Bertolon Advisory Board

The Bertolon School of Business prides itself on having a strong advisory board made up of local business and non-profit leaders. The council's role is to provide feedback to the Bertolon School of Business on curriculum, and career advising, as well as to provide input on recruiting and development activities.

For more information on the Bertolon Advisory Board, please contact Lauren O’Leary. 

 

Karen Andreas

Karen Andreas is president and CEO of the North Shore Chamber of Commerce, where she previously served as board chair and was inducted into its Distinguished Leadership Academy. A journalist for more than 30 years, she worked as reporter, editor, and publisher of the North of Boston Media Group, leading award-winning publications including The Salem News. Karen also serves on boards including Salem State University, Essex Heritage, and Northern Essex Community College Foundation. A UNH graduate with a degree in English and journalism, she lives in Danvers with her family and two rescue dogs, Freedom and Independence.

 

Jordi A. Bakovic-Quiroga

Jordi, a 2017 BSB graduate, is a CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ at TQM Wealth Partners, LLC, where he oversees operations and client services. In addition to his work in personal finance, he is passionate about communication and leadership, serving as president of a local Toastmasters club and as a member of the Boston Children’s Museum President’s Council. He frequently leads financial literacy workshops, enjoys exploring new hiking trails, and treasures time with his family—pursuits that keep him energized and balanced.

 

Henry Bertolon ’74

Henry Bertolon ’74 earned his bachelor’s degree in business administration from Salem State University. He began his career at Radio Shack before founding NECX.com, which grew into the nation’s largest reseller of computer components. Since 2000, Henry and his wife Donna have owned and operated a 27-acre Beverly tree farm, donating all holiday sale proceeds to local charities. He has also been active in North Shore real estate development since 2002, including Manor Homes at Whitehall in Beverly. In 2014, he purchased the historic Cabot Street Cinema, transforming it into The Cabot, a vibrant entertainment venue for films, concerts, and live performances, where he continues to serve on the board.

Deeply committed to his alma mater, Henry and Donna made a transformational $2.5 million gift in 2006, leading to the naming of the Bertolon School of Business. He has served on the Salem State President’s Campaign Cabinet, co-chaired the university’s first comprehensive campaign, 10,000 Reasons, and was a featured Agganis Forum speaker.

 

Jonathan Bogatay

Jonathan Bogatay, CHA, brings over 40 years of hospitality industry experience. He served as CEO of The North Central Group from 1998 to 2022, then as a consultant with Innovation Hospitality Consulting Services. In 2023, he became President of RAM Hotels before joining Maine Course Hospitality Group in Freeport, Maine, where he currently serves as President.

A graduate of Christopher Newport University with a double major in Business Administration and Marketing, Jonathan later completed studies in Hospitality Administration and Management at Madison Area Technical College. He also shares his expertise as a guest lecturer in the School of Hospitality.

 

Dino Di Palma

Dino is Managing Partner at True North Advisory, the premier trusted advisor to the enterprise and Service Provider B2B industry. He previously served as President of the Americas & Strategic Accounts at Avaya, leading go-to-market strategy across its cloud and premise-based portfolio. Earlier, he was Chief Revenue Officer at BroadSoft, overseeing global sales and business development prior to its $1.9B acquisition by Cisco, as well as CEO of Benu Networks and COO of Acme Packet, which was acquired by Oracle for more than $2 billion. Dino is also a member of G20 Ventures, providing early traction capital for East Coast enterprise startups, and serves as board chair of portfolio company Emissary.

 

Dave Eidle

Dave Eidle is Senior Vice President and Commercial Market Leader at Rockland Trust, where he oversees the C&I Commercial Lending business for the bank’s North of Boston region. With more than 39 years of experience in commercial lending and banking operations, Dave has held leadership roles across community, regional, and national institutions, including serving as Massachusetts Head of Business Banking for M&T Bank and Peoples United Bank, and executive positions at Everett Bank and Legacy Bancorp. He began his career in 1986 in Bank of New England’s credit training program and has since built deep expertise across the Greater Boston market, including tenures with Fleet Bank, Bank of America, Santander Bank, and Berkshire Bank. An active community leader, Dave is a past President and Treasurer of the Everett Rotary Club and currently serves on the Managing Board of Directors for the North Shore Chamber of Commerce, where he has played a key role in mentoring young professionals and helping launch the Emerging Leaders program. In 2023, he was honored with the Distinguished Leader Award by the North Shore Chamber for his impact on the regional business community. Dave is also President of the David W. Eidle Jr. Memorial Scholarship Fund, which he co-founded with his wife, Ivy, to honor their son’s legacy by supporting local scholar-athletes. A graduate of Marist College, where he rowed Division I crew, Dave has lived in Massachusetts, with his family for over 25 years.

 

Jessyca Feliciano

Jessyca Feliciano is Senior Director, People and Culture Business Partner at Generate: Biomedicines. She holds a Master of Education in Organizational Development and Leadership from Cambridge College and a Bachelor in Social Work from Roberts Wesleyan College. Jessyca serves on the Massachusetts Workforce Development Board, where she Co-Chairs the Youth Pathways Committee, and is also a member of the Board of Directors for GLAD Boston, GLBTQ Legal Advocates and Defenders.

 

Michael S. Finer

Michael Finer, CFP™, CLU, CPA, PFS, graduated from Babson College in 1987 with a B.S. in Accounting and Economics and was commissioned as a Second Lieutenant in the U.S. Army through an ROTC scholarship. He went on to earn master’s degrees in Taxation from Bentley University, Strategy and National Security from the Naval War College, and Strategic Planning from the Army War College. Michael’s career spans investment advising, accounting, tax, and financial planning with Arthur Andersen & Co., Ernst & Young, and his own firm, Finer Financial & Tax, Inc., where he advised domestic and international clients on tax and wealth strategies. He also served as CFO of a Family Office with global operations.

 

Thomas F. French, CPA ‘91

Tom French is a 1991 Graduate of the BSB. Spent 12 years in public accounting, serving clients in the Professional Service, Distribution, and Manufacturing industries. Over the last 17 years, Tom has served in Senior Financial roles in a number of businesses in the Subscription, Professional Service, Distribution, and Manufacturing industries. He has been part of 3 successful sales of businesses and has specialized in private equity-backed and owner-operated businesses. Tom has been a part of the BSB Advisory Board since its inception. 

 

Seth Gerber

Seth Gerber is Owner and Operating Partner of MIDA, an acclaimed Italian restaurant group with four Boston-area locations, and proprietor of The Babe, a cocktail bar and sandwich shop in Salem, MA. A 2024 James Beard Award semi-finalist for 'Best Restaurateur,' Seth combines culinary creativity with disciplined business strategy. A double-honors graduate of Boston University’s School of Hospitality Administration and Questrom School of Business, he earned the prestigious Kopf Scholarship, gained operational experience at Hillstone Restaurant Group, and helped launch Café ArtScience before co-founding MIDA in 2016. Under his leadership, MIDA has grown through strong systems, genuine hospitality, and curated beverage programs. Seth also teaches at BU, holds an MBA, and is a Certified Sommelier and Six Sigma Green Belt, blending world-class hospitality with corporate discipline.

 

Elliot Katzman ‘78

Elliot Katzman, Director, Investor, Founder, and Senior Executive, has built some of New England’s most successful technology companies and is passionate about helping entrepreneurs create market-leading businesses that solve real-world problems. Recognized for his expertise in strategy, business model optimization, business development, and team development, he has worked with management and boards to optimize strategic value, achieving an average exit value of 24X revenue, often advising first-time CEOs and forming long-term relationships with entrepreneurs across multiple ventures. Elliot is also active in nonprofit work, serving on the boards of the Bobby Nichols Charity Foundation and Our Generation Speaks, and has been a trustee at Salem State University—where he graduated in 1978—St. John’s Prep High School, and the Board of Fellows of Trinity College.

 

 

David Melnick

David Melnick is an accomplished executive with over 30 years of experience driving transformational growth in data, technology, SaaS, and marketing services. As Managing Director at Epsilon, a Publicis Groupe company, he built and scaled its AI-powered clean room and customer data product portfolio—recognized as #1 by IDC—into a $200M+ business. He has held senior P&L, product, and operational leadership roles across venture-backed startups and global enterprises, overseeing teams of up to 250 and business units generating over $250M annually. Throughout his career, David has partnered with CEOs, boards, and cross-functional stakeholders to deliver innovations in marketing, advertising, customer identity, analytics, and personalization technologies. A frequent speaker at AI and marketing technology events, he also engages with academia as a guest lecturer and mentor, leveraging his deep expertise at the intersection of business, technology, and data to shape future-focused, industry-aligned education.

 

Brenna Murphy, MBA

Brenna Murphy is Senior Director of IT Digital Solutions and IT PMO at Boston Children’s Hospital, where she provides strategic direction, program leadership, and technical operations management to advance digital health strategy and initiatives. She oversees operations and consumer experience for all digital health products, including the MyChildren’s patient portal, and manages the IT Project Management Office, which supports the hospital’s IT project portfolio and strategic initiatives. Brenna has been with BCH for 13 years, previously serving as IT Project Manager, Manager of the Business Analysis team, and Program Director of the Digital 2.0 initiative. Before joining Children’s, she worked in IT consulting, designing and implementing large-scale enterprise systems for the public sector. She holds a Healthcare MBA from Simmons University and an undergraduate degree from Salem State

 

Linda Saris

Linda E. Saris is the Executive Director and Founder of LEAP for Education, Inc., which she started in Salem in 2002 as part of North Shore Community Action Programs (originally called Salem Cyberspace). Since LEAP became independent in 2015, she and her team have quadrupled revenues and quintupled the number of students served. Prior to LEAP, Linda held multiple senior roles at RSA Security, including VP-Finance and Operations and Chief Financial Officer, where she managed the company’s 1994 IPO and helped grow RSA into a $250 million publicly held cybersecurity firm. She holds a BA in Economics and Urban Studies from the University of Pennsylvania, an MBA in Finance and Accounting from the University of Chicago, and received an Honorary Doctorate in Humane Letters from Salem State University in 2015.

 

Mary W. Sarris

Mary Sarris is the recently retired head of the North Shore Workforce Investment Board, one of 16 in Massachusetts responsible for developing and supporting workforce systems to help individuals and employers access education, training, and job placement services efficiently. With over 20 years in workforce development and education reform, she has managed initiatives in school-to-career programs, job training, professional development, curriculum projects, and public information campaigns. Prior to the WIB, Mary was executive director of the Lynn Business/Education Foundation, fostering business involvement in local schools. She currently serves on the boards of the North Shore Community College Foundation, the North Shore Technology Council, and the North Shore Alliance for Economic Development.

 

Laura Swanson ‘97

Laura Swanson is the Executive Director of the Enterprise Center at Salem State University, a hub for regional business growth supporting entrepreneurs and business owners on the North Shore. She oversees more than 70 business programs and manages the Center’s 53,000 sq. ft. building with approximately 40 tenants. With the Enterprise Center since 2008, previously serving as COO, Laura also leads the North Shore Alliance for Economic Development, collaborates with Salem State’s entrepreneurship programs, and serves on the President’s Leadership Cabinet and Bertolon School of Business Advisory Board. She is active on regional economic and workforce development initiatives, including the Workforce Skills Cabinet Northeast Regional Planning Team and the City of Salem’s Economic Development Recovery & Revitalization Task Force. Before joining the Center, she spent over 20 years consulting for orthopedic practices and ran her own business. A magna cum laude Salem State graduate in History (1996), Laura has long been active in the Salem and North Shore community, serving on the City Council, the Salem Parks and Recreation Commission, and volunteering with numerous organizations including the North Shore Chamber of Commerce, Essex Heritage, The Saints Academy, and Bishop Fenwick Parents Council

 

Brent Wilkinson 

Brent Wilkinson is a successful entrepreneur who also has significant corporate transformation experience.  Brent has four entrepreneurial exits, the most recent was IBM‘s $2B acquisition of Turbonomic where he filled several executive roles (Chief Strategy, Chief People and Chief Information Officers).  He is a three-time CEO and most often exercises transformation of leadership from the COO role.  With industry experience in infrastructure software, financial services, manufacturing, health care tech and clean energy, Brent also has significant mergers and acquisition experience having purchased and integrated over two dozen companies.  He graduated from Harvard College with honors in Economics and earned his MBA from Harvard Business School. Currently, he is a growth adviser to several entrepreneurial ventures, many of which leverage artificial intelligence. Brent also is an Executive-in-Residence at the Bertolon School of Business where he is also an Adjunct Professor teaching courses on entrepreneurship.