Board of Trustees

John Swain

President
See Bio

Lillian Kraemer

Secretary
See Bio

Mary Neumann

Vice-President
See Bio

Edwin Sirlin

Treasurer
See Bio

Sheldon Berg

Treasurer
See Bio

John Swain

Owns and operates Swain International Ltd, a specialized consulting firm which designs and implements top-down training and development programs for large, sales-based organizations, mostly in media industries. Father of three children. Music enthusiast, particularly opera, chamber music, jazz from the 30's, 40's and 50's. Brought up and educated in England. Came to the US in 1978 and was previously engaged in the printing industry in Europe and the US.

Lillian Kraemer

Lillian Kraemer began her extensive legal career in 1964 at Cleary, Gottlieb, Steen & Hamilton after earning her J.D. with Distinction from the University of Chicago Law School. She then joined Simpson, Thacher & Bartlett in New York City in 1971 and became partner in 1974, specializing in banking and bankruptcy law. She was the first woman to chair the firm's Finance Committee. She became Of Counsel to Simpson Thacher in 2008 upon retiring from active practice.

Ms. Kraemer received her B.A. with High Honors from Swarthmore and was a member of its Board of Manager (equivalent to a Board of Trustees) from 1993-2005. She served on numerous Board committees including the Development Committee and Communications Committee (Vice-Chair, 2004-), the Nominating and Governance Committee (1999-2004, Chair 2001-2004), the Finance Committee (1994-) and its Audit Sub-Committee (1999-), the Executive Committee (1998-2005), Secretary of the Corporation (1998-2005), and the Academic Affairs Committee (1997-2005). She has also chaired the College's Planned Giving Committee (1999-2003) and was a member of the Parrish Challenge Committee, raising funds to meet a challenge grant from the Kresge Foundation.

Ms Kraemer has also served as a Warden (2000-2005) if St. Frances Episcopal Church in Stamford, CT. She is a member of the Legal Momentum's Board of Legal Advisors ( 2001-), the Co-Chair of the Anniversary Capital Campaign of Lawyers Alliance for New York (2002-2005), on whose Board she served from 1996-2002, and was an Honorary Co-Chair of the University Co-Chair of the University of Chicago Law School Centennial Campaign (2002-2005). She joined the Board of Trustees of Turtle Bay Music School in New York City in 2005.

Ms. Kraemer resides both in New York City and Stamford, CT and is the proud Parent of her six year old Cavalier Kind Charles Spaniel, Grantham.

Edwin Sirlin

Ed’s love of music began at an early age as a clarinetist in his sixth grade band, and continued as a Music Education Major at Queens College. While his career took a different direction, his love and passion for the arts have always been an important part of his life. Ed has spent 30 years as a sales, marketing and business manager in commercial banking. After 20 years at Citibank and 7 years with Sterling National Bank, Ed is currently at Signature Bank as a Group Director, managing his own Private Client Group. Ed focuses on providing privately held businesses and their owner’s superior financial services, as well as utilizing networking as a vehicle to provide additional value. By creating unique sports marketing programs and events, he assists with the acquisition and retention of clients and has actively utilized these programs to benefit charities and non-profits.

Ed has been involved with many charitable organizations including Bat for the Cure (prostate cancer), Heather on Earth (music therapy) and The Diabetes Research Institute Foundation and has served on the board of the American Suicide Prevention Foundation, NY Chamber Symphony Orchestra with Gerard Schwartz, and currently Songs of Love, an organization that writes personalized songs for terminally ill children. Ed has two wonderful children, Joanna and Jonathan – both musicians living in the NY area, three stepchildren and a beautiful wife Donna. Ed resides in Bergen County, NJ and in NYC.