Member Biographies
The Board of Trustees is the governing body of Franklin Pierce University. Its members
convene at least three times a year, either in New Hampshire on the Rindge Campus
or the Manchester Center, or at the Goodyear, Arizona Center.
ELLEN ARNOLD, of Rye, New Hampshire, is an attorney with extensive experience in land
use development, real estate, energy, and environmental law. She most recently served
as Of Counsel Attorney at McLane Middleton in Manchester, NH. She is also the Founder
and Manager at Arnold Land Consulting, serving as an attorney and strategic partner
for clients on the issues of land use, real estate development, and higher education.
From 2001-2019, she was Director of Real Estate and Associate General Counsel at Dartmouth
College, serving as lead in-house counsel for College Real Estate and Campus Services.
In her role, Ms. Arnold managed the College’s environmental issues, energy initiatives,
and community affairs, and was responsible for planning and permitting large and complex
construction projects. Prior to her time at Dartmouth, Ms. Arnold was a litigation
director at McLane Middleton where she chaired the firm’s Land Use Practice Group.
She is a former president of the New Hampshire Bar Association and was one of the
first women appointed as a judge in the Granite State. Ms. Arnold holds a bachelor’s
degree in political science and government from Skidmore College and a juris doctorate
from the University of New Hampshire Franklin Pierce School of Law.
DERICA CARTY ’99 of Temple Hills, Maryland is the Founder and President of Clear Curriculum
in Washington, D.C., an educational company that partners with private, local and
federal government clients to achieve learning objectives by creating customized learning
experiences through analysis of current and to be business processes, goals, behaviors
and performances. She is also co-founder of Davis Carty, a management consulting company
for the public and private sector. Ms. Carty graduated from Franklin Pierce in 1999
with a Bachelor of Arts in Sociology. She earned a Master of Science in Education
and Instructional Technology from Queen’s College in New York and holds the Women’s
Business Enterprise (WBE) and Women-Owned Small Business (WOSB) certifications from
Women Presidents’ Educational Organizations. She is also an active board member of
Mid-Atlantic Advocacy through Education (MATE) DC, a non-profit organization, and
a mentor at the Nationals Youth Baseball Academy (NYBA) in D.C. Ms. Carty was appointed
to the Board in the Spring of 2021.
BETTY DIPIETRO of Woodbridge, New Jersey, is a Corporate Vice President at Ralph Lauren
Corporation where she is responsible for the Company’s Financial Planning and Analysis
as well as Business Development corporate functions. Ms. DiPietro started her career
at Arthur Andersen LLP and left the firm as an Audit and Business Advisory Manager
to work at Lucent Technologies where she held various financial roles before joining
Ralph Lauren. Ms. DiPietro is on the Development Committee of Big Brothers Big Sisters
of Monmouth and Middlesex Counties. She is a current Big Sister volunteer and also
volunteers with the Woodbridge Domestic Violence Response team. She joined the Franklin
Pierce Board of Trustees in 2015.
STEVE DUPREY, Chair of the Board, of Concord, New Hampshire, is the President of Foxfire
Property Management and The Duprey Companies, which oversees property management,
real estate development, and hotel management subsidiaries, including the Grappone
Conference Center. He has more than 25 years of continuous volunteer service to local
and state organizations and commissions, including the Capitol Center for the Arts,
the NH Historical Society, the Red River Theatre, the Carroll County YMCA, and the
NH YMCA, as well as the Concord Housing Authority, the Governor’s Interagency Task
Force on Homelessness, and the New Hampshire Business Finance Authority. He currently
serves as President of the Board of Trustees for The Currier Museum of Art and is
in his fifth term on the Board of Directors of the Greater Concord Chamber of Commerce.
Mr. Duprey graduated from New College of Florida in 1974 with a Bachelor of Art degree
in Public Policy and received his Juris Doctor from Cornell Law School in 1978. He
was appointed to the Franklin Pierce Board of Trustees in the Fall of 2021.
CAROL L. HOULE, CPA '97, Trustee Secretary, of Salem, New Hampshire has served as
Chief Financial Officer and Executive Vice President of Provident Bancorp, Inc. since
September 2013. In her role at the Bank she provides strategic direction and leadership
to drive the financial success of The Provident Bank. Previously, she was a partner
at Shatswell, MacLeod & Company, providing professional external audit and consulting
services to financial institutions. Ms. Houle earned her Bachelor of Science degree
from Franklin Pierce University (then Franklin Pierce College) in 1997 with a major
in Business Administration (Accounting), while working as a staff accountant at T.
C. Edwards & Co.
ALEXANDRA (MARELLA ) JOHNSON ’15, of Spofford, New Hampshire, has been appointed as
the first Graduate of the Last Decade (GOLD) Board member. The GOLD seat was created
to foster greater collaboration and input from younger alumni. Those appointed as
GOLD Board members must have graduated from Franklin Pierce no fewer than three years
ago, but no more than 10 years ago. Ms. Johnson will serve a two-year term and is
considered a full Board member with all rights and privileges thereto. Ms. Johnson
is currently employed by the State of New Hampshire- Department of Health & Human
Services (DHHS). Originally from Connecticut, she stayed in the Monadnock Region following
her graduation from FPU. As a student, she was involved in community service projects,
Pierce Activities Council, SGA, Peer Leader Program, Alternative Spring Break, and
Sistuhs. A 2015 graduate of Franklin Pierce, Ms. Johnson holds a bachelor of arts
degree in social work and counseling, and a certificate in Women and Leadership.
GENEVIEVE McGILLICUDDY ’94,Vice Chair of the Board, of Atlanta, Georgia, is Vice President,
Enterprises and Strategic Partnerships at Turner Classic Movies (TCM). She is a film
industry leader with responsibility for creating, promoting, publicizing, directing
and executing high-profile and world-class festivals and events. Prior to her career
at TCM, she provided marketing and operational leadership for a start-up independent
entertainment company, and a film industry non-profit organization. McGillicuddy received
the Fitzwater Medallion for Leadership in Public Communication from Franklin Pierce
University in 2015, and a Peabody Award for Turner Classic Movies in 2008. She received
her B.A. in English from Franklin Pierce University in 1994, her master’s in film
studies from Emory University, and attended the Betsy Magness Leadership Institute
for Women in Cable Telecommunications. Her volunteer work includes serving as a board
member for the Atlanta Jewish Film Society, as past chair of the Circle Mentoring
program for Turner Broadcasting, and as a member of the board of Turner Women. Ms.
McGillicuddy joined the Franklin Pierce Board of Trustees in the spring of 2020.
DOMINICK MICIOTTA ’91, of Greenwich, Connecticut is a leader in strategic marketing
and operations, as well as in higher education marketing and enrollment management.
He currently serves as the CEO of Common Core Management, LLC, which provides operational
support and management for professional service companies. He also works as the Chief
Marketing Officer for Smith Legacy Law. Based in Greenwich, CT, the firm provides
highly personalized legal services to an array of individuals and businesses nationwide.
Since 2022, Mr. Miciotta has served on the Board of Directors of Kids in Crisis, a
Cos Cob, CT-based nonprofit that provides emergency shelter, crisis counseling, and
community education programs for children and families facing a crisis. A 1991 graduate
of Franklin Pierce College with a Bachelor of Arts degree in theatre, Dominick also
holds a Master of Education degree, with a concentration in higher education administration,
from Northeastern University in Boston, MA.
DR. KIM MOONEY '83 is President of Franklin Pierce University. Dr. Kim Mooney assumed
the post of President on August 1, 2016. Her commitment to Franklin Pierce University
spans several decades, from being an active alumna to serving on the Board of Trustees
for seven years, then as interim president for six months prior to serving as provost
and vice president of academic affairs for another seven years. She has spearheaded
the development of the University’s new Strategic Plan and is making it a central
focus of her presidency to capitalize on the important initiatives begun over the
last several years. A proponent of shared governance, Dr. Mooney will also emphasize
collaboration, communication, and community as guiding principles for her presidency.
Under her leadership as Provost, the University launched a major process of self-assessment
and re-alignment, resulting in far-reaching initiatives such as the revision of the
general and liberal education curriculum, the introduction of nine new undergraduate
majors, the support and expansion of the Academic Showcase, and the integration of
graduate and undergraduate education into meaningful pathways for students from their
first year through their masters or doctoral degrees. Moving the University firmly
in a direction that ensures a high quality education in a community of support that
extends far beyond graduation, Dr. Mooney has positioned Franklin Pierce University
to continue its passion for the personal touch of its educators while staying competitive
and current with rapidly changing trends in higher education and career pathways.
FREDERICK W. PIERCE IV, Immediate Past Chair of the Board, has spent his career in
real estate investment, development, consulting, finance and acquisition. Since 1995,
he has served as the President and CEO of Pierce Education Properties, L.P., a Top
15 national owner, operator and developer of student housing and education-based real
estate with a current portfolio of more than 19,000 beds of student housing at 24
universities nationwide. Earlier, he led the finance and appraisal divisions for KPMG/Goodkin
Group, and was later recruited by Price Waterhouse to start and build their real estate
consulting practice. Mr. Pierce has served as a member of and in leadership roles
on numerous Boards including current Chairman of the National Multifamily Housing
Council Student Housing Research Fund Advisory Board, Trustee Emeritus of the California
State University System, and current member (former chairman) of the San Diego State
University Fowler College of Business Board of Directors, among others. Mr. Pierce
is a frequent speaker on topics including student housing, real estate, education
and the economy. He is the recipient of many professional and personal awards including
the “Moving San Diego Forward Award” from the San Diego Regional Chamber of Commerce
in 2019. Mr. Pierce is also honored to be among the “Most Admired CEO” in 2018 and
2019 and “50 Influential Leaders in San Diego” in 2017, 2018, and 2019 and, as selected
by the San Diego Daily Transcript. He is one of 24 Student Housing Pioneers named
by Real Estate Forum Magazine in 2013 and the Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year
for 2012.
In 2020, Mr. Pierce received the Distinguished Alumni Monty Award from the San Diego
State University’s Alumni Association. He received his B.S. in Finance from and engaged
in graduate study at San Diego State University.
ROBERT "BOB" RILEY '82 of South Kingstown, Rhode Island, is a 1982 graduate of Franklin
Pierce, and an information systems professional with more than 35 years of experience,
focusing on corporate business operations, with diverse work experience across IS
management, application development, project planning, and vendor management. He is
currently a Senior Analyst at Care New England, Rhode Island’s second largest healthcare
group. Mr. Riley is married to Franklin Pierce alumna Kim Lewis Riley ’83, and both
of them been active in Alumni Board support for 10 years. A former President of the
Franklin Pierce Alumni Association, Mr. Riley has also led Alumni Board committee
work. He holds an MBA in Global Leadership from Johnson & Wales University and maintains
certification (CPIM) and affiliation with APICS (American Production and Inventory
Control Society).
ROLLIN SCHUSTER ’82, of Simsbury, Connecticut is a leading property and casualty broker,
benefits consultant, wealth manager, and retirement plan advisor. After nearly 30
years of building The Schuster Group, his company was acquired by NFP, where he currently
serves as managing director. Mr. Schuster’s desire to support the greater good inspired
him to create The Alliance for Nonprofit Growth and Opportunity Inc. (TANGO), where
he serves as President. The organization provides resources to over 1,200 organizations,
helping them build capacity through business-oriented education, preferred services,
and mission support. Mr. Schuster is also Treasurer of CW Resources, one of Connecticut’s
largest nonprofit organizations, and past Chairman of the Board of Qualidigm, a national
healthcare consulting company. Rollin graduated from Franklin Pierce College in 1982
with a Bachelor of Arts degree in marketing.
NICK SOGGU of Bedford, New Hampshire is the President and CEO of SilverTech, Inc.
and CEO of Pannos Marketing, full-service digital marketing and web development agencies
with headquarters located in Manchester, New Hampshire. Mr. Soggu has distinguished
himself as a leader in technology innovation and digital design, working with major
brands in financial services, utilities, higher education, tourism, and government.
He currently serves on the Board of Directors of the SEE Science Center and Bellwether
Credit Union, and he has previously served on Boards of several local and New Hampshire-based
organizations, including the Greater Manchester Chamber of Commerce, the Manchester
Development Corporation, the Manchester Young Professionals Network, the Palace Theatre,
Northeast Delta Dental, and the American Red Cross. Mr. Soggu earned his bachelor’s
degree in Electrical Engineering from Merrimack College in North Andover, Massachusetts,
and his master’s in the same discipline from the University of New Hampshire.
TRENT SPINER ’07, of Manchester, New Hampshire, is a journalist who has worked for
both New Hampshire and national news organizations. Since 2020, he has served as Editor-in-Chief
for the American Psychological Association (APA), one of the largest professional
associations in the country focused on psychology, mental health, diversity, equity
and inclusion initiatives, technology, and combating mis- and dis-information. He
leads a team of editors and writers responsible for APA’s national magazine, Monitor
on Psychology, which was named the top association magazine in the country in 2022.
He also runs the association’s overall content strategy, which includes the production
of digital, print, and multimedia stories. Before joining APA, Mr. Spiner covered
the 2020 presidential election for POLITICO. From 2014 to 2019, Spiner was executive
editor of the New Hampshire Union Leader, the largest and only statewide newspaper.
From 2010 to 2014, he was the evening assignment editor and web producer for ABC News
affiliate WMUR-TV in Manchester, NH. Mr. Spiner has been nominated for two Emmy awards,
named one of the top young editors in the country by Editor & Publisher, recognized
as one of the Union Leader’s “40 Under 40” and named a “must-follow journalist” by
POLITICO. A 2007 graduate of Franklin Pierce University, Spiner holds a bachelor of
arts degree in journalism with a minor in political science.
Trustees Emeriti
LESLYE A. ARSHT of Arlington, Virginia, co-founded a national non-profit education
consultancy, StandardsWork, Inc. that continues to advance K-12 education reform.
Ms. Arsht served as Deputy Under Secretary of Defense for Military Community & Family
Policy from 2006 to 2008, following nearly two years of work on improving educational
transition for military children and increasing access for military spouse employment.
In 2003 to 2004, she served as senior advisor to the Iraqi Minister of Education,
traveled to war-torn Iraq and spent nine months helping Iraq rebuild its education
system. Previously, Ms. Arsht was counselor to the secretary and director of communications
at the U.S. Department of Education; the associate vice chancellor for news and public
affairs at Vanderbilt University; and Deputy Press Secretary to President Ronald Reagan.
Ms. Arsht was first elected to the Franklin Pierce Board of Trustees and 2001.
LLOYD H. ASTMANN ’69 is the managing partner of NHA Realty, LLC, a New Jersey based
commercial real estate holding company, and the founder and past president of The
Jilson Group, Inc. in Lodi, New Jersey, a company he sold in 2002. He is a 1969 graduate
of Franklin Pierce and received his MBA from Fairleigh Dickinson University. He is
the past president of the Paramus Rotary Club, the recipient of Rotary International’s
Paul Harris Fellow, Rotarian of the Year Award and the Rotary District 7490 Walter
D. Head Award. Mr. Astmann is the past chairman of the board of the Foundation at
Bergen Regional Medical Center in Paramus and the past chairman of the board of Benjamin
Barbarosh Independent Living Centers in Paramus. He is currently the vice-chairman
of the board of Life Opportunities Unlimited in Ridgewood, New Jersey, and sits on
the advisory boards of CarePlus Workforce Solutions in Paterson, New Jersey and U.S.
Financial Services, Inc. in Fairfield, New Jersey. Mr. Astmann is the first graduate
of Franklin Pierce to have served as the Chair of Franklin Pierce’s Board of Trustees.
CARLEEN M. FARRELL ’71 of Arlington, Massachusetts, is a graduate of Franklin Pierce.
She received her MA degree from New York University. During her years in higher education
administration, Ms. Farrell served as Assistant Director of Residential Life at Keene
State College in New Hampshire, Assistant Dean of Students at Lesley University in
Cambridge, Massachusetts and recently retired from the Harvard Business School. During
her 21 years at HBS, she served as Manager of Enrollment and Admission Services and
Assistant Director of Open Enrollment in the Executive Education division. She currently
serves on the Harvard University Retirees Association Board and is involved with the
non-profit organization, ConKerr Cancer Boston, MA & Palm Beach, FL chapters. She
is the recipient of the Franklin Pierce Alumni Participation Award and the Franklin
Pierce Leader of Conscience Award. She has served on the Franklin Pierce Alumni Board
of Directors and as its President from 1974-76. She is a founding member of the Massachusetts
Franklin Pierce Alumni Chapter. Ms. Farrell served on the Franklin Pierce Board of
Trustees from 1981-1994 and was reelected to the Board of Trustees in 2010.
MARLIN FITZWATER, the only press secretary in history to be appointed by two Presidents,
became known to millions of Americans as the voice of the 26-nation coalition in the
Persian Gulf War. This Kansas native spent a decade in the front row of history, as
press secretary to Presidents Reagan and Bush. From 1983 to 1992, his voice reassured
the world in times of turmoil and change. Often wearing a wide brim hat and an open
smile, Fitzwater stood next to two Presidents during cold war summits, economic downturns,
and eight military conflicts. He gave over 850 press briefings in six years, winning
praise from the news media and the public for his honesty and good humor.
He was named an Outstanding Civil Servant in government in 1980; received the nation's
second highest civilian award, the Presidential Citizens Medal, from President Bush
in 1992; served on the Board of the Woodrow Wilson School for International Scholars,
and has received numerous other awards and honorary doctorate degrees.
Today he is an author and lecturer whose presidential anecdotes, political analysis,
and television commentary have received worldwide attention. He has been a member
of the Franklin Pierce University Board of Trustees since 1999, and he additionally
serves as a Member of the Advisory Board of the Marlin Fitzwater Center for Communication.
