Class of 2026

Adenike Bamgboye

Public Consultant and Assistant Deputy | New York City Department of Education, Nassau County

Adenike is a seasoned administrator and expert in public procurement, small business and vendor management, and process reengineering. In her career of over 20 years, she has served in various capacities for over a decade at the City of New York, including contracting, environmental health and safety, and quality assurance.

Adenike pioneered initiatives for small business contracting opportunities, including MWBE participation and outreach. She has implemented quality assurance protocols in private manufacturing operations as well as process and systems reengineering efforts, change management, performance metrics, and operating procedures and policies.

She currently consults for the New York City Department of Education and serves as Assistant Deputy Comptroller at Nassau County. She serves on the Board of Hudson River Clearwater Sloop. Adenike holds bachelor’s degrees in Science, Technology, and Environmental Science from The Polytechnic, Ilaro, Nigeria, and CUNY Medgar Evers College, respectively, and a master’s degree in Public Administration from CUNY Baruch College.

Kandyce Chambers

Vice President and Information Technology Senior Project Manager | Citigroup

Kandyce King Chambers is a driven and thoughtful business professional who seeks to leverage her discipline, interpersonal skills, and critical thinking toward efficiently driving business solutions with qualitative and quantitative impact. Based in Tampa, Florida, Kandyce is a 19-year veteran at Citigroup and currently works in Citigroup’s Information Services Group as a Vice President and Information Technology Senior Project Manager.

Kandyce is responsible for executing market data coverage, enhancement, and integration projects benefiting the firm’s global Finance, Risk Management, and Compliance functions and its U.S. Personal Banking and Wealth Management businesses. She also oversees firmwide change management on securities reference data deliveries to ensure the firm can proactively embrace upcoming market data changes flowing through the firm’s front-to-back office and regulatory reporting systems.

Additionally, Kandyce is an Engineering Excellence champion and trainer at Citigroup, co-facilitating training sessions on the importance of power skills for the firm’s business analysts, application managers, and software developers. Always looking to automate, innovate, and add value to the bank, Kandyce takes pride in her work’s direct correlation to Citigroup’s mission-critical transformation efforts seeking to enhance internal controls and rebuild regulatory trust in the firm’s ability to manage and mitigate financial risk.

Prior to her seven years in information technology project management, Kandyce spent 12 years in Citigroup’s securities services business as an operations analyst, specialist, and senior specialist. These formative years shaped how she approaches business problems: timely, pragmatically, strategically, accurately, with a global team, and with a determined mindset that failure is not an option.

Kandyce is a May 2004 alumna of the University of Florida, where she graduated with a Bachelor of Science degree from the Warrington College of Business with a major in Economics and a minor in Philosophy. Effective December 2023, Kandyce is also a dual-degree recipient from the Chapman Graduate School of Business at Florida International University, completing both a Master of Science in Finance and a Master of Business Administration.

Jose R. Cortes, LEED AP

Director of Design and Construction | City of Hollywood; Adjunct Professor | Moss School of Construction

Jose is the Director of the Department of Design and Construction Management for the City of Hollywood, where he has overall responsibility for the oversight, leadership, and management of the city’s General Obligation Bond (GOB) program, capital improvements, and sustainability initiatives across the city. He holds a bachelor’s degree in Business Administration from the Inter American University of Puerto Rico and a master’s degree in Construction Management from Florida International University.

His professional career spans over 33 years of experience in leadership positions with Fortune 500 companies and municipal government. He is deeply passionate about education and, since 2013, has been an Adjunct Professor at Florida International University College of Engineering, Moss School of Construction Management, where he serves as an executive member of the Construction Industry Advisory Council.

Jose is a member of Keiser University’s Board of Trustees, the largest nonprofit university in the State of Florida. He currently serves as an Honorary Commander at Homestead Air Reserve Base.

Stephanie Darilus

Program Director | Read USA

Stephanie Darilus is a results-driven professional, holding a Master of Public Administration from Barry University and a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science from the University of Florida. With over a decade of experience in nonprofit management, fundraising, marketing, program development, and community engagement, Stephanie has made impactful contributions to organizations such as the Pace Center for Girls and Boys and Girls Clubs.

Currently, Stephanie plays a pivotal role in supporting her family’s business and serves as a dedicated volunteer on the Board of Directors for Global Patch, a nonprofit that provides advocacy and sustainable resources to increase equity and accessibility to careers in video games, esports, streaming, and digital artistry.

Outside of her professional endeavors, Stephanie is an avid reader and relationship builder who finds joy in exploring different corners of the world.

Eustache Dupervil

Financial Consultant

With a wealth of financial management and strategic planning expertise, Eustache Dupervil, a seasoned Financial Consultant, has consistently delivered comprehensive solutions to clients seeking to optimize their financial portfolios. Armed with an MBA and more than five years of industry experience, Dupervil has honed a skill set encompassing investment analysis, data analysis, and portfolio diversification.

Known for a client-centric approach, Dupervil has successfully guided individuals and businesses through complex financial landscapes, tailoring strategies to align with unique goals and risk tolerances. Adept at staying abreast of market trends and regulatory changes, Dupervil ensures clients are well-informed and positioned for success in ever-evolving financial markets.

Through a commitment to integrity, transparency, and personalized service, Dupervil has earned a reputation as a trusted consultant, empowering clients to navigate the complexities of wealth management with confidence and clarity.

Brett Pichla

Global Leader

Brett Pichla is a global business professional with extensive experience in single-site small businesses and multi-site global corporations. His expertise spans industries such as nuclear, aerospace, automotive, and defense. Brett holds a master’s and a bachelor’s degree in Business Administration from Baker College, with concentrations in leadership, management, and project management.

He is a trained Master Black Belt and holds several certifications, including Six Sigma Black Belt, ASQ Certified Manager of Quality/Organizational Excellence (CMQ/OE), ISO/IATF Lead Auditor, and Purchasing & Supply Chain Management. With over 20 years of experience, Brett has successfully helped numerous organizations implement sustainable strategies, programs, and processes, resulting in savings totaling millions of dollars.

Married for over 20 years, he enjoys traveling, backpacking, scuba diving, cycling, playing the guitar, staying fit, watching movies, and reading. His relentless dedication to growth, excellence, and readiness defines his professional and personal journey.

Jaime Rivera

Accountant

Jaime is a versatile accountant with proven success in global industries, ensuring financial accuracy, fostering client relationships, and driving operational efficiency. He has worked as an accountant for 10 years in the beauty, financial services, and manufacturing industries.

He obtained his Bachelor of Science degree in Corporate Finance and Master of Business Administration, with a specialization in Marketing, from the University of South Carolina. Jaime understands that the world of business is constantly changing and believes that this doctoral program will help him obtain the knowledge and apply the necessary strategy needed to solve a company’s issues.

Cesar Rubio

CPA | Accounting Professor at Santa Monica College

Cesar Rubio is a self-motivated professional with over 20 years of hands-on accounting experience with diverse organizations, along with advanced academic and teaching acumen. He has been a full-time accounting professor at Santa Monica College (SMC) since fall 2015. He concurrently operates a small tax practice, conducting tax preparation and planning.

Before joining the faculty and opening his tax practice, Cesar worked in several industries, including entertainment at Sony Pictures as an accountant, education at Cal Tech as a Cost Analyst, and travel as a Director of Finance. He later became a Certified Public Accountant (CPA), joined a regional CPA firm as an auditor auditing cities and counties, and worked as a tax associate preparing individual and business tax returns. He was later promoted to Controller of the firm.

After several years as a controller, he became intrigued by taxation law and left the controller position for a career in taxation, focusing on individual and business tax return preparation, tax consulting, and planning. Cesar received his Bachelor of Science in Business Administration with an emphasis in Accounting from California State University, Los Angeles; his Master of Science in Taxation from Golden Gate University; and his MBA from California State University, San Bernardino.

Cesar is a member of the California Society of Certified Public Accountants (CalCPA) and the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA). In his free time, Cesar enjoys traveling, RV camping, suspense and thriller movies, music, reading mysteries, sightseeing, exploring wine-tasting locations, discovering new restaurants, and spending time with his partner, family, and friends.

Rula Urso

Director, Loan Operations Private Credit | Kayne Anderson

Rula Urso is a director for Kayne Anderson’s private credit strategies, responsible for loan operations. Prior to joining Kayne in 2017, Urso spent over two years as Assistant Vice President at Antares Capital, where she built its operations department following a successful transition from GE Capital, where she had worked for over eight years.

Urso earned a B.A. in International Business and Economics from Benedictine University in 2002 and an M.B.A. in Economics and International Business from Lake Forest Graduate School in 2007.

James Hatcher

Retired U.S. Army SSG

James Louis Hatcher is retired from the United States Army, where he served for 10 years as a paralegal specialist. As a Florida native, he enlisted in the Army shortly after his first year of college. Initially entering to fund his education, he found a passion for serving the nation and decided to make a career of it.

James has served in a variety of leadership positions throughout his military career, including key operational assignments in Iraq, Afghanistan, and South Korea. As a paralegal Noncommissioned Officer, James made it his mission to provide mentorship, leadership, and guidance to subordinates and senior leadership.

James’ military education includes Basic Combat Training, Advanced Individual Training (27D), Warrior Leaders Course, and Advanced Leaders Course. James earned an Associate in Arts in Business Administration and a Bachelor’s in Applied Science in Supervision and Management, with a Human Resource Management concentration, both from Miami Dade College. He is currently in the last term of the Master of Science in Human Resource Management at Florida International University.

James’ accomplishments include the Miami-Dade College Foundation Scholarship Awardee, 2019–2020; Fort Motor Scholarship Awardee, 2019–2020; graduating from the U.S. Army Advanced Leaders Course with honors, exceeding course standards, earning four superior ratings on evaluations, and making the course Commandant’s List with a final GPA of 98.6% in 2016; recognition by Lieutenant General Flora Diana Darpino, The Judge Advocate General, with a coin of excellence for outstanding performance and leadership in 2016; and recognition by Major General Thomas E. Ayres, Deputy Judge Advocate General, with a coin of excellence for outstanding performance and leadership in 2014. He also received the Non-Commissioned Officer Professional Development Ribbon (2) and a Meritorious Service Medal.