Alumna Aims to Build a Better World Through Her Skills in the Finance Sector 

Ms. Laible is responsible for Domini’s overall research and mutual funds operations. She also leads client service and marketing initiatives, develops business strategies, and implements business plans.   

The hope of achieving financial security drew Ms. Laible, whose family lived modestly in Williston Park, NY, to major in accounting at the College of Business Administration, now known as The Peter J. Tobin College of Business. When she began her college career as a general business major and took a required accounting class, her professor urged her to view the field as her future, telling her, “You’re good at it.”   

She added, “Then, he said the magic words: ‘You will make a lot of money.’  I wanted to not worry about stretching five dollars all week.”   

She was awarded a UniversityMerit Scholarship, which enabled her to attend and graduate with honors. Ms. Laible landed her first professional job during her senior year when she enlisted the guidance of St. John’s University Career Services. Career Services offers career advising, job search techniques, access to internships and part- or full-time jobs, and professional development opportunities.  

She secured this job opportunity as part of the University’s on-Campus recruiting program, enabling participating employers to interview graduating students at St. John’s campuses or in their own offices. “This program offers the comfort of an interview setting in the familiar halls of St. John’s,” Ms. Laible recalled. “St. John’s has an incredible way of making its students very employable.”   

She started as a staff accountant for RSM US LLP, which provides tax and consulting services for middle market leaders. “My life started to unfold according to plan,” said Ms. Laible.   

She earned her license as a certified public accountant and married her husband, David Laible; they have been married for 33 years. They have three children, Melissa, Christine, and Dan; purchased a home; and were saving for retirement. Her student loans were paid off and she was earning a good salary.   

“I was surprised that after just a few years—albeit with a lot of hard work and discipline—I had achieved my goal of financial security,” she said.  

At this point, Ms. Laible was discerning what positive impact she could have on the world. “I thought, ‘What difference will my existence make for others?’ That was an aha moment,” she said. “Every small action of each individual can make a difference.”  

Ms. Laible discovered her path to making a difference through opportunities she encountered during her 28-year career at Domini, where she engaged in various projects with goals that included promoting universal human dignity, diversity, and ecological sustainability.  

She spearheaded Domini’s pioneering work on the Domini Forest Project, recognizing that forests provide significant value to investors, corporations, indigenous peoples, and biodiversity.    

She supports diversity in the finance industry as a member of 100 Women in Finance. This global organization is committed to gender equity in finance by promoting diversity and empowering women to seek their route to success.  

Ms. Laible is also proud to mentor numerous young professionals and help them build solid careers through meaningful work. Asked for her advice to young people as they determine their future, she said, “Hang in there when the going gets tough. Hard work pays off; it will be rewarded. St. John’s provides an excellent foundation for employability and future success.”