Lyn DeSantis is a Partner at PwC (PricewaterhouseCoopers), where she specializes in accounting & financial reporting advisory services, with special emphasis on asset managers. Lyn has been with PwC for over 16 years and has extensive asset management and capital markets experience and has served as the lead audit engagement partner for a variety of asset management clients. She is currently advising several companies, including several hedge fund and private equity firms, regarding US GAAP accounting and SEC issues in connection with their potential US capital markets transactions. She is a certified public accountant and a graduate of Villanova University and Columbia University where she earned a Bachelor of Arts Degree in accounting and a master’s in business administration, respectively.

Brad Finkle is the Head of Complementary Business and COO Chief Administrative Officer at TIAA. Brad is responsible for Business Strategy & Management and oversight of the TIAA complementary businesses, and for TIAA-CREF and Nuveen Fund Board Relations. Before becoming COO Chief Administrative Officer in 2021, he was COO of Nuveen, where he was responsible for managing the strategic coordination between key stakeholders across the firm and the boards of the TIAA and Nuveen fund families. Prior to joining the firm in 2007, Brad was a vice president responsible for distribution compliance and operations at Oppenheimer Funds. Brad holds a Bachelor of Business Administration in Accounting from the University of Wisconsin-Madison, and a Master of Business Administration in Finance from New York University Stern School of Business. 

Zach Iscol is the Commissioner of NYC Emergency Management. Zach has led in settings ranging from combat operations in Iraq to the frontlines of COVID-19 pandemic and Hurricane Sandy here in New York. As a Marine, he served two tours in Iraq and on other assignments throughout Africa and the Middle East. During his second tour of duty, he led a combined unit of US Marines and Iraq soldiers in some of the heaviest fighting of the Iraq War during the Second Battle of Fallujah, where he was awarded a Bronze Star for valor. Over the past decade, Iscol has built and led businesses and a nonprofit mental healthcare provider, the Headstrong Project. The Headstrong Project now cares for over 1,000 veterans a week in 30+ cities. Zach is a graduate of Cornell University.

Tara Maguire is the Executive Vice President of Financial Operations at Mastercard. In this role, Tara oversees the finance functions of the products and services business units, as well as the Global Business Service Center (GBSC) and Supply Chain & Corporate Services. In her previous role, Tara was the Chief Financial Officer for North America at Mastercard. As CFO for North America, she was responsible for all aspects and phases of regional financial management. Being with Mastercard since 1999, Tara has also assumed other key instrumental roles. Before joining Mastercard, Tara was a manager at Price Waterhouse Coopers where she was responsible for leading audits on both public and private clients in the banking and investment management sectors. Tara holds a Bachelor of Science in Accounting from New York University and received a Certified Public Accountant license.

Kelly R. McKinney is Assistant Vice President of Emergency Management and Enterprise Resilience at NYU Langone Health in New York City. He is the founding principal of Emergency Management Americas, a 501c3 nonprofit with a mission to advance the profession and practice of emergency management. Kelly is a board member of the All-Hazards Consortium and of the Urban Assembly School for Emergency Management in New York City. As the former Deputy Commissioner at the New York City Office of Emergency Management and Chief Disaster Officer for the American Red Cross in Greater New York, Kelly has had a leadership role in every major disaster in New York City for more than 20 years, from the 9/11 attacks to Superstorm Sandy to Covid-19. He is a professional engineer with a BS in mechanical engineering from the University of Kansas and an MPA from Columbia University in the City of New York.

Erin Phillips is the chair of Clara’s Council at the American Red Cross in Greater New York. Erin joined the Red Cross in 2012 as an intern in the Mass Care unit at the national American Red Cross HQ in Washington DC, where she fell in love with the work the Red Cross was doing across the nation for those in need. Erin spent hours in the field, at the Emergency Operations Center, and in-between behind a computer learning what it meant to plan for a disaster. Erin moved from national American Red Cross HQ to the Greater NY area to assist with Hurricane Sandy efforts. She spent the next few years in the Mass Care & logistics units. After some time in the field, she took her experience in Mass Care and applied it to a different industry: live events in NYC. Erin reconnected with the Red Cross in 2021 to fundraise for (and run in) the NYC Marathon. After 26.2 miles and $5,000 raised for the Red Cross, she knew it was time to 'go back home' and continue her relationship with the organization in a new way.

Rachel Rosenfeld is an Associate in Avison Young’s New York City office. Rachel specializes in both Landlord representation and Tenant representation in the New York Metropolitan area, with a focus on business development and transaction management. Rachel is currently servicing six building agencies across all of Manhattan. She has assisted tenants in the Midtown and Downtown markets with relocations, renewals, and disposition of their offices by gathering, providing, and educating her customers on market knowledge to make more informed real estate decisions. Prior to joining Avison Young full-time, Rachel interned at Avison Young in the summer of 2019 supporting the Debt & Equity, Project Management and Office Leasing departments. She graduated from the University of Maryland’s Robert H. Smith School of Business with a B.S. in Finance and a minor in Real Estate Development.

Captain Zeita Merchant is the commander in the Sector New York, Captain of the Port for the United States Coast Guard. Captain Merchant assumed command in May 2021 and directs all Coast Guard missions in the Port of New York and New Jersey. Prior to joining Sector New York as Deputy Sector Commander in 2020, she was a National Security Fellow at Harvard University’s Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs. Enjoying over 24 years of active-duty service, Captain Merchant is a recognized authority in maritime safety and security, and crisis management. Captain Merchant holds a Doctor of Business Administration and Master of Quality Systems Management from the National Graduate School at New England Institute of Business, as well as a Master of Public Administration from George Washington University and a Bachelor of Science in Biology from Tougaloo College.