NEW ROCHELLE, NY — The College of New Rochelle today announced the election of two alumnae to the Board – Christine LaSala and Marlene Melone Tutera. Gwen Adolph, Chair of the Board of Trustees, said the two new board members bring valuable knowledge and insight.
“We are so pleased to welcome such dedicated alumnae as Christine LaSala and Marlene Tutera to our Board of Trustees, both of whom bring a wealth of professional experience and strong commitment to the College’s mission,” Adolph said. “We look forward to having their voices at the table as we work as a Board to further strengthen The College of New Rochelle.”
Christine LaSala has 40 years of management, client leadership and financial experience in the insurance industry including experience as an underwriter and an insurance broker working with large corporate and public institution clients designing their risk management programs. She recently retired as the Chair of Willis Towers Watson North America. In that role, LaSala worked closely with the leadership of Willis Towers Watson, focusing on business development and aligning WTW’s global resources to deliver services and solutions to its global clients. LaSala currently serves on the Board of Directors of Beazley Group.
Prior to joining Willis, LaSala was President and CEO of the WTC Captive Insurance Company, a not-for-profit corporation providing liability insurance to the City of New York and over 100 private contractors against claims arising from their rescue, recovery and debris removal work at the World Trade Center site in the aftermath of the 9/11 terrorist attack. She was also the acting Head of School at the Children’s Storefront, a tuition-free, independent school in Harlem, where she served as president of the Storefront’s Board of Trustees from 1997 until 2012.
In addition to the Storefront board, she is on the Enterprise Risk Management Advisory Board for Johns Hopkins Carey School of Business. LaSala was named to the YWCA Academy of Women Achievers in 1980, Woman of the Year by the Association of Professional Insurance Women in 1997, and was a David Rockefeller Fellow in 1994-1995. LaSala was recognized by CNR with the Angela Merici Award in 2002 and the College’s Women of Achievement Award in 2007. In addition to being a graduate of The College of New Rochelle, she studied finance at Fordham University. She resides in New York City.
“I am very happy to be rejoining the College’s Board of Trustees at a time when CNR faces both significant challenges and transformational opportunity,” LaSala said. “I look forward to working with the Board and the broader CNR Community to help meet the challenges and realize the opportunities.”
Marlene Melone Tutera, a New Rochelle resident, is currently the President of the College’s Alumnae/i Association. Tutera began her career at CNR, holding various roles throughout her tenure, including Residence Director, Director of the Media Center, Director of Housing, and Director of Alumnae/i Relations.
Tutera has been involved as a volunteer in the New Rochelle Public Education system for 32 years, as the president of the citywide Parent Teachers Association, chair of numerous events, and one of the founders of the New Rochelle Fund for Excellence. In 2001, she received the Award for Dedication and Service to New Rochelle High School, and in 2002, she received the Huguenot Citizen of the Year Award, again for service to the high school, and in particular dedication to its athletics department.
Having recently retired from 22 years of teaching at the JCC Early Childhood Center, Tutera has served on the Board of the New Rochelle Fund for Excellence, a nonprofit organization for 11 years committed to providing important enrichment programs that encourage students to excel. She is the past president of the Museum of Art & Culture located in New Rochelle High School, the only Regents-chartered museum that exists in any school in New York State. She now serves on the Board of the New Rochelle Day Nursery.
She is the recipient of the Jeanne Torigian Neville Award for going above and beyond to make a difference and the New Rochelle Fund for Educational Excellence Foundation Award and is a Meals on Wheels Honoree. She has also been recognized by CNR with various awards over the years, including the Ursula Laurus Citation in 1981 and the Angela Merici Award in 2006 in recognition of her long-time support.
“As President of the Alumnae/i Association, I welcome this opportunity to join the Board of Trustees whose primary goal is to ensure that The College of New Rochelle remains strong,” Tutera said. “I look forward to representing our alumnae/i in our plans for a path forward that honors our tradition and embraces our ever-changing world.”