MBA-AC Co-Chairs

Jennifer Maden  

Social Impact | Community and Leadership Development | Higher Education    

Jennifer Maden is the primary Co-Chair of the MBA Advisory Council. She founded the MBA-AC to champion graduate business programs at Rowan University and to help the business leaders of the future make a powerful impact on the local community and regional economy after completing advanced degrees in business. She is the Assistant Dean of Graduate Studies and Director of the MBA program for Rohrer College of Business. She also serves as Director of the MBA and MSF Fellowship Program, Executive Producer of the Simply Dynamic Podcast, and Liaison for Rowan’s Cannabis Institute. 

Jen started her career in financial accounting, and has over twenty years’ experience in leadership and teaching roles in higher education. She has developed curriculum for and taught intercultural communications for business purposes at multiple universities and corporations in New York and Philadelphia. She has led teams on initiatives and operations in areas such as accreditation, market research, marketing, recruiting, admissions, and academic advising at institutions such as SUNY’s Fashion Institute of Technology, Columbia University, University of Pennsylvania, and Drexel University. She is the Annual Conference Chair for the Mid-Atlantic Association of Colleges of Business Administration (MAACBA), an AACSB-associated regional business dean’s organization, and she has served on multiple advisory boards related to education, community and culture, and historic preservation. She earned her BS in Finance from Rutgers University, an MA in Teaching English as a Second Language from West Chester University, and an MBA from Drexel University. 

Joe Devine 

Leadership | Community and Workplace Culture | Executive Coaching      

External Advisors

Marianne Bays 

Entrepreneurship | Cannabis Regulation | Consulting and Advocacy    

Marianne Bays, PhD, is a cannabis industry business consultant, entrepreneur, analyst and advocate, and a Founding Board Member and the current Vice President of the New Jersey CannaBusiness Association (NJCBA). She has also chaired NJCBA’s higher education committee and managed several policy task forces on cannabis regulation. Marianne is a former corporate consultant with over 20 years of experience working with Fortune 200 organizations on back office (e.g., IT, HR, Accounting & Finance, etc.) process, performance, and structure improvement.  

In addition to experience in the private sector, Marianne was previously an Assistant Professor of Management at Monmouth University in NJ, where she taught IT management, strategy and organizational development courses in the MBA program. Marianne has also had substantial experience in leadership of an international nonprofit professional organization and guiding the set up and formal organization of several nonprofit charitable organizations. She has been a business advisor to the American Cannabis Nurses Association (ACNA) and NORML NJ Women’s Alliance. She is currently a director of a nonprofit neonatal kitten rescue, foster care, and adoption service in Asbury Park, NJ.   

Since 2008, Marianne has been studying and working in the cannabis industry. She has consulted on business license application projects in eight states and the District of Columbia, helping cannabis businesses structure and win licenses in competitive actions in several states, including New York State. She also currently leads a business team working to launch a cannabis product contract manufacturing business in NJ. She holds a PhD in Business – Organization and Policy Studies from Baruch College at CUNY and BS and MA degrees in Psychology and Counseling from Montclair State University.  

Nate Carroll 

Entrepreneur | Patient Outcomes | Business of Medicine           

Dr. Nathan (Nate) Carroll is the Chief Psychiatric Resident at Jersey Shore University Medical Center. He is also the Chair of the American Psychiatric Association (APA) Leadership Fellows, an APA Assembly Representative for the New Jersey Psychiatric Association (NJPA), Rowan SOM Resident Alumni Board member, a member of the Rohrer Graduate Student and Alumni Advisory Board, and sits on numerous committees and councils for the NJPA and APA. 

Bob DeFord

Change Agent | Coaching, Strategic Planning, and Development | Sales and Marketing Leadership            

Bob DeFord is a seasoned sales and marketing executive with a track record of driving significant business growth, operational excellence, and digital transformation. Currently serving as Vice President of Sales and Marketing at Joe Hand Promotions, he is responsible for overseeing strategic relationships with major media companies, including UFC, ESPN+, DAZN, and PBC boxing. In this role, Bob demonstrates his leadership by building high-performing sales teams, developing impactful marketing campaigns, and managing full P&L responsibilities. 

Previously, as Senior Vice President of Distributor Sales & Marketing at the Advertising Specialty Institute, Bob managed a robust $50 million revenue base. He spearheaded the development of digital products and implemented demand generation strategies to drive revenue growth. At Comcast, Bob led extensive sales organizations in both field and corporate positions, driving market share through innovative go-to-market strategies while managing teams of up to 550 employees. 

With expertise in integrating digital products and software with operational systems, sales and marketing strategies, Bob enhances performance across diverse industries, including telecommunications, multimedia, digital advertising, and SaaS platforms. He has a strong background in leadership development, multimedia content, SaaS product development, SEO, and digital advertising, consistently delivering measurable business outcomes. 

Bob holds both an MBA and a bachelor’s degree in marketing from Rowan University, equipping him with the strategic insight and practical knowledge to excel in today's dynamic business environment. 

Frank Ferry 

Health and Medicine | Telemedicine Leadership | Managed Care      

Frank Ferry is Senior Medical Director of Teladoc Health and a Medical Director with Independence Blue Cross. He also practices hospital pediatrics. He serves as a consultant and has been a Clinical Associate Professor in the Rowan-Virtua School of Osteopathic Medicine for over 20 years. Frank advises in areas ranging from pediatrics, managed care, telemedicine leadership, business, and human resources. He is a certified Healthcare Insurance Executive and member of the American Academy of Professional Coders. Frank is an avid volunteer in his community, and he is a former Medical Corp Commander in the US Naval Reserve. He has an MD from Johns Hopkins and an MBA from Rowan University. He earned his BS in Biology at LaSalle.

Chanell Gormany-Burton  

Optimization | Driving Business Growth | Data and Operations Analytics      

Chanell Gormany-Burton currently serves as Absence Management Underwriting & Business Intelligence Manager at Reliance Matrix, where she has worked for over 16 years in key business analyst roles. She is also an adjunct professor at Rowan University, where she teaches Operations Analytics. Chanell has extensive experience in forecasting strategies, inventory control and management, capacity planning, project management, business process analyses, quality control, and management. 

As a data expert responsible for planning initiatives and identifying areas for process improvements and optimization to increase efficiency and mitigate risks, Chanell has analyzed large data sets, identified trends, and provided insights that have helped leaders make informed decisions. In her former role as a Group Underwriting Reporting & Informatics Analyst, she was responsible for developing and implementing an automated underwriting inventory management system that streamlined the underwriting renewal process and reduced manual errors, resulting in faster turnaround times and increased efficiency. 

She has conducted capacity studies for business units including Group Underwriting, Medical Underwriting, and the Contracts Unit to develop dashboards for effective resource monitoring and planning, resulting in streamlined operations and improved performance. In her former role as Senior Business Intelligence Analyst, Chanell was responsible for analyzing historical claims utilization data to forecast future claims performance and project profitability for clients, reporting findings directly to the senior vice president of the underwriting department and the president of the company. The company's senior leadership team used these forecasts and projections to make financial decisions in real time. Chanell holds an MBA from Rowan University and a BS from Colorado Technical University.  

Sandy Gubbine  

Leadership | Revenue Stabilization and Growth | Health Care           

Sandy Gubbine is AVP of Revenue Cycle at AtlantiCare in Atlantic County, NJ. She is an energetic and innovative healthcare leader who embraces change as an opportunity to improve processes and efficiency of resources. She is an adjunct professor of Accounting and Finance at Rowan University and has earned CPA, FHFMA, and DBA credentials. Sandy leads several interdepartmental committees to improve Revenue Cycle through clinical, financial, and technology relationships. Sandy oversees approximately 200 staff in Patient Access, Patient Accounting, Medical Audits, Charge Description Master and Financial Counseling. She provides leadership and direction to the revenue cycle, ensuring ongoing success in revenue recognition, data collection, revenue stabilization and growth. Sandy is keenly focused on ongoing, measurable improvements with positive impact. She has an MBA from Rowan University, where she also received her BS in Accounting. She holds a DBA in Healthcare from Walden University. 

Colleen Kendrick 

Entrepreneur | Community Health and Wellness | Marketing Services       

Colleen Kendrick is the CEO of Nonprofit Partners, a marketing communications firm focused on amplifying the aims and accelerating the impact of nonprofit organizations. Colleen collaborates with healthcare providers, nonprofit organizations, government agencies, educational institutions, and community coalitions to strengthen communities and connect with constituents. She is a Rowan University adjunct professor in entrepreneurship and a former lecturer in marketing and management. Colleen serves as the chair of the Healthy New Jersey 2030 Access to Equitable Care committee and is on the organization committee for TEDxCapeMay. She holds Fellowship status in the American College of Healthcare Executives and has a Certificate in Digital Marketing from Cornell. She earned her DBA from Wilmington University, an MSBA in Marketing from San Francisco State, and a BBA in Marketing from Fox School of Business at Temple University.

Paul Litwack 

Business Builder | Financial Planning and Branding | Advising           

Paul Litwack, Consultant and Advisor for DTA Partners, is a business builder with 20+ years of experience as CEO of several middle-market corporations, and has over 30 years of experience helping private equity or family-owned corporations shift trajectories and increase shareholder value. Paul’s strengths are strategic planning, business development in new product introductions, acquisitions, and M&A, as well as marketing and sales management, financial planning, and team building. His business-to-business industrial products experience is complemented by his consumer packaged goods- and brand-building expertise acquired at General Mills, RJR Nabisco, and Kraft Foods.  

Paul has served as a long-term board director of middle market companies and trustee/advisor for several nonprofits, such as Fabricated Panels and Signage for Commercial Construction Chairperson (2012–present); Pharmacy and Medical Supplies for Long-Term Care and Prison Facilities Chairperson (2013–present); Investment Advisor to the Rowan Innovation Venture Fund  (2016–present); Trustee of Kellman Brown Academy (2020–present); Materials Testing and Calibration for High Reliability Applications Chairperson (2007–21), and Distributor of HVAC and Plumbing Supplies Chairperson (2014–19). Paul earned an MBA from the University of Pennsylvania’s Wharton School of Business and a BS from Brown University. 

Christine Miles  

Innovative Communication | Leadership Development | Corporate Training      

Christine Miles is the founder and CEO of EQuipt, a woman-owned training, consulting, and product company, and developer of the Listening Path®.

For more than 25 years, Christine has been teaching individuals and organizations how to listen in ways that transform how they connect, influence, solve, and succeed in every aspect of life. Using her proven system, the Listening Path®, she teaches people how to harness emotional intelligence and empowers them to create cultures of empathy and understanding that drive performance and results. Her approach has been implemented at Fortune 100 companies, universities, law firms, and privately held companies nationwide.

Christine is driven by the desire to create a Listening Movement by revolutionizing the way we look at listening, fostering a world where educators, business leaders, and corporations prioritize dedicating time and resources to teach the essential skill of listening to understand.

Christine is also an acclaimed author and keynote speaker. Her book, "What Is It Costing You Not to Listen? The Power of Understanding to Connect, Influence, Solve & Sell" (2021), won the Axiom Business Book Awards' Silver Award. Christine recently developed the Listening Path Classroom Program for Elementary Schools, and the Listening Path Boards Games to provide listening education for all ages. She speaks to audiences across the globe equipping them to build stronger relationships, cultivate empathy and transform how they listen.

Christine earned an MS Ed from the University of Pennsylvania, a Certificate of Structural Family Therapy from the Philadelphia Child Guidance Cetner, and a BS in Psychology from Millersville University of Pennsylvania.

Brian Sforza  

Middle Market Banking | Finance | Relationship Management         

Brian Sforza, Senior Vice President at Truist Financial Corporation, works with privately held middle-market-sized companies located throughout New Jersey and Pennsylvania. Before joining Truist in 2023, Brian spent 15 years with PNC, in their Corporate & Institutional Banking division, and managed a portfolio of clients throughout New Jersey and the greater tristate area. Throughout his tenure at PNC, he worked on multiple acquisition teams, helped to develop PNC’s corporate internship program, and participated in numerous other process-improvement and product-specific projects. Prior to becoming a Vice President at PNC, Brian completed a 1.5-year executive rotation program in Pittsburgh with the bank’s senior management team, following graduation of PNC’s corporate banking development and credit training program in 2009.   

Brian currently serves his community as a board member at a local preschool, and has been an active member of the Rohrer Graduate Student and Alumni Advisory Board since 2021. He holds an MBA from Rowan University and earned a BS in Business Administration with a concentration in Finance from Monmouth University in 2008.  

Zachary Thomas 

Dynamic Design | Visualization and Presentation | Data Analytics and Supply Chain Management   

Zachary Thomas is Manager of Data Analytics at CMI Media Group and an adjunct professor of Data Analytics at Rowan University. His previous roles include Analytics Manager, Inventory Systems Analyst, Marketplace Supply Chain Analyst, and Vendor Partnership Analyst. Zachary specializes in SQL query coding, vendor management, and buying/planning. Integrating his marketing background with his supply chain management and data analytics expertise, Zachary designs and implements complex systems to map, plan, and optimize sales and vendor-facing browsing and purchasing experiences while leveraging supply chain operations for the seller. 

He collaborates extensively with senior-level management and has led a variety of teams, including Data Warehouse, Logistics, S&OP, and Forecasting departments, to create a stronger and more efficient supply chain across industries. His data collection expertise and dynamic reporting and dashboard building has made a significant impact in guiding companies in using data mining techniques to pull raw information together into concise readable formats that can be translated into actionable directives. Zachary earned his BS in Marketing and his MBA from Rowan University. 

Tanika Wilson 

Leadership | Health and Welfare Solutions | Strategic Development     

Tanika Wilson has over 27 years of experience in the health care industry. She is a strategic, award-winning senior leader with a record of contributing to significant growth in revenue and profitability for multiple health and benefit industry leaders. She is recognized for spearheading new product development, process improvement, cost control, and performance optimization.  

Currently, Tanika drives customer success and process improvement for Elevance Health, a leading provider of health and welfare solutions, where she has a proven track record of building and leading high-performance teams, delivering end-to-end results, and creating trusting internal and external partnerships. As Vice President of Health Benefit Operations, Tanika oversees a multifunctional team of associates, who act as liaisons to sales, internal matrix teams, and external clients. She leads strategic development and execution of continuous process improvement and automation initiatives to reduce turnaround time, improve KPIs, and increase customer satisfaction. She also collaborates with the system migration teams, IT automation teams, and other business areas to enable business realignment and transformation. Her core competencies include cross-functional leadership, data analysis, change management, team building, and execution. 

Tanika is the founder and funder of the Tanika Wilson MBA Scholarship, an annual award that celebrates the accomplishments and potential of Rohrer College of Business MBA students, emphasizing leadership, engagement within the MBA community, and dedication to elevating the status and prestige of the Rohrer MBA. Tanika holds an MBA from Rowan University and a BS in Biology from Rider University. 

Internal Stakeholders and Advisors

Jordan Howell  

Responsible Leadership | Sustainability | Research        

Jordan Howell, tenured Associate Professor of Sustainable Business at Rowan University, is also the Director of the Rowan Center for Responsible Leadership and Cofounder of Double Albatross Design, a sustainability consultancy for golf courses. He helped developed and currently supervises a joint degree program offering students the opportunity to complete a BA in Environmental & Sustainability Studies while earning an MBA. Jordan is an avid researcher, examining the role of markets and financial instruments in enacting environmental and sustainability goals. His current research, supported by the New Jersey Dept. of Environmental Protection in collaboration with industry partners, explores a new avenue for creating a viable, transparent, and active market for buying and selling recyclables. 
 
His past research focusing on the history and future of waste management in New Jersey was supported by the National Science Foundation's Science, Technology & Society Program. He has also conducted research looking at other aspects of environmental policy and governance in the US and around the world. He was previously the Codirector of the "Cultivating the Environmental Humanities" project (2017–20), made possible through the support of the Humanities Connections program at the National Endowment for the Humanities. 
 
From January 2018 to September 2021, Jordan served as Commissioner on the New Jersey Pinelands Commission where he was also a founding member of the Land Use, Climate Impacts, and Sustainability subcommittee. In July 2019 he was named Chair’s Designee to Pinelands Development Credit Bank, an institution facilitating the market-based transfer of development rights in the Pinelands in order to permanently protect sensitive ecosystems and landscapes. Jordan is the author of Garbage in the Garden State (Rutgers University Press, 2023). He holds a PhD in Philosophy from Michigan State University, an MBA from Rowan, and a BA in Anthropology from the College of William & Mary. 

Amie Ryno  

Facilitating Success | Career Planning and Development | Professional Growth   

Amie Ryno currently serves as the Director of the Center for Professional Development at the Rohrer College of Business at Rowan University, which provides professional development, career preparedness, and employer engagement training for business students. Prior to joining the team at Rowan, Amie spent 10 years in the corporate sector as the head of University Relations at Comcast NBC Universal and at Lincoln Financial Group, serving in variety of roles, but primarily in talent management. Other positions include working within the Career Center at Saint Joseph’s University where she developed a passion for assisting students on their career journey. She is active on a number of professional development committees and a member of the Women’s ACE Network at Rowan University and outside organizations such as NACE, EACE and SHRM. Amie has an MA in Management and Organizational Communication from Emerson College and a BA in Communications and Marketing from the College of New Jersey.