagement, volunteer service and philanthropic support that have supported Maxwell’s continued excellence. Van Slyke says her gifts—including her $1.2 million endowment to establish the Marguerite Fisher Faculty Research Fund and a major gift for the creation of the Daicoff Faculty Scholars award—have helped the school attract and retain world class faculty.
In addition, Daicoff has regularly shared her expertise in domestic and international finance with the board and as a trusted career advisor to students and alumni interested in the field. She retired in 2016 as a managing director at Standard & Poor’s Ratings Services after 38 years with the company. Her career spanned management responsibility in U.S. domestic operations, Canada, Latin America, Asia-Pacific and global positions. She was the company’s first senior policy officer and director of policy training for Ratings Services, and she served for more than 20 years on the firm’s Analytics Policy Board.
Shanok is senior managing director and co-head of Global Equity Capital Markets for Tishman Speyer, a global real estate investment manager and developer with a portfolio that includes iconic assets such as Rockefeller Center in New York City, The Springs in Shanghai, TaunusTurm in Frankfurt and Mission Rock in San Francisco. He established the Shanok Family Endowed Scholarship in 2019 and was previously on the Syracuse Abroad board and served on the board of the High School for Leadership.
