Peter J. Romano, an alumnus of New York Institute of Technology, has been named chair of the university’s Board of Trustees, succeeding Kevin D. Silva, executive vice president and chief human resources officer at Voya Financial, who will fulfill his 14-year term limit on the board in August and become a Trustee Emeritus.

Romano is the president and founder of Peter J. Romano & Co., a project development and management consulting firm located in Bellport, N.Y. A 1976 graduate of New York Tech’s School of Architecture and Design, Romano has served as vice chair of the university’s board of trustees for six years, and as a trustee since December 2011.

"My New York Tech education served as the foundation for my success and rewarding career," said Romano. "I look forward to helping guide the mission of the university and to ensuring that it continues to provide exciting and fulfilling opportunities to students, preparing them for personal and professional prosperity."

Romano's firm specializes in the development, management, and implementation of projects in the health care sector. Prior to starting his own business, Romano led major architectural projects at firms including Caretsky & Associates and Mason DaSilva & Associates. He and his wife, Jane, established an endowed scholarship fund in support of students in the School of Architecture and Design.

“Peter’s longstanding commitment to New York Tech and his passion for educating the next generation of doers, makers, and innovators will be critical as we continue to reinvent the future of our university,” said New York Tech President Henry C. “Hank” Foley. “We are also grateful for the steadfast leadership and guidance that our outgoing chair, Kevin Silva, has provided to the board and for the contributions that he and his wife, Julie, have made to the university.”

In addition, Michael Merlo, former chief credit officer of Signature Bank, was reelected to a term as vice chair, and board member Dan Ferrara (D.O. ’86), Northeast Regional President of Alteon Health, was elected to his first term as vice chair.

Santhosh I. Keshavan, executive vice president and chief information officer at Voya Financial, has been elected as a new trustee and will begin his term in September. At Voya, Keshavan is responsible for the firm’s technology systems, data and digital organization, information security and infrastructure. He also serves on Voya’s Executive Committee.

“This orderly transition of roles will provide the board and the university with continuity in the years ahead,” notes Foley.

About New York Institute of Technology

New York Institute of Technology's six schools and colleges offer undergraduate, graduate, and professional degree programs in in-demand disciplines including computer science, data science, and cybersecurity; biology, health professions, and medicine; architecture and design; engineering; IT and digital technologies; management; and energy and sustainability. A nonprofit, independent, private, and nonsectarian institute of higher education founded in 1955, it welcomes nearly 8,000 students worldwide. The university has campuses in New York City and Long Island, New York; Jonesboro, Arkansas; and Vancouver, British Columbia, as well as programs around the world.

More than 112,,000 alumni are part of an engaged network of physicians, architects, scientists, engineers, business leaders, digital artists, and healthcare professionals. Together, the university’s community of doers, makers, healers, and innovators empowers graduates to change the world, solve 21st-century challenges, and reinvent the future.

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