Laurentians in Residence February 2013
Panelist Biographies
Elizabeth (Beth) Alling P'15
Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer, Quebec-Labrador Foundation
Beth joined the Quebec-Labrador Foundation in 2002. She is in charge of operations, development/fundraising, board relations, publications and communications, and programs. She is the director of several specific programs, including the Sounds Conservancy Marine Conservation Program (in New England); the Leadership Program, which provides internships worldwide; the Middle East Conservation Exchange Program (Middle East, North Africa and the U.S. Gulf States); and special programs in the U.S., Canada and internationally. The foundation's mission is to provide support for rural communities in eastern Canada and New England and to share models of stewardship of natural resources and cultural heritage that can be applied worldwide.
Beth has been a book editor, documentary film and video producer/writer, and co-producer at ABC News 20/20. A graduate of the University of California at Berkeley, she is the parent of Charley Hildt '15.
Greg Boester '93
Managing Director and Head of RMBS Banking and Residential Mortgage Principal Finance, Barclays Capital
Greg joined Barclays in 2011. He is responsible for various mortgage finance activities across investment banking, financing and trading. He also serves as a senior Barclays member in mortgage-related regulatory and industry developments with bank clients including the U.S. Treasury, Federal Housing Finance Authority, FDIC, Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac and HUD.
He began his trading career at Lehman Brothers, where he spent five years in RMBS Trading before moving to JP Morgan in 2002 and Citadel in 2008. An economics major, he received his MBA in finance from the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania. A former member of the U.S. Ski Team and the U.S. Olympic Ski Team who competed in Lillehammer, Norway, in 1994, Greg is a member of the Board of Directors of the United States Ski and Snowboard Association.
Stephen Cribari '69
Professor of Legal Practice at the University of Minnesota Law School and Co-Director of the University of Notre Dame Law School's Summer London Law Program
Mr. Cribari is a former federal public defender who twice argued before the U.S. Supreme Court. He is on the faculties of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives' National Firearm Examiner's Academy and the National Judicial College. He is a published poet and playwright and is co-librettist of Ein Friedensoratorium, a peace oratorio composed by Carola Assali that was first performed in Heidelberg, Germany, in 2000. Steve holds both the JCL and JD degrees from Catholic University. An English major at St. Lawrence, he was active in Thelmo and in campus publications and broadcasting, and was elected to ODK.
Gary Dake '82
President, Stewart's Shops Corporation
Gary has nearly 30 years of experience as part of this unique family- and employee-owned business headquartered in Saratoga Springs, N.Y. He earned his B.A. in economics before joining the company in 1984 as market coordinator. He assumed his current role in 2003. Gary is quoted regularly in local media when an expert is needed in dairy, gasoline or retail sales. He is on the Board of Directors of Saratoga National Bank and Arrow Financial Corporation and also serves on the Leadership Saratoga Advisory Board, the Kigali Medical University Foundation Board, the Adirondack Film Society Board and the Wilton Wildlife Preserve and Park Advisory Board. He resides in Saratoga Springs and has two adult sons. At St. Lawrence, he was involved with KSLU and was an Admissions tour guide.
Christian Ehrhardt '07
Special Agent, US Government
Christian joined the State Department months after graduating from St. Lawrence. His postings have included Iraq, Libya and Haiti, some of the most interesting and dangerous parts of the world. He loves the challenge of adapting to different cultures and political climates, stating, "I wouldn't trade this job for anything else." Christian speaks French and Spanish and participated in the program in Rouen, France, in his junior year. He is an alumnus of the National Outdoor Leadership School (NOLS) and enjoys spending time in the outdoors. A volunteer with the Canton Fire Department and SLU EMS in college, Christian is involved in numerous civic and charitable activities in the New York City area, and serves on the Alumni Council at the Portledge School in Locust Valley, N.Y.
Nicoline Carlson Sawabini '79
Managing Director, Risk Management for GE Capital Commercial Real Estate
Nicoline oversees lending and acquisition risk support throughout the business, managing global resources including environmental health and safety, engineering and insurance. She was the real estate liaison for the GE Capital Mock Supervisory Review performed by Ernst & Young, a strategic step toward regulatory oversight, and has served as the acting risk governance leader and global policy leader for real estate.
Nicoline joined General Electric's Financial Management Training Program in 1979, just after graduating from St. Lawrence. She has held numerous finance positions within GE Capital and its subsidiaries. In 1986, she joined GE's real estate business. She and her staff have performed due diligence and closings on billions of dollars of complex transactions with Real Estate's largest customers.
Nicoline is also involved in numerous civic and charitable activities in Connecticut.