Advisory Board

In 2010, after a 30-year career in management at the McCall Pattern Company, Gail retired as Vice President Advertising Promotion and Publisher of Vogue Patterns Magazine. Gail pioneered mass-market promotions for Vogue, Butterick, and McCall patterns and products to national multi-channel retailers including Wal-Mart, QVC, and Jo-Ann Fabrics. Because of her fashion, design, and construction expertise and education, Gail brought unique insights to her job; she traveled extensively to merchandise, sell, and license programs, working with buyers, retailers, and their customers. She also authored the Super Sweater Idea Book.

Gail and her husband Joe have actively supported Catholic and Jesuit missions. They have established endowed scholarships at Fairfield University, Boston College, and Georgetown Universities. Gail is a Dame in the American Association of The Knights of Malta, where she co-chaired the Order's 25th annual pilgrimage to Lourdes in 2010.  In that effort, over 400 volunteers, including a team of 35 doctors and nurses, volunteered their efforts for the sick and the poor.  Gail was elected to the Board for The Order of Malta--American Association in 2013.  Currently she serves on the Holy Family Hospital Foundation Board In the Holy Land.  She is active in the Order's endowment building initiatives, and furthering their causes for the sick and the poor. Growing up in Miami, Florida, Gail was a 4-H National Scholarship winner, contributing to numerous civic activities as a young woman. Her philanthropic spirit was inspired by her mother, who was a registered nurse during World War II, and later a devoted caregiver in both hospitals and street clinics.

Gail has served on the Governing Board of the National 4-H Association in Chevy Chase, Maryland, The Parents Council for the School of Business at Georgetown University, and presently serves as Secretary for the Connecticut Chapter of the Order of Malta. She is also a member of the Women's Association for St. Michaels, Greenwich, Conn. and serves as a volunteer for Parsonage Cottage, serving the elderly in assisted living. Gail graduated from Florida State University where she majored in Textiles. Residing in Greenwich, Conn., she is married to Joseph F. Berardino, Fairfield University Class of 1972 and Former Trustee of the University. Together they have served as mentors for the Ignatian Residential College for Sophomores at Fairfield.

Michael is the CEO and Chairman of Fellow Health Partners, a cutting-edge training and technology company that specializes in making business easier and more profitable for doctors, hospitals and medical professionals, by applying the tools of modern, efficient, revenue cycle management and electronic health records.

His interest in business started in high school where he applied to the Dolan School of Business, earning his MBA in 2004 after completing his undergraduate degree at Fairfield University.

During his MBA studies, he began working with PricewaterhouseCoopers as an audit associate and was quickly recruited by Loughlin Management Partners to join their Crisis Management and Advisory group.

As a Director at Loughlin Management Partners, Michael worked on large scale corporate turnarounds and restructuring assignments where he focused on the Retail, Manufacturing, Automotive, and Healthcare sectors. He was involved with restructuring over $5 billion in debt, and/or acted as interim management for household names such as Syms, Filene’s Basement, Sbarro Pizza, Dollar Thrifty Rent a Car, Sharper Image and many others.

Although he currently lives on Long Island with his wife and children, he enjoys the opportunity to visit Fairfield and give back to his alma mater.

Mary Ann Christopher is the President and CEO of the Visiting Nurse Service of New York (VNSNY). VNSNY is the largest not for profit home health care agency in the United States, serving more than 140,000 individuals a year throughout all five boroughs of New York City, plus Westchester and Nassau Counties

Christopher was previously the President and CEO of the Visiting Nurse Association Health Group, serving over 127,000 people annually throughout New Jersey. As CEO, Christopher directs the operation of a broad continuum of programs including home health care, hospice care, a federally qualified health center, and community-based prevention and outreach services. During Christopher's tenure as CEO, the organization has expanded geographically from a two-county regional provider to a statewide organization.

Christopher is a fellow of the American Academy of Nursing, the Wharton Nurse Executive Program, and the Public Health Leadership Institute. She serves on a number of boards and commissions, including the Visiting Nurse Associations of America, where she chairs the Public Policy Council, the Advisory Board of the Seton Hall College of Nursing, the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey, The University Hospital, the New Jersey Hospital Association Health and Research Educational Trust (HRET) and the National Association of Home Care and Hospice. In 2008, Christopher was appointed Chair of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation National Advisory Commission on the New Jersey Nursing Initiative. She has participated on public policy commissions dealing with issues of homelessness, public health, child welfare, the nursing shortage, and managed care.

Christopher has written and lectured internationally on issues concerning home and community health care. Christopher earned a Bachelor of Science Degree in Nursing from Fairfield University and a Master of Science Degree in Nursing from Seton Hall University. The Visiting Nurse Service of New York is the largest not-for-profit home health care organization in the nation providing a wide range of services for New Yorkers of all ages and health care needs throughout the five boroughs of New York and in Westchester and Nassau counties.

Marybeth is a nurse at South Shore Hospital responsible for assessing, planning, implementing and evaluating patient care of the neonatal patient, as well as delegating patient care to a specified group of nurses. This includes patients from admission through discharge.

As expected, Marybeth collaborates with physicians, medical professionals and other staff to ensure the quality of care given. She provides care for the neonate patient and serves as a resource for all nurses on the unit.

With decades of applied expertise, Marybeth utilizes knowledge of the principles of growth and development appropriate to the patients’ age to ensure that care provided meets the unique, physical and psychosocial needs of the patient.

Recognizing the importance of communication, Marybeth serves as a liaison to appropriate parties (i.e. patients family or guardian, outside agencies) in the assessment, treatment and continuing care of the patient as needed.

Marybeth and her husband, Dr. David Gillespie, have three children; Emily Chase `09, Katherine Gillespie `07 and Elizabeth.

Robin has been registered nurse since 1979 and has worked in the clinical areas of cardiology, spinal cord injury and physical rehabilitation, insurance review, as well as diabetes nurse educator. Her life was changed forever when her 10 year old son, David, was diagnosed with acute lymphocytic leukemia. He achieved remission for over 3 years but relapsed in 1999 and died in 2000. After David's death, the family moved to London, England where Robin became involved with an organization called the Teenage Cancer Trust (TCT).  It was her involvement with this foundation that made her acutely aware of the specific needs of teens and young adults suffering from cancer at various TCT inpatient cancer centers throughout the UK.  These needs included physical, emotional, developmental and spiritual changes.  She presented the "Parents Perspective of Adolescent Oncology" at the International Conference on Adolescent Oncology in 2004 at the Royal College of Physicians in London.  This experience was pivotal in her realizing what can be done to honor David's memory.  Since that time, Robin has been published in various publications including the American Journal of Nursing and American Journal of Pediatric Oncology Nursing on the topic of Pediatric Palliative and End of Life Care.

A summa cum laude graduate of Fairfield University's RN to BSN program in 1996, Robin credits her Fairfield education with providing her with the confidence and leadership skills to willingly take on new challenges and opportunities for growth.

Robin serves on the Board of Trustees of Greenwich Hospital in Greenwich, CT and Fairfield University, and as President of the Carl and Dorothy Bennett Foundation in Greenwich, CT.

In 2006, Robin and Joe founded the Kanarek Family Foundation, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that provides grants for projects that would be of interest to David and honor his memory.  Fairfield University was the first beneficiary of their family foundation with a $350,000 gift for the establishment of the Robin Kanarek Nursing Learning Resource Center.  The Foundation has provided a two-year grant to integrate Pediatric and Adolescent Palliative Care into the Nursing curriculum and is currently funding the new Masters of Science in Nursing Leadership (LEAD) program.   Led by Dr. Meredith Kazer and Dr. Sally Gerard, the LEAD program has already been recognized and awarded the Innovation in Professional Nursing Education by the American Association of Colleges of Nursing in October 2014.

Robin and Joe live in Greenwich. Their daughter, Sarah, graduated from Boston University's Sargent College of Health and Rehabilitation with a Master's Degree in Occupational Therapy in January 2014.

In her free time, Robin loves to do figurative sculpting.

Sabrina Opiola McCauley has been practicing in nursing since her graduation from Fairfield University in 1992.

She has over 25 years’ experience in pediatrics and is dual certified as an Neonatal and Pediatric Nurse Practitioner in primary care.

Sabrina continues to practice in both the primary care and acute care settings.

Sabrina proudly received her undergraduate degree from Fairfield University in 1992, she went on to earn her NNP from Georgetown University and her PNP and DNP from Columbia University where she began her career in academia and is currently an Associate Professor of Nursing. Sabrina has worked at Columbia in various academic positions and most recently became the Program Director of the DNP/PNP program.

Sabrina also serves as the co-chair of the Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Community Service and Programs Task Force at CUSON and was recently nominated and inducted in to the CUIMC Academy of Community and Public Service class of 2022. She has served as a member of the March of Dimes Nursing Advisory Committee and the CUSON Curriculum Committee as well as Simulation Committee.

Sabrina has been published in several pediatric journals and has presented on various education-based, neonatal, and pediatric topics both Nationally and Internationally. She is an active member of NAPNAP, NANN, ANN, NONPF and the NPA of New York State.

Sabrina is the co-lead and developer of “Brain Health” a community outreach program connecting CUSON NP students and local elementary students in Upper Manhattan providing education on the link between impacting factors and brain development as well as identifying social determinants of health and working to improve health care equity.

Sabrina has been a longtime member of the JLWOS spearheading work in the realm of early literacy creating the “A is for Alphabet” program developing monthly workshops in her community. She is active in Meals on Wheels, something she enjoys doing with her family and volunteers for HOPE Community Services in New Rochelle.

Passionate about providing holistic care in a safe and nurturing environment for all families is a priority for Sabrina. Being part of a child’s life is a privilege and as a nurse practitioner I have the opportunity to see children grow and develop, change and meet milestones over weeks and years, and have their own families. I am amazed by my patients every day; they are curious, resilient, and brave and they make me laugh!

My goal as a NP and educator: If they leave my office or classroom feeling heard, valued and loved I have done my job. Honestly, I gain more from my young patients and students than I ever imagined.

Sabrina’s research interests include NAS and neurodevelopmental outcomes, planetary pediatrics, climate change and the impact on children’s health, and technology use in the NICU. Sabrina also enjoys creating innovative and engaging teaching methods for students and new graduates.

Outside of work: I enjoy spending time with my family, trying out new recipes (COVID-19 has helped me find my way in the kitchen!), playing tennis and spending time at the beach. Fun fact – My favorite way to relax is being on the water – surfing.

Motto: I try to live my life as simple as possible in this complex world and follow the words, “Do ordinary things, with extraordinary love”. – Mother Teresa

James McCullagh is the associate executive director of Finance for Phelps Hospital, where he is responsible for financial operations and reporting for the hospital. He also manages Phelps’ financial models in support of its strategic plan and decision support tools used to help direct operations.

James joined Northwell Health in 2011 and prior to Phelps, he most recently served as the Senior Director of Finance at Lenox Hill Hospital overseeing the financial operations of: the Manhattan based Northwell Health Physician Partners’ practices, Manhattan Eye, Ear, & Throat Hospital, and Lenox Health Greenwich Village. Prior to joining Northwell Health, he held financial positions at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center and Hackensack University Medical Center.

James received his Bachelor of Science degree in finance from Fairfield University in Fairfield, CT and received his Master of Business Administration degree in healthcare from The City University of New York Baruch College and Mount Sinai School of Medicine. He is a member of the Healthcare Financial Management Association.

Bonnie Molloy has been a nurse anesthetist for 28 years and a Quality/Risk Manager for 23 years, working at both St. Vincent's and Bridgeport Hospitals. She received a BSN from the University of Bridgeport, graduated from the Hospital of St. Raphael Nurse Anesthesia Program, and earned her PhD from the University of Connecticut-Storrs. She presently is the Chief Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist (CRNA) in the Bridgeport Anesthesia Associates practice at Bridgeport Hospital. She is the Risk Manager and Research Director of the Anesthesia Department at Bridgeport Hospital, as well as a clinical faculty member for the Fairfield University Doctor of Nursing Practice Program.

Bonnie has received the Discovery of Distinction Award for her research in Postoperative Visual Loss (POVL) and Intraocular Pressure (IOP) Monitoring. She has been published in the American Journal of Nurse Anesthesia and completed her doctoral dissertation: Instrument Development of the Molloy/Bridgeport Anesthesia Associates Observation Scale. She has presented nationally for the AANA in Seattle, the PGA in New York, and the ASA in Chicago, and has formulated a recommended standard of practice in anesthesia care of the patient who is placed in the steep Trendelenburg position. She has received a $10,000 grant and the "State of the Science" award for her interventions in prevention of increasing IOP, which may be instrumental in preventing future cases of blindness after anesthesia. She has received a Post-Doctoral Research Award of $50,000 and has established alternative research sites in pursuit of implementing this new standard of care. She has received the Yale Healthcare System Joseph A. Zaccagnino Patient Safety & Clinical Conference Award for her work in Anesthesia in the GI Sedation Environment. These results were presented to Connecticut Attorney General Richard Blumental in 2008, with an outcome of maintaining reimbursements from major insurance carriers so as to assure patient safety. She presented these results at the National Institute of Health Assembly in 2009. She has spent the past 25 years of her professional life in outcome-based practice review so as to procure a level of safety for all patients undergoing anesthesia.

Bonnie is the past president of The Auxiliary of Ahlbin Rehabilitation Center and has been instrumental in raising funds for the development of both pediatric and geriatric rehabilitation centers in our community for the past 10 years. She was vice president of St. Vincent Auxiliary and was instrumental in raising funds for technologically advanced hospital equipment and patient care center development throughout the time of her 15-year executive board position. She was the chief fundraiser for the St. Thomas Aquinas School and Parish Center for eight years. Bonnie has chaired numerous hospital and community events and is an avid supporter of her Parish and the Fairfield community. She and her husband have been members of the Fairfield University President's Circle for over 25 years and support all fundraising events.

Meaghan Mooney obtained her BSN from Fairfield’s Egan School of Nursing & Health Studies in 2005. During her time at Fairfield, Meaghan served as a class senator for the Fairfield University Student Association, was a founding member of the Student Health Advisory Council, acted as a leader for First Year Experience program, and was part of the inaugural group of student nurses to study abroad in Galway, Ireland.

She is an oncology certified registered nurse and currently works at Ascension Seton as a nurse in the Quality and Patient Safety department with Ascension Medical Group. Meaghan previously worked at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center in New York City, Seton Medical Center Austin and Texas Oncology, specializing primarily in gynecologic oncology. She is also a member of the Oncology Nursing Society and has participated in executive education programs with the University of Texas- Austin Value Institute for Health and Care.

Meaghan is highly involved with Wonders and Worries, a non-profit organization that provides free, professional support services to families whose parent has a serious illness. In addition to serving on their board of directors, she also serves on the Wonders and Worries Development and Outreach committee and event committees.

Meaghan currently lives in her hometown of Austin, Texas. She is excited for the opportunity to assist with the growth of the Fairfield Egan.

Elner Morrell, BSN, RN, is a senior information systems project manager at United Health Group, a diversified Fortune 100 company that provides a broad spectrum of resources and services to help people achieve improved health and well-being through all stages of life. She is an invited member of the Connecticut Healthcare Informatics Network (CHIN) and a member of the Fairfield University Board of Trustees and the Project Management Institute (PMI). Elner received her bachelor of science in nursing at Fairfield University, and her master's certificate in IT Project Management from George Washington University. She currently volunteers for the Vital Life Stories project sponsored by United Methodist Homes in Wesley Village in Shelton, Conn. and PlaneTree. Her areas of special interest include public health informatics, predictive modeling, health policy development, and administration.

Sally has been a nurse for 43 years. She graduated from the Hospital of University of Pennsylvania in 1967 and worked in medical-surgical nursing followed by public health nursing in Philadelphia. She moved to Connecticut in 1971 with her husband Alexander '70, raised three children and continued her education at Fairfield University School of Nursing. After graduation, she pursued hospice-palliative nursing as a case manager with Visiting Nurse Services of Connecticut for ten years followed by working in a private oncology medical practice administering chemotherapy for the past nine years as an oncology certified nurse. She is a member of the Sigma Theta Tau National Nursing Honor Society through Fairfield University, and a member of the National Oncology Nursing Society as well as the Southwestern Connecticut Oncology Society. She also serves as Vice President of the Charles and Mabel P. Jost Foundation.

Dr. Pereira is an orthopedic surgeon specializing in the treatment of shoulder and sports medicine injuries. Dr. Pereira is a member of the Sports Medicine Division, Department of Orthopedic Surgery at the NYU-Langone Medical Center. He is an Assistant Professor at the NYU School of Medicine where he teaches residents, fellows and medical students. Dr. Pereira has published and presented his research at various local and national meetings regarding orthopedic and sports-related injuries.

Dr. Pereira completed his undergraduate degree at Fairfield University and received his medical degree from the NYU School of Medicine. He completed his orthopedic residency training at the Hospital for Joint Diseases in New York City where he was selected to serve as Executive Chief Resident. He went on to complete a Sports Medicine Fellowship at the world-renowned Kerlan-Jobe Orthopaedic Clinic in Los Angeles where he had the opportunity to work with Dr. Frank Jobe and assist in the care of the Los Angeles Lakers, Dodgers, Angels, Kings, Anaheim Ducks and USC sports teams.

Colleen is a pediatric and neonatal physical therapist at Medstar Georgetown University Hospital in Washington, D.C. where she has worked for fifteen years.  Prior to this position, she was an inpatient physical therapist at Johns Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore, M.D.  Colleen is also certified in neonatal touch and massage.  

In 2005, Colleen joined the Board of The Association for Frontotemporal Degeneration (“AFTD”) after her father passed away from Pick’s Disease.  For six years, Colleen served as the head of development for AFTD.  During that time, AFTD grew from an organization of a limited number of committed persons with personal connections to the frontotemporal diseases to a self-sustaining, nationally recognized association. 

Colleen graduated from Fairfield in 1993 with a B.S. in Biology, and received her Master of Science in Physical Therapy from the University of Miami in 1997.   She lives in Washington with her husband, Brendan, and their five children – Molly (15), Brendan (12), Sean (11), Claire (8), and Kelly (5).  

Claudia Schechter is the Vice President of The Schechter Foundation, a private family foundation based in New York City. The foundation offers educational grants to students as well as funding medical research. Claudia has a degree from the Rochester Institute of Technology in Biomedical Communications and Biomedical Photography that documents medical situations using still photography, television and filmmaking. She documents medical situations including patient photographs before surgical operations and during surgery, emergency room procedures, plastic and reconstructive surgeries, dental and veterinary procedures, forensics, and more. Claudia has sold professional film and cameras for FUJI Photo Film USA and pharmaceuticals for SmithKline and Johnson & Johnson companies.

Currently, Claudia is a freelance international medical and documentary photographer traveling to underdeveloped countries recording other cultures and their lifestyles for corporate, non-profit groups, and medical organizations.