The University of Scranton Names Six New Trustees

The University of Scranton named six individuals to its Board of Trustees: John Boken P’16, P’22; Rev. Thomas W. Neitzke, S.J.; Crystal E. Newby, Ed.D. ’04, G’08; Rev. Angelo J. (“A.J.”) Rizzo, S.J. ’03; Joseph L. Sorbera Jr. P’08, P’08; and Anthony J. Yanni, M.D. ’88, P’21, P’23.

Boken is a managing director in the turnaround and restructuring services practice at AlixPartners, an international consultancy firm. With more than 30 years of corporate turnaround and restructuring experience, he specializes in complex, high profile, national and cross-border cases, including NRG Energy (2004) and Flying J (2011).  He has often been appointed to senior management positions in client engagements, including serving as CEO, COO, CFO, and Chief Restructuring Officer (CRO), helping companies address and resolve financial and operational distress. Recently, he served as Deputy CRO for Pacific Gas & Electric Company (PG&E) in its landmark Chapter 11 bankruptcy case in California. His experience spans a variety of industries, including energy, logistics, entertainment, homebuilding, industrial construction, manufacturing, retail, health care and agriculture.

Boken started his professional career at Arthur Andersen, ultimately becoming a principal and co-owner of a premier boutique restructuring advisory firm, Zolfo Cooper. In 2018, he and his partners merged their firm with AlixPartners, where he now serves in both a leadership capacity and continues as a senior client restructuring advisory practitioner. In addition, Boken serves on the board of directors for The Pasha Group.

Boken holds a bachelor’s degree in finance from Santa Clara University. He resides in South Pasadena, California, with his wife, Susie. They are the parents of three children: Brendan ’16, Connell and Eryn ’22.

Father Neitzke, Ed.D., is the dean and executive director at Arrupe College of Loyola University Chicago. Previously, he served as president of Creighton Preparatory School and was also an adjunct faculty member at Creighton University’s Graduate School. He has taught courses in strategic and political leadership, school law and foundations of education, and has supervised internships in elementary/secondary administration. He is also an adjunct faculty member for the Jesuit Worldwide Learning: Higher Education at the Margins.

Father Neitzke served as chairman of the board at Creighton Preparatory School before his term as president, and currently serves on the boards of Marquette University, Marquette University High School and the Jesuit Academy. Previously, he served on the boards of Georgetown Preparatory School, Loyola Academy, Seattle University, Brophy College Preparatory School and the Boys and Girls Club of the Midlands.

Father Neitzke earned a bachelor’s degree in philosophy from Loyola University in Chicago, a master’s degree in educational administration from the University of San Francisco, a Master of Divinity degree from Santa Clara University and a doctorate from Creighton University focusing on educational leadership.

Dr. Newby recently accepted the role of senior director of strategic admission, access and diversity initiatives at the College Board. Previously, Dr. Newby served as the inaugural director of diversity, equity and inclusion at the National Association for College Admission Counseling, where she served for eight years. Earlier in her career, she worked in college admission offices at The University of Scranton, Montclair State University and Bloomsburg University.

Most recently, Dr. Newby joined the Advisory Council for the Philadelphia College Prep Roundtable, a college access and completion network. In addition, she served as a selection committee member from 2015-2020 for the American School Counselor Association’s School Counselor of the Year award. In 2020, she interviewed Professor Ibram X. Kendi, National Book Award winner and New York Times bestselling author of “How to be an Antiracist and Stamped: Racism, Antiracism, and You,” co-authored by Jason Reynolds. In June 2021, Dr. Newby had an essay published in “Chicken Soup for the Soul: I’m Speaking Now: Black Women Share Their Truth in 101 Stories of Love, Courage and Hope.”

Dr. Newby earned a bachelor’s degree and master’s degree from The University of Scranton and a doctorate from Johns Hopkins University. At her undergraduate commencement at Scranton, Dr. Newby received the Lawrence A. Mann Award, which recognizes leadership and service to the University community. As a student at Scranton, she was an active member of Performance Music, United Colors, Liva Arts Company and University Players. She also served as a resident assistant, orientation assistant and student teleworker.

Father Rizzo is a priest of the U.S.A. East Province of the Society of Jesus, who began serving as the president of Scranton Preparatory School in July 2021. Most recently, he served as director of mission and identity at Regis High School in New York City.

Fr. Rizzo taught English, religion and Latin at Scranton Prep from 2011 to 2014. An alumnus of St. Joseph’s Prep in Philadelphia, he previously ministered at several other Jesuit high schools on the east coast. He served at his alma mater as a volunteer teacher in the school’s Alumni Service Corps. He also served as the director of Christian service at Loyola Blakefield for three years. He entered the Society of Jesus in 2007 and was ordained to the priesthood in 2017. He served as assistant pastor at St. Ignatius Loyola parish in Baltimore, and earlier was a deacon at St. Theresa Catholic Church in Oakland, California.

Fr. Rizzo has served as a trustee of St. Ignatius High School, St. Elizabeth High School and Fairfield Preparatory School.

Father Rizzo earned bachelor’s degrees in both biology and philosophy from The University of Scranton, a master’s degree in pastoral counseling from Loyola University Maryland; a master’s degree in humanities from Fordham University, and a Master of Divinity degree from the Jesuit School of Theology of Santa Clara University. Fr. Rizzo was awarded a doctorate in Catholic educational leadership from the University of San Francisco.

Sorbera is the CEO and president of JLS Cost Management Systems, Inc., based in New York City. His firm manages finances, costs and strategies associated with major construction projects being conducted by businesses across the United States and Europe. He also serves as a long-standing member of the board of directors-executive management committee of Bideawee, a 118-year-old animal rescue and adoption organization.

Since 2004, Sorbera has served The University of Scranton in multiple capacities: first as an involved parent, then in a leadership position alongside then-President Rev. Scott R. Pilarz, S.J., in the Pride, Passion and Promise Capital Campaign. He has served as an executive-in-residence for Kania School of Management and as a member of the University’s Board of Trustees from 2009-2015. He is currently a member of the President’s Business Council and was honored with the President’s Medal in 2018.

Sorbera earned his bachelor’s degree in management from the University of Phoenix. He and his late wife, Diane, have three children Christina, Diana ’08 and Joseph III ’08, and a granddaughter, Danielle Marie.

Dr. Yanni is senior vice president and head of patient centricity at Astellas, where he is responsible for leading the development and execution of the company’s global patient centricity strategy across all functions of the organization. With a shared vision to better and more genuinely understand the patient journey in the real-world setting, along with the continued development of a patient-centered corporate culture worldwide, one area in which he is focused is on creating sustainable processes to address key areas that matter to patients and applying their unique insights to the entire product lifecycle – from early research to development and, ultimately, to utilization.

Previously, Dr. Yanni held multiple roles at Sanofi, most recently serving as head of patient insights, solutions and outcomes where he led a global team to create a first-in-industry process to integrate the patient and clinician perspective into research portfolio decision-making. Earlier in his career, Dr. Yanni spent nearly 15 years in clinical practice serving as a primary care physician, chief of internal medicine and chief medical officer for a health system in the Northeastern United States.

Dr. Yanni currently serves on the board of directors for Patient Focused Medical Development. He was selected as one of 2021’s 100 Most Inspiring People in the life-sciences industry by PharmaVoice Magazine.

Dr. Yanni earned a bachelor’s degree from The University of Scranton, a MBA from the University of Massachusetts and a M.D. from Drexel University School of Medicine (formerly Hahnemann). He is married to Karen (Fagin) Yanni ’88, G’08, and they have four children: Patrick, Gina, Nicholas ’21 and Elisa ’23.