The Seeing Eye Board of Trustees Elects Two New Officers, Adds Two New Members

Duffy elected chair, Benacerraf elected Vice Chair; Ranger named Honorary Trustee

Thomas Duffy

Morristown, N.J.- Thomas Duffy, the Global Chief Operating Officer, Audit, for KPMG LLP, was elected Chair of The Seeing Eye Board of Trustees at its meeting last month.

Ari Benacerraf, partner and co-founder of Diamond Castle, was elected Vice Chair. Dr. Margaret E. L. (Peggi) Howard of Whitehouse Station, N.J., was re-elected as the other Vice Chair. Robert Hamwee of New Vernon, N.J., was re-elected Treasurer; and Seeing Eye graduate Julie Carroll of Englewood, Fla., was re-elected Secretary.

Duffy has been a member of The Seeing Eye’s Board of Trustees since 2006 and previously served as its Vice Chair. He holds a Bachelor of Science in accounting from St. Peter’s University and is a member of the AICPA and is a licensed CPA in New York and New Jersey.

“I have always had a love for animals and just recently lost our 13 year old lab, Riley. I was introduced to the Seeing Eye more than 10 years ago,” Duffy said. “The first time I set foot on campus, met with members of the Seeing Eye management team, and understood what this organization does, I knew I had to become involved with the mission. The impact on the quality of life of blind and visually impaired individuals when they are matched and bond with a Seeing Eye dog is incredible. I consider it a privilege to serve on the Board of Trustees of this world-class organization.”

Duffy replaces Peter Crnkovich, who stepped down from the board after serving the maximum term on the board. Crnkovich served as board chair from 2013 to 2016, and had previously served as a vice chair.

The Seeing Eye board also recently elected two new trustees: Catherine A. Kiernan, of Millington, N.J., vice president and general counsel at Seton Hall University; and Mark “Duke” Mulvoy, of Harrison, N.Y., senior vice president and portfolio manager at First Republic Investment Management.

In addition, Michael W. Ranger of Morristown, N.J., was named an honorary trustee. Ranger served on The Seeing Eye’s Board of Trustees from 2002 through 2013, including as Chairman of the Board from 2005 through 2009, and was named an honorary trustee in December 2016. He is a director at Covanta and co-founder and senior managing director of Diamond Castle Holdings, LLC, a private equity investment firm.

Established in 1929, The Seeing Eye provides specially bred and trained dogs to guide people who are blind. Seeing Eye® dog users experience greatly enhanced mobility and independence, allowing them to retain their active lifestyles despite blindness. The Seeing Eye is a 501(c)3 non-profit supported by contributions from individuals, corporations and foundations, bequests, and other planned gifts.

The Seeing Eye is a trademarked name and can only be used to describe the dogs bred and trained at the school’s facilities in Morristown, N.J. If you would like more information on The Seeing Eye, please visit the website at www.SeeingEye.org, call (973) 539-4425, or email info@seeingeye.org.

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