Leadership

The Seeing Eye Leadership Team

Margaret E. Howard, D.Litt., President and Chief Executive Officer

Peggi Howard was named President & CEO on September 15, 2022, and was elected to the Board of Trustees in 2009. She holds a B.A. from Kenyon College, an M.S.W. from Rutgers University and a D.Lit. from Drew University. Peggi was the Vice President of Administration and University Relations at Drew University. Peggi also served as New Jersey Governor Thomas H. Kean’s Deputy Chief of Staff and Cabinet Secretary from 1984 to 1990. She lives in Whitehouse Station, N.J., with her husband. They have three adult children.

  

Glenn Cianci, Director of Facilities Management 
Glenn Cianci is the Director of Facilities Management, managing the operation of the Washington Valley, Morristown and Chester sites. Cianci joined The Seeing Eye in 2013.

Cianci previously served as a Facility Manager at Hoffmann-La Roche in Nutley, New Jersey. He earned a BS in Chemical Engineering from Lehigh University.

  

Peggy Gibbon, Director of Canine Development 
Peggy Gibbon is the Director of Canine Development overseeing early enrichment for newborn puppies at the Breeding Station, the Puppy Development Division, the Washington Valley kennels, and adoptions.

Gibbon joined The Seeing Eye in 1983 as an Apprentice Instructor. She was later responsible for teaching apprentice instructors for 10 years and managed the Puppy Development Division for a short time. Peggy has a B.S. in Animal Science from Cook College of Rutgers University.

  

Daphne Halpern, CFRE, FAHP, Director of Philanthropy
Daphne Halpern joined The Seeing Eye in November 2023 as the Director of Philanthropy. Her multi-faceted non-profit executive career includes previous experience as Vice President of Institutional Advancement at Pratt Institute, and she served as Senior Executive Consultant for CCS, a strategic fundraising consulting firm that partners with nonprofits to advance their philanthropic mission. With CCS, she completed successful key leadership engagements with well-known institutions including Hunter College, Weill Cornell Medicine, Asia Society, IEEE Foundation, New York Philharmonic, and Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, among others. Prior to CCS, Daphne was Vice President in the then St. Barnabas Health Care System; also with the then Meridian Health System (Riverview Hospital), and began her career with the Memorial Healthcare System, Orange County, California.

Daphne is a resident of Oceanport, New Jersey, and graduated from the University of Hartford, where she earned a bachelor’s degree in organizational communication as well as English literature. Halpern holds two international professional designations: Certified Fund Raising Executive (CFRE) and Fellow, Association of Healthcare Philanthropy (FAHP).

 

James Hands, Chief Financial and Operating Officer 
James Hands joined The Seeing Eye as Director of Administration & Finance and Chief Financial Officer in October 2021 and was promoted to Chief Financial and Operating Officer in July 2023.

Hands, a resident of Keyport, New Jersey, was previously Director of Financial Planning and Analysis at the Natural Resources Defense Council, a New York-based international nonprofit organization. He has a Master of Business Administration in Finance and Investments from the Zicklin School of Business at Baruch College and a Bachelor of Arts in Economics from Rutgers University.

 

David Johnson, Director of Accessibility, Advocacy, and Government Relations
David Johnson is the Director of Accessibility, Advocacy, and Government Relations. Johnson has been with the organization since 1984, including eight years as a senior manager supervising teams of instructors. From 2009 to 2023, he served as the Director of Instruction & Training.

Johnson is a New Jersey native and holds a degree in Animal Care from Becker College in Massachusetts.

  

Jim Kessler, Director of Instruction & Training
Jim Kessler graduated from Miami of Ohio class of 1994 receiving a B.S. in Business Administration. He started his career in New York City working in the financial services industry. In September of 2001, was hired at the Seeing Eye where he began his career as an apprentice. He worked as a GDMI until February 2011 and assumed a different role as a Senior Manager of Instruction and Training. During April 2016, Jim was promoted to Assistant Director of Instruction and Training, and in January 2024, he was named Director of Instruction & Training. He has also enjoyed his role as an assessor for the IGDF since 2019.

He is happily married with four children. Jim is an avid runner participating in marathons and a cyclist. He truly enjoys his family and spending time with them.

  

C. Kyle Quigley, D.V.M., Director of Veterinary Medicine & Genetics
Dr. Kyle Quigley joined The Seeing Eye in January 2020 as an Attending Veterinarian, and was promoted to Director of Veterinary Medicine & Genetics in March 2022. Prior to joining The Seeing Eye, Dr. Quigley was Medical Director of Community and Shelter Medicine at the Animal Rescue League of Boston. He is a veteran of the U.S. Army, having served in the 82nd Airborne Division.

Dr. Quigley received his Doctor of Veterinary Medicine from the Ross University School of Veterinary Medicine in Saint Kitts, a Bachelor of Science in Biology from Tufts University in Massachusetts, and a certificate in Non-Profit Management and Leadership from the Questrom School of Business at Boston University.

 

Joseph Shiarappa, Director of Human Resources
Joe Shiarappa of Columbus, New Jersey, joined The Seeing Eye as Director of Human Resources in August 2022 with nearly 25 years of experience in Human Resources. Prior to joining The Seeing Eye, he served as Director of Human Resources for the New Jersey Schools Development Authority. He also has been the Director of Human Resources for Stuart Country Day School of the Sacred Heart in Princeton, New Jersey, and for The Lawrenceville School. Previously, Shiarappa was Market Human Resources Manager for Walmart Stores, Inc., and Manager of Employment for the Raritan Bay Medical Center.

He holds a Professional In Human Resources (PHR) certification and has a bachelor’s degree in sociology from Rider University in Lawrenceville, New Jersey.

 

The Seeing Eye Board of Trustees

The Trustees of the Board at The Seeing Eye dedicate themselves to pooling their skills in finance, management, veterinary health, advocacy and strategic development to ensure that The Seeing Eye and its mission endure for many years to come.

  

Clifford Aaron
Clifford Aaron, a Seeing Eye graduate, has been a practicing attorney for the past 39 years and is currently a senior partner in the New York City law firm of London Fischer LLP. He heads up the transportation litigation group and specializes in defending Fortune 200 companies. He has represented companies involved in catastrophic injury cases, automobile and trucking accident cases, products liability and premises liability actions.

Before becoming a civil litigator, Mr. Aaron was an Assistant District Attorney in the Bronx. He specialized in the prosecution of high-profile violent crime cases involving career criminals.

Mr. Aaron graduated from Franklin & Marshall College in 1980 with a Bachelor of Arts Degree in History and Spanish. He graduated from the Villanova School of Law in 1983.

In addition to practicing law, Mr. Aaron is a frequent motivational speaker on the topic of living with and overcoming a visual disability. He has spoken to diverse audiences throughout the metropolitan area including the Ramaz School in New York City, the Harvard Club in New York City, Foundation Fighting Blindness in West Orange, NJ, and The Seeing Eye in Morristown, NJ.

  

Michael Amoruso, Esq.
Michael Amoruso concentrates his practice on Elder Law, Asset Preservation, Comprehensive Estate Planning, Estate Administration and Guardianship. He was chosen as a 2010-2019 New York Metro Super Lawyer for Elder Law. From 2011-2019 he was named one of the Top 25 Westchester and Top 100 New York Super Lawyers among all practice areas and appears in the U.S. News & World Report 2019 Best Lawyers in America for Elder Law. In 2009, he received a U.S. Congressional Proclamation for his work in Elder Law and Special Needs Law. Mr. Amoruso was President of the National Academy of Elder Law Attorneys (“NAELA”) 2018-2019 and in 2017 was elected to the NAELA Council of Advanced Practitioners. In April 2016, Mr. Amoruso was named as a NAELA Fellow in recognition of his outstanding leadership and exceptional commitment to addressing the challenges faced by the Elderly and those with Special Needs. As an Officer of NAELA, Mr. Amoruso championed the passage of the Special Needs Trust Fairness Act through Congress and was invited to the White House by President Barack Obama to witness him signing the legislation into law. Mr. Amoruso is Past Chair of the New York State Bar Association ("NYSBA") Elder Law Section and a three-time winner of the prestigious NYSBA Elder Law Section Award for his efforts in furtherance of the rights of the Elderly and Persons with Disabilities. He is a frequent source of quotes and opinions on issues facing the elderly and those with special needs by The Wall Street Journal, The New York Times, Los Angeles Times, Money Magazine, Kiplinger, Reuters, New York Law Journal, AARP, Money, bankrate.com, and Jewish World Review. Lastly, Mr. Amoruso hosted the weekly “Eldercare on the Air” radio show on WFAS AM. Most importantly, however, Mr. Amoruso is the doting father of two beautiful daughters and husband to his incredible and loving wife, Sreelekha.

  

Karon C. Bales, T.E.P., C.S.
Karon is a founding partner of Bales Beall LLP whose experience speaks for itself. Her practice is centred on family law, wills and estates issues. Her experience in trial and appellate advocacy in family law and estate matters is extensive, particularly with those involving partnerships, business corporations and commercial issues. Karon also provides sound guidance with estate administration and planning, domestic and off-shore trusts, and succession planning for owners of family businesses. Her expertise also extends to mediations, as she's been conducting private mediations for over 10 years in the areas of family law and estate litigation – most often in cases where those two areas of the law intersect. Karon is certified by the Law Society of Upper Canada as a Specialist in Estates and Trusts Law and in Family Law. She has been listed in Best Lawyers – Canada since 2006. Karon is a member of the Society of Trust and Estate Practitioners (Worldwide), a Fellow and Governor of the International Academy of Family Lawyers (IAFL) and an Academician of the International Academy of Estate and Trust Law. Karon is President-Elect of the IAFL Canadian Chapter. She is an Adjunct Professor at the University of Toronto Law School. Karon has extensive involvement in community charities, including currently as a Director and Chair of the Board of the Seeing Eye Organization (Canada), as a Trustee of the Seeing Eye Inc., past chair of Nightwood Theatre, which promotes Canadian women in contemporary theatre, a former Trustee of The United Way of Greater Toronto, North York General Hospital Foundation (past chair), and North York General Hospital Board (past vice chair).

  

Ari Benacerraf

Ari Benacerraf is a Partner of Five Arrows Capital Partners (Rothschild & Co.) and a member of the Investment Committee. Prior to joining FACP, Mr. Benacerraf was co-founder and Partner of Diamond Castle, where he played a leadership role as part of the Diamond Castle investment team and was a member of the firm’s Investment Committee. Prior to Diamond Castle, Mr. Benacerraf served as a Managing Director at DLJ Merchant Banking Partners, where he had been a Principal and a Vice President since 1995, and before that he served as a Vice President at Bankers Trust Company from 1992 to 1995. Mr. Benacerraf holds an MBA from The Johnson School of Management of Cornell University (1988) and a BA in Chemistry from Franklin & Marshall College (1985).

  

Rich Boulger

Rich Boulger spent 25 years with Accenture, the global consulting firm. He worked in multiple industries including energy, government, technology, telecommunications and public transit. After retirement from Accenture, he served as the founding Director of the Business Solutions Center at the University of Iowa. He was also the founding Business Director of the MBA Strategic Innovation Academy.

Additionally, he held several roles at the University of Arizona. He most recently served as a Lecturer in the Management Information Systems Department where he taught classes in the Master’s in MIS program, the full time and executive MBA programs and the Eller undergraduate program. He also served as an Assistant to the Dean for Corporate Relations.

Rich recently retired after serving as the Associate Dean for Graduate and Executive Education at the University of Richmond in Richmond, Virginia. He holds a BS from the University of California at Davis, an MBA from the University of Michigan, and an MS in Business Analytics from the University of Utah.

  

Cynthia R. Bryant, Esq., Chair

Cynthia Bryant is retired after serving as special Counsel at a government agency in Washington, D.C. Ms. Bryant holds certificates in mediation and negotiation from the Harvard Negotiation Institute, and served as a collateral duty mediator in the Shared Neutrals program, a D.C.-Baltimore federal government interagency mediation program designed to address workplace conflict. She received a B.A. in Creative Arts from Bradford College, a J.D. from the University of Kansas Law School, and an LL.M. in International Legal Studies from American University Washington College of Law. Ms. Bryant is a former member of the Board of Governors for the University of Kansas Law School and serves on the law school’s Diversity Advisory Council. She is a board member for National Industries For the Blind, and also is a member of the National Association of Corporate Directors, National Association for Multicultural Education, National Speakers Association, Association for Conflict Resolution, and the African-American Federal Executive Association. Ms. Bryant is a member of the bars of Missouri, the District of Columbia, and the United States Supreme Court. She is a graduate of The Seeing Eye.

  

Ira H. Fuchs

Ira H. Fuchs is an internationally known authority on innovative technology solutions for higher education and is a co-founder of BITNET, an important precursor of the Internet and JSTOR, a not-for-profit organization dedicated to archiving and providing access to important scholarly journals.

He was inducted into the Internet Hall of Fame in 2017. Since 2012 he has been President of BITNET, LLC a consulting firm specializing in online learning and other applications of technology in higher education.

Mr. Fuchs was Vice President for Computing and Information Technology at Princeton University from 1985-2000 and Vice President and Program Officer for Research in Information Technology at The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation from 2000-2010. From 2010 until 2012 he was Executive Director of Next Generation Learning Challenges.

He is currently a Director/Trustee of The Philadelphia Contributionship and Ithaka Harbors Inc. He was also a Founding Trustee of JSTOR, USENIX, the Internet Society and a former Trustee of Mills College, Sarah Lawrence College, Princeton University Press, the Open Source Applications Foundation, Princeton Public Library, and the Global Education Learning Community.

He lives in Princeton, N.J., with his wife, Karen.  

  

Susan E. Gnall
Susan is Executive Director and co-founder of the Willowwood Group in Harding, New Jersey. Susan specializes in finding creative and customized planning and investment solutions to the challenges that are unique to multigenerational families. Susan transitioned her team in 2009 following her 15 year career at Merrill Lynch. Prior to her wealth management days, Susan had run a family business, restructuring its financing and preparing it for an eventual sale to a large competitor. Her previous experience was in corporate and strategic planning for International Paper and General Foods Corporation. Susan earned a B.A. degree in economics from College of the Holy Cross and an MBA degree in finance from New York University.

Outside of work, Susan continues her relationship with Holy Cross as a longtime member of The President’s Council. She also serves on the Morgan Stanley Western New Jersey Complex Women’s Council. Prior to joining The Seeing Eye Board, Susan volunteered her time on the Woman’s Association at The Seeing Eye.

Susan and her husband, Greg, reside in Morristown, have two adult sons and their yellow lab, Kendall. They love to spend time with family and friends at their home in Maine.

  

Rebecca Green, DVM, DACVIM

Dr. Rebecca Green graduated with a Bachelors of Science (Zoology) in 1990 from the University of California at Davis. She then went to Michigan State University College of Veterinary Medicine in which she received a Doctor of Veterinary Medicine in 1994. From 1994-1995, Dr. Green completed a rotating small animal internship at the University of Pennsylvania. In 1998, she completed a small animal internal medicine residency at Michigan State University. Dr. Green worked close to 20 years in the internal medicine department at Red Bank Veterinary Hospital . While at RBVH, she received referrals from veterinarians throughout New Jersey, New York and Pennsylvania. She has lectured to referring veterinarians and intern classes on topics such as canine hepatopathy, canine and feline enteropathies, and feline hyperthyroidism. In 2018, Dr. Green left RBVH to create her own consulting business- Veterinary IM Consults. She performs abdominal ultrasounds and internal medicine consultation for a local veterinary clinic. She reviews ultrasound studies and internal medicine cases for Oncura Partners Diagnostics. Dr. Green is also an internal medicine consultant for Rayne Nutrition. She lives in Scotch Plains, N.J. with her husband, three children, and a small terrier.

  

Margaret "Peggy" Grow

Peggy Grow has had a long and successful career in events management for the travel and pharmaceutical sectors (Pan American Airways, American Home Products, Pfizer). She holds a B.A. from Arcadia University in Pennsylvania. Peggy retired from corporate life in 2020.

Her passion for dogs and the mission of The Seeing Eye led her to become a volunteer in 2003 and has continued for 19 years and counting. She works as a puppy raiser, an escort to families on their puppy’s Town Walk, and at the breeding station in Chester.

Peggy and her husband have raised twelve puppies. She also participates in animal-assisted interventions with retired guide dogs, including two of her former foster puppies.

Peggy’s involvement with dogs expanded beyond The Seeing Eye. For seven years, she was manager of the Soothing Paws Program for animal-assisted interventions at the Morristown Medical Center. Peggy oversaw more than eighty volunteer human-animal teams that provided comfort, kindness and hope to patients, their families and the hospital staff.

Peggy also volunteers as a tutor through Literacy Volunteers of Morris County, and telephone reassurance calls through Jewish Family Service.

She and her husband Steve live in Morristown with their three dogs Polar, and retired guide dogs Trevor and Kelly.

  

David Hertz, Vice Chair
David Hertz is the President and CEO of Sealy Mattress Company of New Jersey. He started there in 1990 in the position of Vice President/General Counsel. Mr. Hertz is currently the Vice-Chairman of the Bunker Hill Special Improvement District Board of Directors in Paterson, NJ, a Board upon which he has served since 1995. Mr. Hertz was the National Co-Chair of Annual Giving at the University of Pennsylvania Law School from 2013-2016. He holds a J.D. from the University of Pennsylvania Law School (1988) and a B.A. in English from the University of Rochester (1985). Mr. Hertz is a lifelong resident of New Jersey and resides in Saddle River with his wife, Sharyl. They have three adult children and a wonderful English Bulldog named Jackpot.

  

Deb Hughes
Deb Hughes has spent more than 30 years in field and enterprise-wide HR roles at ADP. She currently serves as SVP, Transformation Communications and Change Management & HR for Enterprise-Wide Functions and COO-Business Support, responsible for providing HR support to the Chief Administrative Office, Finance, HR, Strategy, OneADP locations and Strategic Enablement and Strategic Operations teams as well as coordinating internal communication efforts and global change leadership work.

Deb earned a Bachelor’s of Arts Degree in Communications from Rutgers University and her Senior Professional in HR Certification in 2003. She is a Qualified Practitioner in Myers-Briggs Type Indicator training and is also a board member of the P.G. Chambers School.

  

The Honorable Thomas H. Kean
The Honorable Thomas H. Kean served as Governor of New Jersey from 1982 through 1990 and as President of Drew University from 1990 through 2005. In 2002, he was selected to head the National Commission on Terrorist Attacks upon the United States, also known as the 9/11 Commission. He then served as chairman of the 9/11 Public Discourse Project, a nonprofit entity created with private funds to continue the Commission's work of guarding against future attacks. Governor Kean is Vice Chair of the Environmental Defense Fund and Vice Chair of the National Committee of U.S. China Relations. He also is the Chairman of Carnegie Corporation of New York.

  

Karen Keninger
Karen Keninger is retired after serving as the Director of the National Library Service for the Blind and Print Disabled, a Division of the Library of Congress. She also served as Director of the Iowa Department for the Blind and before that as regional librarian for the Iowa Library for the Blind.

She earned a B.A. from Drake University in Journalism and an M.A. from Iowa State University in business and technical writing. She also studied library science at the University of Iowa. She partnered with Doodie, her first Seeing Eye dog when she was 16, and now lives in Newton, Iowa, with Jimi, her seventh.

  

Catherine A. Kiernan, Esq., Vice Chair
Cathy Kiernan is Principal of CKiernanLaw, LLC. Prior to that, she served as Vice President and General Counsel at Seton Hall University until December 2019. She joined Seton Hall in 1989 and established the University's first in-house legal department. She managed all of the University's legal affairs. In addition, she was responsible for risk management, regulatory compliance, and internal audit. She was also a member of the President’s Executive Cabinet.

Ms. Kiernan holds a B.A. in English from Montclair State University and a J.D. from Seton Hall University School of Law, where she was also an associate editor of the Seton Hall Law Review. She is a member of the Bar of the State of New Jersey and the United States District Court for the District of New Jersey. Prior to joining Seton Hall, Ms. Kiernan served as a law clerk to the Honorable Frederick C. Kentz, III, New Jersey Superior Court, Chancery Division, and was also in private practice for several years at Whipple, Ross & Hirsch. She is a member of the National Association of College and University Attorneys, as well as the New Jersey State Bar Association, where she serves as Vice Chair of the Higher Education Committee. Cathy resides in Manasquan, N.J., with her husband Bill, daughter Elizabeth, and goldendoodles, Chessa and Hazel.

  

OhSang Kwon, Treasurer
OhSang Kwon is a private investor who has spent his career in private equity and investment banking. OhSang was a founding partner of Avista Capital Partners, a private equity firm, which he left in 2014 to invest on his own. Prior to Avista, OhSang spent his career at DLJ Securities Corp. and DLJ Merchant Banking Partners. Prior to his banking and private equity career, he clerked for the Hon. William C. Conner, United States District Judge for the Southern District of New York. OhSang serves on the board of trustees of Packer Collegiate Institute in Brooklyn, NY. He is married with three sons. OhSang holds a JD from Columbia Law School (1995) and an AB from Harvard College (1990).

  

Thomas Mackenzie
Thomas Mackenzie is a Partner in KPMG USA and currently leads KPMG Global Solutions Group - Audit, with responsibility for solution development and deployment of KPMG Audit Global Audit solutions, including solution innovation, business design and development of the KPMG Audit solutions, with a focus on technology enablement and automation through use of data and new approaches.

  

Gordon E. Melville, M.D., F.A.C.R.
Dr. Gordon Melville is retired after serving over 35 years as a diagnostic and interventional radiologist in Central NJ. He joined Associated Radiologists in 1985 and led the introduction, operation, and interpretation of MRI services, one of the first in the state. Dr. Melville was certified by the American Board of Radiology as a subspecialist in Neuroradiology. He had a staff appointment at RWJ University Hospital Somerset, where he continues as a retired member. He served as Chairman of the Radiology Department and worked on numerous other committees at Muhlenberg Regional Medical Center. He filled multiple leadership positions, including Chairman of the Board of his practice. Dr. Melville enjoyed teaching residents and medical students and has authored chapters within leading neuroradiology textbooks. The American College of Radiology awarded him the distinction of Fellow in recognition of his contributions. His colleagues elected him a Castle Connelly Top Doctor for over 20 years.

Dr. Melville holds a BSE in Biomedical engineering from Duke University, an MD from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, and completed a diagnostic radiology residency at George Washington University Hospital and a fellowship in Neuroradiology at Massachusetts General Hospital.

  

Michael B. McKitish
Michael B. McKitish is retired after serving as Assistant Head for Finance and Operations for the Peddie School in Hightstown, N.J. Prior to that, he served as the Vice President of Finance and Business Affairs at Drew University, and before that, he worked for many years for the State of New Jersey, primarily in the Treasury Department, where he served as Associate Deputy Treasurer and Acting GSA Administrator; General Services Administration Administrator and Acting Director of Purchase & Property; and Chief Fiscal Officer. He also is a former School Board Member in Washington Township (Mercer County) and former Treasurer of Big Brothers Big Sisters of Mercer County.

  

Michael H. Mittelman, OD, MPH, MBA, Rear Admiral, USN (Ret.), Secretary
Dr. Michael H. Mittelman, inducted in July 2013 as the sixth president of Salus University (established by the Pennsylvania College of Optometry), brings a remarkably unique global perspective to Salus University, American professional medical education, and the rapidly changing landscape of research and healthcare delivery. Beginning as a Navy optometrist following his 1980 graduation from the Pennsylvania College of Optometry, Dr. Mittelman served with distinction for more than three decades in the U.S. Navy in a succession of increasingly responsible, mission-critical command positions. Prior to his appointment by the Salus University Board of Trustees, Dr. Mittelman was Deputy Surgeon General of the Navy and had achieved the rank of Rear Admiral (Upper Half). His exemplary career included posts around the world – covering land, sea and air responsibilities – as he became one of the most influential medical professionals to serve in the American military.

Dr. Mittelman, a New York native (City of Long Beach, Nassau County), earned a Bachelor of Arts degree from Jacksonville University in 1975, a Master of Public Health degree (MPH) from the University of Alabama at Birmingham in 1990, and most recently, a Master of Business Administration from the Fox School of Business at Temple University. He graduated from the Naval War College non-resident program in 1991. The father of three daughters, he and his wife now reside in Pennsylvania.

  

Susan Pomerantz, Ph.D.
Dr. Susan Pomerantz, a Seeing Eye graduate, is a licensed psychologist with a private practice in Manhattan. Before becoming a psychologist, Dr. Pomerantz was a civilian intelligence officer with the US Army and a senior intelligence officer with the US Defense Intelligence Agency. She earned a BA in International Studies from Emory University, an M.A. in Law and Diplomacy from the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy at Tufts University, and an M.A. and Ph.D. in Counseling Psychology from Seton Hall University. She trained in three college counseling centers and completed a post-doctoral fellowship at the William Alanson White Institute of Psychiatry, Psychoanalysis and Psychology. Dr. Pomerantz was an adjunct professor at John Jay College of Criminal Justice and Seton Hall University. She also directed and implemented disability awareness programs in elementary schools in New Jersey. Dr. Pomerantz has two adult children and lives in Manhattan with her Seeing Eye dog, Nelson, and retired Seeing Eye dog, Logan.

  

Vivek Sawhney
Vivek Sawhney is the Chief Information Officer & International Operations for Natural Resources Defense Council, Inc., where he is responsible for defining, implementing, and managing the organization's information technology and security strategy and vision. Previously he served as chief information officer for the Young Adult Institute (YAI) and as SVP/CIO of IntraLinks.

He received an MBA in finance and investments from Baruch College, CUNY, and a BA in sociology from Delhi University.

  

Susan Sepe
Susan Sepe is a four-time graduate of The Seeing Eye, currently working with a black Labrador/golden retriever cross named Jana.

Susan began her 27-year relationship with The Seeing Eye on a professional level when she and her management team from Missouri Rehabilitation Services for the Blind (RSB) participated in an educational program. Susan worked in the field of vocational rehabilitation in several positions including: the statewide Coordinator of Special Services, District Supervisor for the St. Louis South district office, Vocational rehabilitation counselor for the blind and rehabilitation teacher for the blind as well as served as a consultant for the Wisconsin Bureau for the Blind before retiring from public service to raise a family. Susan was a member of the Society of Government Meeting Planners and co-presented at several of their national conferences on accessibility issues and ADA compliance in the hotel industry.

Susan has given numerous presentations on Braille and guide dogs and has assisted parents in advocating for services needed for their children with special needs. Susan graduated from the University of Missouri - Columbia in 1984 with a B.S. in Special Education.

Susan and her husband have two grown children and live in Lake Geneva, Wisconsin, with their dogs, Jana and Laverne.

  

Charles Vite, D.V.M., Ph.D.

Dr. Charles Vite, Professor and Chair of the Department of Small Animal Clinical Sciences, at University of Florida, College of Veterinary Medicine, Department of Small Animal Clinical Sciences.

A board-certified veterinary neurologist, Dr. Vite has a research focus to improve the characterization and treatment of hereditary neurodegenerative diseases. His laboratory develops and evaluates experimental therapies including gene therapy, cell-based therapy, and pharmacotherapy and develops and validates ante-mortem biochemical and magnetic resonance markers of disease severity and progression. The focus of his lab is to improve the characterization and treatment of neurodegenerative diseases by studying naturally occurring large animal models of human diseases. His lab develops and evaluates experimental therapies including gene therapy, cell-based therapy, and pharmacotherapy in canine and feline models, and develops and validates ante mortem biochemical and magnetic resonance markers of disease severity and progression. His emphasis is to build bridges between biomedical sciences, government, pharmaceutical industries, and the FDA in order to bring new therapies to patients.

He lives in Florida with his wife, four horses, six dogs, and five cats.

  

Josh Weston

Josh Weston is the former CEO of Automatic Data Processing (ADP). He joined ADP in 1970, served as CEO form 1982 to 1996, and retired as Chairman in 1998. In addition to serving on the Board of Trustees for The Seeing Eye, he also serves on the boards of J.Crew, Committee for Economic Development, Business Executives for National Security, International Rescue Committee, Liberty Science Center, N.J. Performing Arts Center, United Nations Association, WNET/Channel 13, Safe Water Network and Yeshiva University. His past affiliations include National Commission to Restructure the IRS, NJ Business Partnership, NJ Quality Education Commission, Outward Bound, Tri-State United Way, and the President's Task Force to Improve Health Care Delivery for Veterans.

Weston is a Fulbright Scholar and holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Economics from City College of NY, a Master of Science degree in Economics from the University of New Zealand, and five honorary doctorate degrees. He served in the U.S. Navy from 1952-53. He lives in New Jersey and, with his late wife Judy Weston, has four children.

  

Hugh A. D'Andrade, Honorary Trustee
Hugh D'Andrade has been involved with The Seeing Eye since 1998, and a Trustee since 2000. He holds degrees from Rutgers University and Columbia Law School. D'Andrade is retired from his role as Vice Chairman, Chief Administrative Officer and member of the Board of Directors of Schering-Plough Corporation. He is a member of the Board of Trustees at Drew University and a past member of the Overlook Hospital Foundation. He is a member of the American and New Jersey Bar Associations. D'Andrade resides in Summit, N.J.

  

Thomas Duffy, Honorary Trustee
Thomas Duffy is retired after serving as the Global Chief Operating Officer, Audit for KPMG LLP. Mr. Duffy also served as the Managing Partner of the KPMG Global Solutions Group. Prior to that, he served as the National Managing Partner, Audit for KPMG LLP’s U.S. Firm. He is a member of the AICPA and is a licensed CPA in New York and New Jersey. Mr. Duffy holds a B.S. in accounting from St. Peter’s University. He has served as chair of The Seeing Eye's Board of Trustees since December 2016. He lives in Franklin Lakes, N.J., with his wife Debbie.

  

Mike Ranger, Honorary Trustee
Michael W. 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. Prior to that, he was co-chairman of DLJ Global Energy Partners; he previously was head of the Domestic Power Group at Credit-Suisse First Boston, group head of Global Energy & Power at DLJ, a senior vice president in the Energy & Utility Group at Drexel Burnham Lambert, and was a member of the Utility Banking Group at Bankers Trust. He is a trustee emeritus at St. Lawrence University and is a member of the board of Morristown-Beard School. He holds a B.A. from St. Lawrence University.