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Meet the Faculty of the Graduate Business School

Philip Avello (BS SUNY at Oneonta; MPA, Lehigh University; JD, CUNY Law School at Queens College)

Philip Avello has extensive public and private sector employment experience with such entities as Bechtel Corporation, Bloomberg L.P., Public Service Electric & Gas, NYC School Construction Authority, SUNY Health Science Center, NYC Transit and NYS Department of Economic Development. Philip has worked in the Contracts and Business Development areas for these entities. In addition to being a professor at MCNY where he has taught graduate and undergraduate operations management and ethics classes, he has taught at New York University and Empire State College. Among the classes he has taught are Labor Relations in the Construction Industry, Employment Law, Collective Bargaining, Computer Applications for Electricians, Project Management, Estimating and other subject areas. Prior to teaching at higher education institutions, Philip taught ESL and other related courses at various language schools and also provided employee training in his full time positions on areas such as procurement law and regulations and ethics. While employed at NYS Department of Economic Development, among his other duties, he directed an employer education program on immigration law. While in this role, he educated employers through lectures, writings, Public Service Announcements and other methods, on their responsibilities to employees and job applicants under immigration law.

Madeleine Beckman (BA, New York University ; MA, New York University; MFA, Fairleigh Dickinson University)

Madeleine Beckman is a journalist, writer, and editor. She has worked as a writer and editor for a variety of national and international publications such as the New Yorker, Business Traveller International, Art & Auction, and Tokyo/Chunichi Shimbun (Japan-based daily newspapers); she has also worked for non-profits including the United Nations Press Office. Madeleine has taught at New York University, the City University of New York, the New School, and guest lectured at the Julliard School of Music and Syracuse University/Si Newhouse School of Journalism. Currently she is Writer-in-Residence at Stern College for Women, Contributing Reviewer to the International Literary Review, and Managing Editor, Saatchi & Saatchi Consumer Health + Wellness.

Frederick G. Brack (BS, Queens College, MSILR, Baruch College & Cornell University)

Professor Brack has spent over 17 years working in the field of Human Resources management. For the past eight years, he has been a Project Manager in Human Resources for the Metropolitan Transportation Authority. He joined the adjunct faculty at MCNY in 2003 and enjoys teaching Human Resources Management and Organizational Theory, Design and Behavior.

Joe Capobianco (BA, Lehman College; MA, Central Michigan University)

Through his own firm, Cross-Country Communications Inc., and in other executive capacities, Joe Capobianco has been involved with communications change for over two decades. Current ventures with emerging companies involve interactive radio, broadband/WiFi content delivery to mobile devices, music websites, and TV/ audio production and marketing. He was a founding executive at both Music Choice (VP, Programming), a partnership of Warner, Sony, EMI, Comcast, Cox, Motorola and Microsoft, and Sirius Satellite Radio (Executive VP/Content). He has negotiated agreements with major firms throughout the music, news, cable and radio arenas. Media and technology firms consulted include Home Box Office, Corporation for Public Broadcasting, Seiko Communications, World Space, General Instrument Corp. and ABC Radio. He has programmed radio stations in NY, Boston and Detroit, consulted stations throughout the US and Canada, and marketed music through direct response, including QVC. He served as an advisor to NYU's Music Business department for over a decade from its inception.

Terrence Holly Fraser(BBA, Pace University; Diploma Advance Legal Education, University of Southern California Law Center; JD, University of West Los Angeles Law School; LLM, Golden Gate University School of Law)

Terrence H. Fraser is an attorney and member of Connecticut and United States Tax Court. He is a tax lawyer who specializes in estate taxation for the United States Department of Treasury. He is also a commercial arbitrator at the American Dispute Resolution Center as well as a public arbitrator who often serves as chairman of the arbitration panel at the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (aka Nat’l Assoc. of Securities Dealers). Professor Fraser is currently an adjunct professor at MCNY Graduate School of Management where he teaches business law and ethics. He has also taught business law at Gibbs College and DeVry Graduate School of Management. Professor Fraser hopes to pursue a diploma in negotiations and mediation at Harvard Law School in the near future.

Stephen R. Greenwald (AB, Rutgers University; JD, New York University; LL.M, New York University) ext. 3301

In addition to serving as the President of Metropolitan College of New York, Stephen R. Greenwald is a New York-based film executive, financier, producer and attorney. During his varied career in the movie business, Professor Greenwald has run production and distribution companies, consulted for Sony Pictures, Bank of America and Credit Lyonnais Bank, and raised hundreds of millions of dollars in the U.S. and abroad for film production. Some of the films in which he has been associated include: Dune, Conan the Barbarian, Blue Velvet, Crimes of the Heart, Manhunter and Author, Author.

Professor Greenwald is a recognized expert on the valuation and sale of film libraries and in international film distribution. He has taught law at Temple Law School and Cardozo School of Law. He is presently Chief Executive Officer of Odyssey Pictures Corporation and partner in Presto Productions LLP, a film development and production company.

Scott Heifetz (BSE, University of Michigan; MS, California Institute of Technology; MBA, New York University Stern School of Business)

Scott Heifetz is an aerospace engineer by trade and currently provides senior level finance and operations support for growing businesses. Professor Heifetz has worked for Orbital Sciences Corporation, where he was involved in the design, analysis, testing, integration and launching of low-Earth-orbit rockets and satellites. After earning an MBA, he served as Chief Financial Officer for several service and manufacturing companies. Recently, Professor Heifetz was Director of Operations at the fastest growing tutoring company in New York City for students in grades K-8. Currently, he is a consultant in the fields of finance and operations while starting a mathematics tutoring business for children.

Paula Landry (MBA Media Management, Metropolitan College of New York)

Paula Landry is a producer of film, music and television. She has worked for Pearson Television, The Odyssey Channel, G&H Media, FIT TV, The American Health and Fitness Show, CutTime Productions, Northwood Productions and on the recent Craig Armstrong music video "Wake Up in NY". Recent projects include: producer of the TV and radio projects for the 2002 Tom Golisano NY Gubernatorial campaign as well as collaborator on "Neptune and Chuck," a digital comedy series. Films she has worked on have debuted at the Sundance Festival, winning awards from Columbia Pictures Screen Gems, The Time Warner Showtime Audience Awards, and the Grand Jury Award at the WorldFest Houston International Film Festival. Professor Landry works as a consultant for the WBDance Theater of NYC, the Higher Arts Forum in Sarasota, Florida and NewMusicNewYork, a multimedia chamber ensemble. She is also a professional flutist who has has performed at Radio France in Paris, for King Hussein in Jordan, making guest appearances with the Gulbenkian Orchestra. She is currently collaborating with Steven Greenwald on a textbook for the College: The Economics of the Film Industry, specifically designed for the MBA in Media Management program at MCNY.

Leo Legaspi (BA, Ateneo de Manila University; MBA, Fordham University; MPS, New York University)

Leo is Managing Director of Legaspi & Carlson Associates, a New York-based LLC focusing on search engine marketing and optimization. He was previously Director of Next Generation Networks for Gemplus Corporation USA, the largest smart card company in the world. He has published several papers on smart card technology applications. Leo held various positions at NYNEX Corporation, which he joined at the divestiture of AT&T, including as Director of Strategic Planning at NYNEX Mobile Communications and Director of Marketing at NYNEX Entertainment and Information Systems. At NYNEX, he was involved in various telecom technologies including cellular, GPS, and broadband. He was a Consultant at Chase Econometrics / Interactive Data Corp, focusing on the metals and mining industry.

Barbara Madori (BS, Fordham University; MBA, CUNY)

Barbara Madori is a Senior Account Executive for a major Advertising Agency in NYC. She has been in the advertising industry for over 15 years managing accounts in the telecommunications, financial and pharmaceutical area, leading several teams in awarding winning creative projects. Professor Madori is also a certified NYS Court Evaluator for Guardianship proceedings.

Todd Miller (BA Pace University; MS Pace University, Dyson Fellow)

Todd is an Instructional Designer for JPMorgan Chase where he designs and creates online training classes that are taken by thousands of employees. He has worked in the technology, business and education fields for over 15 years in areas including software and web development, project management and training. He has been teaching web design and authoring courses for over seven years at the collegiate level. He brings his experience to Metropolitan College of New York, joining in 2006. He has taught web design and development courses for both the MBA in General Management and Media Management programs.

Dorothy Pearlman, CPA (BS, Montclair State College; MBA, Manhattan College)

Professor Pearlman has spent over 25 years auditing and accounting for small business, international corporate and academic health care. For the last 12 years, she has worked at Columbia University’s Medical Center in New York City in Administration (managing personnel and developing policies and procedures), Accounting (reporting), Budget and Finance (monitoring) and currently in Internal Audit (assessing controls) of Columbia University. She joined the adjunct faculty at MCNY in 2004 and enjoys teaching future business leaders in the identification, application and assessment of new and emerging Financial Accounting Standards issued by government and professional governing bodies.

Vincent Presti(BA, John Hopkins University; M.Litt., Oxford University; JD, Michigan Law School)

Vincent Presti is an attorney and co-founder of I Wanna Be On, Inc., a multi-media production company that has a first look deal with CBS to develop reality programming. Prior to his entertainment and corporate litigation practice, Vincent was the former Director, Business Operations at Roundabout Theatre Company where he developed cross-platform concepts between theatre, television and music, including pitching the first, reality-based Broadway-theme concept to CAA, seeking American Idol talent for Broadway productions, and encouraging Las Vegas business interest in co-venturing in Broadway productions. Vincent has also counseled leading internet companies during the course of his legal career in Silicon Valley at Wilson Sonsini. He is a member of the National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences, the National Academy of Recording Arts & Sciences, the IFP, and the League of American Theatres and Producers.

Dr. James S. Sagner (BS, Washington and Lee University; MBA, Wharton School at the University Pennsylvania; PhD, American University)

Dr. Sagner joins the School of Business as an Associate Professor, teaching finance, international business and management courses. He was on the faculty of Berkeley College from 2003 to 2005, and from 2001 through 2003 he was Director of the MBA Program at Albertus Magnus College in Connecticut.

In addition to his duties at Metropolitan College, he is Managing Principal of Sagner/Marks, a treasury and financial consulting firm working with major corporate clients.. Prior to forming Sagner/Marks in 1992, Dr. Sagner was with the Consulting Services Division of the First National Bank of Chicago (now J.P. Morgan Chase). During his tenure with that bank and now at Sagner/Marks, he has managed over 250 large-scale studies for companies and non-profit organizations worldwide. Dr. Sagner, who was honored as a Rockefeller Fellow, is a CCM, a CMC, and a member of Beta Gamma Sigma.

Hoi-Ming So (BA, John Jay College; MA, John Jay College; JD, CUNY Law)

Professor Hoi-Ming So is currently an adjunct professor in Metropolitan College's School of Business, Graduate division. He is also an Adjunct Professor for State University of New York, Empire College. Professor So is a full time Instructor/ Transportation manager for New Jersey Transit's Operational Training Department. Professor So was also the Acting Dean for Taylor Business College. He taught at City University of New York, Baruch College, continuing studies. Professor So is retired from the N.Y.P.D as a community affairs officer. He was also assigned to the N.Y.C. Transit Police as an Equal Employment Opportunity Investigator and advocate in the Transit Police Legal Bureau. Professor So currently holds a Doctor of Jurisprudence from City University Law School, Master and Bachelor of Forensic Psychology from John Jay College of Criminal Justice. He is currently pursing his Ph.D in General Psychology and he hopes to take his MCATs in the near future.

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