Fairfield University Board of Trustees Announces New Chair, Vice Chair and Trustees | Press Releases

The Board of Trustees of Fairfield University announced the appointment of a new Chair and Vice Chair effective July 1, 2022.

Chair of the Board of Trustees Sheila (Kearney) Davidson ’83: Davidson is the executive vice president, and chief legal and administrative officer of New York Life Insurance Company and is the first woman to be appointed Chair in Fairfield’s 80-year history. Davidson has served as a Fairfield University Trustee since 2003, and succeeds Frank J. Carroll III ’89, who served as Chair from 2015 to 2022. The New York Bar Association honored Davidson with its Diversity and Inclusion Champion Award in 2018. In 2016, the National Law Journal named her one of America’s 50 Outstanding General Counsel, citing her commitment to diversity. Davidson is the founding executive sponsor of The Women’s Initiative at New York Life, an employee resource group that connects and empowers women across the Fortune 100 company. Davidson graduated cum laude from Fairfield University with a BA in political science and earned her JD from George Washington University.

“It is an exceptional honor to be elected the first female Chair of the Board of Trustees, and a privilege to have the opportunity to serve Fairfield alongside its outstanding leadership and faculty,” said Davidson. “As a first-generation college graduate and grateful alumna, I am deeply committed to our mission as a modern Jesuit, Catholic university with a rich and inclusive student experience.”

Vice Chair of the Board of Trustees Brian P. Hull ’80, P’13: Hull is a managing director and executive vice chairman of UBS Americas. He joined UBS in 2009 and is responsible for working with colleagues in Global Wealth Management, the Investment Bank and Asset Management to strengthen a culture of partnership, and to connect clients to UBS’s full capabilities. He is a member of the UBS Global Visionaries Board, the UBS Optimus Foundation Board, and is co-chair of the Americas Client Council. Prior to his current role, Hull served as head of Wealth Management USA, and also served as WMA's head of Strategic Clients and Partnerships. Hull is a former trustee and active supporter of the St. Ignatius School in Hunts Point, New York, which aims to break the cycle of poverty through Jesuit education. He is chairman of the Northwell Health Cancer Institute Advisory Council, and also serves on the Dixon Center for Military and Veterans Services Command Council. Hull earned his BS in accounting from Fairfield University and has been a member of the Board of Trustees since 2005.

“We welcome Fairfield University’s new Board Chair, Vice Chair and Trustees and with a spirit of gratitude for the thoughtful partnership and exceptional dedication of Frank Carroll III ’89,” said President Mark R. Nemec, PhD. “Frank’s steadfast leadership and guidance over the past seven years have been critical to our continued success and upward trajectory as an institution of national prominence.”

In addition to the appointment of a new Chair and Vice Chair, the Board of Trustees also welcomed two new Trustees, effective July 1, 2022.

Maureen Errity Bujno ’90: Bujno is a managing director in Deloitte LLPs Center for Board Effectiveness. As the Audit & Assurance Governance leader, Bujno leads the governance offerings for many of Deloitte’s most significant and complex audit clients. She joined the advisory board of the Charles F. Dolan School of Business in 2021, and served as president of the Alumni Association Board of Directors from 2014 to 2015. Prior to that, she served for six years on the Trustee Advisory Council and co-chaired the Fairfield Awards Dinner in both 2018 and 2019. In 2022, Bujno was awarded the Fairfield University Alumni Service Award. She earned a BS in accounting from Fairfield.

Hugh Davis ’95: An entrepreneur, investor, and executive, most recently Davis co-founded Reimagine Holdings Group, a portfolio of innovative, technology-enabled consumer insights and marketing services companies headquartered in Westport, Conn. Prior to founding Reimagine, Davis helped to create one of the first online market research providers, Greenfield Online, taking it from a two-person start-up to a global, publicly traded company. Davis earned his BA in economics from Fairfield.

Last year, the following individuals were appointed to the Fairfield University Board of Trustees, effective July 1, 2021.

Jorge A. Chiluisa ’89, MBA’06, P’21,’20,’19: Chiluisa’s 30-year career in corporate finance includes 23 years with GE Capital and five years at Siena Lending Group. He has worked globally across various commercial and consumer lending industries. Chiluisa served on Fairfield University’s advisory boards for the Charles F. Dolan School of Business, and the College of Arts and Sciences. He earned his BA and MBA from Fairfield University.

Lisa M. Ferraro (Martino) ’85, P’22: Ferraro graduated summa cum laude with a BA in English from Fairfield University, and earned her JD from Duke Law School. Working primarily in private law firms, she practiced law for more than a decade as a civil litigator in state and federal court. Ferraro serves as the chairperson of the advisory council for the University’s Pre-Law Society and works as an ambassador with the Parents Leadership Council.

Dagan T. Kasavana ’99: Kasavana is founder and CEO of Phoenix Tower International, one of the fastest-growing wireless infrastructure businesses in the world. He guides the strategic direction of the company, oversees capital investment across various countries and transaction types, manages the operations of the business, and leads all other significant corporate initiatives. Kasavana holds a BS in accounting from Fairfield University and lives in Boca Raton, Florida with his wife Lori and their two daughters.

Clinton A. Lewis Jr. ’88: Lewis currently serves as the chief executive officer and a member of the board of directors for AgroFresh, an agribusiness leader in the post-harvest fresh fruit and produce sector. Prior to assuming this role, he served in a series of senior executive roles at Zoetis, the global leader in the animal health industry, and at Pfizer. Lewis earned a BS from Fairfield University, and an MBA from Fairleigh Dickinson University.

Rev. Mario M. Powell, S.J.: Fr. Powell is the third president of Brooklyn Jesuit Prep. A 2003 graduate of Boston College, he entered the Society of Jesus and professed his vows in 2005. He was missioned to Saint Louis University, where he earned a master’s degree in American studies, and returned to Boston College for his theology studies, earning a master of divinity degree as well as a licentiate in sacred theology. Fr. Powell currently serves as vice chair of the board for Xavier High School in New York, and is a member of the boards of Fordham Prep, Le Moyne College, and the Boston College Alumni Association.