Wall of Fame

Joe Lobozzo is the founder of JML Optical Industries, Inc. Since starting the company in his home in 1972, Mr. Lobozzo guided the firm through nearly four decades of growth and profitability. In 1993, he leveraged his bachelor’s degree in physics from City University of New York and enrolled in the Saunders College of Business at RIT’s newly designed Executive MBA Program, graduating in May of 1995 - at age 51. This initiative allowed JML Optical to share in the newest concepts and knowledge in such areas as strategy, human resources, accounting, marketing, economics and statistics.

His extensive community service involvement began in the early 1980’s when he was recruited to a five-year strategic planning committee at the United Way of Greater Rochester. He was subsequently elected to the United Way board, serving two terms as board chair and as campaign chair for 2000, raising $41 million.

In the late 1990’s, Mr. Lobozzo was elected to RIT’s Board of Trustees, and the advisory councils of both RIT’s Saunders College of Business and Executive MBA Program. He has also served as a member of RIT’s President’s Roundtable. Mr. Lobozzo has received many honors from RIT, including the Saunders College Distinguished Alumni Award, the RIT Outstanding Alumni Award, the Vanden Brul Entrepreneurial Award, and the Nathaniel Rochester Society Award. In 2017, Mr. Lobozzo made a transformational gift to RIT. In grateful recognition for his lifelong commitment to RIT, the University named the Joseph M. Lobozzo Alumni House in his honor.

Kevin Gavagan is a 1979 graduate of the MBA program at RIT’s Saunders College of Business, and is currently a principal and portfolio manager at QCI Asset Management, Inc. He joined QCI in 1988, after serving as director of the investment office of the University of Rochester, and as an investment officer for Cornell University's endowment office. Mr. Gavagan began his career as a research analyst for the trust department of an upstate New York commercial bank in 1978 and became a principal of QCI in 1989.

Mr. Gavagan heads up QCI's small cap/emerging growth and post-venture equity investment services, acting as research analyst and portfolio manager. His primary responsibilities include portfolio management for tax-exempt and taxable clients and equity research, concentrating on technology related industries.

Mr. Gavagan values his association with the RIT community, where he served on the executive committee for the Nathaniel Rochester Society, on the Saunders College of Business Alumni Advisory Council, and the RIT President’s Roundtable. He has also served on the board of the RIT Incubator, Venture Creations. Mr. Gavagan is a 2004 recipient of the Saunders College Distinguished Alumni Award, and in 2008, along with his wife, Nancy received the Whitaker Award for their volunteer efforts on behalf of RIT.

Laura Scott was born in Buffalo, NY, and grew up in suburban Pittsburgh, PA. She graduated from Carnegie Mellon University in 1978 with a BFA in studio arts. She then pursued an advanced degree, graduating from Salisbury State University in 1983, with a BS in computer science. She began her career with Pennsylvania Power and Light Company at their nuclear facility in Berwick, PA.

In 1985, Ms. Scott and her husband were both hired into the management services division of Eastman Kodak Company, a large IT resource group within Kodak. In her 13-year career at Kodak, Ms. Scott worked in numerous manufacturing areas building and managing systems. She spent two years as the business director for the division, and her final three years in software product development. She completed her MBA in finance from RIT’s Saunders College of Business in 1991.

In 1998, Ms. Scott joined ExxonMobil Chemical Company, films business, as global IT manager. Managing IT for the company, she had a staff in Luxembourg and Rochester. In January 2000, she was promoted to chief information officer for films and became a member of the films executive leadership team. In April 2002, she joined Carpenter Technology Corporation, Reading, PA, as vice president and chief information officer, where she served until her retirement in December of 2009.

Ms. Scott is deeply involved in the RIT community having served on the Alumni Advisory Council, the Saunders College Dean’s Advisory Council, and as a member of the Nathaniel Rochester Society.

Russ Schwartzbeck is a 1997 graduate of RIT’s Saunders College of Business with a degree in finance. Following graduation, Mr. Schwartzbeck began a successful career at Northwestern Mutual Financial Network, where he had interned while a student at RIT. He has many outstanding achievements professionally, including being named top-10 college agent, two-time top-10 college unit director, and the Million Dollar Round Table. He has also received National Sales Achievement Awards, National Quality Awards, and the Life Impact Award. In July of 2009 he was promoted to the position of Managing Director of The Schwartzbeck Financial Group, Northwestern Mutual.

Mr. Schwartzbeck is extremely dedicated to RIT and the Rochester community. He helped found the Saunders College of Business Recent Alumni organization, and has been an active member of the Saunders College of Business Alumni Advisory Council, the Saunders College Dean’s Advisory Council, and the Nathaniel Rochester Society.

Tom Curley, former president and publisher of USA TODAY, and president and CEO of The Associated Press began his journalism career at age 15, covering high school basketball for his hometown Easton, Pa., Express. He continued working for newspapers during college and joined Gannett’s Rochester, N.Y., Times-Union in 1972 as night city/suburban editor. He became director of information for Gannett in 1976 and began coordinating Gannett’s newspaper research projects. Mr. Curley was the original news staffer on the project that led to the creation of USA TODAY. He was assigned in 1979 by then Gannett chairman Al Neuharth to study the feasibility of a national newspaper. He later worked in every department of the newspaper. He became editor of Gannett’s Norwich, CT, Bulletin in 1982, publisher of The Courier-News at Bridgewater, N.J., in 1983, and returned to USA TODAY in 1985. In 1986, he became the newspaper’s sixth president and in 1991 added the title of publisher.

Under Mr. Curley, USA TODAY grew into the nation’s largest daily newspaper. USA TODAY has launched four national programs recognizing individual achievement in education: academic All-Star teams for the nation’s high schools, 2-year colleges and 4-year colleges, and to honor the best teachers. In May of 2011, Mr. Curley joined The Associated Press as president and CEO where he served until his retirement in August of 2012.

Mr. Curley received a B.A. in political science from La Salle University, in 1970, and an M.B.A. in management from RIT’s Saunders College of Business, in 1977. He was also awarded a fellowship in public opinion research from Northwestern University in 1976. He served on RIT’s board of trustees from 1988 to 2011. Mr. Curley has received many honors from RIT, including the Saunders College Distinguished Alumni Award, the RIT Outstanding Alumni Award, and the Nathaniel Rochester Society Award.

William Buckingham is a 1964 graduate of RIT’s Saunders College of Business. In 1968, Mr. Buckingham started in Business Services at Lincoln First Bank in Rochester, advancing to Vice President and Manager National Accounts. Thus began a highly successful 30-year career in the banking industry, leading to senior executive positions with Manufacturers Hanover Corporation as Chief Executive Officer of several Manufacturers Hanover subsidiaries. His career culminated with First Empire State Corporation and M&T Bank, as Executive Vice President, managing the bank’s powerful Retail Banking Division. Further, Mr. Buckingham served as regional president of M&T’s Rochester Division, and was a director of M&T Securities, M&T Mortgage and M&T Bank, N.A. He was also chairman of M&T Credit and Highland Leasing Corp.

Recognition by his peers in the financial services industry is reflected in his past appointments to the boards of the Consumer Bankers Association, NYS Bankers Association and Conference of the State Bank Supervisors. As chairman of the Consumer Bankers Association, Mr. Buckingham was a national spokesperson on consumer and business banking matters.

Mr. Buckingham’s involvement in the Rochester community has been significant, especially with his alma mater. He has served as a member of RIT’s Board of Trustees since 1979, serving as chairman from 1997 to 2002. He is the first recipient of the Saunders College Distinguished Alumni Award in 1976, in 1983 received RIT’s Outstanding Alumni Award, and in 2009 received the Nathaniel Rochester Society Award. He chaired RIT’s $300 million capital campaign, which concluded successfully in 2006, and he is a trustee of RIT Venture Creations.

David Della Penta graduated from RIT’s Saunders College of Business in 1969. He is retired President and Chief Operating Officer of Fisher Scientific International, Inc., a position he held beginning April 1998. Founded in 1902, Fisher Scientific is a leading worldwide provider of products and services to the scientific community, including pharmaceutical and biotech companies; colleges and universities; medical-research institutions; hospitals; laboratories; and government agencies.

During Mr. Della Penta’s tenure, Fisher Scientific completed numerous acquisitions and grew from $2.25 billion in revenues to more than $4.66 billion at the conclusion of the company’s 2004 fiscal year. Further, Fisher Scientific’s workforce more than doubled to 17,500 employees.

Before joining Fisher Scientific, Mr. Della Penta was President of Nalge Nunc International, formerly a subsidiary of Sybron International Corporation. He joined Sybron in 1970, holding several accounting and financial positions, and in 1981 was appointed Vice President and Controller of the Nalge division, a manufacturer of plastic laboratory ware. He later became Vice President of Manufacturing and Vice President of Marketing before advancing to President in 1989.

He is the 1996 recipient of the Distinguished Alumni Award from the Saunders College of Business, and in 2004 he served as the distinguished speaker for the William D. Gasser Lectureship in Business at the Saunders College

Susan R. Holliday began her newspaper career long before becoming Publisher of the Rochester Business Journal. Founding her high school newspaper, Susan has always had an entrepreneurial spirit.

After attending Cornell University, Susan pursued a career in agricultural finance while working toward her MBA from RIT’s Saunders College of Business.

After a decade long career, she intended to retire and become a full-time Mom for her two children. Instead, Susan’s entrepreneurial spirit quickly brought her back to the business world when she seized the opportunity to rescue the Rochester Business Journal from bankruptcy. Once a paper with minimal readership, Susan has grown the “RBJ” into the region’s recognized source for local business news and analysis with over 80,000 readers. Its hallmarks are integrity in reporting and thoughtful probes into community issues affecting business. The scope of the company has grown with the additions of rbjdaily.com, Explore Greater Rochester, and Real magazine. Under Susan’s leadership, the Alliance of Area Business Publications twice awarded the RBJ its prestigious General Excellence Award. The National Newspaper Association and New York Press Association have both recognized RBJ’s superior reporting, photography, and design with numerous top awards.

Susan exemplifies her belief that a successful career comprises both corporate and civic leadership through her extensive involvement in the community. Her long-standing involvement in local organizations includes board level involvement at the Rochester Business Alliance, the University of Rochester Medical Center, Rochester Institute of Technology, and a five-year chairmanship at the Rochester Museum and Science Center.

Susan has been recognized for her achievements with the Outstanding Alumni Award from Cornell University, the Distinguished Alumni Award from the E. Philip Saunders College of Business, and the Outstanding Alumni Award from RIT.

John Bartholomew is a 1960 graduate of RIT’s Saunders College of Business. He was owner and operator of the Bartholomew Health Care Group, a network of senior communities in Western New York. He founded the first of these communities, Crest Manor Living and Rehabilitation Center, in the 1970s. A veteran of the senior living services sector, Mr. Bartholomew has had repeated success in the management and turnaround of financially troubled facilities, such as the Flower City Nursing Home, which he brought out of insolvency to licensure compliance and financial readiness for sale to Park Ridge Hospital (the facility is now Unity Living Center, part of Unity Health System). In 1985, he was named Nursing Home Administrator of the Year by the New York State Chapter of the American College of Health Care Administrators.

Mr. Bartholomew credits his wife, Mary, and son, A. John Bartholomew II, with his ability to step outside the centers and give back to the community. He has been an active member of the New York State Health Facilities Association, having served as president, vice president, and secretary of its ninth district; he was also a fellow of the American College of Health Care Administrators. In addition to his professional affiliations, Mr. Bartholomew has served on the boards of the Alzheimer's Association - Rochester Chapter, EquiCenter, the Genesee Valley Breeders Association, and Rochester Saints and Sinners, Inc.

A recipient of the Saunders College Distinguished Alumni Award and RIT’s Outstanding Alumni Award, Mr. Bartholomew has remained involved with his alma mater throughout the years, sitting on and chairing numerous committees of the Nathaniel Rochester Society and the Saunders College of Business Alumni Advisory Board. He and Mary have established numerous scholarships at the Saunders College.

The Browne family’s relationship with RIT started in the 1920s with his father, art and design student Richard C. Browne. Actively involved in Institute affairs, Richard proudly served as president of the Alumni Association in 1938. Many years later, Peter C. Browne continued his father’s history of giving and personal involvement with the Institute.

Peter Browne graduated from RIT’s Saunders College of Business in 1964 with a degree in business administration. While attending the Institute, Mr. Browne began his long career with Union Central Life as a co-op student. It was a career that was marked by early success, and which culminated with the formation of his own agency, Price, Raffel & Browne Inc., where he has served as president and managing partner beginning in 1984.

Mr. Browne has served countless professional and community organizations, and he has been honored with numerous insurance industry and volunteer awards at a national level.

In his support of RIT, Mr. Browne has few equals. He served as chairman of the Saunders College Dean’s Advisory Council, and is a member of the President’s Roundtable. He established the Peter C. Browne Saunders College of Business Endowed Scholarship, as well as the Turri & Browne Endowed Scholarship Fund. He was also a major supporter of the Madelon and Richard Rosett Chair at the Saunders College, and is a member of RIT’s Nathaniel Rochester Society and the Ellingson Society. In 1998, Mr. Browne was recognized for his tireless service to the Institute with the prestigious Outstanding Alumni Award.