Comprised of leaders with diverse and deep levels of experience from the military, government, business, higher education, and public service sectors, the Board will provide advice and counsel to University leadership related to programs, initiatives, and opportunities positioned to advance the educational aspirations of the University’s veteran and military-connected students.
Richard M. Jones ’92, G’95, L’95, Board Chair
Rich previously served as Executive Vice President, General Tax Counsel and Chief Veteran Officer for ViacomCBS. As the Company’s General Tax Counsel, he leads the Company’s worldwide tax practice. In this role he oversees all tax planning, strategy, operations, risk management, litigation, government relations and legislative initiatives. Rich was a key part of the senior leadership team that re-combined Viacom and CBS. Rich founded the ViacomCBS Veterans Network where he oversees and coordinates all veteran/military-related initiatives and programming for the Company.
Prior to the merger, Rich served as Executive Vice President, General Tax Counsel and Chief Veteran Officer for CBS Corporation. Prior to joining Viacom in 2005, Rich served as Vice President, Senior Tax Counsel and Assistant Treasurer for General Electric (NBC Universal). Before joining General Electric in 2003, he spent more than a decade as both a Certified Public Accountant and Tax Lawyer with Ernst & Young, working in their Media & Entertainment and Transaction Advisory Services practices. Rich also served as a Law Clerk for the New York State Supreme Court, Appellate Division, for of the Honorable Judge John P. Balio. Prior to re-entering civilian life, Rich was a non-commissioned officer in the U.S. Army, where he served honorably as a member of the 75th Ranger Regiment and 10th Mountain Division.
In 2009, Congress appointed him to serve on the advisory committee on Veterans’ Employment, Training and Employer Outreach (ACVETEO). He sits on the boards of the Wounded Warrior Project, Syracuse University’s Office of Veteran and Military Affairs, The Institute for Veterans and Military Families, Empire Vets, the National Veterans Memorial & Museum and is an advisor to the Army Ranger Lead the Way Fund, the GallantFew, The Darby Project, Veterans Advantage, and the Fisher House Foundation.
Rich received multiple degrees from Syracuse University, a BS in accounting in 1992 and an MS in accounting in 1995 from the Martin J. Whitman School of Management and a JD from the College of Law. He also graduated from Boston University in 1998 earning an LLM in both corporate and tax law. Rich is admitted to practice before the Courts of New York, Connecticut, and the District of Columbia, and is licensed to practice before the U.S. Supreme Court and the U.S. Tax Court. Rich is a frequent and noted lecturer for Bloomberg, the NACD and the Practicing Law Institute, where he is a member of the faculty. In 2014, the University honored Rich with the George Arents Award, the highest award presented to Syracuse University alumni.
Peggy Combs ’85
Major General Peggy C. Combs, a two-star general, is the Chief of Staff, North American Aerospace Defense Command and U.S. Northern Command, Peterson Air Force Base, Colorado. She began her decorated military career as a distinguished military graduate of the Reserve Officer Training Corps Program at Syracuse University in 1985, as a commissioned officer in the United States Army Chemical Corps. Peggy is the highest-ranking female military officer to graduate from Syracuse University, the first female general officer from upstate New York, and the first in her family to attend college.
Throughout her 30+ year service, General Combs has served in a variety of leadership and staff positions at the tactical, operational and strategic levels. She is also a veteran of Operations Enduring Freedom and Iraqi Freedom. Given her demonstrated leadership, the U.S. Army selected Combs for command of Fort Knox and the U.S. Army Cadet Command in 2014, the first and only woman to be appointed to this position, setting an outstanding example for aspiring women leaders.
Her awards and decorations include the Army Legion of Merit, Defense Meritorious Service Medal, Bronze Star Medal, Army Meritorious Service Medal, Joint Service Achievement Medal, Army Commendation Medal, Army Achievement Medal, Humanitarian Service Medal, Iraq Campaign Medal, and the Parachutist Badge and Air Assault Badge.
General Combs’ military education includes the US Army Command and General Staff College, and the US Army War College. She holds a BS in Biology from Syracuse University, an MS from Saint Mary. In 2021, Peggy was awarded an honorary degree from Syracuse University. While a student, Peggy was an Army ROTC and St Thomas Moore participant.
Paul Dottle P’14, ’18
Paul currently serves as Vice President of Global Shared Services at General Mills where he is responsible for setting the strategic direction and delivery of enterprise shared services. His areas of accountability include financial and employee shared services, global real estate services and management of the General Mills India Center.
Paul joined General Mills in 2018 after a long career at American Express where he held a variety of global senior management positions. He most recently served as Executive Vice President of Global Business Services (GBS). The GBS organization provided a range of critical internal services including financial operations, global supplier management, global real estate and business strategy and execution.
Previously, Paul spent eight years with the American Express Technologies organization in several senior roles, serving as the company’s Chief Information Officer and its Chief Technology Officer. Additionally, Paul led several global teams in the Merchant Services business unit focused on client management, merchant processing and risk management. Paul began his career at American Express developing fraud prevention capabilities.
Paul served as an enlisted soldier in the U.S. Army Reserves during the 80s and his early career he worked as a programmer analyst for Rockwell International and TransAmerica Life Insurance.
Paul has a BS in computer information systems from Northern Arizona University and an MBA from Pepperdine University. He currently serves as an advisory board member for the Office of Veteran and Military Affairs at Syracuse University.
Gary Ginsburg ‘72
Gary Ginsburg is a native of Syracuse, NY and currently resides in Webster, NY (near Rochester, NY). Gary graduated from Syracuse University in 1972 where he earned a BS in TV-Radio.
Following graduation, Gary enlisted in the U.S. Army and served in the states and overseas and used his GI Bill educational benefits to obtain his master’s degree from the University of Southern California in 1979. He served honorably and retired from the U.S. Army after more than 33 years of service. He attained the rank of Command Sergeant Major.
Currently, Gary volunteers at the Veteran Outreach Center in Rochester NY assisting transitioning service members and is a member of the West Point, NY retired Soldier Council and the Syracuse University OVMA advisory board. Gary is also active with the Jewish War Veterans of the U.S.A. as both junior vice commander for the state of New York and a member of the national executive committee based in Washington DC. He continues with some degree of physical fitness – swimming laps about 900 meters 4 or 5 times per week.
Millard Hall Jr. G’88
Millard “Mickay” Hall, Jr. is an operations executive who serves as Associate Vice President, Specialized Services at ISS Facilities-North America, a leading workplace experience and facilities management company. Prior, to joining ISS Facilities in 2019, Mickay served in multiple operations roles at media and marketing services company Valassis Communications Inc., from 2003 – 2019. He was named senior vice president of operations in 2011, at Valassis Communications, and managed Valassis’ print and direct-mail operations in the Eastern United States. His corporate career began in 1997 at Coca-Cola as a Project Manager, before being promoted to Senior Project Manager, Burger King Account Team where he managed preventative maintenance related service initiatives and improvements which reduced service costs by more than $1.5 million.
Mickay retired from the U.S. Army at the rank of lieutenant colonel in 1997 after 20 years of service in the Quartermaster Corps and as a Comptroller, before his corporate career began. His major assignments during his service include Platoon Leader and Assistant Brigade Operations Officer assignments in the 3rd Infantry Division and Company Commander and Battalion Operations Officer assignments in the 24th Infantry Division as well as serving as a staff officer in the Office of the Deputy Chief of Staff for Logistics, Headquarters, Department of the U.S. Army; staff officer assigned to NATO Headquarters, Allied Land Forces South-Eastern Europe in Izmir, Turkey and staff officer in the Office of the Deputy Chief of Staff for Operations, Headquarters, Department of the U.S. Army.
Mickay graduated from Syracuse University in 1988. He earned an MBA from the Martin J. Whitman School of Management, where he majored in organization and management and completed the Army Comptrollership program. Additionally, he is a graduate of the United States Military Academy at West Point.
Victor Holman ’82
Victor is a retired lieutenant colonel in the U.S. Army, former secretary of the general staff for the U.S. Army Training and Doctrine Command and a veteran of service in Somalia. He has been chairman of the ROTC program at the College of William and Mary and is the author of Marine Air-Ground Task Force: A Model for Future U.S. Air Force and U.S. Army Operations. Victor also worked for Raytheon Technology Company.
Victor has written on the place of indigenous populations in the military. He retired from the military in 2003 after more than 38 years of military and federal service. Victor has received numerous awards for his achievements and service, including the Bronze Star Medal, the Meritorious Service Medal, the Superior Civilian Service Award and the Achievement Medal for Civilian Service.
Victor graduated from Syracuse University in 1982 with a BA from the College of Arts & Sciences majoring in English and Psychology. He went on to earn a master’s degree in national strategy and security from the U.S. Naval War College in Newport, Rhode Island, and an MBA from Central Michigan University. He is also a graduate of the School of Advanced Military Studies in Fort Leavenworth, Kansas. As a student at Syracuse University, Victor was a member of Army ROTC and Alpha Phi Alpha.
Victor is a member of the Office of Multicultural Advancement (SUMA) Advisory Council. He is the co-sponsor of the Keith Brown and Victor Holman Scholarship for Graduate Financial Aid and has pledged a naming gift toward the revival and development of 119 Euclid Avenue. He is a supporter of Syracuse University’s Office of Veteran and Military Affairs and ROTC programs and a longtime attendee of CBT.
Victor was honored September 11, 2021, with the Chancellor’s Citation for Excellence in Military Service. Victor’s wife, Dakota Holman, taught at York County public schools as an elementary school teacher for 15 years. Subsequently, she was an educator in Newport News Public Schools. Dakota graduated from Syracuse University in 1983 with a BS from VPA majoring in speech communications. She is a member of Alpha Kappa Alpha sorority. She also attended Columbia Teachers College in 1992.
Wilder Leavitt ’86
Wilder J. Leavitt is an attorney in private practice in Bethesda, Maryland, providing legal counsel for general legal matters. His prior legal experience includes transactional and litigation practice as an environmental attorney with Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher LLP and as an intellectual property attorney with Morgan, Lewis & Bockius LLP in Washington, DC.
He served recently as a volunteer Emergency Medical Technician (“EMT”), Ambulance Driver and Paramedic for 11 years with the Bethesda-Chevy Chase Rescue Squad in Bethesda, Maryland. He was a member of the Maryland Responds Medical Reserve Corps providing COVID-19 virus testing response during the first year of the pandemic.
Wilder’s prior experience includes working as a management consultant with Coopers & Lybrand (now PricewaterhouseCoopers), designing and implementing process improvement initiatives for the United States Army, the United States Postal Service, and private-sector clients. He served for seven years in the United States Air Force as an Aircraft & Munitions Maintenance Officer maintaining and generating sorties for A-10, F-5, F-15, and F-16 fighter aircraft.
He has served as a member of the Board of Directors of The Ocean Foundation, the DC Sustainable Business Network, and the Airedale Terrier Club of Metropolitan Washington, DC. He currently serves as a member of the Board of Directors for Hero Dogs and the Syracuse University Alumni Association.
Wilder holds a Juris Doctor degree from American University, a Master of Science in Management degree from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, and a Bachelor of Science in Aerospace Engineering degree from Syracuse University.
Wilder is married to Mary Morningstar, and they share their home with their beautiful Airedale Terrier, Juno. His interests include mountaineering, hiking, woodworking, beekeeping, writing, and playing guitar.
Kenneth Marfilius ’11
Ken Marfilius is the Assistant Dean of the Falk College Office of Online and Distance Education and is an Associate Teaching Professor in the School of Social Work. Prior to his new appointment at Syracuse University, Marfilius served as the School of Social Work’s Undergraduate Program Director, MSW Online Program Director and an Assistant Teaching Professor in Falk College’s School of Social Work. He has taught courses on topics such as social work intervention, military culture and mental health practice, psychopathology, social work practice in mental health, and others.
While active duty, Marfilius served in the U.S. Air Force Biomedical Science Corps in multiple roles: mental health therapist, family advocacy officer in charge, and as manager of the alcohol and drug prevention and treatment program. He transitioned out of the Air Force in 2016 having obtained the rank of captain. Marfilius served in a variety of mental health roles related to sexual assault prevention and response, suicide prevention, and traumatic stress. Marfilius has also worked for the U.S. Department of Veteran Affairs at the Syracuse VA Medical Center in the Healthcare for Homeless Veterans Program, and as a Disruptive Behavior Committee Member TV, WAER-FM, Military.com, WCNY’s Connect New York, and 570 WSYR Radio, among others.
Marfilius is honored with an Air Force Commendation Medal for Meritorious Service, National Defense Service Medal, Global War on Terrorism Service Medal, and Nuclear Deterrence Operations Service Medal. He is a recipient of the U.S. Air Force Health Professions Scholarship and the U.S. Air Force Outstanding Unit Award and has twice been awarded the Medical Operations Squadron Company Grade Officer of the Quarter. Marfilius currently serves on several committees at Syracuse University, including his service as Chair of the Council on the Social Work Education Self-Study Steering Committee. Marfilius earned a Doctorate in Clinical Social Work (D.S.W.) and Master of Social Work (M.S.W.) from the University of Pennsylvania School of Social Policy and Practice in 2018 and 2013, respectively. He earned a B.A. in Psychology with a minor in Public Health from Syracuse University in 2011. He is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker in the State of North Carolina and is certified in Prolonged Exposure Therapy.
Tyrone Muse
Ty is President and CEO of Visions Federal Credit Union, a $5.6 billion financial institution headquartered in Endwell, NY serving over 250,000 members primarily in three states (New York, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania).
Though Ty’s roots are southern, he was raised in Wallkill, NY. He attended Northeastern University in Boston, MA on a track scholarship where he attained his undergraduate degree, master’s in accounting, and his MBA. Ty has over 30 years in the financial services industry working at institutions such as PricewaterhouseCoopers, Goldman Sachs (Controller at Archon Group – Real Estate Division), GE Asset Management, and Hudson Valley Federal Credit Union (now known as HVCU). He is also a Certified Public Accountant.
Ty serves on a number of boards both locally and across the country in an effort to support both the region in which he resides and the credit union industry as a whole. He has received numerous awards for his efforts in supporting these causes and advocates that giving of your time and resources is a responsibility we should all participate in.
All around, Ty leads and mentors his staff and others by using positivity and encouragement. He believes winning is contagious and fun which is evidenced by his overall approach to life and management style. He urges everyone to find that “one thing” they are passionate about to make their life, family, job, or community better. He promotes this approach hoping it will lead to thousands of “one things” to make our communities and world better. To get a better sense of Visions Federal Credit Union and Ty’s brand, watch this video.
To this day, at age 53, Ty still says his greatest accomplishment is marrying his wife and raising his two daughters.
Ken Quaglio G’91
Kenneth “Ken” Quaglio is a Senior Partner with the management consulting firm Kearney, a global partnership, serving clients in 40 countries. He leads the Wireline Broadband practice within the Americas Communications, Media and Technology group. Bringing more than 30 years of experience in a variety of management consulting and industry positions, Ken’s expertise ranges from information services, technology, government, communications/media, consumer products, and manufacturing.
Prior to Kearney, Ken was the Chief Executive Office for Celerity where he oversaw company-wide operations and repositioned Celerity as a premier consulting firm within the Randstad Group. Ken transformed and realigned Celerity from the French parent that acquired it in 2017 to Randstad Technology Group in 2021.
Before joining Celerity in August 2017, Ken served as President/CEO of Siteworx, an award winning, PE owned, digital experience consultancy. Ken has also previously served as COO at 3Pillar Global, a global software product development company, and held a Principal/Partner role with Ernst & Young, where he developed a major new health care practice and led their Federal Advisory performance improvement service line. He served as president of Command Information, an IPv6 Venture backed startup, and held various leadership positions within the Global Marketing and Chief Technology Officer organization of Electronic Data Systems Corporation (EDS) as Vice President. Ken also held a Vice President/Partner role at A.T. Kearney (acquired by EDS) and started his career with Booz Allen Hamilton.
Ken is a 29-year U.S. Army veteran with 14 years of active-duty service in the Medical Service Corps where he was Medevac Operations Officer and Instructor Pilot. Ken helped launch the Entrepreneurship Bootcamp for Veterans’ Families at Syracuse University. He is an Independent Director on the Board of Directors at Shenandoah Telecommunications (NASDAQ: SHEN) where he serves on the Audit Committee as well as the Shentel Foundation. Ken actively supports Miriam’s Kitchen, an organization committed to ending chronic homelessness in Washington, DC.
Ken earned a BS in biological science from Florida State University and an MBA in organization and management from Syracuse University’s Martin J. Whitman School of Management.
Glenn Richardson G’89
Richardson is a noted industry leader, advisor, coach, and executive consultant. He provides leadership and executive coaching, business optimization and transformation advisory, strategic communications, and other professional services across a diverse client base. His post-military employment history includes serving as a Manager at Coopers & Lybrand LLP; Partner at Arthur Andersen LLP; Partner at Deloitte LLP, and President of FedBid, Inc.
Glenn served in the U.S. Army Reserve and active components, and as a non-commissioned and commissioned officer, his military assignments included the U.S. Army Special Operations Command; U.S. Army, Europe; and The Joint Staff. Glenn is a graduate of the Army (now Defense) Comptrollership Program at Syracuse University and has participated in the Entrepreneurship Bootcamp for Veterans with Disabilities as a speaker and panelist. In addition to an MBA from Syracuse, Glenn earned an MA from the U.S. Naval War College and undergraduate degrees from North Carolina State University.
He currently serves on the Board of Directors for the Human Resources Leadership Forum, and on the advisory boards of several socially conscious companies that do well by doing good.
Glenn is married to the former Carol Thomson of Carluke, Scotland. They currently reside in Leesburg, Virginia with two dogs and one horse.
The Office of Veteran and Military Affairs
The OVMA serves as Syracuse University’s single point of entry for all veteran and military-related programs and initiatives. Committed to being the “best place for veterans™,” the office assists university stakeholders to support and empower veteran, military-connected and military family member students and employees who are veterans at the University.