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Seven members have been elected to Syracuse University’s Board of Trustees, according to an SU news release on Monday.

All of the newly elected members are alumni of the university or are connected to the university through family or service. They are all recognized leaders in their respective fields, from business to communications.

“[The new members] bring both skills and wisdom that will help guide the board through the challenges facing higher education in these unprecedented times,” said Kathleen Walters, the chair of the board.

Here is some background information on the new members of the board.

Sharon R. Barner

Barner currently serves as vice president, chief administrative officer and corporate secretary for Cummins Inc. She previously served on the SU College of Law Board of Advisors.

Barner earned bachelor’s degrees from SU’s College of Arts and Sciences and the Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs in the fields of psychology and political science in 1979 before completing her J.D. degree at the University of Michigan.

Michael E. Blackshear

Blackshear received a bachelor’s degree in finance from SU’s Martin J. Whitman School of Management in 1991 as well as degrees and certificates from St. John’s University, Fordham Law School, Bentley College and Loyola University Chicago.

He currently serves as senior vice president, chief compliance and privacy officer for Ryan Specialty Group, an international specialty insurance organization. Blackshear is also on SU’s Whitman Advisory Council, the Office of Multicultural Advancement Advisory Board and the National Campaign Council.

Blackshear previously received SU’s Chancellor’s Citation in recognition of his civic and career achievements.

Deborah A. Henretta

Henretta holds positions on the boards of several public companies and was listed by Fortune as one of the 50 most powerful women in business for seven consecutive years. She also serves as a partner at Council Advisors and as vice chair of SSA & Company.

She earned a master’s degree in advertising from SU’s Newhouse School of Public Communications in 1985, as well as degrees from St. Bonaventure University. She has previously served on the Newhouse Advisory Board.

Gisele A. Marcus

Marcus serves as the chief operating officer of NPWR, a networking app, and has recently completed a TEDx on the topic of networking.

She earned a bachelor’s degree in management information systems and transportation management from Whitman in 1989 as well as a Master of Business Administration from Harvard University.

Marcus received the Chancellor’s Citation for Excellence in Global Business Management in 2014. At Whitman, Marcus endowed a scholarship in her name.

She is a current member of the Multicultural Advancement Advisory Council and a former vice president of the SU Alumni Association.

Kenneth A. Pontarelli

Pontarelli works as a partner and managing director at Goldman Sachs, leading the firm’s private equity impact investing efforts within its asset management division.

He currently serves on Whitman’s Advisory Council, and he earned dual bachelor’s degrees in finance from Whitman and economics from the College of Arts and Sciences and Maxwell in 1992. He also earned an MBA from Harvard Business School.

David M. Zaslav

Zaslav serves as president and CEO of Discovery, overseeing all operations for all brand platforms. He also holds positions on the boards of several media corporations and private foundations.

Zaslav has received numerous awards for his contributions to the media industry, including the Fred Dressler Leadership Award from Newhouse. Before joining Discovery, he worked for NBCUniversal and played a part in developing and launching CNBC and MSNBC.

He was inducted into the Cable Hall of Fame in 2017. Zaslav earned degrees from Binghamton University and Boston University.

Ryan P. McNaughton

In 1996, McNaughton received a bachelor’s degree in broadcast journalism from Newhouse, as well as degrees from Westminster College and Kent State University. Having spent more than a dozen years in broadcasting, he currently serves as vice president of government affairs for the Youngstown/Warren Regional Chamber.

McNaughton will become president of the SU Alumni Association on July 1, although he has been on the board since 2014. He was previously chosen as president of the Northeast Ohio Alumni Club in 2009.

Published on May 24, 2021 at 11:53 pm

Contact Richard: rcperrin@syr.edu | @richardperrins2