Nancy (Hahn) ’64 and David Moore
Thanks to the generosity of Nancy Hahn Moore ’64 (Elementary Education) and her husband, David, students affected by the instability of the current economy are receiving some much needed financial assistance.
Leonard Boccia '89
Leonard Boccia '89 (treasurer), has been in the financial services industry for over 26 years. He currently works for UBS and serves as a managing director for wealth management. Prior to joining UBS, he was a managing director at Wells Fargo Advisors for 11 years and a senior vice president of investments for Advest, Inc. He started his career as a financial advisor for W.J. Nolan where he eventually became a partner
Leonard earned a bachelor's degree in finance and marketing from SUNY New Paltz and holds his Series 7 and 63 securities licenses, CRPC ®, along with variable insurance licenses. He was honored in 2015 by the SUNY New Paltz School of Business Hall of Fame as Alumnus of the Year.
Mr. Boccia has achieved the honor of being recognized as a Barron's Top advisor. He made this prestigious list in five of the past seven years, and most recently was on the Financial Times top 400 for 2015 and 2016.
Leonard lives in Westchester County with his wife and two children.
Nina Zimdahl
Senior Specialist Project Manager for AT&T Public Affairs, Nina Zimdahl, ‘11 felt a sense of belonging at SUNY New Paltz. An International Relations major, Nina found a community of like-minded peers at New Paltz with friends who went out of their way to help her with school projects, and professors who facilitated her academic and professional interests. The college opened her eyes to new perspectives and expanded her vision for what she believed was possible in her life. SUNY New Paltz gave Nina the courage to pursue her goal of working for the federal government.
Since she graduated, Nina pays it forward and has supported SUNY New Paltz nearly every year. In light of recent budget cuts to education by the state legislature, Nina feels strongly that it’s important for alumni to support New Paltz to ensure the school continues to attract the best and brightest students, particularly those students who cannott afford tuition without such support.
Nina lives in Washington D.C. with her boyfriend and dog.
Louis & Frances Saraceno and Family
SUNY New Paltz Professor Emeritus Lou Saraceno and his wife, Frances pictured here with daughters Maria '85 '89g and Gina '88 '91g (not pictured is daughter Francesca '91), formed the Frances and Louis Saraceno Scholarship for Study Abroad to provide funds for students to attend the summer program in Spain.
Gail Gallerie
Now retired, Gail K. Gallerie feels very much at home on our campus, which is no surprise considering she spent more than half her life and her entire professional career at SUNY New Paltz as the executive assistant for six different presidents over the span of 34 years.
During the pivotal decade of the 70s, Gail worked closely with President Stanley K. Coffman to establish the SUNY New Paltz Foundation, one of the first foundations created within the SUNY system to respond to the growing need for private support. In 1976 Gail became one of the Foundation’s first donors. Since scholarships played a decisive role in Gail’s ability to obtain her undergraduate and graduate degrees, she wanted to help make that critical difference for students at New Paltz. Moreover, Gail’s annual donation is a vote of confidence in the Foundation. She has given every year since its inception and considers her gifts to be an expression of her profound gratitude for the privilege of her career here.
Gail enjoys living in New Paltz with her husband, Joseph and plays an active role in the community.
Lawrence Braun & Professor Emerita Adelaide Haas
A Brooklyn native, Larry lived in Gardiner and was involved in the life of the Hudson Valley community. He ran for Gardiner Highway Superintendent and was an advocate of environmental causes. Larry was also a communitarian, believing strongly in protecting the earth and all living creatures while respecting and assisting his fellow humans.
As a member of the Unison Arts Center, he took pleasure in many events there and at SUNY New Paltz. His love of New Paltz and all that it offered inspired him to establish an endowment through a bequest in the summer of 2013, the Larry Braun Engineering Scholarship, which supports students from historically underrepresented groups who can demonstrate aptitude and have financial need.
Robert Mountz '68, '71g, '80cas, Henrietta Mountz '68, '71g
Robert and Henrietta (Thomas) Mountz met on a blind date while attending New Paltz. Finding their life’s partners is just one of the many fond memories they have of New Paltz. Among them, for Henrietta, were Professor Gerald Sorin’s inspiring courses in American history and for Robert, the unforgettably exciting 1965 championship soccer season. Robert shares, “Those four formative years helped us to grow from high school students into professional educators and community leaders.”
They continue their involvement with the college—returning to campus several times each year for soccer games, alumni receptions, and other events. The Mountzes established a charitable gift annuity to support scholarships for students in New Paltz’s School of Education. Henrietta, a first-generation college graduate, said, “I know how difficult it is to fund an education, especially in a family that doesn’t have that tradition. It makes us feel really good that we’re helping other students.” Robert and Henrietta are most excited about the opportunities offered to students and the commitment of the College to provide students from all economic backgrounds an excellent education.
Dr. Giancarlo A. Traverso
Emeritus professor of Italian and French, Dr. Traverso taught for thirty years at SUNY New Paltz. Since his retirement in 1998, he continues to be engaged in the New Paltz community. He said, “When first retired I felt a separation from New Paltz but never an exclusion. In the sixteen years since, I can say New Paltz has shown the persuasive charms of a benevolent siren able if the call is heeded to transform you into an art connoisseur at the Dorsky Museum, or an attentive listener at a Distinguished Lecture Series, or a lover of a play or concert in McKenna and Studley Theaters, perhaps even into a donor.”
Giancarlo has many fond memories of New Paltz most occurring in the classroom. When asked for the fondest, he writes: "It is really an accumulation of teaching moments. Those occasions when a thought I expressed with conviction triggered a reaction on the students’ part, for or against, of similar conviction, leading to a dialog and subsequent reflection in students and myself.”
