Albertus Magnus College Launches Advisory Board for the Tagliatela School of Business and Leadership

Provides Support, Expertise, Advice, and Connections Within Broader Business Community

New Haven, Conn., February 6, 2023 – Albertus Magnus College is excited to announce the launch of the Tagliatela School of Business and Leadership Advisory Board. Comprised of a broad cross-section of industry leaders in both the for-profit and non-profit sectors, the volunteer members understand the needs of the marketplace and believe in the importance of business education. Together, they will use their expertise across disciplines to offer informed feedback on a range of topics from academic programming to entrepreneurship. In addition, the advisory board will serve as a diverse “think tank” to better the Albertus student experience; help shape what students learn; match classroom lessons to real-world needs; and widen the pipeline for internship and job opportunities.

“Our board members share the College’s commitment to making a positive difference in local, national, and international communities and their dedication to the cause couldn’t come at a more crucial time,” said the Dean of the Tagliatela School of Business and Leadership William Aniskovich, J.D. “The business landscape is evolving and with business being the most popular college degree at both the bachelor’s and master’s levels, majoring in business at Albertus can really have a strong impact on people’s lives. We are so grateful to these individuals for sharing their expertise and knowledge and paying it forward to the next generation of leaders.”

The inaugural 11 members of the Tagliatela School of Business and Leadership Advisory Board include:

Anthony Aiardo, Of Counsel, Dey Smith Steele, LLC, Milford.

An attorney for more than 25 years, Aiardo specializes in the areas of landlord-tenant collections, commercial/residential and real estate purchases, sales, and refinance.

Gregory Butler, Executive Vice President & General Counsel, Eversource, Boston.

Butler’s deep knowledge in areas such as legal, corporate governance, federal governmental affairs, internal audit and security, and energy supply provides additional guidance and synergy.

Alisa Bowens-Mercado, Founder, Owner, & Brewmaster, Rhythm Brewing Company, New Haven.

With the first African-American, woman-owned beer brand in the state, Bowens-Mercado brings her entrepreneurial passion and three decades of business experience to the table.

Sara Johnson Davis, Senior Director, Patient Advocacy , Editas Medicine, Cambridge.

Bringing a demonstrated history of working in the Biotech/pharmaceuticals industry, Davis adds a strong track record of legislative and advocacy to Board discussions.

Lisa DeMatteis-Lepore ’83, CEO, The Connection, Inc., Middletown.

Dedicating her career to the state’s most vulnerable populations including those struggling with substance abuse and mental illness, DeMatteis-Lepore contributes compassion and a holistic approach to business.

Brian Flaherty, Executive Vice President, Sullivan & LeShane Public Relations, Hartford.

Flaherty shares his experience as a skilled communicator and strategist as well as lawmaker and public policymaker with the Board.

James Higgins ’13, ’16 MBA, CEO, Skyline Financial Federal Credit Union, Waterbury.

Higgins’ goals on the board are to promote skills that enhance member experience by adding new technology in the financial world.

Guido Petra, President, Petra Construction Corp., North Haven.

As a leader of a second-generation general contracting and construction management firm, Petra highlights his experience in local business and the not-for-profit community.

John Puskar, Vice President & Government Relations, JMA Wireless, Syracuse.

Puskar brings to the board many years of experience serving at the highest levels of government and business.

Pedro Soto, Owner, President & CEO, Hygrade Precision Technologies, Plainville.

With a background in IT, manufacturing, and technology, Soto adds a long list of community service to the Board’s attributes.

Lauren Tagliatela ’17 MBA, Chief Community Officer, Franklin Communities, Hamden.

Tagliatela brings her leadership, marketing, and problem-solving skills from Albertus and her family’s 105-year-old business to the Board.

A recently-released study from Georgetown University’s Center on Education and the Workforce (CEW), entitled The Most Popular Degree Pays Off: Ranking the Economic Value of 5,500 Business Programs at More than 1,700 Colleges, shows that a bachelor’s degree from the Tagliatela School of Business and Leadership at Albertus ranks in the top 10-percent and a master’s degree in the top 33-percent when it comes to the economic value of the program. In short, the financial return is high just two years after graduation.

On average, the study finds that bachelor’s degree holders in business have a median annual earnings of $43,200 after debt payments, and the financial returns rise to $41,600 after debt payments for master’s degree holders. An Albertus graduate with a bachelor’s degree in business fares better at $48,000, and matches the national average at $51,600.

The CEW findings show that, while graduates’ earnings and federal student loan debt vary by institution and degree level, the majority of business programs lead to median earnings that are roughly 10 times as great as a graduates debt payments two years after program completion.

About Albertus Magnus College

Founded in 1925, Albertus is a coeducational Catholic College in the Dominican tradition. Albertus' values- and liberal arts-based education is recognized by external rankings such as US News & World Report, Money, and The New York Times, and has been named a Top 10 Military Friendly School. For ten consecutive years, at least 95% of Albertus graduates have attained employment or gone on to graduate studies within six months of completing their degrees. The College has an enrollment of approximately 1,300 students across its traditional undergraduate, accelerated adult undergraduate, and graduate program levels. Proud to enroll a student body where nearly half of its undergraduate students receive Federal Pell Grants and are first-generation college goers, Albertus is known for its innovative curricular offerings, recently launching new Bachelor's degree programs in Nursing, including BSN and Connecticut's first LPN-to-BSN; General Health Sciences; Interdisciplinary Studies; and Public Health.

Among its graduate offerings is the State of Connecticut's only Master of Arts in Art Therapy and Counseling program, and it is just one of three schools to offer a Master of Science in Human Services. In 2025-26, Albertus is celebrating its historic 100th Anniversary and completing implementation of the Albertus 2025: Lighting the Way to a Second Century strategic plan, with a bold vision to "be a destination liberal arts-based college, distinguished in its interdisciplinary and experiential approach to education, rooted in Dominican values, that prepares students for lifelong civic engagement and success." To learn more, please visit albertus.edu.