Rockefeller College Celebrating 75 Years of Excellence

Brooklyn born and bred, Michael Tobman, who serves as the Membership Director of a leading and diverse real estate trade group, has held important positions in government, government relations, and communications for over 25 years. Also an attorney, he has served as general consultant or communications director in hotly contested elections at every level of government, and coordinated statewide issue campaigns concerning proposals from five New York governors. A former senior aide to U.S. Senator Charles Schumer, he also served as Chief of Staff of the Nassau County Legislature, is an advisor to political party leadership, and works with public charter school networks and faith communities. Michael organizes and works with digital advertising and mainstream media outlets to help shape persuasive policy narratives. His perspective is centrist, open-minded, and bipartisan. Michael is a 1995 graduate of UAlbany's Rockefeller College of Public Affairs & Policy, and a 1998 graduate of the CUNY School of Law.

Leigh Bates has 15 years of experience in criminal justice research and policy analysis in New York State. As Deputy Commissioner in the Division of Criminal Justice Services’ Office of Justice Research and Performance, Leigh oversees staff who prepare criminal justice statistics, research, and analysis to support policy and inform decision-making. This includes assessing criminal justice programming to improve alignment with the evidence base, providing research and analytic support for gun violence reduction initiatives, and overseeing the development of the Criminal Justice Knowledge Bank and Research Consortium, which promote the use of evidence based practices and support local practitioner and researcher partnerships. Leigh currently oversees research and analysis related to youth justice, firearm violence, bail reform, and other criminal justice initiatives. She holds a Master of Public Administration from the University of Arizona and a PhD in Criminal Justice from the University at Albany, SUNY.

Scott de la Vega is a member of the federal government’s career Senior Executive Service (SES) and was appointed by President Biden to be his Acting Secretary of the Interior in January 2021. Scott served as Interior’s Director of Presidential Transition in 2020 and served on the Federal government’s Agency Transition Director’s Council.

Scott is a leading authority on political activity law, ethics and appropriations law, and federal administrative law and policy and is the Interior Secretary’s representative to the Administrative Conference of the United States (ACUS). He is on the senior management team of the Office of the Solicitor, U.S. Department of the Interior and currently serves as the Associate Solicitor for General Law, the Department’s highest ranking career attorney. Prior to that position, he was the Director of Interior’s Departmental Ethics Office and DOI’s Designated Agency Ethics Official.

Previously, Scott served for several years in various non-partisan senior legal positions at the White House, including as Ethics Counsel to then Vice President Biden and in the Office of the White House Counsel as well as Managing Counsel for Operations in the Executive Office of the President. In these roles, he oversaw the financial disclosure clearance process for all White House officials; directly counseled senior White House staff, Cabinet officials, and nominees seeking Senate confirmation; and helped to formulate policy on issues ranging from acquisition and appropriations law to conflicts of interest and Presidential transition. He has worked directly with senior leadership across the Executive Branch and in Congress. He is respected at the highest levels in Washington by members of both parties and has been cited in national media from The Wall Street Journal to The Los Angeles Times.

Scott has served in leadership positions at other federal agencies, as Vice President and Senior Counsel at J.P. Morgan Chase & Co. and as Vice President at Morgan Stanley, where he was in the investment bank’s Fixed Income Division and served as Chief Counsel for Morgan Stanley Credit Corporation. Scott was a commissioned officer and served as both a trial and appellate criminal litigator in the U.S. Army’s Judge Advocate General’s Corps, where his final active-duty assignment was as U.S. Supreme Court Coordinator for the Defense Appellate Division. He is a guest lecturer in law and public policy at colleges, universities, and agencies across the Federal government.

Scott was raised in New York City and graduated from Brooklyn Tech. He earned a Diploma in International Relations in 1990 from the University of Wales (Swansea, UK), and a B.A. in 1991 from the Rockefeller College of Public Affairs & Policy at the University at Albany, SUNY and a J.D. in 1994 from the Syracuse University College of Law.

Joey Jackson is a nationally recognized attorney who has represented individuals and labor unions in state and federal court for over two decades. As Principal and Founder of JOEY JACKSON LAW, PLLC, Mr. Jackson oversees every aspect of the practice. Mr. Jackson and his associates at JOEY JACKSON LAW, have represented a diverse group of clients under the glare of cameras as well as those who have never attracted public attention. He has built an outstanding career as a trial lawyer representing clients who have fallen into high-stakes personal and professional crises, as well as those who are average citizens in need of his fierce and benevolent counsel.

Mr. Jackson has been a member of the New York Bar since 1995. After graduating from Hofstra Law School, Mr. Jackson was appointed Assistant District Attorney under Robert Morgenthau. Following a successful career as a prosecutor where he received the Distinguished Public Service Award, Mr. Jackson joined the firm of Koehler & Isaacs LLP where he served as Senior Trial Counsel specializing in criminal defense. Mr. Jackson has tried cases and received favorable verdicts in Manhattan, Brooklyn, Queens, and the Bronx, as well as Nassau, Rockland, Suffolk, and Westchester Counties. At the federal level, he handles cases in both the Eastern and Southern Districts.

Mr. Jackson's straight-talking legal expertise is held in high regard by media outlets, as he has frequently appeared on various cable news programs over the last decade. He is currently employed by CNN/HLN as a Legal Analyst.

Mr. Jackson attended Hofstra Law School. While in law school, he served as editor for the Hofstra Labor & Employment Law Journal and a member of the National Moot Court and National Trial teams.

Prior to Law School, he earned his MPA from the University at Albany’s Rockefeller College of Public Affairs and Policy. While earning his master's degree, he worked for the NYS Assembly Speaker as a Legislative Analyst. He also holds a BA from SUNY Brockport, where he participated in the honors program, directed the student-run Legal Information Service, served as student body president, and interned with the NYS Education Department as well as Congressman Charles B. Rangel (D-NY) in Washington, D.C. He also worked for the NYC Mayor's Office in the Division of Special Projects.

Mr. Jackson is a former professor at Monroe College where he taught business and civil rights law.

Saima Akhtar is a Senior Attorney with the National Center for Law and Economic Justice. She works on issues that include Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program benefits (food stamps), cash public assistance, emergency assistance, Medicaid and concerns of Due Process. Saima has represented low income clients both in court and in administrative proceedings, and has served as counsel to the class in a number of class action cases in New York State Courts and Federal Courts including Brooks v. Roberts, Richard C. v. Proud, Karamalla v. Divine and A.A. v. Gee. She has also provided continuing legal education sessions for the New York State Bar Association, The Sargent Shriver National Center on Poverty Law, Practicing Law Institute, and the National Legal Aid and Defenders Association on topics such as SNAP basics, emergency assistance benefits in New York, New York State appellate practice and basic lawyering skills for new attorneys. Saima is a graduate of Albany Law School of Union University and holds a master’s degree in Public Policy from the Rockefeller College of Public Affairs and Policy at the University at Albany. She is a recipient of Albany Law School’s Edward M. Cameron Memorial Prize for her contributions to the area of public interest law and was a 2006 Fellow of the Center for Women in Government and Civil Society at the University at Albany.

Dr. Camela Hughes has been on LaSalle’s staff since 2012 and is the Assistant Director of Performance and Quality Improvement. Her research interests include evidence-based practice, trauma informed care, and the linkages between client characteristics, treatment interventions, and outcomes for youth. Dr. Hughes actively presents on these topics at regional, national and international conferences and trainings. Dr. Hughes was the Co-Principal Investigator of Service Outcomes Action Research (SOAR), a University/agency partnership designed to aid LaSalle School in the development and testing of a theory of change to help determine what methods work best with which clients. She is currently the Chair of the Association of Children’s Residential and Community Services Research Committee.

In addition to her work at LaSalle, Dr. Hughes is a Visiting Assistant Professor at the College of St. Rose and is the Founder of Data Narratives, LLC, a consulting firm focused in designing data-driven and data-informed approaches to help agencies tell their stories and demonstrate impact.

Dr. Hughes earned bachelor’s degrees in Criminal Justice and Spanish at the University of Nevada, Reno, and continued her work in Criminal Justice at the University at Albany’s School of Criminal Justice, where she received her master’s and PhD.

Dave Salvant is the Co-Founder and President of SQUIRE Technologies, the premier all-in-one barbershop management platform. Since its inception in 2015, SQUIRE has reinvented the concept of barbershop community and turned daily operations on its head.

Salvant’s vision was to create a solution to a problem that he observed since childhood — a way for getting haircuts to become seamless for the client and barbershops to become more efficient in running their businesses.

He believes that technology can genuinely help improve lives and that SQUIRE’S most important impact is on helping local communities. By reducing the amount of time spent on back office, administrative, and daily operational tasks through using SQUIRE’s technology, the often family or independently owned barbershop businesses have more time to spend with their own families and in service to their communities.

In partnership with Co-Founder and CEO, Songe LaRon, Dave has led SQUIRE to remarkable growth: the company is now valued at $750 million after completing a Series D fundraising round led by Tiger Global- tripling its valuation in just under two years.

As President of a growing company that has seen incredible success, he also believes that failure is necessary in order to succeed. “People fail in projects, in school, in work, but the ability to rebound and learn from those failures is a critical part of what makes someone successful. There are many examples of folks failing, but when you fail, it makes the triumph so much more memorable.”

Salvant is a graduate of the University at Albany, with a background in finance. He’s also a University of Wisconsin Consortium fellow.

Thomas Bilach is a Sergeant in the New York City Police Department. He received a Department-sponsored sabbatical in 2013 to attend the University at Albany’s School of Criminal Justice. Since graduating, he has conducted research with academics and practitioners in both the law enforcement and public health sector. His police service includes a stint in the NYPD’s Office of Management Analysis and Planning as an analyst and supervisor, with experience in strategic and executive correspondence, operations research, policy planning, staffing, and crime reporting. His recent work focuses on minimizing risk through the acquisition and assessment of body-worn camera data.

Sergeant Bilach’s peer-reviewed, scholarly contributions can be found in Justice Quarterly, the Journal of Forensic Psychology Research and Practice, and the Journal of Experimental Criminology. His latest evaluative research focused on the introduction of large-scale foot patrols in New York City and their effect on violent street crime. He is also the recent recipient of the National Institute of Justice’s Law Enforcement Advancing Data and Science (LEADS) program, which is a scholarship focused on developing the research capacity of mid-career law enforcement officers from all over the United States.

Sergeant Bilach’s most current research interests center around risk mitigation, use-of-force, and program evaluation. He also takes a specialized interest in applying the latest econometric methods to the evaluation of government policy.

Sergeant Bilach still maintains an active partnership with UAlbany alumni and faculty, where he continues to evaluate police policy and practice.

Michael Blaustein serves as Senior Vice President, Government Affairs at the Partnership for New York City. He manages the Partnerships’ federal and state legislative agenda, interfacing with all aspects of the government. The Partnership mobilizes private sector resources and expertise to advance New York City’s standing as a global center of economic opportunity, upward mobility, and innovation. It is a nonprofit organization whose 330 members are preeminent business leaders and companies that employ more than 1 million New Yorkers.

Previously, Michael has worked in the public affairs realm for Kivvit, a public affairs firm that provides innovative and immersive strategic communications strategies. There, he supported multi-faceted campaigns and efforts on behalf of clients from the private and nonprofit sectors. Upon graduating from the University at Albany, SUNY, Michael worked for the New York State Senate as a Policy Analyst, a position he attained in part through a legislative affairs internship with Civil Services Employees Association. That internship was completed in his final semester at UAlbany.

Michael could not be prouder to be a University at Albany alumnus and credits the school, the internships he was connected with, and professors for setting him on his career course. In particular, he thanks professors Michael Christakis, Anne Hildreth, and Michael Malbin for their engagement, bringing the intersection of politics and policy into the classroom and helping set him on a fulfilling and exciting career.

Amani is the Managing Director of Diversity, Equity, and Impact at Everytown for Gun Safety. She has served in the Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) space for eight years. During this time, she has helped professionals across different sectors understand their DEI needs and generate strategies to build more equitable and inclusive environments. Amani received her PhD in Public Administration and Policy from Rockefeller College of Public Affairs and Policy at the University at Albany, State University of New York. During her studies, she concentrated on public management, with a special focus on DEI and personnel psychology.

Kapil Gupta is currently the Deputy Director of Public Policy at India Cellular & Electronics Association, an apex industry body of mobile and electronics with a vision to make India a global electronics manufacturing hub. His work focuses on policy and strategy matters concerning supply chain, semiconductors, electronic manufacturing clusters, and electronic manufacturing services, among others.

Earlier, Kapil worked with CUTS International, a global public policy think based out of India, as an Assistant Policy Analyst on issues of cross border data flows, cybersecurity, data privacy, and institutionalizing economic analysis in judicial decision making, among others. He managed research projects and implemented advocacy strategies on concerned issues at the federal and state level.

Kapil’s experience at the grassroots as a Gandhi Fellow with Kaivalya Education Foundation have had a lasting impact on him to make a positive difference in the society leveraging public policy as a tool. As a Gandhi Fellow, he implemented Principal Leadership Development Program in five public schools in Surat, Gujarat, impacting student learning outcome of more than 2500 students among other community level interventions.

Kapil holds a Master of Public Administration with a concentration in Government Information Strategy and Management and Policy Analytical Methods from the Rockefeller College of Public Affairs and Policy at the University at Albany. He also holds a Bachelor of Social, Legal Sciences and Bachelor of Laws from Shankarrao Chavan Law College, University of Pune, India.

Kapil is married to Malika Porwal and have a son. Kapil is passionate about reading books and making a positive difference in the society.

Frazer Lonie is a Policy & Program Analyst with the New York State Division of Homeland Security & Emergency Services (DHSES). DHSES provides leadership, coordination, and support to prevent, protect against, prepare for, respond to, recover from, and mitigate disasters and other emergencies. Working in the Policy and Program Development Unit since 2017, Frazer plays a leading role in the management and delivery of high profile and complex initiatives.

In his current position, Frazer leads New York State’s compliance with a federal risk and capability assessment (THIRA/SPR), which involves extensive coordination with federal, state, and local partners. Frazer’s successful leadership of this program ensures that New York State continues to receive vast amounts of homeland security funding critical to ongoing public safety operations. Frazer also provides analytical support across a series of cross-cutting programs and projects. Focus areas for Frazer include emergency preparedness assessments examining local risk, capabilities, and grant reliance, the use of drones for public safety purposes, and the prevention of targeted violence. Recently, Frazer has helped to craft guidance for counties on how to develop strategies to confront the threat posed by domestic terrorism.

Prior to his time with DHSES, Frazer served as a researcher with Thames Valley Police (TVP) in the United Kingdom. In this role, Frazer conducted extensive research and analysis to prepare reports on subjects in sensitive police investigations. It was during his time with TVP that Frazer gained his passion for public safety which continues to drive his work today.

Frazer is a graduate of the Master of International Affairs program at Rockefeller College of Public Affairs and Policy, where he concentrated in Global and Homeland Security. During his time at Rockefeller, Frazer was fortunate to be able to learn from several distinguished experts in the homeland security field, some of whom are now Frazer’s colleagues at DHSES. Frazer received his bachelor’s degree in International Politics from Aberystwyth University. In his spare time, Frazer enjoys walking with his wife, their young son, and their dog.

Lauren Mannerberg is an Account Executive with Anat Gerstein, Inc., a full-service public affairs and public relations firm that works exclusively with nonprofit organizations.

The firm’s local and national nonprofit clients assist people experiencing poverty, homelessness, and mental health concerns; provide education, cultural programming, advocacy, and civic engagement; advocate for social causes; and support local businesses and communities. Lauren helps these nonprofits tell their stories and communicate with key audiences including donors, elected officials, community members, and the public.

Prior to joining Anat Gerstein, Inc., she worked in the New York State Executive Chamber handling communications for the Governor’s office as the Director of Internal and Agency Communications. In this role she managed New York State agency and authority priority projects and announcements.

Before that Lauren worked for Lieutenant Governor Kathy Hochul as Director of Operations. There she developed and cultivated relationships with constituents, local elected officials, government agencies, nonprofits, advocacy groups, and the media to promote New York State policies and initiatives.

Lauren began her career at the Civil Service Employees Association (CSEA) labor union advocating on behalf of a diverse spectrum of workers from across the state. While working in CSEA's Legislative and Political Action Department she advanced policies and legislation that benefited the union’s members and worked with activists to support the campaigns of elected officials who shared labor’s values.

Lauren is a graduate of the University at Albany where she received her bachelor’s degree from the Honors College in political science and journalism, and her master’s degree in public administration from the Rockefeller College of Public Affairs and Policy. She currently resides in New York City, but will always be an Upstate New Yorker at heart.

Cyndi Mellen is the Continuity of Operations (COOP) Director within the Office of Strategic Operations at New York City Emergency Management (NYCEM). Cyndi leads her team in coordinating NYC’s COOP Program, helping City agencies build resilience and enhance their ability to deliver essential services during emergencies. Cyndi also serves as a Planning Section Chief during response operations and was activated for Tropical Storms Ida and Henri, in addition to winter weather, heat, and other incidents. During the COVID-19 response, Cyndi supported vaccine equity operations in the City’s Vaccine Command Center.

Cyndi has over a decade of program management, planning, training, and exercise experience across a variety of areas, including COOP, cybersecurity, and complex coordinated terrorist attacks (CCTAs). Prior to NYCEM, she was a Senior Associate at Cadmus, where she managed programs across all levels of government and for the private sector. Cyndi was previously on the executive team for the National Center for Security & Preparedness at the University at Albany. She began her career at Rockefeller College’s Professional Development Program, supporting training development and delivery.

Cyndi is a Certified Business Continuity Professional (CBCP) and Project Management Professional (PMP). She holds a Master of Public Administration (MPA) degree in Homeland Security and Government Information Strategy and Management and a Bachelor of Arts (BA) degree in Political Science from the Rockefeller College of Public Affairs & Policy, University at Albany. During her time at Rockefeller, Cyndi particularly enjoyed classes taught by Dr. Victor Asal, who helped frame her approach to tackling complex challenges. She is also grateful for the Semester in Washington Program, where she learned how to be a professional while making friends in a new city.

Outside of work, Cyndi continues to support UAlbany through recruitment and mentorship efforts. Last year, she partnered with CEHC to host a semester-long capstone project on COOP and cybersecurity, culminating in student involvement in NYC’s annual COOP Conference. In her spare time, Cyndi enjoys yoga, exploring NYC’s food scene, and cultivating her minor expertise in mindfulness and habit formation.

Sireeda Miller is the Deputy Director of Finance at the Natural Resource Defense Council (NRDC) based out of the Washington, D.C. office. She manages a team of Financial Analysts with a primary focus on providing fiscal management to NRDC’s DC-based programs, which include People and Communities, The International Program (which houses the China, India and International Climate teams), Director of Programs, Center for Policy Advocacy, Science Center and Communications. As Deputy Director, she works with the CFO, Senior Finance Managing Director, and departments leadership to align NRDC’s long-term fiscal needs with the mission and goals of our organization. This includes meeting with Development to ensure fundraising goals are aligned with the programmatic goals and projected annual budget costs, working with FP&A on mid-year re-forecasting reviews and meeting with programs on a quarterly basis to review their budget. She also serves as the Deputy Director for NRDC Action Fund. Prior to her position as the Deputy Director, Sireeda served as the Program Finance Manager for six years. As Program Finance Manager, Sireeda served as the main finance point of contact for all federal and international grants awarded to NRDC, coordinating with the program directors and development team on the budget proposal and financial reporting for these grants.

Aside from her financial contributions, Sireeda has seen great success in other aspects of work at NRDC. In 2016, Sireeda worked with a team of experts on a proposal to create an equity center at NRDC. The equity center would serve as a dedicated unit within NRDC to enhance the collective equity advocacy skillset and build broader and deeper connections to an external community of equity and justice experts. After years of work and advocacy, the proposal for the Equity Center was approved in 2020 and NRDC’s Environment, Equity and Justice Center was established in 2021. From 2018-2020, Sireeda served on a six-person team that lead NRDC’s strategic plan to incorporate Equity and Inclusion into its external programmatic work and foster diversity, equity and inclusion into its internal community. She designed the Core Curriculum currently used for all mandatory Diversity, Equity and Inclusion trainings for all institution staff and Board of Trustees as well as co-designed the Equity Tool used for outside partnership projects.

Prior to her position at NRDC, Sireeda spent five years as the Wildlife Health and Heath Policy Program’s Program Coordinator for the Wildlife Conversation Society (WCS). As Program Coordinator, Sireeda managed the policy program’s $5 million-dollar annual budget, coordinating the government and private donor funding process and organizing the execution of government grants and private donor reporting requirements. A key highlight of her work at WCS, included coordinating with international partners on the management of the USAID PREDICT 1 and USAID PREDICT 2 projects both part of the USAID Emerging Pandemic Threats. Prior to her work at WCS, Sireeda worked three years as a Production Coordinator at Cision US and three years as a Billing Analyst, Reconciliation at Metropolitan Telecommunication (MetTel).

Sireeda earned her Master’s in Public Administration at Rockefeller in 2014, with a concentration in Financial Management and Politics, Public Politics and Institution. Her degree and concentration have allowed her to gain essential fiscal, analytical and strategic management skills necessary for the work she has accomplished to date. Her greatest achievement at Rockefeller was her ability to complete the MPA program while continuing to work full time at the Wildlife Conservation Society. This required her to travel from New York to Albany twice a week for 2.5 years. While at times, it was incredibly exhausting journey, she would not have changed her decision in choosing Rockefeller. She is forever grateful Rockefeller’s faculty and administration for assisting her throughout her graduate school years and beyond.

Sireeda currently resided in Maryland with her loving husband Sammy, her adorable, rambunctious, 16-month-old son Elijah and her beloved dogs, Rudy and Lady.

Committed to public engagement, Dr. Privott currently serves as the Assistant Dean for Public Engagement with the College of Arts & Sciences and as the Director of the University in the High School Program at the University at Albany. She also serves as a lecturer with the Rockefeller College’s School of Criminal Justice, where she earned her MA and PhD.

Dr. Privott graduated from Spelman College with her BA in Psychology. Passionate about action research, she was previously employed at the Southern Center for Studies in Public Policy at Clark Atlanta University, where she also worked with the Army Environmental Policy Institute. Dr. Privott has completed research related to youth justice with the Continual Improvement Project, now known as Service Outcomes Action Research, at the University at Albany. She has worked with several community initiatives; and she currently leads the Girls Inc. Eureka! Program partnership with UAlbany's College of Arts & Sciences, encouraging girls to be "strong, smart, and bold!"

Dr. Privott is a member of the first class of the Leadership Academy of the State University of New York Research Foundation, a recipient of the Girls Inc. Lifetime of Inspiration Award, University at Albany’s Initiatives For Women President’s Award, Faculty Advisor of the Year (UAlbany Fraternity & Sorority Life) Award, and the Omega Psi Phi Fraternity, Inc. (Nu Tau Chapter) Women of Color Award. She is pleased to currently serve as a Board Member of AVillage, Inc., UAlbany's Center for Women in Government & Civil Society, and as Chair of the Girl Scouts of Northeastern New York Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Task Force. Dr. Privott is a member of the Executive Committee of the Center for the Elimination of Minority Health Disparities and a Community Advisory Board Member of WMHT.

Dr. Privott's most rewarding positions are as mom to three children and as wife of 16 years to Jermaine T. Privott, also a graduate of UAlbany's Rockefeller College (MPA), School of Business (MBA), and College of Arts and Sciences (BA). The family shares a love of education, travel, and fulfilling the purpose for which they were created collectively and individually, understanding that everything for which they were designed is possible.

Directors

• 1954-1957 Paul Studenski
• 1957-1962 O.B. Conaway, Jr.

Deans

• 1957-1967 O.B. Conaway, Jr.
• 1967 Lewis P. Welch*
• 1967-1971 Fred Tickner
• 1971-1977 L. Gray Cowan
• 1977-1981 Orville F. Poland
• 1981-1983 Irene Lurie*
• 1983-1988 David Andersen
• 1988-2005 Frank J. Thompson
• 2006 Helen R. Desfosses*
• 2006-2011 Jeffrey Straussman
• 2011-2015 David L. Rousseau
• 2015-2021 R. Karl Rethemeyer
• 2021-present Julie Novkov*
• *Acting/Interim Dean