Faculty & Staff

Mr. John S Parke, Chair

John Parke, Chair of the College’s Advisory Board, is retired after a career in marketing and sales with Procter & Gamble, Ralston Purina, Bausch + Lomb and the PPI Marketing Group where he was the founding Partner. In addition to his long standing interest in the College and RIT, he has served as Chair of its Nathaniel Rochester Society, he is on the Board of the University of Rochester’s Memorial Art Gallery and is Past Vice President of the Genesee Valley Club. A graduate of Dartmouth College, John also holds an MBA from its Amos Tuck School of Business Administration.

Dr. Tony Bannon

Ms. Susanne Carpenter

Susanne Carpenter is an alumnus of RIT. She has served on the Advisory Board for several years. Her continued interest in COLA is due to the college’s strong commitment to improving student & faculty excellence and the desire to build stronger relationships in the community. Giving back to the community is important to Susanne. Her past board experiences and affiliations include the Big Brother Big Sister Organization, Pirate Toy Fund, Oatka Residential Center, African-American Leadership Development Program (AALDP), and Habitat for Humanity. Susanne is employed by Wegmans Food Markets where she is a Human Resources Staffing Specialist.

Ms. Nancy Fiedler

Nancy Fiedler worked for the Eastman Kodak Company for 20 years where she held a number of positions in information technology, market research, human resource development and corporate recruitment. She played an active role in the transition from large mainframe computers to a distributed approach to information technology always with a focus on process improvement. Since leaving Kodak, Nancy has done independent statistical consulting and has volunteered with a number of community organizations. She is currently a board member for The Center for Youth and serves on the Development Committee. As a graduate of the RIT College of Liberal Arts, Nancy welcomes the opportunity to use both her academic and professional background in process work to enhance the learning opportunities within the college. Nancy holds a B.S. in Economics and an M.S. in Statistics from RIT.

Mr. Robert Lowenthal

Robert Lowenthal is Senior Vice President of Commercial Services at Canandaigua National Bank and Trust Company in Canandaigua, New York, where he is responsible for business development and management of new and existing commercial lending and depository relationships. With more than 35 years of commercial bank experience, he participates in approval of loans, staff mentoring and training, and strategic planning. Prior to joining CNB, Bob worked at Citibank (New York State) NA, Bankers Trust Company of Western New York and KeyBank, NA in Rochester. Bob's clientele consist of small to medium sized, service, retail, real estate, agricultural and manufacturing businesses located in Western New York. Bob is a graduate of the University of the South, Sewanee, Tennessee with a degree in Economics and extensive study in Mathematics and Literature. Bob's interest in liberal arts, primarily literature, began at an early age and blossomed at Sewanee, where he was fortunate to attend lectures by Andrew Lytle, Allen Tate and other Southern poets and prose writers.

Mr. Daniel C. T. Ruchman

John Parke, Chair of the College’s Advisory Board, is retired after a career in marketing and sales with Procter & Gamble, Ralston Purina, Bausch + Lomb and the PPI Marketing Group where he was the founding Partner. In addition to his long standing interest in the College and RIT, he has served as Chair of its Nathaniel Rochester Society, he is on the Board of the University of Rochester’s Memorial Art Gallery and is Past Vice President of the Genesee Valley Club. A graduate of Dartmouth College, John also holds an MBA from its Amos Tuck School of Business Administration.

Mr. Barry Strauber

Barry Strauber is Director of Agency Services at Martino Flynn advertising in Pittsford, New York, where he plays a unique role in fostering collaboration among departments and focusing on process improvements. He also plays a key role in staff development, recruiting talent, staff training, and leading the internship program. Barry is a 30-year veteran of the advertising agency industry, and he is excited about opportunities to integrate new technologies with liberal arts disciplines in order to expand student learning and success. Prior to joining Martino Flynn, Barry worked at Young & Rubicam and Saatchi & Saatchi, Della Femina and Vicom/FCB in New York City. Barry’s client experience includes Eastman Kodak, Citibank, Bausch & Lomb, Constellation Wines US, Delaware North Companies, Lactalis American Group Inc, UPS, Thule, Wegmans, Excellus/Univera, Shared Health, Friendship Dairy, and Nissan Motor Corporation. Barry holds a degree in television/radio advertising from Syracuse University.

Mr. Hiram W. Taylor Jr., Student Representative

Mr. David Whitaker

David J. Whitaker is a retired financial services executive having served in senior management positions at Security Trust Company, Essex Investment Group, McDonald Investments and KeyCorp. His expertise is in marketing, business development, property management and securities compliance. Whitaker has served on numerous community for-profit (Matrix Unlimited, Bearium Metals, Livonia, Avon and Lakeville Railroad) and not-for profit (Al Sigl Center, Rochester Friendly Home, Valley Manor, Kirkhaven, Medical Motor Service, Family Service of Rochester, Sonnenberg Gardens, Otetiana Council, Easter Seals, Salvation Army, United Way, Landmark Society of Western New York, Historic Brighton and Brighton Historic Preservation Commission) boards. He recently served as Interim Executive Director of The Landmark Society for eight months. Whitaker's involvement in RIT includes Co-chair of the NRS membership committee (NRS was founded by his father, Gaylord [Gee] Whitaker) and serving on the NRS Awards Committee. He attended Union College where he majored in Psychology and English. Whitaker and his wife Stephanie, also a member of the RIT/COLA Advisory Board, are life-long residents of Rochester and have two sons and six grandchildren, all living in the Rochester area.

Ms. Stephanie Whitaker

Stephanie S. Whitaker is managing partner of Whitaker & DePrez Travel Partners LLC, a member of the exclusive Virturoso group of travel agencies. She has had 45 years of experience in the travel industry. She supervises development, training, seminars, marketing and consumer events, as well as her private clients. Stephanie had been a member of the Junior League of Rochester, Women's Council of the Memorial Art Gallery, the Geva Theatre board, and the St. Joseph's Villa board. She is also the foundation secretary at Sonnenberg's Arts At The Garden fine arts show and author of the RPO Women's Committee's newsletter. Stephanie holds a BA degree in English from Hollins University. She is a strong believer in a liberal arts education. Stephanie's involvement at RIT includes Co-chair of the NRS membership committee and service on the NRS Awards Committee as well as being a current member of the RIT/COLA Advisory Committee.