Albertus Magnus College Welcomes Seven New Members to Board of Trustees

New Haven, Conn., June 2, 2023 – As a destination liberal arts-based college distinguished in its interdisciplinary and experiential approach to education, Albertus Magnus College is pleased to announce the election of seven new members to its Board of Trustees.  Newly elected Board members are:  Alexander Clark, Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Technolutions; Rosemarie Siefert Dios ’80, Senior Vice President CFP/Wealth Management at UBS; Jim Olson, Head of Communications for Avelo Airlines; F. Todd Renz, President of Owens, Renz & Lee (O,R&L) Construction; Theodore “Ted” Schaffer, Commercial Real Estate Executive; Janice Lipski Shields ’69, Co-Founder, Shields & Company Investment Bankers; and John “Luke” Williams, Founder of Oak Tree Development, LLC.  

“I am grateful and excited to welcome these outstanding individuals to the dedicated, inspiring group of Trustees that serve the College so well,” said Albertus President Dr. Marc M. Camille.  “As we continue to pursue the College’s “growth agenda” and approach its 100th Anniversary Year in 2025-26, the newest members of the Board will bring their unique experiences and talents to the Board, helping us become ever more excellent in achieving our essential Dominican education mission on behalf of the diverse students who pursue, and achieve, their college degree dreams at Albertus, New England’s most diverse Catholic college. As Alumnae, entrepreneurs, industry subject matter experts, and leaders in their respective communities, their depth and breadth of expertise and energy will be inspiring for our community.” 

“Their sense of service and spirit of innovation will help our Board continue in its commitment to guiding the College toward a bold, bright future and our Centennial Celebration in 2025,” added Vin Petrini, Chair of the Albertus Board of Trustees and recently retired Senior Vice President of Public Affairs and Chief Policy and Communications Officer for Yale New Haven Health System. “While our entire Board enthusiastically welcomes Alexander, Jan, Jim, Luke, Rose, Ted, and Todd, we also in a heartfelt way offer our gratitude to retiring Board members Joe Germain, Jr., John Nester, and Joan Sacco ‘59 for their faithful years of service.” 

Alexander Clark founded Technolutions in 1994 while a seventh grader in Mississippi.  In 2000, while a first-year English major at Yale, he developed and introduced Slate, which supports the enrollment, student access, alumni, and advancement operations at more than 1,700 colleges and universities worldwide.  The 2004 Yale graduate is also the Founder of Slate School, a non-profit K-12 independent school in North Haven, Conn., that focuses on cultivating creativity, fostering ingenuity and curiosity, and inspiring a deep passion for lifelong learning.  Described as the “Wizard of Oz” of higher ed by the Chronicle of Higher Education, Clark has continued to lead his companies through its decades of innovation and growth.  

Rosemarie Siefert Dios ’80 CFP®, CIMA®, CSRIC™ is the Senior Vice President CFP/Wealth Management at UBS.  Based in The Hamptons and New York City, she offers personalized goal-oriented financial planning for individuals, artists, and entrepreneurs, specializing in Socially Responsible Investing (SRI).  Dios grew up in Monroe, Connecticut and Long Island, earning her bachelor’s degree from Albertus and an MFA in Creative Writing from Stonybrook University.  Dios has served on many boards and is currently on the South Fork Bakery Board and the Southampton Village Finance Committee. 

Jim Olson has illuminated some of the biggest business and social impact stories of the past three decades.  His purpose-driven journey has taken him from industry-transforming startups to industry-leading global brands including Starbucks, United Airlines, US Airways, Boeing, and Nissan.  Along the way, he’s worked with some of the world’s most influential leaders and journalists.  Today, Olson is the Head of Communications for Avelo Airlines – America’s first new airline in nearly 15 years.  Prior to that, he traveled the globe teaching, advising, writing, and speaking – visiting 17 countries across five continents.  His three-year global sabbatical included teaching a year at his alma mater, Syracuse University, and serving as an Executive in Residence at African Leadership University and on the Indian Ocean island of Mauritius.  Olson has been recognized by PRovoke Magazine as one of the world’s 100 most influential in-house communicators. 

Todd Renz is a LEED AP BD+C who founded Owens, Renz & Lee (O,R&L) with his two partners 33 years ago.  Since then, the company has grown into a major real estate firm with three separate divisions – construction, facilities, and commercial real estate – employing more than 1,000 people.  As President/CEO of O,R&L Construction Corp., Renz is responsible for negotiating, leading, and managing multi-million dollar contracts throughout the Northeast in new construction and renovation projects.  The firm specializes in complicated projects focusing on medical, laboratory, education, and industrial projects.  Renz is also a leader in Energy and Environmental Design and an accredited professional who focuses on sustainable, energy-efficient building construction.  He is also the former President/Founder of the USGBC CT Chapter and was also on the Board of Directors for Construction Specifications Institute.  A graduate of Johnson State College in Vermont, Renz has chaired or led numerous additional professional associations in Connecticut.

Theodore “Ted” Schaffer has been in the commercial real estate business for 50 years as a principal, advisor, builder, and Realtor.  A graduate of The American University in Washington, D.C., with a degree from the Kogod School of Business. Mr. Schaffer began his career at The American Institute of Planners monitoring the development of federal legislation impacting the urban planning profession and reporting to the association’s membership through their published networks. Schaffer later joined the FIP Corporation as Head of Real Estate Operations with responsibility for managing industrial parks and investor-owned properties. During this time, he was instrumental in planning and constructing over two million square feet of commercial and industrial projects. In 2003 he joined the commercial brokerage arm of Press/Cuozzo Realtors as a Senior Advisor representing building owners and tenants in lease negotiations. During this period Schaffer’s clients included some of the area’s largest public, institutional, and private businesses. Ted is currently operating his family office, East Rock Realty managing his interests in numerous properties throughout New Haven County and in New York City.  

Janice Lipski Shields ’69 was a Co-Founder and President of Shields & Company, a Boston-based investment banking firm.  She is a former Vice President in the corporate banking groups of Citibank and Irving Trust Company in New York City.  She earned a Bachelor’s degree from Albertus in 1969, an MBA from New York University, and a Master’s degree from Harvard University.  Shields has served as a Director of several public and private companies, The Windsor School (Boston), The Sisters of Charity Halifax (Boston), and as President of the Boston Chapter of the Association of Corporate Growth.  She and her husband Tom have two adult children and reside in Cape Cod, Massachusetts and Boynton Beach, Florida. 

John “Luke” Williams is the Founder of Oak Tree Development, LLC, a Commercial Real Estate firm that transforms communities in a positive way, creating spaces that connect people with places.  Williams manages the company’s overall strategy, investing in projects from New England to the Midwest -- including ground-up developments and value-add investments.  The University of Connecticut and University of Rouen, France graduate is a Licensed and Certified Arborist whose experience includes President of Total Tree Care, a second generation, full-service tree company; and President of Arbor Energy, a full-service heating and cooling business.  Williams is also an active YPO member  and board member of CT Hospice of Branford and Legacy Theater in Stony Creek, CT.