Suffolk Board of Trustees Elects Five Members

Suffolk University today announced the appointment of five trustees—all Suffolk alumni—who have demonstrated a strong commitment to the University and to giving back through selfless service.

The newest class of trustees brings broad experience and critical skills that will strengthen Suffolk's ability to thrive and succeed in the face of ever-changing challenges, including the current global health crisis.

Joining the board as charter trustees are:

• Ernst Guerrier, BS '91, JD '94, an attorney and owner of Guerrier & Associates, a Boston-based firm specializing in real estate planning, residential conveyance and complex domestic relations matters. Guerrier had served as Law School alumni trustee since 2017.
• Susan Rugnetta, BSBA '81, a retired financial services executive who has previously served as a senior vice president with Fidelity Investments, Gartner and Bank of America. Rugnetta had served as Sawyer Business School alumni trustee since 2017.
• L. Joseph Sullivan, BSBA '84, MBA '85, recently retired as senior vice president of Logitech, Inc. and is a leadership coach, consultant to supply chain executives and an in-demand speaker on leadership and team-building. He has held key leadership positions in some of the world's leading companies in the automotive, durable equipment, and consumer electronics industries.

Joining the board as alumni trustees are:

• Paul Flannery, BSBA '83, MBA '90, a vice president for commercial banking at Brookline Bank, will serve as the Sawyer Business School alumni trustee.
• Ken Gear, BSBA '89, JD '95, CEO of Leading Builders of America, will serve as the Suffolk Law School alumni trustee.

"This class of accomplished trustees represents the University's continued success in building a Board filled with experienced leaders who are motivated to give back through service," said Board Chair Bob Lamb. "This is a time when the world faces profound challenges. Out of love for Suffolk and a desire to serve, these individuals have stepped up at this critical time. I am very grateful to them, as well as to the existing Board and the entire leadership team for their deep commitment to supporting our students and to serving this University."

Since 2016, the Suffolk Board of Trustees has named 21 new members from a broad range of industries and communities to bring new voices, perspectives and areas of expertise to its membership. The board has welcomed trustees of varied backgrounds, experience and professional skills. Each is dedicated to Suffolk's mission, and each is deeply committed to the success of the University.

"These trustees represent all three schools and bring a wealth of varied experience that will be important in helping to guide Suffolk as we work to advance our mission, take advantage of opportunities and address challenges," said Suffolk University President Marisa Kelly. "These alumni care about Suffolk and its students and have supported this University in many ways. I am looking forward to working with all of them to ensure that Suffolk continues to thrive."

Biographies

Paul J. Flannery, is a vice president for commercial banking at Brookline Bank. He joined the bank, headquartered in Boston, Massachusetts, in early 2018 following 10 years at BNY Mellon, where he was a vice president and senior private banker in the Boston office. He also had worked at Wainwright Bank & Trust Co. and Citizens Bank. Flannery's family has long and strong ties to the University. His father, the late Francis X. Flannery, MBA '64, HDCS '91, served for many years as Suffolk's vice president and treasurer and was a life trustee. A sister and two nephews are Suffolk alumni. In the community, Flannery has served as a board member of Victory Programs, a Boston organization that provides innovative health, housing and prevention programs throughout Greater Boston. He also served on the Board of Visitors at Fenway Health. Flannery holds BSBA and MBA degrees from Suffolk University.

Kenneth T. Gear is the CEO of Leading Builders of America, a Washington, DC, trade association that works to preserve home affordability for American families. As the primary voice of major home builders before Congress, the executive branch and federal agencies, Gear focuses on issues including tax reform, mortgage finance, land use, environmental legislation and labor law. He previously served as vice president and counsel for Pulte Homes, where he managed outreach to Congress, federal agencies and state legislators. Before that he was vice president of the Alliance of Automobile Manufacturers, senior counsel and director of federal government affairs for Sears and Sears National Bank, and at one time was general counsel for the Retailers Association of Massachusetts. Gear began his career working as a committee staffer in the Massachusetts Legislature. He received his undergraduate degree in finance and economics from Suffolk University and his JD from Suffolk University Law School. He has remained actively engaged in Suffolk alumni activities and as a student mentor, including as a member of the Law School Dean's Cabinet, a law virtual career volunteer, a former vice president of the Law School Alumni Board and current member of the Washington, DC, chapter of the Law School Alumni Association.

Ernst Guerrier is an attorney and founder of Guerrier & Associates, a Boston-based firm specializing in real estate planning, residential conveyance and complex domestic relations matters. As an undergraduate at Suffolk, Guerrier made a decision to study law, following the advice of a Suffolk Law alumnus. After earning a Suffolk JD, he built a successful practice with the aim of assisting others. Guerrier is readily available to take calls from Law School students and others needing advice, and his Dorchester office plays host to neighborhood youth as he offers them an introduction to the workplace. As a Suffolk student, Guerrier served as president of the Black Student Union, vice president of the Student Council Association and captain of the men's soccer team. His enthusiasm continued as an alumnus. He has served as the Law School alumni trustee since 2017, is a member of the Law School Dean's Cabinet, and has served on the Dean's Advisory Committee and the College of Arts & Sciences and Law School alumni boards. Guerrier also is active in the community, having served on the boards of the City Youth Sports Training & Education Movement in Dorchester and the Haitian Public Health Initiative, a Mattapan agency assisting people with HIV/AIDS. In addition, he is a trustee at Worcester Academy. Guerrier holds a BS and JD from Suffolk University and an LLM from Boston University School of Law.

Susan Rugnetta has broad and deep experience in financial and retirement services and has been responsible for leading strategy, sales, product development, service and operations throughout her career. Rugnetta uses her 40 years of experience to provide financial guidance to individuals with a focus on retirement planning. She is retired from Fidelity Investments where she was senior vice president, Client Experience. Her group was responsible for all operational and service needs of Fidelity's registered investment advisors and broker-dealer clients. Rugnetta's initial role at Fidelity was vice president, Client Services Group, Retirement, working to meet the retirement planning needs of colleges, universities and health care institutions. Her team focused on helping these plan sponsors educate and prepare employees for retirement. Prior to joining Fidelity, Rugnetta worked with Gartner Group, where she provided technology research and consulting services for financial institutions. She also spent more than 25 years with BankBoston, eventually rising to senior vice president, global cash management, with teams in Boston, London, Singapore and Latin America. She was chairperson of BankBoston Maine, a special purpose bank created by her team to meet the unique needs of their cash management clients. Rugnetta received a BSBA from Suffolk University's Sawyer Business School and holds an MBA from Babson College.

L. J. "Joe" Sullivan has held key leadership positions in some of the world's leading companies in the automotive, durable equipment and consumer electronics industries. He now leads LJ Sullivan & Associates, where he shares with clients his belief that success is an outcome of a set of experiences built up over time. Drawing on the idea that combining the right experiences with effective leadership can lead individuals and teams to accomplish goals beyond what they thought possible, Sullivan developed Joe's Top 5, a pragmatic and straightforward system for leading complex global organizations and developing leadership teams. He coaches rising leaders, consults supply chain executives, blogs about Joe's Top 5 and other career-building tools and speaks to organizations worldwide. Sullivan started the coaching firm after retiring from Logitech Inc. in Newark, California, where he was the senior vice president of worldwide operations. Before joining Logitech in 2005, he served as a vice president of operational excellence and quality of Carrier Corporation, a subsidiary of United Technologies. Previously, he served in engineering and manufacturing management roles at ACCO Brands, Inc. and TRW, Inc. Sullivan earned a BSBA and an MBA from Suffolk University.