A Special Committee on University Climate, Diversity and Inclusion was established by the Board of Trustees to develop recommendations on programs, policies and initiatives to foster and strengthen diversity and inclusion at Syracuse.
Board of Trustees Special Committee on University Climate, Diversity and Inclusion
Richard Alexander, L’82
Co-Leader
Richard is a 1982 graduate of the College of Law and an active member of the Syracuse University community. He is the chairman of an international law firm and practices in the area of financial services law. He serves on the Board of Advisors of the College of Law and is a member of the University’s Board of Trustees and its Executive, Budget, Student Affairs and Academic Affairs Committees. He also is the Chair of Justice in Aging, a national nonprofit legal advocacy organization.
Jeffrey Scruggs
Co-Leader
Jeffrey is a member of the Board of Trustees and serves on the Budget, Executive and Student Affairs committees. He is also a member of the Maxwell School Advisory Board and a lifelong member of the Syracuse University community. His father was a professor at the Maxwell School, and Jeffrey has been a part of this community since he was 4 years old. Jeffrey graduated from Harvard, but Syracuse has remained an important place for him. He works for a global banking group, where he is co-head of the sector that finances public sector and infrastructure projects across the U.S.
Kathy Walters ’73
Kathy is Chair of the Syracuse University Board of Trustees, serving since May 2019. A member of the class of 1973, Syracuse has played a significant role in her life, both professionally and personally. She is a distinguished member of the international business community and held various key leadership positions in consumer products and paper companies across the United States and Europe. She also serves on the board of directors for the World Affairs Council, INVISTA and the Georgia Aquarium.
Elisabeth “Lisa” Fontenelli ’86
Lisa is a Trustee of Syracuse University, and is Chair of the Syracuse University Whitman Advisory Council. She recently retired as managing director at a global investment bank after a 25-year career at the firm. Lisa has long been devoted to serving others: during an 11-year tenure as a trustee of Georgian Court University, she participated in women’s leadership development initiatives. A member of the Syracuse class of 1986, she has since been an active participant in various on-campus programs.
Lawrence S. Kramer ’72
Lawrence is a member of the Syracuse University Board of Trustees, as well as a member of the Advisory Board of the Newhouse School of Public Communications. He graduated from Newhouse in 1972 and has since been a determined supporter of the school throughout a long and distinguished career in journalism and communications. He has sponsored immersion trips for Newhouse students, where he teaches classes on media management and entrepreneurship.
Christine Larsen G’84
Christine is a member of the Syracuse University Board of Trustees and recently retired from a long career in technology operations. Christine earned a master's degree in library and information science from Syracuse University's School of Information Studies in 1984 and has since been closely involved in the University. She has developed programs at leading financial services companies that provide educational and business sponsored programs to help women succeed. Christine has long supported Syracuse-area immigrants and refugees; together with her family, she recently funded a student-led assessment to evaluate and propose solutions to address the unmet needs of local immigrant communities.
Reinaldo "Rey" Pascual ’85
Rey is a member of the Syracuse University Board of Trustees and the founder of a specialty corporate law firm providing legal services to entrepreneurial clients. Rey has been equally involved with Syracuse University and received the Chancellor’s Citation for Distinguished Service in Law in 2002. A trustee since 2011, he was part of the committee which selected Kent Syverud as SU’s 12th Chancellor. Rey currently serves on the Board’s Executive Committee and chairs the Board’s Student Affairs Committee. Rey is a strong supporter of the University and is committed to helping disadvantaged students have the same opportunities he did when he arrived on campus from Puerto Rico in 1981. Rey graduated from the College of Arts and Sciences in 1985 with a degree in political science.