Board of Directors Biographies

David G. Breen '78

Principal designer and founder of VDA Productions, David Breen has worked to establish the unrivaled reputation for excellence that marks VDA. Having spent more than 25 years in the corporate event-marketing arena, he is instrumental in helping clients achieve their core messaging objectives through a creative, visual presentation medium. An accomplished designer and consultant in Boston, David is a graduate of Emerson College with a degree in Technical Theater and Design. He has traveled extensively throughout the United States, Europe, and Asia for numerous corporate special events, conferences, and museum/themed retail installations. VDA Productions is a Boston-based event design, management, and production company providing complete in-house design/fabrication/installation services.

Pat Peyton '84

Pat Peyton is an innovative leadership and sales consultant with more than 25 years of experience partnering with global organizations to enhance their leadership, management, and sales performance. Pat’s exceptional communication and analytical skills, combined with her business acumen, enable her to quickly diagnose organizational challenges, design solutions to address those challenges, and help clients successfully implement those solutions.

Michael MacWade G'86

Michael MacWade is senior vice president, client service and operations for Fidelity Institutional Wealth Services (IWS), a brokerage division of Fidelity Investments. Mr. MacWade joined Fidelity in 1987 and has held various client service-based roles of increasing stature. Most recently with the firm, he acted as senior vice president, administrative services within IWS, where he managed teams responsible for all implementation, program management, sales administration, and technology operations. From 2004 to 2005, Michael was senior vice president, General Motors service executive within Fidelity Human Resources Services Company (FHRS) and headed the implementation of General Motor’s HR services to Fidelity and outside vendors. Also with FHRS, he was senior vice president, client services-defined benefit practice from 2002 to 2004.

Travis Small '97

Travis Small is responsible for the day-to-day management of accounts in the energy and environmental practice group at Rasky Baerlein Strategic Communications. Travis’s client work focuses on topics related to the energy industry, specifically in the areas of renewable/green energy generation, sustainability efforts, and conservation measures. Travis has more than 10 years of experience in the communications industry, having held positions in marketing, political communications, public relations, and advertising. Before joining Rasky Baerlein, Travis was an account manager at Captains of Industry, a strategic marketing firm, where he worked on major biotech, health services, and nonprofit accounts. He also has a long history of involvement with statewide and national political campaigns, including John Kerry for President and Shannon O’Brien for Governor. Travis earned a bachelor’s degree in Communication Studies from Emerson College.

Robert Friend '79

Robert Friend is Vice President of Sales and Marketing for Choice Ticketing Systems, a leading provider of enterprise-wide ticketing, marketing, fundraising and CRM database solutions for the commercial and non-profit entertainment industry. He has extensive experience in strategic and financial business operations with significant expertise in fundraising, marketing, sales and technology. He has over thirty years of professional leadership in the non-profit and commercial performing arts, sports and arts technology industries and has worked with and consulted for entertainment organizations throughout North America assisting them in strengthening their financial base through enhanced audience development, marketing, fundraising and technology-based services and initiatives.

Susan Banks '76

Susan is Executive Vice President of Marketing and Creative Services for TV One. She is responsible for development and implementation of the network's consumer marketing and brand strategy, including on-air promotion and consumer marketing. In addition to her marketing duties, Banks serves as Executive Producer of TV One On One with Cathy Hughes and has produced over 40 episodes. At TV One, Banks' has been recognized as a 2010 Most Powerful Woman in Cable by CableFAX, and a Brand Builder by Broadcasting & Cable, Multichannel News and PromaxBDA in 2007. Over the past decade, she has regularly served as a segment producer for the Daytime Emmy Awards and has served as Executive Producer for the Creative Arts Emmy ceremony.

Chet Brewster '86

Inspired by the dramatic appeal of filmmaking, Chet Brewster (Boston-based with offices in Atlanta and Los Angeles) represents natural style, organization, and a creative vision. Seven days after graduating from Emerson College in May 1986, CNN heard of his incredible skills and potential, recruiting him to become a part of its international team. One of his most precious jewels as a producer and director was the 1998–2001 Crown Royal “Kings of Comedy” tour with Latham Entertainment. The success of this collaboration was seen on the big screen in the movie Original Kings of Comedy, in which Chet was the technical production supervisor, directed the multi cameras for the arena screens, and worked alongside director Spike Lee.

Cathryn Cates '85

After working in the communications industry for 16 years, Cathryn Cates started Black Cat Productions LLC. Before starting BCP, she was an executive producer with PGI, Jack Morton Worldwide, Caribiner International, and Envision Corporation. As an EP/project manager, she has been responsible for all aspects of projects, including team management, budgeting, creative development and execution, media production, logistics, set design and fabrication, and staging for both international and domestic events. She and her husband/business partner Adam live in Chelsea, Massachusetts, with their black lab/pit bull mix Abbey.

Whitney Clay Diller '79

Whitney has spent more than two decades working as a reporter for various newspapers and television stations in North Carolina, Connecticut, and West Virginia. Much of her print career was spent as a fashion writer/editor, which included covering the collections in New York. After her children were born, she has freelanced for publications such as Southern Living, Nashville Life, and NFocus magazine. She has taught journalism for years on the college level. She is also an avid philanthropist.

Chad Gessin '04

Chad is vice president of design and construction at Chatham Development Company, Manhasset, NY, a second-generation home builder. Since joining Chatham in 2004, Chad has overseen the development, design, construction and occupancy phases of the firm’s residential and commercial real estate projects. Chad is also the Managing Partner of Chatham Development Company’s newly formed subsidiary Chatham Energy Solutions, specializing in Solar Power and Energy Efficiency projects in New York, New Jersey, Connecticut and Massachusetts. Chad is a US Green Building Council LEED Accredited Professional.

David Gwizdowski '80

David Gwizdowski is responsible for all of AP’s sales to broadcasters in the United States, Canada, and Central and South America. He joined AP in 1997 as a regional television executive. Based in Dallas, he covered the Southwest region, after spending 18 years in broadcast journalism. David was named AP Television’s salesperson of the year in 1999. He was promoted to director of network sales in 2001; he became responsible for relationships with the major U.S. television networks and their cable network and online properties.

Greg Holstein '07

Greg Holstein, a junior executive at Capital Arts Entertainment, is currently producing the thriller Smokin’ Aces: Blowback and the teen comedy American Pie: Book of Love. He has assisted in casting numerous hit reality television programs and has worked as a crew member on shows such as CBS’s Survivor. His recent feature credits include Halloween II, My Best Friend’s Girl, and Beethoven’s Big Break.

Jerry Izzo '82

Jerry Izzo graduated from Emerson in 1982. While at Emerson he founded the This Is Pathetic comedy group and was a member of the Alpha Pi Theta fraternity. He has worked as a broadcast producer in Boston since graduation. Jerry recently started freelancing for multiple ad agencies in the Boston and Portland, Maine, areas.

Randy Ketive '69

Randy Ketive is the president of Prominent Properties Sothebys International Realty, formerly Classic Realty. She started the company in 1979—with one desk in a one-room office, and grew it to 10 offices covering northern New Jersey. In December 2008, Randy became the exclusive Sotheby’s franchise agency. She has been active in the Realtor Association both locally and nationally, and was named New Jersey’s Realtor of the Year in 2001. She has been married to Samuel Ketive for 39 years.

Carla Lewis-Long '86

Carla Lewis-Long currently serves as Vice President of Affiliate Sales and Marketing for the nuvo TV. In her role she oversees all aspects of sales and marketing for the eastern half of the country. She works with all areas of the company including programming, marketing and ad sales to further the strategic growth of the network. Previously, she was senior vice president of affiliate sales at AmericanLife TV, vice president of national accounts for the Oxygen Network, and 12 years at USA/NBC Universal Television in New York City. She joined USA/Universal as manager for the Northeast Region and was promoted to director, responsible for subscriber growth of USA, Sci-Fi, HSN, TRIO and News World International. After NBC purchased USA/Universal in 2004, Carla was also responsible for subscriber growth for CNBC, MSNBC, Telemundo, CNBC World and Shop NBC.

Philip Maggi G'93

Philip Maggi is vice president of external affairs for Idaho Technology, a privately owned biotechnology company based in Salt Lake City, Utah. Based in Washington, D.C., Philip represents the company’s interests before Congress and the Administration. His work in law and public policy has spanned more than a decade and includes stints as counsel to Congresswoman Nancy Johnson of Connecticut and Senator Olympia Snowe of Maine. Philip received his BS from Northeastern University in 1991 and an MA from Emerson College in 1993. In 1998, he received a JD from the John Marshall Law School in Chicago.

Mark Quenzel '82

Mark Quenzel was named senior vice president of programming and production for NFL Network on November 1, 2010. He manages all major production efforts, including NFL Network’s eight-game Thursday Night Football package. He also plays key production roles in NFL entertainment properties including the Super Bowl halftime show, the NFL Draft and NFL Kickoff. Previously, he was executive vice president of park strategy and management for Six Flags Entertainment Corporation, where he managed 20 domestic and international theme parks. Prior to that, he worked for more than 15 years at ESPN, rising to the position of senior vice president of programming and production.

Gibby Ries '86

Gibby is vice president of marketing at Regis Learning Solutions. Gibby's focus is supporting RLS growth through enhanced brand equity and marketplace awareness. She is responsible for strategically planning and coordinating all branding, advertising, media relations, special events, internal and external communications, and other marketing-related activities. Previously, Gibby was vice president of marketing at the Center for Systems Managament. Her background is diverse and includes experience in financial services, information technology, professional-services marketing and event management. Gibby was marketing director at Grant Thornton, marketing manager at KPMG, and director of business development operations at Agency.com.

Camilla Ross '89

Camilla manages ETC, southeastern Connecticut's newest theater company. She is also the theatrical advisor and acting coach for the SPAG Players at Three Rivers Community College in Norwich, Connecticut. When not occupied with thater projects, she teaches accounting and finance courses at a local college. For fun, she continues to act.

Lee Stacey '76

Lee Stacey is senior vice president of sales and marketing at IMG. He brings more than 20 years of experience in sales and marketing to his role in leading the national sales team and overall sales and marketing strategy for IMG College, out of IMG headquarters in New York.

Tobie Stein '79

Tobie is director of the MFA program in Performing Arts Management at Brooklyn College. She is co-author of Performing Arts Management: A Profile of Professional Practices (Allworth Press). She is also the author of Workforce Transitions from the Profit to the Nonprofit Sector (Kluwer Academic Press) and Boston’s Colonial Theatre: Celebrating a Century of Theatrical Vision (Colonial Theatre). Her articles on workforce development and diversity have been published in The Wall Street Journal and The Journal of Arts Management, Law and Society. Tobie received her MFA from Brooklyn College and her PhD from City University of New York Graduate Center.

Susan Strassberg '78

Susan Strassberg is a working artist in the Prince, New Jersey, area. After college, Susan moved to New York City, where she worked for the television show Good Morning America and E.U.E. Screen Gems division of Columbia Pictures. After she got married, Susan and her husband opened a restaurant called Anatolia on the Upper East Side. During that period, Susan continued her education at the National Arts Academy and Isabel O’Neil Foundation for the Art of the Painted Finish, where her gilded jewelry boxes were in juried art shows.

Margie Sullivan '81

In 1999, Margie was the executive producer for Mary Mazzio’s award-winning documentary A Hero for Daisy. Margie joined Redtree Productions in 2003 and uses her limitless skills to produce a gambit of work for Redtree, from interactive to film production.

Jacquie Gales Webb '77

As a radio project manager for the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, Jacquie Gales Webb works with public radio networks, station managers, producers, and consultants to support and improve the nation’s public radio system. She has hosted the number-one Sunday afternoon Gospel music program on 96.3 WHUR in Washington, D.C. since 1990 and has produced two gospel music CD compilations for Time Life.

Kelly Westerhouse '90

Kelly Westerhouse started working in higher education fundraising in 1993 and held positions in annual giving and development operations at Harvard University from 1993-2006. Since 2007, she has been the Director of the UMass Boston Fund at the University of Massachusetts, Boston. Kelly began volunteering with Emerson on the Alumni Board Development Committee in 2009. Kelly is a member of CASE and of Women In Development/Greater Boston. She also volunteers with the Posse Foundation and is an active poet who has performed in open mics in and around Boston for the past 10 years. She is also one of the founding members of Talented U, a staff creative arts initiative at UMass Boston that fosters community for staff who are visual or performance artists.

William White III '69

Bill White graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Speech. After graduation, he immediately worked in higher education. First, as the Assistant Director of Admission at Emerson College followed by positions at Georgetown, John Hopkins, Stanford, and Bennington College. Bill is currently the Assistant Office Administrator at David M. Schwarz Architects Inc. in Washington DC, where he has worked for over a decade. While at Emerson, Bill was involved in Musical Theatre Society, EBONI, and the Emersonian.