Officers, Directors, and Past Presidents

The Yale Club of New Haven (YCNH) is a 501(c)3 charitable organization, an official regional group affiliated with the Yale Alumni Association (YAA). The YCNH Board of Directors oversee Club operations, finances, programs, membership, and events.

We are always looking for local Yale alumni and affiliates from all Yale schools and classes to serve a 3 year term as a Director on the club Board. Email ycnh@yale.edu for more information about nominations for the Board.

Officers

  • Dr. Ellie Schmelzer, '13 — President

    Dr. Ellie Schmelzer, ’13 is a Senior Scientific Project Architect at PreScouter, specializing in Aerospace and Defense. She spent five years at Yale University as a postdoc in Astrophysics and an Associate Director at the Center for International and Professional Experience. While at Yale, Dr. Schmelzer was appointed a Branford College Fellow and a Career Mentor at Career Network for Student scientists and Postdocs at Yale (CNSPY). In 2015, Dr. Schmelzer implemented the acceptance of Yale postdoc alumni as members of the Yale Club of NYC. Currently, in addition to presiding over the Yale Club of New Haven, Dr. Schmelzer serves on the Board of Yale Club of Hartford where she also chairs the Nominating Committee. Dr. Schmelzer is a life-long dedicated mentor to undergraduate, graduate students and postdocs.

    Prior to Yale, Dr. Schmelzer resided in California, which was also her landing destination as an immigrant from Bulgaria. There, she worked as a Senior Systems Engineer at Raytheon during both her undergraduate and graduate studies as well as a tutor in math, physics and chemistry. Ellie holds a B.S. and a PhD in Physics. Her postdoctoral research focused on Extragalactic Black Hole Tidal Disruption Events. In her spare time, Ellie enjoys opera, tennis, skiing, fashion, and photography as well as exceptional dining venues and tropical and European destinations.

  • Lisa C. O. Brandes, PhD '94 — Vice President

    Lisa Brandes, PhD ‘94 (political science), is the new YCNH Vice President. After teaching at Tufts and Wesleyan, Ms. Brandes came back to Yale as the founding Director of the McDougal Graduate Student Center in the Graduate School – GSAS. She created services, and lead community building and engagement activities for Yale graduate students, their families, and alumni. After serving Yale for 25 years, she retired in 2021. She remains active in student affairs as a speaker, writer, leader, and consultant. In New Haven, she is involved in local politics, and is a volunteer or Board member with service and arts organizations like DESK, Westville Village Renaissance Association, Shubert Theater, United Way, Downtown New Haven, and local religious and civic groups. She lives in the Westville neighborhood of New Haven with her husband Scott McLean, a professor at Quinnipiac University, and their son Charles, a NH Public Schools graduate, and now a student at Connecticut College, and their cat. Lisa enjoys gardening, baking, travel, theater, books, scifi and planning fun themed events.

  • Christina H. Coffin, '74 — Vice President

    Ms. Coffin, BA ’74 is Director of Publishing Operations at Yale University Press. She returned to New Haven to work at the University in 2003, following a career in the book business that included positions with Little, Brown and Company, Houghton Mifflin Company, and the Perseus Books Group in New York and Boston. For the Yale Club of New Haven, Chris is chair of the Community Service Committee and Club Coordinator of the Annual Yale Day of Service. She is a Fellow of Trumbull College, and active with the Yale undergraduate Outdoors Club. She also volunteers as a canoeing instructor with the Girl Scouts of Connecticut and the New Haven Parks Department.

  • Elaine Piraino-Holevoet, '75 — Vice President

    Elaine Piraino-Holevoet, BA ’75 in the History of Art, is a graphic designer at PIROET Design. She is chair of the Club’s annual Yale Seton Book Award Event, serves on the Scholarship Committee, and designs and produces the Club’s annual scholarship brochure. Elaine is also a regional director for New Haven on the Yale Alumni Schools Committee. She is an Associate Fellow of Jonathan Edwards College, which was her college when she was a student. Elaine is also active in New Haven politics, is involved in environmental efforts throughout the city, is a Certified Advanced Master Gardener, and enjoys volunteering at the LEAP children’s garden.

  • Elaine P. Anderson, '76 MPG — Secretary, Graduate & Professional Schools

    Ms. Anderson currently holds a faculty appointment at Yale but retired as Director of Special Studies at the Yale School of Public Health in 2007. Her office had responsibility for a number of functions including institutional research; the school’s reaccreditation; strategic planning; data liaison with federal, state and professional associations; public health practice; continuing education and workforce development; and special projects. Her previous position at Yale was as Director of the Resource Center for Health Professions Development. A graduate of the Yale University School of Public Health, and the Institute for Social Policy Studies at the University of Michigan, her academic interests are in methodology/ research design in community-based studies. She taught an applied community research course for MPH students at Yale for 25 years and still gives lectures on public health issues, primarily for the residential colleges. Her publications and professional presentations have been on topics related to minority health, gender issues in health care, workforce development, public health practice, and changing global values as they relate to health behaviors.

  • Dr. Daniel M. Koenigsberg '62 MD — Vice President & Secretary

    Dr. Koenigsberg is the retired Chair of the Dept. of Psychiatry at Yale-New Haven Hospital (St. Raphael campus) and Associate Clinical Professor of Psychiatry at Yale Medical School. A New Haven native, he is a graduate of Hopkins School and Yale College. After completing the MD degree, he served three years in the US Navy in the Pacific, retiring as LtCDR. Residency training (Cornell) and a Post-Doctoral Fellowship at Yale followed.

    Dr. Koenigsberg has been active in Alumni affairs throughout his career. With the YCNH, was head of the Alumni Schools Committee and a Delegate to the YAA Assembly. Traveling internationally with the former 'Yale GALE’ (YAA Global Alumni Leadership Exchange,) he was part of a delegation collaborating with other universities abroad. Dr.Koenigsberg has served as 1962 Class Treasurer and was Chair of his last Yale Reunion. He is an Associate Fellow at Silliman College.

    In his spare time, Dan is active in music as a violinist with the Yale Medical Symphony orchestra and performs (internationally) with the Yale Alumni Chorus

    He also serves on various Yale and Community Boards.

  • David L. Reynolds '63, '66 LLB — Assistant Secretary, Graduate & Professional Schools

    Mr. Reynolds, an attorney with Withers Bergman, is a 1963 graduate of Yale College and a 1966 graduate of Yale Law School. He was admitted to the Oklahoma Bar in 1966 and the Connecticut Bar in 1970; he was registered as a foreign lawyer in the United Kingdom in 2002. David concentrates his practice in the areas of estate and income tax planning for individuals and families. He advises on tax, corporate, and succession planning for closely held businesses, handles estate settlement and trust administration, and provides legal advice on pension, profit sharing and other tax and non-tax qualified deferred compensation programs. He is the co-author of “Tax Management Portfolio 350 - Pension and Profit Sharing Plan Design” and has also published various articles for trade publications on tax topics such as grantor retained income trusts and family partnerships. A corporator for The Milford Bank, David is also a fellow of Silliman College. He enjoys adventure traveling with his family.

  • Suzanne Cooney, '85 MPH — Assistant Secretary

    After receiving the MPH degree from the Yale School of Public Health in 1985, Ms. Cooney began her professional career with the Connecticut Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services ( DMHAS) . During her 31 years with DMHAS Suzanne served as Director of the Greater Bridgeport Community Mental Health Center, Assistant Superintendent of Norwich State Psychiatric Hospital and finally as Director of Business Administration in the DMHAS Commissioner's Office. Suzanne serves as the Chairwoman of the Gathering at Mory's event for the Yale Club. This monthly event brings members of the Yale Community together for socializing and information sharing regarding the University. Suzanne is also involved with the Yale Office of International Students and Scholars (OISS): Community Friends Program, and is a member of Alliance Francaise de New Haven, the Irish American Community Center ( IACC) and the Irish History Roundtable( IHRT).

  • Monika Advocate, '87 — Assistant Secretary

    Monika M. Advocate received her Yale MA degree in the interdisciplinary REES Studies program in 1987 and an MBA from Lodz University in Poland. She spent the following decades teaching International Business courses at Quinnipiac University and Albertus Magnus College. Throughout her academic career, she worked with students from diverse backgrounds, with a particular emphasis on fostering cross-cultural skills. She introduced an innovative in-service learning approach that involved her students in direct interaction with recently resettled international refugees from the local community.

    As an entrepreneur, Ms. Advocate has provided housing services to Yale affiliates, creating a strong community of friends that assists graduate students and young scholars in navigating the complexities and challenges of university life.

    During the transition to democracy and a market-based economy in her native Poland, Ms. Advocate coordinated US AID-sponsored projects aimed at helping newly elected local governments spur economic development and mentor new entrepreneurs.

    She has also volunteered for several YAA organizations since the early 2000s. She participated in three service trips abroad with YASC and Yale GALE.

    At the YCNH, Ms. Advocate has been a Board member since 2017. She currently holds the position of Assistant Secretary. Ms. Advocate co-creates social programming to bring together alumni, students, and other members of the Yale community. She also coordinates the Club’s marketing efforts. Ms. Advocate is the Club’s Delegate to the Yale Assembly.

    In 2021, Ms. Advocate was elected to the YAA Board of Governors, where she is currently serving her 3-year term. She is co-producing virtual programming for Yale Alumni on the Careers, Life, and Yale Committee, and co-ordinates alumni outreach activities. Ms. Advocate also serves on the Volunteer Development Committee of the Board.

  • Timothy Bertaccini, '77 — Treasurer

    Tim graduated from Yale College in 1977 with a BA English and has served as the treasurer of the Yale Club of New Haven since 1986. Tim also serves on the Scholarship and Investment committees.

    Tim has also served as a regional director for the Alumni Schools committee in the New Haven region since the 1980s, coordinating alumni interviews for the admissions office. Tim’s service to Yale also includes work with the Yale Alumni fund since 1977, the Yale Track association since 1984, and Yale GALA since 2000. Tim has been a Yale University Business Manager since 1984.

Directors

  • Dr. Sudheesh Allikka Parambil, PhD '21

    Dr. Sudheesh Allikka Parambil is a Postdoctoral Associate at Yale University, specializing in RNA biology with a focus on stem cells and regeneration. With a PhD in RNA Biology from India, he explored the intricate role of RNA in cancer during both his PhD and initial postdoctoral research.

    During his three years at Yale and two years at The Jackson Laboratory in Bar Harbor, Maine, Dr. Allikka Parambil showcased his expertise while actively mentoring students and fostering a collaborative research environment. Beyond the laboratory, he is dedicated to science outreach, teaching, and organizing events, currently serving as the Co-Chair of the Yale Postdoctoral Association (YPA). His academic background includes a bachelor’s and a master’s degree in biotechnology, along with a Diploma in Medical Biotechnology. Driven by a commitment to community engagement, he volunteers with several non-profit organizations in the New England area and serves as a senior judge for Maine and Connecticut Science Fair and New Haven Science fair, contributing to the broader impact of scientific knowledge.

  • Seán Duffy, '97 PhD

    Seán Duffy, PhD ’97, is a Professor of Political Science at Quinnipiac University. Since January 2018, he has been the Executive Director of the Albert Schweitzer Institute at Quinnipiac, where he develops programs locally and globally in Peace & Human Rights, Human Health and Development, and Environmental Sustainability. He serves on the Hamden Food Security Task Force, the Mill River Watershed Association, and the Edgerton Park Conservancy Board. He is particularly interested in community-based experiential learning. He is certified in Permaculture Design and holds degrees from Brown (BA, Political Science) and Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies (MA, International Development).

  • Makana Ellis, '05

    Makana Ellis is an attorney at Carmody Torrance Sandak & Hennessey LLP, a Connecticut based law firm with offices in New Haven, Waterbury, Stamford, and Guilford. Makana represents clients in a diverse range of litigation matters, including assessment appeals, breach of contract, construction, criminal defense, evictions, Freedom of Information Act (FOIA), intellectual property, mass tort and product liability, medical malpractice, medical device, personal injury, pharmaceutical, and real estate. Makana also handles employment immigration matters on the transactional side.

    Makana previously worked as a public defender at the Bridgeport G.A. 2 Courthouse, representing clients on the motor vehicle and domestic violence docket and providing arraignments. Makana also clerked at the New Haven J.D. Superior Courthouse in civil, family, and criminal court.

    Prior to law school, Makana worked at Yale University as the inaugural director of the Dixwell-Yale University Community Learning Center, an education facility which provided after school programs for New Haven area youth and health and wellness programs for adults.

    Makana is a licensed attorney in the state courts of Connecticut and New York and admitted into the U.S. District Court, District of Connecticut. Makana is a graduate of Yale College/Timothy Dwight Class of 2005. She is also a graduate of the University of New Hampshire Franklin Pierce School of Law. Makana is a native of New Haven, Connecticut, a former Yale Club of New Haven/Edward M. Noyes II Scholar and Yale Club of New Haven Book Award winner.

  • Lily Engbith, MBA '24, BA '17

    Lily Engbith, MBA '24, BA '17

    Lily Engbith (MBA ’24, BA ’17) is a lifelong New Haven resident and alumna of the public school system. As a strong proponent of community service and public-private partnerships, she has worked closely with New Haven Promise, the Yale-China Association, and the Neighborhood Music School to ensure access to quality programming for future generations of students.

  • Lely Evans, Occidental College '98

    Born and raised in Taiwan, Lely Evans moved to California and attended Occidental College ’98 (B.A. in Music) before moving to Perth, Australia, where she received her Master of Music. Since moving to New Haven in 2001, Lely taught Chinese language at New Haven Public Schools, launched the Chinese language program at The Foote School, and is now teaching at Hopkins School. For several years, Lely also worked with the STARTALK program at its Glastonbury site. STARTALK is a grant program federally funded by the National Security Agency to support critical need languages.  

    From 2009-2020, Lely administered and served as board director at New Haven Chinese Language School, a non-profit cooperative organization for introducing Chinese language and culture to families in the Greater New Haven area with its mission in promoting cultural awareness in the community.

    Since 2016, Lely served as Associate Head of Berkeley College at Yale, contributing to its student life by programming, coordinating, and hosting wellness, cultural, and food events for students, as well as events for its fellows. As a lifetime fellow at Berkeley College, Lely advises first-year students at the college.

  • James Killilea, '62

    James is a member of the Branford Public Building Commission and the Pine Orchard Zoning Board of Appeals. He also serves as an Arbitrator and Fact Finder, Connecticut Superior Court, and as Director and Treasurer of the Branford Arts and Cultural Alliance.

  • Erin McCarthy King, '98, PhD '09

    Erin McCarthy King, '98, PhD '09

    Erin McCarthy King graduated from Yale College in 1998 with a combined B.A. and M.A. in Italian Language and Literature. She was a member of Saybrook College and an active member of Instrumental Connection, the Yale Political Union, and was President of the SY Housing Committee. After graduating, she worked as both a teacher and a conference coordinator for Strategic Research Institute, a New York-based conference planning and business research company, until she returned to Yale GSAS in 2002. While earning her doctorate, Erin was heavily involved in campus life as Arts and Culture and then Coordinating Fellow for the McDougal Center for Student Life where she enjoyed working on events, orientation, and campus life initiatives for graduate students. After completing her Ph.D., Erin taught at Yale as a Visiting Lector, as well as at Sacred Heart University, St. Vincent’s College, Quinnipiac University, and Fairfield University. Erin has also taught and advised at Hopkins School and Notre Dame High School, where she currently teaches Italian and French and is a faculty member in the International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme. Erin also designs the language curriculum and delivers online courses for Rockyruggiero.com, an online education site for lovers of the history, art, language, and culture of Italy. In 2021, Erin served as a University Assistant to the Dean of the School of Graduate and Professional Studies at Southern Connecticut State University doing research and proposal writing. Erin is a member of the Alumni Schools Committee and volunteers as an alumna interviewer for Yale College. Erin and her husband and children live in Seymour.

  • Patrick Pitoniak, '12

    Patrick is the Senior Assistant Director of Public Relations and Program Management at the Yale University Visitor Center. He has worked at the Visitor Center since 2013. Patrick was born and raised in Connecticut and attended Notre Dame High School in West Haven. In his current role, he manages the daily operations of the Visitor Center to provide the best campus visit experience for all guests coming through the Visitor Center for public and private tours. He also works on developing new tour initiatives and training student guides for specialty tours . Finally, he is an active member of the Collegiate Information and Visitor Services Association working with campuses across the country to share best practices for the campus visit experience and was the co-chair of their Annual Conference in Milwaukee, WI in 2018.

  • Vincent Pitts, '69

    A resident of North Haven, CT, Vincent Pitts received his B.A. at Yale in 1969 and his Ph.D. from Harvard in European history in 1975. He is the author of a number of books in his chosen field and currently teaches at Quinnipiac University. He is also an Associate Fellow of Branford College, and a member of the Connecticut Academy of Arts and Sciences.

    In addition to his service as a Director of the Yale Club of New Haven, Vincent has been a Board member and/or a Board officer of a number of non-profit organizations including Big Brothers and Sisters of South Central Connecticut; Shepherds, Inc. (Scholarship & Mentoring Program, Fairfield & New Haven Counties); Notre Dame High School, West Haven, CT; Avery Memorial Association (Maintenance of historic Ebenezer Avery House on Grounds of Fort Griswold, Groton, CT).

  • Peter Sipple, '62

    A 1962 alumnus of Yale, Peter did graduate work at Harvard (M.A.T.) the Graduate Theological Union (M.A.) and U.C. Berkeley (PhD). After teaching at Wellesley College, during which time he became an ordained minister in the Episcopal Church, he headed three independent schools over the next 24 years. In 1998 Peter was invited to serve as a research fellow in Yale’s Institute of Sacred Music, then served two years as director of development at Yale Divinity School. In 2001 he was called to become rector of an Episcopal church in Bryn Mawr PA, retiring in 2009. Peter and his wife Margaret live in Guilford CT, and are always delighted to see their daughter, son and two grandkids who live not far away.

  • Brian Tippy, '02

    Brian teaches English at Staples High School in Westport, Connecticut. He graduated Yale College in 2002 with a BA in Humanities, Middlebury College in 2009 with an MA in English, and Quinnipiac University in 2018 with a 6th year diploma in educational leadership. After many years of doing alum interviews for Yale College Admissions, he became a regional director for the Alumni Schools Committee in 2019. An alum of the Yale Glee Club, the Yale Precision Marching Band, and the Whiffenpoofs, Brian continues to participate actively in music performance and education. He is also a certified professional dog trainer and therapy dog evaluator who volunteers as a therapy dog handler and musician at The Connecticut Hospice.

  • Dr. Meina Wang, '15

    Dr. Meina Wang, '15

    Dr. Meina Wang ’15 is the Director for Education and Translational Research in Medical Oncology at Yale School of Medicine. She earned her PhD in Pathology and subsequently completed a postdoctoral fellowship in Internal Medicine/Endocrinology at Yale.

    In her role at Yale, Dr. Wang oversees and manages large-scale, multi-site, and global oncology studies aimed at expediting translational and clinical research, as well as developing lifesaving, next-generation cancer therapies. Additionally, she identifies and initiates new collaborations between investigators at Yale and companies, facilitating advancements in drug development and disease treatments. Her efforts play a crucial role in driving innovation and fostering impactful partnerships within the medical and research community.

  • Thomas Virgulto, '89

Past Presidents

  • John Caserta, '01

    John Caserta ('01) is a leading Chartered Financial Consultant with a Masters in Financial Services and a highly-sought after authority on personal finances with a passion for educating people about all-things-money. In addition to regularly appearing on Good Morning Connecticut on WTNH, John has been featured in and authored articles in numerous publications including The Wall Street Journal, US News & World Report, Business Insider, and Advisors Magazine. He has traveled throughout the country educating thousands on how to take control of their personal finances and has spoken at numerous universities including Yale, Sacred Heart, UConn, Vassar, and Ohio State.

    In addition to serving as an At-Large Delegate for the Yale Board of Governors, John serves as President of the Yale Club of New Haven and is the recipient of the Leadership Award for Volunteer Innovation & Service by the Yale Alumni Association. John and his wife Adriana ('04) live in North Haven, CT.

  • Carl J. Amento, '72

    Mr. Amento, BA ’72 has been actively involved in serving his community for the past 30 years. He has served on the Boards of Directors and as President of the Hamden Chamber of Commerce, Partnerships Adult Day Care Center, the UNITAS Club, the Hamden Italian Festival, and the Eli Whitney Museum. Carl currently serves as Secretary of the Yale Club of New Haven and on the Boards of Directors of the United Way of Greater New Haven and DataHaven. He currently serves on the Steering Committee of HOME Connecticut, and is a member of the Regional Alliance. In 2004, Carl led a statewide effort for education finance reform as the first president of the Connecticut Coalition on Justice in Education Funding (CCJEF). In 2013, Carl was appointed to serve on the Connecticut Advisory Commission on Intergovernmental Relations. Carl was elected to the Hamden Legislative Council in 1997, and was elected as Hamden’s Mayor three times serving from 1999 to 2005. Carl’s Administration built new Spring Glen and Bear Path Elementary Schools, the new Hamden Middle School, the new Town Green, the new high school athletic complex restored the Hamden High School “MOM” building, renovated the ice rink and tennis courts, created the Hamden Government Center, extended the Farmington Canal Greenway trail, and renovated the Laurel View golf course and banquet facilities. Carl was a cum laude graduate of Yale University and Boston College Law School. During college, he worked a year in Venezuela as a newspaper reporter. He also holds an M.A.T. degree from Harvard Graduate School of Education, and taught high school in Brockton, MA. He worked 22 years as a private practice attorney, and also served as an Assistant Town Attorney in Hamden.

  • Tahia Thaddeus Kamp, '98

    Ms. Kamp graduated from Yale College in 1998 with a B.A. in English Language and Literature. In 2004, she was awarded a PhD in Critical Theory from the University of Nottingham for a dissertation concerning modernist metaphysical philosophy and the formulation of a theory of self-reflexivity in early 20th century avant-garde art. A native of Connecticut, she returned to the area to teach literature and composition courses at two local colleges before returning to Yale as a Development Officer in 2006. That same year, she was appointed Yale’s first Old Campus Fellow, a position that brought her back to campus as a residential fellow responsible for a freshman hall. From there she was recruited to Brown University to serve as the school’s first Assistant Dean of the College for First-Year and Sophomore Studies, directing faculty advisers and developing advising programs and outreach efforts for the University’s undergraduate population. She has since returned to Yale’s Office of Development, where she now prepares reports for high-ranking administration officials as a Senior Research Analyst. In October 2015, she was named Assistant Director of The Franke Program in Science and Humanities at Yale, and as such, she helps to support cross-disciplinary research and exchanges at the University.

    Highly active in the Yale community, Ty has served as an alumni interviewer for the Office of Undergraduate Admissions since her graduation in 1998, culminating in her appointment as Chairman of the Alumni Schools Committee for the Greater New Haven area. Having been a member of the Yale Club of London and a Director of the Yale Association of Rhode Island, she has worked both near campus and beyond to further the engagement of Yale graduates with the University. In addition to being an Associate Fellow of Berkeley College, she was President of the Yale Club of New Haven and served on the boards of Mory’s, the Aviation Society at Yale, and currently Yale Aviation, where, as Vice President, she is preparing for her private pilot license. A dedicated alumnus, Ty has enjoyed time with many club and activities at Yale, including the Equestrian Club and the Pistol Team.

  • DeForest W. Smith, '61

    Mr. Smith, the owner of George J. Smith & Son Real Estate founded by his grandfather in 1886. Frosty has been in the real estate business for longer than he cares to admit. He is a graduate of Yale University with a degree in International Economics. A past president of the Connecticut Commercial Investment Division, Connecticut CCIM chapter, and the Greater New Haven Board (now Association) of Realtors, he was chosen “Realtor of the Year” by the board in 1985.

    In 2008, the Connecticut Association of Realtors honored Frosty with the “Harry W. Wenz Good Neighbor Award” to recognize his lifetime of volunteer service. Frosty has served on the national level as a Senior Instructor in Commercial Investment Real Estate Council CCIM courses for more than 30 years, and has been an adjunct professor of real estate at New York University. Listed in “Who’s Who,” Frosty is a director of The Milford Bank and a past director of the Milford Rotary Club. He is the author of the historical book Only in Milford: An Illustrated History. He founded and is past president of Drug Free Milford, Inc. an anti-drug program that has received national and international acclaim.

    Frosty is a past president of the Yale Club of New Haven and was co-chairman (with Ed Cantor ’61) of the Yale Class of 1961 for 20 years. He was also president of the Milford Republican Town Committee. An Eagle Scout, he remains active with the Boy Scouts of America and was presented the “Good Scout Award.” Frosty was chosen Milford Businessman of the Year in 1990 by the Milford Chamber of Commerce and “Milford Citizen of the Year” by the Milford Citizen newspaper in 1991. In 2004, Frosty received an award from the Milford Red Cross for donating more than 100 pints of blood.

  • Christopher Getman, '64

    Chris was a devoted husband, a loving father, a loyal friend, a joyful teacher, a community organizer, a generous philanthropist, a patron of the arts, a zealous —and somewhat wild— athlete, an energetic practical joker, a passionate server of good causes, and a relentless advocate for anyone who needed it. Though he had a reputation for mischief, he never strayed from his strong moral compass. He gave everyone the benefit of the doubt but was intolerant of greed or cruelty.

    Chris received a BA in English from Yale in 1964. In 1965 he received an MA in English from Reed College in Portland, Oregon. Following a five year stint teaching English and coaching at The Hotchkiss School, he returned to Yale as an assistant coach in football and baseball and as an associate director of the Yale Alumni Fund. The move back to New Haven marked the beginning of a lifetime of dedication to both the University and its surrounding community.

    His many accomplishments, and the organizations that he served are too numerous to list, but the highlight reel includes being a recipient of the Elm/Ivy Award; the Yale Medal —honoring outstanding voluntary individual service to the University; Mory's Cup, and the G.H.W. Bush Lifetime of Leadership Award. Chris also served as Chairman of the Alexis de Tocqueville Society of The United Way, was a top fundraiser for the MS Society for more than 30 years, and the winner of the MS Society Hope Award. Throughout his adult life he was a resolute donor of blood, donating more than 21 gallons by the time of his passing despite many surgeries that interrupted his routine. One of his greatest delights was being the keeper of Yale’s Handsome Dan bulldogs for more than 30 years. 

    Chris’s legacy can be honored by donating blood, feeding the birds, and bringing joy to your heart by listening to music. 

  • Bruce W. Sielaff

    Bruce was the Yale Club president from 2005-2007.

  • Keith McCants, '87

    Mr. McCants, a 1987 graduate of Yale College (Calhoun College) has called Connecticut his home since the summer of his sophomore year. He earned an MA in the Economics of Finance from Trinity College, and an MBA in the Management of Technology from the University of Connecticut. He’s been an avid volunteer interviewer for the Admissions Office, and is one of the Co-Chairs the Club’s Alumni School Committee. He’s a long-time supporter of all Yale athletics, but especially fond of the football and lacrosse teams.

  • Melanie A. Ginter, '78, '81MS

    Past President (twice) and Yale Medal recipient 2015.

  • Glenn H. Gregg, '67

  • Michael A. Schaffer, '72

  • B. Patrick Madden, '69

  • Edward H. Cantor, '61

  • Severio D. Fodero

  • Ron Heiferman, '65

    Dr. Heiferman is Professor Emeritus of History at Quinnipiac University. He was educated at the City University of New York, Yale, and New York University (PhD). Professor Heiferman is an Associate Fellow of Berkeley College at Yale University, a Vice-President of the Connecticut Academy of Arts and Sciences, a Director of the Yale Club of New Haven, and a Member of the Yale Club of New York City. Professor Heiferman has authored or co-authored more than a dozen books, including Flying Tigers, World War II, Wars of the Twentieth Century, The Rise and Fall of Imperial Japan, and The Cairo Conference of 1943: Roosevelt, Churchill, Chiang Kai-shek, and Madame Chiang. His latest book, The Chinese Idyll of Franklin D. Roosevelt, was published in February 2016.