Six alumni spanning 50 years of St. Bonaventure history have been named to the university’s Alumni Council.
Six alumni spanning 50 years of St. Bonaventure history have been named to the university’s Alumni Council.
“I’m thrilled to welcome such a talented and passionate group of alumni to the council,” said Lindsay Retchless, director of Alumni Engagement. “As the university’s student body continues to become more diverse, it’s important that our Alumni Council reflects that trend so that all of our students feel a desire to be engaged with Bonaventure long after they graduate.”
The new council members are:
Fred Barthmaier, Class of 1972 (Management Science), Malta, New York: A retired account manager with Iron Mountain, Barthmaier spent most of his career in the health insurance industry, most notably as vice president of marketing for Blue Shield of WNY. He is the leader of the Albany alumni chapter and has hosted several Bonaventure Days at Saratoga, arranged service days at the Regional Food Bank, and coordinated basketball watch parties in the Albany region.
Sean Savery, Class of 1993 (History and Political Science), Cape Coral, Florida: The senior director of customer experience at Sonim Technologies, Savery was a vice president of SBU’s Student Government Association and president of the Campus Activities Board during his academic career at St. Bonaventure. He has extensive experience in organizing events at Sonim and is willing to assist alumni chapters in their event planning.
Eboni Preston-Laurent, Class of 2008 (Journalism and Mass Communication), Shrewsbury, Pennsylvania: The director of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion at Equipment Leasing and Financing Association, she also holds a master’s degree in education from Endicott College. A star goalkeeper for the women’s lacrosse team, Preston-Laurent was inducted into SBU’s Athletics Hall of Fame in 2020. She spoke virtually to SBU students in 2020 about the value of diversity, equity, inclusion and belonging in their community and personal relationships.
Lorrie Cardwell-Panfil, Class of 2008 (Sociology), Durham, Maine: The director of brand insights at BREAKTHRU Brands, Cardwell-Panfil also worked at the Chicago Park District, Bath Area Family YMCA, and Betty Ford Alpine Gardens, driving strategy and operations with the well-being of children and communities in mind. She is certified as a Youth Program Quality Intervention Trainer and worked as an educator for the Sonia Shankman Orthogenic School at the University of Chicago.
Denzel Gregg, Class of 2017 (Finance), Syracuse, New York: A student at Duquesne’s Kline School of Law, Gregg is scheduled to graduate with his law degree in 2025. He was a four-year player for the Bonnies, averaging 12 points and 7.7 rebounds a game his senior year. Gregg works with the corporate group at Dentons Cohen & Grigsby. Previously, he managed constituent services for the Office of the Mayor of Indianapolis, Indiana, and was an academic coordinator for the Syracuse University football team. He’s been active in fundraising, roster building and team logistics for the Bonnies team that has competed in The Basketball Tournament.
Lily Chittenden, Classes of 2021 and 2022 (Marketing, MBA), Fairport, New York: An account relationship executive for ClinicalConnection Inc., Chittenden was the program leader for three years for Silver Wolves, a Franciscan Center for Social Concern program with local nursing homes, during her time at SBU. She was also active in fundraising for the FCSC on Giving Tuesday for four years.
______________
About the University: The nation’s first Franciscan university, St. Bonaventure University is a community committed to transforming the lives of our students inside and outside the classroom, inspiring in them a lifelong commitment to service and citizenship. Out of 167 regional universities in the North, St. Bonaventure was ranked #6 for value and #14 for innovation by U.S. News and World Report (2024).