College of Arts
and Sciences

External Advisory Council

Providing Counsel and Guidance

The Dean's External Advisory Council is a consultative group who advises the Dean of the College of Arts and Sciences, serving as a vital link between the college and the external communities. The Council is made up of alumni, professionals, and experts who provide strategic guidance to the college. Members are invaluable sources of knowledge, ideas, and contacts for the college in an almost limitless variety of endeavors. Most importantly, Council members serve as ambassadors and spokespersons for Lehigh, linking the campus to the world.

Ronald L. Amey ‘74

Research Fellow (retired)

INVISTA S.a r.l.

Ronald Amey is a Research Fellow (retired) in the Specialty Materials group of INVISTA S.a r.l., a wholly-owned Koch Industries Wichita, KS) company.

Michele Brettschneider, external advisory committee member for Lehigh's College of Arts & Sciences

Ms. Michele Brettschneider '90

Founder

YogaJam

Location:

Scarsdale, NY

Michele Brettschneider is the President and Founder of YogaJam, LLC, a yoga company dedicated to helping teens, adults, and underprivileged youth find balance and strength in their lives through yoga postures and breathing.

Mr. Thomas F. Cahill, Jr. '85, '86

Managing Director

Morgan Stanley

Location:

New York City, NY

Thomas Cahill is a Managing Director and Founder of Morgan Stanley’s Tactical Value Fund (“TacVal”). Launched in 2017, Tactical Value is a $1.4 billion private equity fund tasked with investing in opportunistic, credit and non-control minority equity positions across all asset classes. It is located within Morgan Stanley’s Investment Management Division.

Ms. Arsha Cazazian-Clement

Head of Corporate Real Estate for the Americas and Global Head of ESG-GCS

Blackstone,

Location:

New York City, NY

Arsha Cazazian-Clement is a seasoned real estate executive with over 20 years of experience planning, executing, and leading teams for large-scale commercial real estate projects. She has a diverse background in architecture, design thinking, ESG, construction, and green technologies. Currently, as the Head of Corporate Real Estate for the Americas and Global Head of ESG-GCS at Blackstone, Arsha oversees 1.5 million square feet of real estate and Blackstone’s Global Corporate and Sustainable Operations.

Mr. Michael A. Epstein '75

Corporate Partner

Weil, Gotshal & Manges LLP

Location:

New York City, NY

Michael Epstein is a corporate partner and member of the Corporate Leadership Team in the New York City office of Weil, Gotshal & Manges, overseeing technology and IP transactions and intellectual property. He is also co-chair of his firm’s privacy and cybersecurity practice group. His practice involves transactions and counseling in all areas of intellectual property. His transactional work includes structuring and negotiating technology and intellectual property acquisitions, technology transfer and licensing arrangements, outsourcing transactions and joint ventures. He also has extensive intellectual property litigation experience, including handling technology-related disputes and litigations involving non-compete agreements.

Mr. Marc A. Falato '87

Managing Partner

ZenDog Productions, LLC

Location:

New York City, NY

Marc Falato is the co-founder of ZenDog Productions, a Broadway and film production company. As a Broadway producer, Marc has won the Best Play Revival Tony Award as well as the Best New Musical Tony Award and the shows he has produced have been nominated for a total of 24 Tony Awards. He has been featured in a number of periodicals including: Fast Company, Esquire, Sports Illustrated, and Outside. Prior to co-founding ZenDog Productions in 2003, he held a variety of positions as a media/telecoms banker in New York and Asia.

Mr. John H. Glanville '77

Managing Director

Athenaeum Capital Partners, LLC

Location:

Santa Barbara, CA

John H. Glanville serves as Managing Director of Athenaeum Capital Partners, LLC, an evergreen early stage technology investment fund operating and with investments in Southern California. John has managed fund raising, due diligence, investment, board, and exit responsibilities for multiple investments over a 20 year investment period. He manages an active portfolio with a current focus on impact investing.

Mr. David N. Ingram '73, '09P, '13P

Retired, Executive Vice President

Willis Re's Analytics Team

Location:

New York City, NY

David N. Ingram recently retired from Willis Re in New York. There he provided insurers with advice regarding their Enterprise Risk Management (ERM) programs for the last dozen years of an over 45-year career in the insurance industry. He has authored over 100 published articles relating to ERM, and has spoken on ERM at over 100 events in North America, Asia, Europe, Middle East, Africa, Australia, and South America. He is currently engaged in research projects for the Society of Actuaries (SOA).

David S. Ivill

David S. Ivill works alongside health-focused private equity (PE) companies, hospitals, health systems and physician groups on their most sophisticated transactions. His experience on both sides of the health transaction deal table gives him valuable insight into the structuring best practices, and regional and sector-specific nuances that can make or break a transaction. A nationally recognized healthcare dealmaker, David has particularly deep experience with hospitals and health systems in the Northeastern United States, where he leverages his PE experience to help hospital clients maximize their transaction goals. David serves as a practice area leader for McDermott’s global Healthcare PE practice, as well as partner-in-charge of the Firm’s New York healthcare team.

Dr. Julia E. Klees '82

Associate Corporate Medical Director

BASF Corporation

Location:

Florham Park, NJ

Julia E. Klees is currently Associate Corporate Medical Director for BASF Corporation, the North American subsidiary of BASF SE, the world’s leading chemical company. Functional responsibilities include the design and management of the BASF Corporation medical programs including occupational health surveillance, medical emergency response, health promotion programs, and work re-entry from short term disability. She consults with her colleagues in Environmental Health and Safety regarding the relationship of health effects to toxicology and industrial hygiene. Julia contributes to the worldwide BASF Group Chemical Emergency Medical Guidelines, occupational medicine performance standards and audit programs.

Anne Kline, Retired, Senior Vice President & Commercial Banker, Pohanka Family Office

Ms. Anne R. Kline '81

Director

Pohanka Family Office

Location:

Capital Heights, MD

Anne R. Kline retired from a 35-year career in Commercial Banking in April, 2021. She is now the Director of the Pohanka Family Office located in Capitol Heights, MD. She is the Opera Ambassador and a member of the Washington National Opera’s Board of Trustees of the Kennedy Center. She is also a member of the National Committee of the Performing Arts of the Kennedy Center. She is on the Executive Committee of the Wolf Trap Foundation Board and recently became a member of the Board of Directors at The Metropolitan Opera in NYC. Anne recently rotated off Lehigh's Board of Trustees after nine years of service. Anne is also a member of the Catholic Charities Prince George’s County Task Force. She received a bachelor’s degree in social relations and Spanish from Lehigh in 1981. Her postgraduate education includes the Maryland Banking School, Virginia Commonwealth University, and a Professional Banking Diploma from the American Institute of Banking.

Mr. Juan Palacio Moreno '16, '17G

First-Year Associate

Latham & Watkins

Location:

New York City, NY

Juan Palacio Moreno is a first-year associate at the NYC office of Latham & Watkins. He graduated from Harvard Law School in 2022 and will clerk in the U.S. Eastern District of California beginning October 2023.

Mr. Martin H. Neidell '68

Retired

Stroock & Stroock & Lavan LLP

Location:

New York City, NY

Martin H. Neidell retired at the end of 2011 after spending almost 40 years at the law firm of Stroock & Stroock & Lavan LLP, where he was a partner in the corporate department and member of the Executive Committee specializing in mergers and acquisitions, public and private securities offerings, private equity, corporate governance and securities law compliance. He joined Stroock in 1973 after serving two years as a law clerk to a U.S. District Court Judge and became a partner in 1980.

Mr. Todd Russo ‘95

Chief Executive Officer

Buckeye Partners, L.P.

Location:

Houston, TX

Todd Russo is the Chief Executive Officer of Buckeye Partners, L.P. Buckeye, based in Houston, Texas, owns and operates a diversified liquid petroleum product logistics network and is also diversifying its platform into energy transition initiatives, including investments with respect to solar, biofuels, carbon capture and hydrogen. In his role, Todd also serves on the Boards of a number of Buckeye investments, including Swift Current Energy and OneH2, Inc.

Mr. Joshua Stiefel '08

Armed Services Committee

House of Representatives

Location:

Washington, DC

Joshua Stiefel serves as a Professional Staff Member for the House Armed Services Committee. Prior to moving to the Legislative Branch, Josh spent a decade in the Executive Branch, with the Departments of the Treasury and Defense, specializing in national security policy. He has worked extensively in both military and civilian environments, and was deployed to Iraq in 2011 with U.S. Special Operations Forces.

Ms. Jill E. Triani '94, '24P, '26P

Previously, Project Manager

Mark Johnson and Associates

Location:

Riegelsville, PA

Jill Triani is a former project manager with Mark Johnson & Associates. After leaving residential architecture, Jill became active in a variety of volunteer roles. Jill recently completed a term on the Lehigh University Board of Trustees. She is past president of the LUAA Board of Directors. She previously served one term as SVP and one term as director at large on the board. Jill served as the Michigan Alumni Club President, a member of the Lehigh Leadership Council, the Reunion Chair Class of 1994, and the Class of 1994 flag bearer at the first-year student rally. She is a member of the Asa Packer Society and the Tower Society.