Iona University Announces 2023 Trustees Scholarship Award Gala Honorees
Distinguished Alumni and Community Leaders to be Honored April 21
New Rochelle & Bronxville, N.Y. – Iona University will honor distinguished alumni and community leaders as part of its annual Trustees Scholarship Award Gala on Friday, April 21, 2023. The event will take place at Cipriani 42nd Street in New York City. This year’s honorees include business and community leaders who have contributed to the success of Iona University in various ways over the years.
Proceeds from the Trustees Scholarship Award Gala will support student scholarships. For more information and to purchase tickets, e-journal ads and other sponsorship opportunities, please visit the scholarship gala site.
This year, the Iona Legacy Award will be presented to Jerome C. Cifarelli ’77, ANC Sports Enterprises chairman and founder, and Daniel F. Doyle ’93, ’95MBA, an accomplished executive in the fintech and credit card industry. This honor is bestowed upon exceptional individuals in recognition of their lifetime accomplishments and commitment to Iona.
The V Foundation for Cancer Research, founded by ESPN broadcaster and legendary Iona basketball coach Jim Valvano, and the Valvano Family will be recognized with the Blessed Edmund Rice Humanitarian Award. The award recognizes those who, by their activities and service to others, have reinforced Iona’s identity as a University founded in the tradition of the Christian Brothers and American Catholic higher education. It is named after Blessed Edmund Rice, founder of the Christian Brothers.
“Iona is blessed to have such distinguished alumni who continue to champion our mission and believe in the importance of giving back to support the next generation,” said Iona President Seamus Carey, Ph.D. “On behalf of the Board of Trustees, I would like to congratulate Jerry, Dan and the Valvano Family, and thank them for their dedication to Iona."
Past honorees represent a “who’s who” of prominent and successful leaders, including His Eminence Timothy Cardinal Dolan ’14H, Francis Cardinal Spellman, New York Governor Malcolm Wilson, U.S. Senator Edward Kennedy, former New York Yankee Mariano Rivera P’15, New York City Police Commissioner Ray Kelly, and world-renowned Ice Bucket Challenge co-founder Pat Quinn '06.
Jerome C. Cifarelli ’77
ANC Sports Enterprises LLC
Chairman and Founder
Jerome C. Cifarelli ’77 has spent more than 40 years in marketing and advertising sales, including 30 years in the sports marketing industry.
A true visionary, he became intrigued by the potential of rotational signage emerging in the sports industry and in 1991, he helped establish the Madrid-based signage company, Dorna, in the United States. He rose to become president and chief executive officer of Dorna USA.
Jerry went on to play a prominent role in the adoption of digital signage in sports, notably placing rotational signage on the majority of National Basketball Association courts and introducing the concept to Major League Baseball.
After successfully steering the sale of Dorna USA, Jerry founded ANC Sports in partnership with well-known former sports executives, including Alan N. Cohen, whose initials contributed to the company name. Beginning with the New York Yankees and the then-brand-new WNBA, Jerry began building a brand that would go on to transform the sports marketing industry. Read Jerry’s full bio here.
Jerry holds a Bachelor of Business Administration in marketing from Iona University. He is a longtime resident of Rye.
Daniel F. Doyle ’93, ’95MBA
Fintech Executive
Daniel F. Doyle ’93,’95 MBA is an accomplished executive with over 25 years in the fintech and credit card industry. Dan was principle and president of CardWorks Acquiring since May 2008 before exiting in February 2022 to become part of Blackstone’s Fintech (Tactical Opportunities) Portfolio Company.
Dan was an executive at American Express for almost 11 years, spending time in both Establishment Services and Corporate Services in various leadership positions. Dan is widely respected for his knowledge and leadership in the fintech space.
Dan has served on several advisory boards in the fintech, banking and cybersecurity fields. He also enjoys contributing his time and resources toward numerous charitable and educational organizations that enhance his local communities.
Dan holds a Master of Business Administration and a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration from Iona University.
The V Foundation for Cancer Research was founded by ESPN and legendary basketball coach Jim Valvano with one goal in mind: to achieve Victory Over Cancer®. Since its formation in 1993, the V Foundation has awarded over $310 million in cancer research grants nationwide and has grown to become one of the premier supporters of cutting-edge cancer research. Due to generous donors, the Foundation has an endowment that covers administrative expenses. Valvano served as coach of the Iona men’s basketball team from 1975 to 1980.
ABOUT IONA
Founded in 1940, Iona University is a master's-granting private, Catholic, coeducational institution of learning in the tradition of the Edmund Rice Christian Brothers. Iona's 45-acre New Rochelle campus and 28-acre Bronxville campus are just 20 miles north of Midtown Manhattan. With a total enrollment of nearly 4,000 students and an alumni base of more than 50,000 around the world, Iona is a diverse community of learners and scholars dedicated to academic excellence and the values of justice, peace and service. Iona is highly accredited, offering undergraduate degrees in liberal arts, science and business administration, as well as Master of Arts, Master of Science and Master of Business Administration degrees and numerous advanced certificate programs. Iona students enjoy small class sizes, engaged professors and a wide array of academic programs across the School of Arts & Science; LaPenta School of Business; NewYork-Presbyterian Iona School of Health Sciences; and Hynes Institute for Entrepreneurship & Innovation. Iona also continues to be recognized in prestigious national rankings. Most recently for 2025, Iona has been named one of the nation’s best colleges by The Princeton Review, The Wall Street Journal, Forbes and others. Additionally, U.S. News & World Report recognized Iona as one of top for social mobility in the country, while Georgetown University's Center on Education and the Workforce (CEW) ranked an Iona degree in the top 5 percent nationally for long-term return on investment. Iona’s LaPenta School of Business, meanwhile, is also accredited by AACSB International, a recognition awarded to just 6 percent of business schools worldwide. In addition, The Princeton Review recognized Iona’s on-campus MBA program as a “Best Business School for 2024.” Iona also offers a fully online MBA program for even greater flexibility. In July 2021, Iona announced the establishment of the NewYork-Presbyterian Iona School of Health Sciences, which is now principally located on Iona’s Bronxville campus in collaboration with one of the nation’s top hospitals. Connecting to its Irish heritage, Iona also opened a new campus in County Mayo, Ireland, located on the historic 400-acre Westport House Estate. A school on the rise, Iona officially changed its status from College to University on July 1, 2022, reflecting the growth of its academic programs and the prestige of an Iona education.