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Bringing the Boardroom to the Classroom

Each semester, �̾�����Ƶ's Development and Alumni Relations Office partners with the Lubin School of Business to put together a series of roundtable discussions between alumni and current students. This event series supports Lubin's mission of bringing the boardroom into the classroom and providing our students with active learning opportunities. Led by Dean Singleton and a group of Lubin's high academic standing students, the series is held via Zoom. Alumni share their experiences since graduating from Pace, and give industry advice for students. These roundtable discussions provide an opportunity for students to learn and ask questions, as well as provide alumni with an impactful and engaging experience.

What students are saying about the Dean's Roundtable

“One of the best event formats for Lubin students.”

“So interesting and cool to meet the Co-CEO of Century 21!”

“The Roundtable was very insightful and the perfect opportunity for students to meet with highly successful alumni.”

“The roundtable initiative was wonderful.”

“This is so amazing and insightful.”

“Keep it going!”

Monica Gawet

President at Tennessee Marble Company
Friday, March 7, 2025
12:10 p.m. – 1:10 p.m.
Zoom

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Monica is President of Tennessee Marble Company which was founded in 1993. She is a third-generation family member in the stone business, and is the sole owner of the Company. Tennessee Marble Company is a quarrier of Tennessee pink marble and operates 3 quarries in Tennessee. The Company also owns and operates the historic Champlain black quarry in Isle LaMotte, Vermont. In 2007, the company acquired another Tennessee marble operation, making them the sole supplier of Tennessee pink marble. In addition to being a quarrier, the company has produced hundreds of custom, commercial projects, both large and small using other domestic stone varieties. Their work is very custom in nature, where projects are cut to specific specifications. The commercial work ranges from small historic match existing work, to larger commercial exterior marble facades. There are over 2000 buildings in the U.S that have Tennessee marble in them.

Monica is a Past President of the Marble Institute of America where she served in 2001. She served as a Board member and officer between 1997 and 2001. She also served on several committees and task-forces while servicing on the Board of the MIA between 1998 and 2001. She continues to be an active member of the MIA as a past President. (MIA is now the “Natural Stone Institute”). The Company has been recognized five times by its peers in receiving a Pinnacle Award of Excellence from the MIA, and the Grand Pinnacle Award.

Monica was recognized with the “Women in Stone Pioneer” award from the Natural Stone Institute in 2018 which recognizes women for their personal accomplishments in the natural stone industry, and has pioneered other females in the field. WIS is known for mentoring women in all fields of the industry.

Tennessee Marble Company also received certification from the MIA in 2014 as an Accredited MIA Fabricator. Accreditation requires extensive application, site visits, peer review, a proficiency test and adherence to all MIA industry standards.

She is a graduate of �̾�����Ƶ in New York City, and earned a Bachelor of Business Administration degree, with a major in Finance, in 1983. While pursuing her career, she worked as an intern for Cates Consulting.

After graduation, started career in Finance, as an analyst, for Atalanta Sosnoff Capital Corporation, in NYC until moving to San Francisco where she worked at Keefe, Bruyette and Woods, as an equity analyst specializing in public traded banks. When the savings and loan crisis erupted, she worked for the Department of the Treasury at the Office of Thrift Supervision, San Francisco field office until 1993.

Monica has served in her community in several ways. She is a retired Board member of the Blount County Economic Development Partnership; the Company is a member of the Blount County Chamber of Commerce, and has served as a Board member for the organization. She served a 4- year term in public office on the Blount County School Board ending in 2002. She is a past Board member of Leadership Blount, and a 1998 graduate of the organization. She is a past Chair of the Maryville City Schools Foundation, and has been a supporter of education in her community since 1993 having been recognized with the Maryville City Schools Foundation Starlight Award in 2016. TMC became a member of the “Donor Society” in May 2018 which recognized the companies giving level of $20,000. The foundation raises money to fund unique grants and needs in the school system. She has also served on the Board of the Blount County Education Foundation.

Monica’s personal passions are traveling with her adult children, cooking, mountain biking and downhill skiing. Her pride is in being one of a handful of women owned quarries in the world, and the mother of her three sons, ages 30, 28 and 24. Her career accomplishments and balance in life as a working mother and business owner, would not be possible without the support and encouragement of husband of 35 years, Gus Zacharias, who also works with her at TMC.

Over her 31 years in the stone industry, she is most proud of 2 projects, both in New York City. The renovation of Grand Central Terminal in 1996–1998 and most recently, Moynihan Trail Hall with flooring and wall stone completed 2022.

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Alan Badey

CEO at Citrin Cooperman
Wednesday, April 2, 2025
12:10 p.m.–1:10 p.m.
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Alan Badey serves as Chief Executive Officer of Citrin Cooperman Advisors, LLC and is a member of the Board of Directors. Based in New York City, he is focused on driving the evolution and transformation of the Firm forward, providing an exceptional industry driven, client service experience, building and sustaining a one-firm culture, and enhancing opportunities for all partners and staff. Alan leverages his experience, vision, and collaborative leadership style to enable the Firm to maintain a position as a leader in the industry and further cement the Firm’s mission to be the go-to regional and national professional services firm of choice for the middle market.

With over 30 years of experience, Alan has leveraged his foundation as a hands-on tax and business advisory partner to develop best practice strategies to developing a service methodology that provides integrated and innovative custom solutions that help clients maximize their business goals. Additionally, his expertise in mergers and acquisitions and industry transformation allows him to drive the focus of the Firm to continually look for opportunities to stay ahead of the industry and be at the forefront of change, ensuring we stay aligned with the dynamic needs of our clients and market.

Throughout his time at Citrin Cooperman, Alan has been a driving force in the evolution of the firm. He has held a variety of leadership roles including, President, Managing Partner for both the Firm’s New York City and White Plains offices, and served as a member of both the Firm’s Management Team and Executive Committee. Alan has also led the development of the Firm’s Healthcare Industry Practice and the restructuring of the Advisory Services Line, bringing in multiple new advisory practices under his tenure including Technology, Risk Advisory, and Cybersecurity (TRAC), Strategy and Business Transformation (SBT), Business Process Outsourcing (BPO), among others. He also understands the need to be immersed in the industries of our clients and their unique business needs and has developed and built out the overall Industry Go-to-Market strategy for the Firm.

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Kathy-Ann Edwards

Assurance Partner at PwC
Thursday, April 24, 2025
3:25 p.m.–4:25 p.m.
Zoom

Kathy-Ann Edwards is an active client service partner of PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP (PwC). She has 31 years’ experience delivering audit, accounting, and advisory services across the insurance industry spectrum, including life, annuities, property and casualty, health, and mortgage insurance businesses. During her tenure at PwC, Kathy-Ann has been assigned to the Milwaukee, New York and London offices. She currently is the global lead engagement partner for a financial services organization whose services ranges from mutual funds, life insurance and banking services, the lead insurance partner for a large public life insurer and the global lead partner on a non-public insurer.

In addition to serving clients while being assigned to the Milwaukee office, Kathy-Ann served as the Mid-Central and West Insurance Leader, where she was responsible for driving the firm’s strategic priorities and leading the insurance teams of approximately 250 professionals across this market segment.

Kathy-Ann was born and grew up on the cosmopolitan islands of Trinidad and Tobago located in the West Indies. She moved to US to attend �̾�����Ƶ in New York, where she earned a Bachelor of Business Administration with a concentration in Public Accounting degree.

She is a member of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants, registered CPA in New York, New Jersey, Vermont and Wisconsin. She is also a member of the New York State Society of Certified Public Accountants and a lifetime member of the National Association of Black Accountants Inc (NABA).

Kathy-Ann has served as the chair of board of directors of Messmer Catholic Schools; as a board member of America SCORES, University School of Milwaukee, Marcus Center of Performing Arts and the finance committee of the Boys & Girls Club of Milwaukee.

Kathy-Ann lives in Warren, NJ with her husband Earl and fourteen-year-old daughter, Madisyn.

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