Alumni DONORS $100 to $249 Colleen Card Margretta Geiger C. Scott Neff Law $1,000 to $2,499 Joseph Richetti $250 to $499 Samuel Lee $100 to $249 Daniel Buoniconti Richard Campo Deborah Cann Leon Feingold Keven Friedman Michael Reiss David Rubenstein Elaine Sammon
1999 Undergraduate $5,000 to $9,999 Anonymous Friend of Hofstra University Nicholas G. Christakis $500 to $999 Timothy F. McMahon John P. O’Hagan Claire A. Stanek $250 to $499 Christopher S. Boffa Francis A. Rizzo Vincent J. Russo
$100 to $249 Dana J. Bennett Jose Campon Fernando DaSilva Dominic A. Gallina Keith R. Goodale James W. Hansen Michael X. Laurano Mark Montanaro Robyn L. O’Connor Arianne Romeo Michelle M. Sabbag Graduate $1,000 to $2,499 Samantha W. McGill $500 to $999 Nicholas Lavacca (’88) Jennifer (’99) and Jeffrey Minihane (’96) $250 to $499 Heather D. Rocco $100 to $249 Mary Boylan Darius Burton Thomas P. Fursa Kimberly Gilbert Elizabeth Parisi Diana Rose Tina Wydner Doctoral $100 to $249 Jeffrey I. Kassinove
Law $1,000 to $2,499 Kenneth David Arthur Laitman $100 to $249 Anthony Colantonio Jason Parpas
2000 Undergraduate $1,000 to $2,499 John Barth Michael D. Ogazon $250 to $499 Joseph A. Amplo Daren Atkinson Anthony C. Musumeci Iris N. Schwarz Daniel J. Topple $100 to $249 Alieu Barry Daniel P. Bennett Regina M. Dinisio Darlene Federico Ann R. Gilmartin Rashad H. Haughton Steven D. Kent Adam M. Klein Alexander Liberman Dionisios Papadatos Robert T. Parrinelli Nancy Pierdipino (’06) Brian J. Przedwiecki Thomas J. Quinlan
Noel Thompson Noel Thompson ’04, who was a marketing major and history minor at Hofstra, is a trader for Goldman Sachs in Manhattan. The Kingston, Jamaica, native attended Hofstra on a wrestling scholarship and was a student-athlete throughout his four years at the University. His wrestling career had an unusual start. During his freshman year of high school in Freeport, New York, the school’s athletic director recruited Noel for the wrestling team after seeing him stand up for a classmate whose sneakers were repeatedly taken during gym class. From there, Thompson worked hard through high school as a two-time all American New York State Champion (and later winning 133 wrestling matches for Hofstra). He also competed in track and football during his high school career. Thompson now gives back to his alma mater, serving as a member of the board of the Hofstra Pride Club. “It is my way to stay involved in Hofstra Athletics, keep good relationships and see how I can help the needs of student-athletes. In order to lead, you have to serve.” Thompson is also the chairman of wrestling at the New York Athletic Club, which was established in 1868 and has produced more than 200 Olympic medalists.
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t h e p re s i d e nt ’s re p o r t 2 0 0 8
Graduate $500 to $999 Zak Wright $250 to $499 Thomas Gill Jolie Grossberg $100 to $249 Marcia Brucculeri Calvin Bryant Jeremy Gussick Amy-Beth Martin Kameel Juman Caryn McIsaac Samantha Quattrucci Michael Tashbook Mark Van Loon Doctoral $10,000 to $24,999 Darra A. Pace Law $1,000 to $2,499 Christopher J. Caruso Barbara Lukeman Bram Weber Joel Weintraub $250 to $499 Christopher Caruso $100 to $249 Sondra Mendelson Felicia Tucker David Warren Kenneth Winkelman
2001 Undergraduate $1,000 to $2,499 Howard L. Schor Julie E. Wright $500 to $999 Gerald T. Donaghy $250 to $499 Robert A. Anspach Vincent Daniels Gerard W. Fay David C. Fuchs Bryan J. Koslow Vincent Lopes Frank A. Pomponio Paul B. Quinlan Richard J. Sullivan Brian M. Zusi $100 to $249 Thomas A. Albano Teneshia E. Clarke Jeff Fox Joseph J. Hamrah Michael D. Hernandez Jonathan B. Leis Takita W. Mason Mark Mihalik Julie S. Rubin Jordana Smallberg Michael C. Stencel Harry D. Tyson
He is also on the board of a nonprofit organization called Beat the Streets Wrestling, headed by Michael Novogratz, president of Fortress Investments. When Thompson was asked why he decided to give back to higher education and athletics, he responded, “I want to help give back to people and be a part of making a difference in their lives. Hofstra played an important role in developing me, and I want other kids to have that same opportunity.” Thompson also credits Hofstra for introducing him to the world of trading. “My Hofstra [wrestling] coach, Tom Ryan, wanted me to help coach kids ages 5 to 8. A father of one of those kids turned me on to oil trading,” he said. He met his mentor in Glen Cove, where the two took a boat into work. “From that moment on, walking through the trading area, I knew what I wanted to do. The intensity was very similar to wrestling. When I got out of school, my resume was packed, and being a student-athlete gave me the edge against others.” Thompson also lives by some counsel offered by History Professor Michael D’Innocenzo. “We were studying the history of immigration, and he said, ‘In life you don’t want to just be a U.S. citizen, you want to be a world citizen.’ It’s important to have respect for people who are different than you. In life, if you carry that with you, you’ll understand people. That line from Professor D’Innocenzo has always resonated with me. ”