Staff

Arianne Romeo - Director of Leadership Development/Associate Director of Student Leadership and Activities

Arianne graduated from Hofstra University in 1999 and began working in Student Activities as a graduate assistant for campus programming and fraternity and sorority life. She then became the Assistant Director and finished her Master Degree in School Counseling in 2002. In 2005,  she was asked to be the Director of the new Commuting Student Affairs Office at the University where she worked until 2009. She is currently in a newly created role as the Director of Leadership Development, Associate Director of Student Leadership and Activities.

Stan Cherian - Director of Orientation / Associate Director for Student Leadership and Activities

Stan is a native of Philadelphia and now a proud Brooklynite. He received a bachelor's degree in political science and philosophy, and a master's in higher education administration from Temple University. Before coming to Hofstra, Stan worked at St. Joseph's University as the assistant director of student activities, and at Temple University's Student Activities Office as the assistant director. In 2001, Stan joined the staff of the Student Activities Office as the assistant director, where he was the adviser to the Student Government Association and Hofstra yearbook, Nexus.  He was the director of Orientation and New Student Programs from 2006-09 and now has rejoined the Student Leadership and Activities office.

Jaclyn Congello-Vento - Assistant Director of Student Leadership and Activities (Spirit Support)

Jaclyn Congello-Vento graduated from Stony Brook University with a BA in Psychology and a minor in Philosophy.  She received a Master of Arts degree in Foundations of Education, with concentrations in Multicultural Education and Philosophy of Education from Hofstra University.  She has been working at Hofstra since 2007 and started in the Office of Commuting Student Affairs and worked there until Auguest 2009.  Now she works in the Office of Student Leadership and Activities as Assistant Director of Student Leadership and Activities.  She oversees Spirit Support and works with Orientation Leaders.  She loves the beach, in fact she loves it so much she got married on the beach this past November.

Kimberly Rhyan - Assistant Director of Student Leadership and Activities (Community Service and Leadership)

Kim Rhyan is one of the assistant directors in the office. She attended Mount Vernon Nazarene University and received her B.F.A. in 2000. She finished her M.A. in creative art therapy from Hofstra University in the spring of 2006. Before moving to New York for graduate school, she served with Americorps in Ohio for two years at an after-school art program. She was also an intern for the Ohio Arts Council's "Individual Artist Program." As a graduate assistant for the Office of Student Leadership and Activities, she advised NEXUS, the University’s yearbook, and planned special programming for the Office of Student Leadership and Activities. Kim is an artist/painter and enjoys being close to Manhattan’s museums and galleries.

Mario Bolanos - Assistant Director of Student Leadership and Activities (Greek Life)

Mario Bolanos is one of the assistant directors of the office and is overseeing fraternity and sorority life. He earned a bachelor of arts in history and a master’s in public administration/health administration from Kean University in Union, NJ. Previously, Mario served as assistant to the director of Greek life at Kean University and conducted a graduate internship in health care administration while completing his graduate work. Mario is a member of Iota Phi Theta National Fraternity and Order of Omega National Greek Honor Society. In his “spare time” he enjoys reading history books, visiting museums, vacationing, and planning for his wedding, which is scheduled for January 2009.

Chris Botti - Assistant Director of Student Leadership and Activities (Programming and Club Information)

Chris Botti is the newest of the Assistant Directors of Student Leadership and Activities. He has come home to Long Island after going to school in Pennsylvania for six years. During his time in Pennsylvania, he received a Bachelor of Science in Marketing from Villanova Univerisity and a Master's in Higher Education Management from the University of Pennsylvania. Chris has helped plan the New Student Orientation Program at Villanova and has planned various student activities as a graduate assistant at the Community College of Philadelphia When he is not in the office, Chris enjoys playing basketball, spending time with family and friends, and experiments with cooking.

Vicki Herhily - Senior Executive Secretary, Student Leadership and Activities

Vicki Herhily attended Nassau Community College and Adelphi University before coming to work at Hofstra's Axinn Library in 1988. After taking time to be at home with her children, Vicki then worked as a secretary in her local elementary school, and returned to Hofstra in 2002. Since 2003, Vicki has worked in the Undergraduate Admissions, the Orientation and New Student Programs office and with the recent office merge the Student Leadership and Activities office. Vicki grew up locally in Valley Stream and Wantagh. She has been married to her husband, Brian, for 21 years, and they have two children, Kevin 17 and Sarah 14, as well as two Wheaton Terriers, Sam and Katie. Outside of work Vicki enjoys reading, spending time with family and friends, gardening and cooking with the vegetables she grows.

Anna Arena - Senior Assistant, Student Leadership and Activties

Anna Arena is the senior assistant to the Office of Student Leadership and Activities. She was born in Brooklyn and has lived in Bellmore, New York, for 30 years. Anna has worked for Hofstra University for 22 years. She worked for the Health Center for 16 years and is now going on her seventh year with Student Leadership and Activities. Her primary responsibilities for Student Leadership and Activities is overseeing the director's appointment book, maintaining calendar and schedules for the director, and supervising graduate students and student aides. She is also responsible for staffing the Game Room, as well as ordering supplies for the undergraduate clubs on campus. Her department responsibilities are unending. She also participates in departmental functions and University events. In her free time, Anna enjoys playing tennis, Mah Jongg, cooking, gardening, crafts, traveling and shopping. Most of all, she likes to spend time with family and friends.

Pamela Orefice - SGA Bookkeeper, Student Leadership and Activities

Pamela Orefice originally from Valley Stream, New York, and now a 25-year resident of West Islip, has been employed at Hofstra University for the past 10 years. She worked for two years for the School of Education in the STEP/CSTEP Program under the direction of Deanna Hunter. She has been working for the past eight years as the senior assistant to Director of Student Leadership and Activities Anita Ellis. Her responsibilities include Student Government Association (SGA) bookkeeper, and working directly with the SGA comptroller and president. As SGA bookkeeper, she works closely with the student clubs and organizations with regard to their budgets. This includes purchasing, contracts and check requests. She is also responsible for the graduate clubs and Student Leadership and Activities Office's budgets. Her hobbies and interests include travel, music, reading and scrapbooking.