Peter Hernandez, CPA

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Peter (Pete) Hernandez is an executive leader who successfully develops effective strategies and executes deliverables across a diverse group of functions, partners, and stakeholders. He has implemented innovative financial strategies that optimize operational efficiency, mitigate risk, and maximize profitability.   

Pete drives Environmental/Social/Corporate Governance (ESG) initiatives, strategic planning, leadership & development, and team building to create sustainable, long-term shareholder, employee, financial, customer, and societal value. 

Pete leads, mentors, mobilizes, and motivates team members to align with and engage in a vision and mission to drive results and achieve business objectives. He fosters an environment of professional development and high performance.

Hernandez joined the NJCU Foundation in 2013 and was elected to his first term as chair in 2018, and re-elected to a second term as chair in 2021. In Summer 2023, Pete was named as an ex officio member of the NJCU Board of Trustees.

In his most recent role, Pete served as Senior Vice President of ESG and Organizational Effectiveness at Wyndham Hotels & Resorts (WHR), where he led the strategic direction and implementation of the company’s environmental, social, and governance pillars focused on diversity, equity, and inclusion; protecting human rights; sustainability; and philanthropy. Additionally, Pete oversaw Wyndham University, managing team members and franchisee talent development and training. He also oversaw the Safety, Security, and Risk Management team.

Prior to this role, Pete served as Senior Vice President of Managed Finance, overseeing the finance operation for WHR’s managed properties division. Previously, he served as Group Vice President of Social Responsibility, accountable for WHR’s social responsibility efforts.

Before joining WHR, Pete was Senior Vice President and Division Controller for Wyndham Destinations, overseeing the hospitality services division’s day-to-day accounting and financial activities. Pete also held progressive leadership positions in accounting and finance at Wyndham Vacation Ownership for more than 17 years while serving as executive sponsor of the iFuerte! Affinity Business Group and the Wyndham Worldwide mentoring circle.

Pete's passion for social responsibility is palpable, as evidenced by his active participation in several public speaking engagements on key social responsibility topics, including the Tri-State Diversity Council Leadership Summit, diversity panels, and Wyndham Affinity Business Group functions. He was pivotal in developing Wyndham Worldwide’s Learning Empowerment and Development (LEAD) mentoring program at NJCU. Pete's commitment extends beyond his professional life, as he also serves as a Board member for JBWS — a private, confidential service welcoming ALL survivors of dating, domestic, or partner abuse.

Pete's professional qualifications testify to his expertise and commitment to excellence. He is a Certified Public Accountant and a Member of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants and the New Jersey Society of Certified Public Accountants. Pete earned his bachelor’s degree in accounting from Fairleigh Dickinson University and further honed his skills at the well-regarded Global Leader Program at The Wharton School and the Thayer Leadership Development Program at West Point.

Updated June 4, 2024

Managing Director and Head of Workplace and Retirement Plans
Morgan Stanley 

Mr. O’Connor is a Managing Director at Morgan Stanley Wealth Management. His current role is overseeing firm’s Workplace Wealth program. This includes delivering “financial wellness” content and solutions to participants within the firm’s institutional relationships. The service encompasses all wealth segments and is delivered through Financial Advisors and/or digitally. His previous roles included leading Morgan Stanley Wealth Management’s retirement businesses and developing the firm’s strategic response to regulatory changes. Mr. O’Connor joined Morgan Stanley in 2010.

Prior to joining Morgan Stanley Wealth Management he led the retirement and institutional consulting businesses at UBS in the Americas. Ed also held leadership roles within the respective wealth management divisions of JPMorgan Chase and Merrill Lynch.

He has a Masters in Business Administration, is a Certified Public Accountant and holds the series 7, 24, 65 & 66 securities licenses. In addition Ed is an adjunct professor at New Jersey City University.

Interim President, New Jersey City University

Andrés Acebo, the Interim President of New Jersey City University, is the proud first-generation son of Cuban exiles and a Hudson County native who grew up in Union City, N.J., and has maintained strong ties to the community. In January 2023, he became only the second Hispanic to serve as the leader of a four-year public institution of higher education in the State of New Jersey. He is the youngest known president to ever lead a public university in New Jersey.

In under 18 months of widely praised mission-driven servant leadership, Acebo has demonstrated extraordinary vision, guiding NJCU from a fiscal emergency to a remarkable recovery which will be a case study throughout higher ed.

In May 2024, ROI-NJ named him the No. 1 ranked Influencer in New Jersey Higher Education in the 2024 Higher Education Influencers annual publication.

Taking office in the midst of a financial emergency, he has steered NJCU forward. He has helped orchestrate three major strategic initiatives: the release of the NJCU Recovery and Revitalization Plan (April 2023), introduction of the university's first Academic Master Plan (February 2024) and the institution’s first Strategic Enrollment Plan (April 2023).

In February 2024, the university unveiled a refresh of the University Mission Statement and introduced its first ever Vision Statement. Both statements are offered in both English and Spanish, in recognition of the richly diverse community the university serves and as testament to its status as the oldest public four-year minority and Hispanic-serving institution in New Jersey.

Furthermore, Acebo has led to the University's finances being stabilized and the first balanced operating budget since 2017 — less than two years after NJCU reported a $22.7 million deficit. Moody’s agreed, upgrading NJCU’s outlook from “negative” to “stable.” Acebo's advocacy rallied support for the university from key stakeholders — including the campus and local community, union and local leaders, and legislative champions.

Additionally, he has forged key partnerships — highlighted by the Hudson Connect Program — and signed key strategic MOUs, including with the NJEA, Hudson Building Trades, GLACO, AFT Local 1839, Jersey City POBA, and Hudson County Boys and Boys & Girls Clubs of Hudson County.

Acebo holds a B.A. from Brown University and a Juris Doctor from Rutgers Law School. A North Jersey resident, he  is a proud product of Union City public schools in Hudson County. He’s the proud father to three young children and husband to an extraordinarily dedicated educator — an NJCU alumnae — who proudly celebrate and champion their community and their roots together.

Updated: June 1, 2024
 

Read President Acebo's full bio at njcu.edu/president. 

Director, U.S. Corporate Responsibility
Novartis

Ashley L. Atkins, Ph.D. is Director, US Corporate Responsibility at Novartis where she is responsible for the company’s community engagement strategy in the US, including corporate giving, the Novartis U.S. Foundation and employee engagement efforts. She joined Novartis in 2018 following 16-years at Johnson & Johnson as part of the company’s Global Community Impact Team, where she led local community-based partnerships related to education, food security, urban green space, arts & culture, and community health. Ashley is committed to driving social change through a collaborative systems approach.

Ashley holds degrees from Duke University, University of Massachusetts, and Rutgers University, where she received a Ph.D. in art history. She recently published the white paper “Arts, Health, and Well-being Across the Military Continuum: White Paper 2.0 – 2020 and Beyond” for Americans for the Arts. The paper chronicles the achievements of the National Initiative for the Arts & Health in the Military and articulates the need for an increased focus on how to serve the most underserved military-connected communities, using arts interventions to create better health outcomes. She lives in Central NJ with her husband and 2 sons.

Vice President of Government Relations and Public Affairs
Fidelity Investments

 Ms. Natalie Brathwaite is the Vice President of Government Relations and Public Affairs for Fidelity Investments, one of the world’s largest financial services providers.  In this role, she is responsible for Fidelity’s government relations, community investing and civic efforts for New Jersey and New York and leads the firm’s advocacy and engagement efforts on a wide range of state-level issues related to investment advice. 

Prior to joining Fidelity in 2017, Ms. Brathwaite spent a decade working in the public sector. Her past roles in both the nonprofit and government sectors in the United States and Canada included work in external affairs, community engagement, grant-making and public policy analysis. 

Born and raised in Toronto, Canada, Ms. Brathwaite received a Bachelor of Arts and Masters degrees from the University of Toronto. Ms. Brathwaite currently resides in Jersey City. She is active in her community and proudly serves on the boards of the Hudson County Chamber of Commerce, the Hudson County Community College Foundation, Boys and Girls Club of Hudson County, the Jersey City Arts Council and Saint Peter’s University Board of Regents.

Partner, PwC

Will is a Trust Solutions Partner at PwC with several years of experience serving financial services organizations by helping them achieve their financial and regulatory reporting needs. He specializes in risk and controls functions spanning business operations and technology at asset managers, private wealth managers, broker-dealers and domestic and global banks.

Will has spent his entire career at PwC, serving U.S. and global clients. Will is a dynamic leader focused on building inclusive, trust-based teams to solve challenging and important issues. He currently serves as the lead Human Resources and Diversity, Equity & Inclusion partner for his New York practice. While based out of the New York office, Will has extensive experience working across the global PwC network and spent three years on tour in the PwC London office from 2009 – 2012.

Will is a Queens, NY native and received his B.S. from the McIntire School of Commerce at the University of Virginia. He is a Certified Public Accountant (CPA) licensed in New York and New Jersey, a Certified Information Systems Auditor (CISA) and a member of various professional organizations (e.g., AICPA, NJCPA, NYSSCPA, ISACA, NABA). Will serves on the board of St. Peter's Orphanage and is an active, lifetime member of the Omega Psi Phi Fraternity. Will resides in New Jersey with his wife and young son. He also enjoys active outdoor activities (e.g., golf, running, skiing), travel and food.

Director, Office of Diversity & Inclusion
Con Edison, Inc.

To many, true workplace equality seems like a pipe dream. But to Nicole Leon, Con Edison’s director of diversity and inclusion, it’s no less than the motivating principle behind her daily endeavors. And there are many of those—developing and executing diversity strategies, eliminating barriers to inclusion and constantly evaluating equal opportunity efforts, for starters. Leon also monitors compliance with Equal Employment Opportunity policies and anti-discrimination laws related to harassment and retaliation. In a previous role as Con Ed’s manager of organizational development, she handled leadership training, succession planning and general development initiatives. Leon is a certified executive coach with a history of leadership roles of increasing responsibility, particularly in the banking industry.

In her current position, Ms. Leon is responsible for providing leadership and support in the areas of diversity, equity and inclusion, and affirmative action, as well as ensuring compliance with anti-discrimination laws and EEO policies. She is also responsible for the development and mobilization of the Diversity, Equity & Inclusion strategy, and tracking and reporting on diversity metrics.

Nicole joined Con Edison as the section manager of Organizational Development. In this role, she was responsible for succession planning and career development activities in addition to the delivery of leadership training, facilitation of organizational development and culture change initiatives, and managing various corporate programs, including Corporate Mentoring and the company’s premier leadership program Business Academy. Prior to joining Con Edison, Ms. Leon worked for over 20 years in the banking industry, in leadership roles of increasing responsibility, including VP of training and FVP, senior regional manager for retail banking.

She is certified in various leadership and personality assessments, and attended the Columbia University Executive Coaching program.  She serves as a mentor in both the LDP (Leadership Development Program) and Corporate Mentoring Programs. Ms. Leon was a 2013 recipient of the YMCA Corporate Black Achievers in Industry award; 2016 Black Enterprise list of top executives in corporate diversity; Crain’s 2020 Notable Women in Talent; NY Moves Mentor Leadership – Diversity & Inclusion 2021.

(headshot and bio forthcoming)

Executive Vice President, and Head of Branch Banking, PNC Bank

Jeffrey (Jeff) Martinez is Executive Vice President and Head of Branch Banking at PNC Bank. In his current role, Jeff is responsible for more than 2,400 branches, and nearly 16,000 employees, through PNC’s coast to coast footprint. He also serves as a Chair for PNC’s Military Advisory Council and is the Executive Sponsor of PNC’s Latino and Multicultural Employee Business Resource Group.

Martinez joined PNC in 2014 and adds more than 20 years of retail banking experience to PNC’s senior leadership team. Prior to PNC, he held various roles at JPMorgan Chase for more than 10 years, including responsibilities as a First Vice President, District Manager. Martinez also served the country for nine years in the U.S. Army National Guard. He deployed twice in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom and has been awarded three Army Commendation Medals and New Jersey’s Distinguished Service Medal.

Martinez is passionate about giving back to the communities where he lives and works and is involved with several non-profit organizations. He is the Treasurer of the Statewide Hispanic Chamber of Commerce of New Jersey, a LatinoJustice PRLDEF Board Member, and a Member of the NJCU Foundation Board and the Hudson County Community
College Employer Advisory Board. Martinez is also an executive advisor to CAALE, whose mission is centered on supporting education within our community and he works with the Association of Latino Professionals for America to educate students and professionals through informative presentations hosted at New Jersey and New York universities.

Martinez earned a Bachelor of Science degree in business management from Rutgers University and completed the CBA Executive Banking School Program at Furman University.

Joseph Abuga Nyamwange is a notable financial strategist, social entrepreneur, and philanthropist that credits his current success to his humble beginnings in Jersey City, New Jersey. Born to Kenyan parents who migrated to this country in the 1980s for better opportunities, Joe has learned that with grit, hard work, and faith, all things are possible.

Growing up in Jersey City, Joe experienced firsthand that being black in America comes with specific challenges unique to our culture. However, from an early age, he was committed to excellence despite the limitations that society tried to put on him. He has developed a burning passion for helping people of color overcome the racial and economic disparities that have kept them far behind their respective counterparts for centuries. The Nyamwange Foundation was founded because of this desire to be a catalyst for systemic change in the Black community. Nyamwange Foundation’s focus is on building a generation of leaders who positively influence others with empathy and advocacy. The foundation’s goal is to enroll 1,000 students in the Nyamwange Leadership Academy, provide 60 Nyamwange Scholarships, and send 50 students to Birthright Afrika Trip.

Joseph Nyamwange has also had the privilege of building a professional career in the technology sector as an Enterprise Account Executive. Over the last 15 years he has worked for fortune 100 companies which include Amazon, Microsoft, and Dell.

Joe’s greatest joy is marrying his best friend, Sasha Wilson, and being the father of his children, Jade, Nia, and Wilson.

Partner 
Debevoise & Plimpton

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Kevin Schmidt, an NJCU alumnus, is a corporate partner in the Mergers & Acquisitions Group and co-chair of the firm's Private Equity Group at the international law firm Debevoise & Plimpton LLP.  Debevoise operates in nine offices across three continents, with over 800 lawyers working with clients in integrated global practices.

Schmidt has worked extensively on acquisitions, divestitures, joint ventures, and strategic investments, including cross-border transactions for both private equity and corporate clients.  

He has spoken at a variety of seminars regarding recurring M&A issues and is a regular speaker at the International Bar Association’s Annual M&A Conference in New York. He is also the author of various articles on M&A issues in M&A Lawyer, The Deal and The Corporate Governance Advisor. 

He is recognized as a leading lawyer for mergers and acquisitions in the private equity sector by Chambers USA, where he has drawn praise for his candid feedback and negotiating prowess and as a great negotiator who is pragmatic and gets “ight to the point.    

The Legal 500 U.S. noted that his clients observed that he “stands out in his peer group” for his “responsive, commercially minded approach” and as someone “clients look to for leadership.”

Prior to his legal career, Schmidt worked in the film industry, including in a project development role at Batfilm Productions, headed by the executive producers of the Batman film franchise, Benjamin Melniker and Michael Uslan. He was an associate producer on the animated series, “Swamp Thing” as well as production associate on the live-action USA Network series of the same name.

Schmidt serves on the board of the NJCU Foundation in the interest of giving back to students at the school where he made professional connections that led to his stint in the firm industry and his subsequent legal career.

Schmidt graduated summa cum laude when he received his B.A. in Media Arts from NJCU (then known as Jersey City State College) in 1989. He received his J.D. with high honors from Rutgers School of Law in 1994, where he was Order of the Coif.

Updated June 1, 2024

Senior Vice President and Chief Human Resources Officer 
Horizon Blue Cross Blue Shield of New Jersey

Aisha Thomas-Petit is the Senior Vice President and Chief Human Resources Officer of Horizon Blue Cross Blue Shield of New Jersey, a leading provider of quality health insurance products and services to New Jersey families and businesses. In her role, Thomas-Petit is responsible for all aspects of human resources including, compensation and benefits, talent acquisition, talent management, leadership development, labor relations, employee engagement and organizational development and effectiveness. She plays a key role in developing business-aligned HR strategies and promoting a culture of accountability and inclusion.

Prior to her current role, Thomas-Petit served as Chief People & Diversity Officer of AMC Networks where she was responsible for the company’s overall people and culture and diversity, equity and inclusion strategy. She joined the company in 2020 as AMC Networks’ first Chief Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Officer to build on and advance the company’s DEI foundation and strategic areas of focus.

Before joining AMC Networks, Thomas-Petit held various leadership roles over seven years at ADP including serving as their Chief, Diversity, Inclusion and Corporate Social Responsibility Officer as well as Division Vice President of the company’s Major Accounts and Canada division.

A seasoned HR executive, Thomas-Petit also spent more than seven years at Barclays Capital (including 2+ years at Lehman Brothers before it was purchased by Barclays), where she ultimately became the HR Director for Global Operations, driving people strategy for over 4000 employees globally, and partnering with the Global Head of Investment Bank Operations to drive talent and performance management, development and compensation. Prior to Barclays, Thomas-Petit spent eight years at JP Morgan Chase, where she held several roles including Vice President, HR for Shared Technology & Operations and Investment Bank Operations, leading people strategy for a newly merged global organization of 2400 employees. 

Thomas-Petit has been recognized by Cynopsis as a Top Woman in Media, by Cablefax Magazine in their Most Powerful Women and Diversity lists, and by Moves Magazine as a Moves Mentor Leadership award recipient. 

She is currently a member of the board of directors for the New Jersey City University Foundation and The Opportunity Network, as well as a member of the strategic advisory board for Big Brothers Big Sisters of Essex, Union, and Hudson Counties and the board commissioner of the Rahway Housing Authority. 

Thomas-Petit holds a Master of Business Administration degree in Marketing and Business Strategy from Rutgers University and a Bachelor of Science in Marketing from Syracuse University, where she graduated Magna Cum Laude. She resides in New Jersey with her family.

Updated June 1, 2024

Chairman 
DiversityInc.

Over the course of his entrepreneurial career, Mr. Visconti has positioned himself as an expert on diversity management.  Mr. Visconti is the founder and Chairman of Diversitylnc., which he launched as a website in 1997 and went on to become the leading print and online publication focused on issues of diversity and inclusion in the workplace. He further grew the company into a successful benchmarking consulting business and produces diversity conference events, including the coveted annual Diversitylnc Top 50 competition, now in its 18th year.

In 2016, the competition welcomed more than 1,800 participants. Using the data collected from the Diversitylnc Top 50 survey, Luke created Diversitylnc’s Consulting and Benchmarking practice, which currently boosts over 70 corporate clients, many among the Fortune 500.

A longtime philanthropist, Mr. Visconti founded the Diversitylnc Foundation in 2006. Using four percent of gross revenues from Diversitylnc as its funding source, the Diversitylnc Foundation provides scholarships at Rutgers University, New Jersey City University and Bennett College. Mr. Visconti holds or has held board seats at all three institutions.

In spring 2020, Mr. Visconti was appointed to the Board of Trustees at New Jersey City University where he serves as Vice Chair.

Before launching his career in corporate diversity, Mr. Visconti received a bachelor’s degree in biology from Rutgers University. After completing his undergraduate studies, he went on to serve eight years of active duty as a Naval Aviator and another eight months in the reserves. A member of the Chief of Naval Operations Executive Panel, he is occasionally called upon to help Chiefs of Naval Operations address diversity issues.

In recent years, Mr. Visconti received an honorary doctorate from New Jersey City University, and in 2015 received an honorary doctorate from Bennett College.  The New Jersey City University Foundation, which aims to support academic programs without increasing tuition, elected  Luke as chair of its board of directors in August 2013 for a three-year term. He became a board member of the National Organization on Disability in March 2015, and was elected vice chair in 2016.

Vice President 
River Crossing Strategy Group
Public Affairs, Government Relations and Communications

Mr. White, Vice President with River Crossing Strategy Group (RCSG), is a veteran New Jersey public affairs executive. He specializes in managing comprehensive issue advocacy campaigns and regulatory approval initiatives for real estate development and public utility projects. He is well respected for his work on issues related to education reform, technology regulation and cannabis legalization/regulation. 

Prior to joining RCSG, Tim founded and led the public affairs practice at Beckerman, served as Vice President at MWW Group and was a political consultant, communications director and campaign manager for several statewide, legislative, county and municipal campaigns for elected office. He served as Special Assistant to Bergen County Executive William “Pat” Schuber, as Special Assistant to Jersey City Mayor Glenn Cunningham, as Political Director for the New Jersey Republican State Committee in 2004 and served on Jersey City Mayor Steven Fulop’s transition team in 2013. 

Tim manages public affairs and communications for the New Jersey Cannabis Industry Association and serves on the board of the New Jersey Charter Schools Association. He is the vice-chair of the Meadowlands Regional Chamber of Commerce and serves on the Paramus Golf Commission. Tim was recently appointed to serve on the NJCU foundation Board of Directors.

Tim earned a bachelor’s degree from New Jersey City University (’99) and a master’s degree from the Public Administration Institute at Fairleigh Dickinson University. 

Retired Director of Development and Community Services
Westmoreland Davis Memorial Foundation

Mrs. Lipka Wodynski has more than 28 years of professional experience working in the areas of Fundraising and Alumni Relations. She is now semi-retired and runs a fundraising consultancy that concentrates on working with small non-profits, in the areas of board and staff development, best practices in fundraising, strategic planning, program assessment, and campaign design in Nantucket, Massachusetts.  

Prior to joining the Foundation Board, she was the Director of Development and Community Relations for the Westmoreland Davis Memorial Foundation in Leesburg Virginia. Her duties included: membership, publications, public relations, special events, development and auxiliary services.  Responsibilities included working with the Board of Trustees, being the liaison to the Development and Events Committees, and overseeing the running of the Equestrian Program and the Museum Education Program.  

Previously as the Director of External Relations at the Nantucket Historical Association her duties included membership, publications and public relations, special events, development and auxiliary services.  Responsibilities included working with the Board of Trustees, and being the liaison to the Development, Marketing, and Past Trustees Relations Committees and sitting on the Finance and Housing Committees.

Before this Mrs. Lipka Wodynski spent 24 years in Higher Education and Independent Schools. Judith has worked at New Jersey City University twice, Drexel University, The College of New Jersey and Oak Knoll School of the Holy Child.  Judith serves on the New Jersey City Foundation Board in the capacity of Secretary.

Mrs. Lipka Wodynski earned her bachelor’s and master’s from NJCU and in 1957 was in the Laboratory School on the NJCU campus from Kindergarten through sixth grade. She is married to Michael Wodynski who also has his BA and MA from NJCU.

Judith and Michael have been married since 1982, now live full time on Nantucket Island, and are members of the Royal Knight Society.  They enjoy traveling and have been around the world on the Queen Mary 2.