June 11, 2007
Queens, NY -
William L. Collins, Margaret Mary
Fitzpatrick and Joseph O’Connor Join Select Group
St. John’s President Rev. Donald J. Harrington, C.M., announces
the election of William L. Collins ’76C, Founder, Chairman and
Chief Executive Officer of Brencourt Advisors, LLC, Margaret Mary
Fitzpatrick, S.C., Ed.D., President and CEO of St. Thomas Aquinas
College (NY) and Joseph O’Connor ‘82CBA, Managing Director and
Partner of Nationwide Separate Accounts LLC, to the University’s
Board of Trustees.
“I am thrilled to welcome William Collins, Margaret Mary
Fitzpatrick and Joseph O’Connor to our Board of Trustees,” Rev.
Harrington, C.M., said. “We look forward to their leadership and
direction as valued members of this select group. They will have an
immediate impact and join our current Board members in guiding St.
John’s University to future success in the years to come.”
Mr. Collins is engaged in fund management on a global basis. The
investment strategies of Brencourt Advisors include merger
arbitrage, credit opportunities and event-driven strategies.
Currently, the firm based in New York City with an office in
London, manages over $2 billion of assets through its investment
funds. Prior to founding Brencourt, Mr. Collins was a Senior
Managing Director at ING Furman Selz Asset Management.
A 1976 graduate of St. John’s College, Mr. Collins received his
MBA from New York University (1982). He supervised the management
of over $1 billion in customer assets through Taurus Partners, L.P.
and Taurus Capital International Ltd., two collective investment
funds. Mr. Collins has served as a member of the Board of Governors
of St. John’s University and President of the Board of Trustees of
the Dwight Englewood School in Englewood, New Jersey.
Margaret Mary Fitzpatrick has had a successful 35-year career in
collegiate and university management. She has served as President
and CEO of St. Thomas Aquinas College in New York since 1995. St.
Thomas Aquinas College specializes in liberal arts with a student
population of 2,700 students, 150 full and part-time faculty
members and 75 administrators.
Prior to her appointment at St. Thomas Aquinas College, Sr.
Margaret had a long tenure at St. John’s University dating back to
1981. In her final position at the University (1992-95), Sr.
Margaret was a Senior Vice President in the areas of institutional
advancement, fiscal planning and management, student development,
and strategic planning as well as government and community
relations. A sought after keynote speaker and presenter, Sr.
Margaret is a tenured faculty member and published author who
earned her doctorate in higher education administration at Columbia
University.
Mr. O’Connor is currently Managing Director and Partner of
Nationwide Separate Accounts LLC, managing a mid-cap growth equity
portfolio. His 25-years on Wall Street started at L.F. Rothschild,
Unterberg and Towbin (1982-1989). Mr. O’Connor went on to
Donaldson, Lufkin and Jenrette Securities (1989-2000) where he
became the co-head of the Corporate Bond Department.
He earned a B.S. in Finance from St. John’s University,
graduating summa sum laude and was the recipient of the Bronze
Medal for finishing third in his class. Mr. O’Connor has served on
the University’s Board of Governors and the Peter J. Tobin College
of Business Board of Advisors.
For more information contact Dominic Scianna, Director of Media
Relations by calling (718) 990-6185 or e-mail inquiries to sciannad@stjohns.edu. For
information about St. John’s University visit our web site at www.stjohns.edu/news.