Rivier adds healthcare and strategic planning expertise to its Board of Trustees
Six new members, including three distinguished alumni, have joined the University's Board of Trustees.
Rivier University’s Board of Trustees has welcomed six new members. Their experience and expertise span a range of disciplines with a notable depth in healthcare and strategic planning. The 36 members of Rivier’s Board are active in their communities throughout the region, serving in senior leadership roles in their industries and supporting many nonprofit organizations through Board membership and volunteerism.
“Rivier’s newest Trustees strengthen the Board’s knowledge base and connections in the region’s healthcare and business sectors,” says Sister Paula Marie Buley, IHM, President. “Their leadership, extensive experience, and generosity of heart and mind will advance Rivier’s educational experience and its commitment to 21st-century workforce development.”
The newest members of Rivier’s Board of Trustees include:
Matthew McGrath is President and CEO of Systems Engineering, an information technology strategy and managed services provider, in Manchester, New Hampshire. A graduate of Clark University and the University of Maine, he serves on the Board of Directors for Systems Engineering and Yarmouth Little League in Maine and is a dedicated volunteer in support of Habitat for Humanity, Camp Sunshine, Cumberland Wood Bank, and the Boots2Roots organization.
Rivier graduate Mailaja Mohammed RN ‘07/‘16G is an internal medicine hospitalist at New England Inpatient Specialists in Winchester, Massachusetts, and a family nurse practitioner at Foundation Medical Partners in Nashua. In addition to his nursing degrees from Rivier, Mohammed earned a bachelor’s degree at the University of New Hampshire. He sits on the Special Care/NICU Advisory Council for Beth Israel Hospital and is a board member with the Windham Muslim Community Center.
Registered nurse and trained interpreter Yosleidys Rivero-Lara ‘18 provides care at St. Joseph Hospital in Nashua. A graduate of Rivier University and Springfield College, she is fluent in English, Spanish, Portuguese, French, and Patois—a creole language spoken in Jamaica.
David Roedel is the Business Development Officer at Roedel Companies, a property management company in Wilton, New Hampshire. He received his bachelor’s degree from Hamilton College. Roedel has served on several nonprofit boards including the Boys & Girls Club of Manchester, Big Brothers Big Sisters of New Hampshire, Greater Manchester Chamber of Commerce, and New Hampshire Charitable Foundation. In 2009, he was named a member of New Hampshire’s “40 Under Forty” by the Union Leader.
Serving as Principal, Sister Maria Rosa ‘87 leads Presentation of Mary Academy, a private Catholic school for children ages three through grade eight in Hudson, New Hampshire. She received her undergraduate degree from Rivier and her master’s degree from Boston College. Sister Maria served on the Diocesan Pastoral Council for six years and on numerous Diocesan strategic planning committees. She has been a mentor for new principals and presently serves on the leadership team for the United States Province of the Sisters of Presentation of Mary.
Sister Lucy Veilleux ministers in healthcare as a chaplain and health information manager. She earned her bachelor’s degree at Merrimack College and a dual master’s degree at Boston College. Sister Lucy had a 25-year career in Catholic education as a teacher and administrator before pursuing her second career as a chaplain. She is also a key member of the Sisters of the Presentation of Mary Leadership Team.
As the University celebrates its 90th anniversary in 2022-2023, the new Trustees will actively support strategic initiatives including the development of Rivier Village, a new resident student housing complex, set to break ground this summer. The Board was instrumental in the execution of several recent capital projects including a $5 million renovation of nursing labs to create a state-of-the-art Nursing Simulation and Clinical Education Center with high-tech simulation labs for hands-on learning. A $5 million renovation of business and security studies facilities is underway and will be completed for the fall semester. The project features the creation of cybersecurity labs with advanced technology and the development of collaborative spaces for project-based learning, an Enterprise Zone with huddle space for interaction and innovation, and a real-world office suite and conference room.
With 2,300 students at the baccalaureate, master’s, and doctoral levels, and academic programs serving both on-campus and online populations, Rivier’s Board of Trustees provides strategic direction in advancing the University’s core mission of transforming hearts and minds to serve the world.