Current Alumni Council Nominees

ERA I

Robert E. Aberlin ’66

Robert has been a board member of various arts organizations, including Think Dance, Cora Dance, Snug Harbor Cultural Center, and The Paul Taylor Dance Company, where he was chairman for 9 years. He has also been involved in three documentary films, including Lessons of September, One School remembers 9/11, which was co-produced with WNET in New York City, Paul Taylor: Creative Domain, and Broken Brotherhood: Vietnam and the Boys of Colgate (the latter was co-produced and directed by Lou Buttino '66).

ERA II

Deborah A. Parker-Johnson ’74

An explorer, entrepreneur, educator, executive, activist, and athlete, Deb Parker-Johnson has been guided in many ways by her experience as a member of Colgate’s first class of entering women. As one of five senior leaders responsible for managing Harvard’s Alumni Affairs and Development (AA&D), Deb planned, organized, and directed the operations of an important collection of offices: information technology, recording secretary, alumni records, research, events, donor relations, planned giving, budget, human resources, and facilities. She supervised a staff of 100 with 9 direct reports. And she led the restructuring of the $23 million operating budget to strategically focus on fundraising.

Deb’s dedication to education in all its many forms inspired her to take classes at Harvard’s Graduate School of Education and to form Kaleidoscope Connects with her husband (Paul Parker-Johnson '74) to create alliances between women in Nigeria and Ghana and opportunities at Harvard. Drawing on her experience at Colgate and her work at Harvard, Deb enthusiastically joined forces with several classmates to plan the “classes” and connection opportunities for her 50th Colgate Reunion. Warmed by friendships renewed and strengthened, Deb and seven other classmates planned to walk the Camino de Santiago in October of 2025. Thanks to the great leadership of Deb Coda Abraham '74, the trip was a huge success, and the group is looking forward to future adventures.

As a member of Colgate’s first women’s basketball and women’s ice hockey teams, Deb is an avid supporter of Colgate’s current basketball and women’s ice hockey programs. Attendance at games in Boston, Cambridge, the Albany area, and Hamilton, have been chances to gather with classmates, meet alumni of all eras, and engage with the parents of players. Now more than ever, the Colgate experience of blazing new trails and developing the confidence to lead a full life is critical to Deb as she works to build a strong and vibrant future for herself, for Colgate, and her loved ones.

ERA III

Jackie J. Broad ’90

Jackie Jafarian Broad '90 was a Mathematical Economics major at Colgate. She later received her MBA from NYU’s Stern School of Business. Jackie’s early career focus was in finance, strategy, and merchandise planning for major retail and apparel companies, including J.Crew, Target, The Gap’s Old Navy division, and Levi Strauss and Company. After having children, Jackie focused her skill set on supporting quality public education in California and has extensive nonprofit leadership and development experience. Jackie was an executive board member with Kiddo!, the Mill Valley Schools Community Foundation, for more than 10 years, culminating with her role as Board Chair. She later joined the Kiddo! staff, managing their Business Partners Program and annual Business Campaigns. Jackie has also served on the Tamalpais High Foundation Board as their Grants Chair and on SchoolsRule-Marin, an organization supporting 30k+ public school students in Marin County, as a Director on the Donor Advisory Board. Her philanthropic efforts have grown to include animal welfare and environmental stewardship with her work as a Director on the Board of Marin Humane, where she serves as the Governance Chair. Jackie’s current career reflects her passion for supporting student growth and well-being more directly. She is a trained Reading and Math Intervention specialist and has worked in public and independent schools. Jackie has also authored two children’s picture books.

Jackie married fellow Colgate alum, Ken Broad '88, in 1996, with many Colgate friends from her sorority, Alpha Chi Omega, and his fraternity, Beta Theta Pi, in attendance. They raised their three children (Madelyn USC '22, Alyssa USC '25 and Jared USC '28) in the Bay Area, where they still reside. Jackie and Ken team up often to support Colgate’s Third Century Plan. Jackie is a member of Colgate University’s Women’s Leadership Council and has hosted events for Colgate alumnae in the area. Jackie and Ken are members of Colgate’s President’s Circle, and Jackie was honored to receive a Maroon Citation from the Colgate Alumni Council in 2020.

ERA III

Alexandra M. More ’99

Alex More is a marketing strategist with over 20 years of experience leading integrated strategy, experiential initiatives, and strategic partnerships that connect brands with culture. She has developed and executed global campaigns, curated large-scale events, and driven growth for leading companies across industries, including technology, media, and luxury brands.

A proud Colgate graduate, Alex earned her degree in Physical Sciences, a multidisciplinary program combining physics, chemistry, and mathematics, with a minor in Sociology and Anthropology. While at Colgate, she was a member of the Varsity Volleyball team that became the first women’s team in school history to advance to the NCAA tournament in 1996. She also founded Colgate’s Groove, a hip-hop dance troupe, and was a member of Gamma Phi Beta. Alex has remained deeply engaged with Colgate through her long-standing involvement in the Presidents’ Circle. She joined the Presidents’ Circle Membership Council (PCMC) in 2018 and currently serves as the PCMC Chair. In addition, she mentors emerging entrepreneurs through Colgate’s Thought Into Action (TIA) program, helping students bring their ventures to life. In recognition of her leadership and service, Alex was honored with the Maroon Citation in 2024.

ERA V

Thomas J. Opladen ’07

Thomas J. Opladen Jr (TJ) is currently a Director at RBC Capital Markets (the U.S. arm of Royal Bank of Canada), working in the Strategic Equity Solutions group within Equity Capital Markets. TJ focuses on corporate equity derivatives, originating and structuring bespoke transactions for corporations and financial sponsors. TJ has been with RBC for over five years and previously held a similar role at Bank of America Merrill Lynch. TJ has also dabbled with angel investing, including a few for start-up companies founded by Colgate alumni.

TJ has been active with Colgate Professional Networks, being an inaugural member and leader for the Banking and Finance Network, including helping to organize the annual Law & Finance Summit in New York City. TJ spends time recruiting for his employers, working formally with Career Services and in informal conversations with Colgate students. Outside of Colgate activities, TJ is a member of the Alumni Development Council at Brunswick School (high school alma mater) and supports Ice Hockey in Harlem, where he was formerly a leader of the Young Professionals Board.

During TJ’s time at Colgate, he majored in economics and was awarded the George W. Cobb award for exemplary leadership on campus. TJ was a two-year member of Link Staff under the legendary Bev Low and a peer adviser at Career Services. TJ also served on multiple governance boards, particularly working with faculty and deans on the Student Affairs Board and Academic Affairs Board. TJ spent time in the Student Government Association, playing hockey on various levels, and is a proud brother of Beta Theta Pi. TJ currently resides in downtown Manhattan, still plays hockey, and can be found on the golf course in his free time. 

ERA VI

Jessica Jackowski ’15

As a high school senior, Jessica felt strongly that Colgate was the place she needed to be. After successfully fighting her way off the waitlist, she wanted to share her Colgate experience with others, so she spent the next four years working in various positions for the admission office. While on campus, she also served as a leader of Colgate Women in Business, participated in club soccer, volunteered at Hamilton Elementary, and was a member of Greek life (Gamma Phi Beta).

Following graduation, Jessica spent several years in Boston, where she honed her expertise in change management consulting and culture transformation, laying the foundation for a career in organizational effectiveness. After returning to Chicago, where she grew up, Jessica completed a Master's degree in Learning & Organization Change. She now works as a Customer Success Manager at Box, helping organizations design and implement intelligent, AI-forward content management strategies and solutions.

Jessica has served as the President of the Colgate Club of Chicago since 2022, leading events to build community, drive engagement, and bring the Raider spirit to life for more than 900 local alumni. She currently resides in the northern Chicago suburbs with her husband (a Hamilton native), their young son, and pup, Brick. 

ERA VII

Thomas L. Di Sibio ’18

Mr. DiSibio is a Vice President at Houlihan Lokey and is based in the firm’s New York office. He works in the Equity Capital Solutions Group, focused on US investor distribution within private equity direct co-investment, private placement, and secondary opportunities.

Previously, Mr. DiSibio was a Vice President at Triago, which was acquired by Houlihan Lokey in 2024. He oversaw project management for North American fundraising, covering origination, execution, and client management. In addition, Mr. DiSibio selectively focused on US limited partner investor coverage. He also helped form Triago’s Advisory Board and Triago’s Selection Committee. Prior to that, Mr. DiSibio worked at Guggenheim Partners as a Sales and Trading Associate on its Macro Trading desk. While at Guggenheim, he split his time between actively trading a variety of fixed-income futures and options products and assisting clients with asset-backed commercial paper execution.

Mr. DiSibio double majored in Philosophy and History at Colgate and graduated in 2018. While at Colgate, he was a member of Beta Theta Pi, captain of the Men’s Club Water Polo Team, a Senior Class Gift Committee Class Agent, and a founding member of the Presidents’ Club Student Committee.

Mr. DiSibio resides in New York City with his wife, Madison (Class of 2017). He remains actively involved with the Colgate community through the Presidents’ Circle Membership Council and serves on the Board of Trustees for the New Jersey Chapter of the Crohn’s & Colitis Foundation.
 

Regional

John P. Ortiz ’10

After 15 years of service to Colgate including working for the Office of Admissions as an alumnus and serving as the Regional Chair for the Atlanta metro, John Paul “JP” Ortiz is excited to be nominated for the Alumni Council.  As a student, JP majored in Spanish and his campus highlights included: the OUS Summer Institute, living in Gate House freshman year, working in the Colgate Writing Center, and co-creating the inaugural Newman Community pilgrimage to Rome, Italy with the Office of the Chaplains. He lived abroad with the Madrid Study Group, interned in Spain as a Milhomme fellowship recipient, and served on the Link Staff under the legendary Bev Low.  Currently, JP works as an account executive for Google for education helping colleges and universities envision their future technology strategies. He arrived at Google after five years in tech sales at Microsoft and received his MBA from Emory University - Goizueta Business School in 2018. Prior to those roles, he worked in merchandising for Abercrombie & Fitch and brand marketing for The Coca-Cola Company. Outside of his life in the corporate jungle, he prefers the real-life jungles of Costa Rica. For the past few years, he has been an entrepreneur in a regenerative permaculture and conservation project on 13 acres of rainforest on the South Pacific coast with his collaborator, Emily Baselt ‘11. Inspired by his travels to the Brazilian Amazon and work with indigenous shamans and plant medicines, his vision is to create a retreat space where visitors can disconnect from their technological lives and restore their minds and bodies through the natural beauty and rhythm of the jungles. His goal in 2025 is to write more and to video-document this journey as plans develop for his online publication, “The Wall Green Journal”.

Regional

Samuel A. Leff ’13

Sam Leff is a Deputy City Attorney at the San Francisco City Attorney’s Office. As a member of the Litigation Team, he represents the city and its employees in a wide variety of cases across federal and state practice. He takes great pride in defending the city he loves and serving the public with integrity.

A philosophy major at Colgate, Sam first discovered his interest in the law while taking classes with his favorite professor, David Dudrick. The strength of the Colgate community made a lasting impression—and after moving to San Francisco, he found the same sense of connection among local alumni.

For the past seven years, Sam has led the Colgate Club of San Francisco, helping bring alumni together through gatherings and community-building initiatives that have strengthened ties across the region. He has also volunteered as a Regional Leader, Career Initiatives participant, Job Skills Accelerator contributor, and Alumni Admissions interviewer.

Beyond his legal and volunteer work, Sam coaches youth basketball and enjoys being active in his community. He lives in San Francisco with his wife, Grace, and their golden retriever, Stanley.

Sam is grateful for the opportunity to serve on the Alumni Council and to continue supporting the university and alumni network that have meant so much to him.

Regional

David R. Wohl ’74

David Wohl ’74 majored in Philosophy & Religion and (practically) minored in WRCU-FM. Following graduation, he got his JD at Emory University Law School and practiced law for one year in Atlanta and eight years in Washington State, opening an office of Evergreen Legal Services in the coastal city of Aberdeen and then practicing criminal defense in Seattle. Realizing that a lifetime in defense would be an excellent recipe for early burnout and deciding, after attending an anniversary celebration for a housing non-profit he had helped create in Aberdeen, that affordable housing would be an excellent next move, David graduated with a Mid-Career Master in Public Administration from the Harvard Kennedy School of Government.
After moving to Cincinnati (following, not for the last time, his late first wife’s academic career), he founded the Cincinnati Development Fund, a non-profit community development financial institution, where he worked for ten years as a lender and financing consultant to affordable housing developers.

In 1998, the family moved to Tucson, where he has since lived and worked as a developer and housing finance consultant. David is now the president of two companies: Sabino Community Development Resources, a consulting firm, and Newport SW LLC, which has (to date) developed three affordable housing projects.

Proudly wearing the Colgate bike jersey that he convinced the bookstore to sell, David rides nearly every year in El Tour de Tucson, one of America’s largest bicycle events. He introduced his wife, Judy Miller, to the beauty of the Colgate campus at his 50th reunion and looks forward to many return visits to Hamilton. 

At-Large

Craig F. Dehmel ’90

Craig has spent the last three decades working in the business of entertainment, most recently as Head of Global Distribution at IMAX. He managed the global theatrical release planning and execution of Hollywood, local language, documentary, and special content releases to over 1,700 IMAX screens worldwide, leading a team responsible for the programming and distribution of movies shown on the IMAX global network and working with both studio and exhibition partners to maximize IMAX box office results. Prior to joining IMAX in September 2016, Craig managed the theatrical release planning and execution of all 20th Century Fox International-distributed titles in over 100 markets worldwide. Under Dehmel’s leadership, IMAX achieved over $1 billion Global Box Office in 2018, 2019, 2023, and 2025, and Fox International was the market share leader for 5 of his last 10 years at the company.

A member of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences, Craig has been a guest lecturer at the Anderson School of Business (UCLA) for the past two decades, teaching a seminar on the fundamentals of the worldwide theatrical business. He earned an MBA at UCLA in 1998, concentrating in Entertainment Management & Strategy. He is also a regular guest speaker at the Annenberg School of Communications and Peter Stark Producing Program, both at USC. During his time as a student at Colgate, Craig was an active member of the Colgate 13, Phi Delta Theta Fraternity, Trainer Hill Ski Patrol, Cross-Country Ski Team, Ultimate Frisbee Team, and the Senior Honor Society. After graduating, Craig joined the Southern California Alumni Admissions Committee for Colgate, becoming its chairperson in 2002. He was the keynote speaker at the 2023 Sophomore Connections kick-off dinner and most recently served with classmates on the 2025 Reunion Committee.

Craig lives in Los Angeles with his wife, Suzanne, and daughters, Chloe (21) and Vienna (17). 

At-Large

Julia Koenig Gilbert ’94

Julia graduated from Colgate University in 1994 with a B.A. in Religion and History, earning departmental honors. She was the Business Manager/Editor for the Colgate Maroon News, a member of Kappa Alpha Theta, and involved in Big Brother/Big Sister of Hamilton, NY. Following graduation, she began her career in the corporate offices of Ann, Inc. (Ann Taylor), before transitioning into executive search on Wall Street. Julia joined The Oxbridge Group in 2001 as a Managing Director in their New York office, after serving as a Vice President at a boutique search firm specializing in investment banking and private equity recruiting.

With 28 years of executive search experience, Julia has worked extensively with domestic and international investment funds across Private Equity, Public Equity, Growth Equity, Private Credit, and Family Office strategies. In this capacity, she has been fortunate to interact with dozens of Colgate alums and students.

She is a proud member of a Colgate family. Julia’s connection to the university runs deep—her grandfather served as Chair of the German Department (a Colgate professor for 40 years), and her uncle, sister (Lynn Koenig Trojahn '84), and many cousins are fellow alumni. Originally from Albuquerque, New Mexico, Julia now resides in Greenwich, Connecticut, with her husband and two children—Piper (Dartmouth '25) and Reed (Colgate '28). She has remained an active member of the Colgate community, serving on the Women’s Leadership Council and the Class Gift Committee for many years.