Sheldon Horowitz and Tom Cardinale Share Their Council Journeys

In this special edition of our member spotlight, we celebrate two exceptional leaders who recently received the prestigious Gloria Nilson Mark of Distinction Award. Sheldon Horowitz and Tom Cardinale’s stories exemplify the diverse paths to engagement and the meaningful connections that define the Leon Hess Business Council experience.

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Two Paths, One Shared Commitment

The Power of Learning and Growth

Sheldon’s perspective on council involvement reveals the community’s greatest strength: “This is all personal growth. My interaction with our members makes me a better person, since each member has so much to share. It’s a way for me to raise my own personal ‘bar/level’ since I view our members’ ‘bar/level’ as something I aspire to.”

An Honor Beyond Words

Both recipients express profound gratitude for receiving the Gloria Nilson Mark of Distinction Award, each bringing their unique perspective to the honor.

Sheldon reflects: “Gloria is a special, incredible person. Anything attached to her name is an honor in itself. Now add the past recipients who are beyond next level. To be in that club leaves me speechless.”

Tom shares: “Receiving this award was a tremendous honor, especially to have Gloria Nilson’s name on it – one who has contributed so much to MU over the years that are simply beyond words. I feel my recognition was also a powerful testament on the Council’s special family feeling that no one gets forgotten, including the member crunching numbers behind the curtains to keep the finances in good standing.”

Tom’s surprise at receiving the award makes it even more meaningful: “From that perspective, I was not expecting to be named as a recipient of this award, and so it made me feel that much more special.”

The Importance of Mentorship

Both award recipients acknowledge the crucial role mentorship has played in their success. Sheldon credits Richard Riccardi: “A large part of what I do I am most grateful to Richard Riccardi. He has always mentored me and engaged me at the BC. I owe my success (and I am sure other members feel the same) to him.”

Tom’s journey was shaped by Wayne Tessler’s guidance, demonstrating how council leadership transitions create lasting legacies through mentorship.

Looking Ahead: Wisdom for Future Members

Sheldon’s advice: “Engage at the BC. Find mentors and join sub committees. Don’t wait to be asked!” He emphasizes the importance of supporting Monmouth University’s mission and serving as ambassadors for the institution.

Tom offers forward-thinking guidance: “Always stay out of a comfort zone with your current skillsets and be proactive to learn new areas that companies are adopting at a rapid pace. Like it or not, the business world is going through a generational transformation to where AI and automation will be the future in nearly all professional service industries. It would be prudent to invest in yourself and expand your knowledge in these new areas.”

Commitment to Continuous Growth

Despite achieving recognition for exceptional service, both leaders remain focused on doing more. Sheldon continues striving to “raise my own bar,” while Tom’s experience navigating the council through unprecedented challenges demonstrates his dedication to organizational stability and growth.

Their recommendation to “always spotlight new members” reflects their shared commitment to fostering an inclusive, welcoming community that celebrates contributions at all levels.

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The Leon Hess Business Council continues to thrive because of members like Sheldon Horowitz and Tom Cardinale—individuals who bring passion, humility, and a commitment to personal growth that elevates our entire community. Their journeys—from concerned parent to engaged leader, and from grateful alumnus to dedicated steward—exemplify the transformative power of engagement and mentorship that defines our council.

Interested in learning more about council involvement or nominating a fellow member for recognition? Contact us at emoran@monmouth.edu.

As we settle into the crisp embrace of Fall semester, there’s no better time to reflect on the transformative power of the SEEMA Executive Mentoring Program and the remarkable achievements of our Leon Hess Business School community. This season of change brings with it inspiring stories of growth, connection, and professional triumph that exemplify the very best of what our Business Council partnerships can accomplish.

In this edition, we’re proud to spotlight a shining example of how strategic mentorship, academic excellence, and proactive career development converge to create extraordinary outcomes.

Kyle Bleweis (LHBS, 2025): A Business Council Point of Pride and SEEMA Program Success

By Jonathan Leifer, Chair, Faculty Grant Committee

The SEEMA Executive Mentoring Program is a cornerstone of our LHBS efforts to provide an exceptional academic and career preparatory experience for Business School students. Through this initiative, students are paired with Business Council Members employed in their chosen fields of interest, offering them invaluable, real-world career insights that reach far beyond classroom learnings. Recently, Kyle Bleweis, a longstanding Council student liaison, graduated from LHBS with honors and the distinction of being a model for what SEEMA seeks to facilitate for our next generation of business leaders.

Kyle was a dual Finance and Real Estate Major, and his mentorship with Mr. Jonathan Leifer provided a deep dive into the world of real estate investment and development. As a mentee, Kyle sought to bridge the gap between classroom learnings from the Kislak Real Estate Program and practical application, gaining firsthand exposure to the complexity of deal capitalization for large, multi-year projects and digging deeper to understand the analysis of financial risks and returns in property investments. But his mentorship wasn’t just about numbers; it also involved discussions on design trends, visits to real properties that illustrated why investors carefully plan and position real estate projects for before ever breaking ground,and the importance of creating sustainable and functional spaces for host communities. This exchange of ideas highlighted how every curated detail — from aesthetics, to floor plans and amenities, to energy footprint — helps to realize long-term value and market-fit when community building.

Ever career-minded, Kyle also gained insight into real estate’s employer ecosystem. He learned the roles played by various stakeholders, from architects to lenders, attorneys, brokers, contractors, and investment managers. This holistic perspective made him conversant on career paths as a rising professional.  He also proactively sought employer referrals from his Mentor and other Council members to empower his job search. This professional orientation, as well as Kyle’s diligence in his studies and prior internships, opened up several job opportunities for him upon graduation, even in a crowded job applicant market.  Ultimately, Kyle chose to work for Kennedy Lewis where he is a Financial Analyst focused on financing Homebuilder’s Land Lot Inventory nationwide.

Kyle represents a true paradigm of success for LHBS students navigating the college-to-workforce transition.  For those seeking to follow in Kyle’s footsteps and leverage the power of SEEMA to widen their career prospects, the key is to demonstrate proactivity as Kyle so strongly did. This means actively seeking internships, building a strong network through SEEMA participation, and empowering a full transition from academia to a thriving career.

A groundbreaking collaboration that transforms classroom theory into real-world impact

Innovation thrives at the intersection of academic excellence and business acumen—and the Leon Hess Business School is proud to pioneer exactly that convergence with the launch of BASIC (Building collaborative teams consisting of Faculty, Students, and Business Council Members). This fall, we’re embarking on an ambitious new venture that promises to redefine experiential learning while delivering tangible value to the business community.

Imagine student teams tackling real commercial challenges under faculty guidance, with Business Council members serving as mentors and project sponsors. Picture our brightest minds conducting market research, streamlining processes, and solving strategic puzzles—all while earning compensation and building professional portfolios that set them apart in today’s competitive landscape.

What is BASIC?

Building collaborative teams consisting of Faculty, Students, and Business Council Members to perform small projects for hire in a live commercial setting.  Typical projects would be short in duration (8 – 12 weeks), non-mission critical (yet important), and appropriate for student/faculty teams to successfully perform to add high value.  Every company has dozens of these projects such as:  Research & rationalization/summarization of key strategy questions; Survey of customer preferences, product satisfaction; Desktop automation of manual process; to name a few.

We would typically charge $5k – $10k depending on the size and scope and projects would pay out 70% – 80% of fees to students and faculty in compensation leaving 20% – 30% of fees would be retained in Business Council budget to be allocated by the steering committee as charitable contribution.

Benefit to Monmouth University:

Experiential Learning & Actual Experience:

Students will participate on actual projects and deal with actual deliverables.  They will be involved in the inception of the project, the breaking down of the work and the delivery of a tangible work product.  Few students have the opportunity to work on the full life cycle of this type of project.  The result will be a solid, differentiated work experience on the student’s resume.

Faculty Exposure to the Commercial Sector:

Faculty members will have opportunities to engage directly with professionals in the commercial sector; both the Business Council sponsor and the end customer.  This represents an excellent means of collaboration between the commercial and academic communities and a networking opportunity for faculty who have limited exposure to the professional private sector.

Creation of Economic Value:

Students and Faculty will be paid to do work.  In addition, net proceeds will go directly to funding Business Council Charitable activities such as student scholarships and awards and faculty research grants.  The amount of funding would be limited only by the scale of participation in the program and the capacity to do more projects.

University Impact:

Monmouth University will be recognized for this forward-thinking, commercial-minded program.  It will serve as the cornerstone of experiential learning and create a differentiated opportunity for students which can be promoted in marketing materials and presentations.

A Pilot was Proposed in Early March with These Objectives:

• Achieve preliminary buy-in on the pilot and identify inter-university approvals required to proceed – Approved by Richard Veit & Enthusiastically Supported by Patrick Leahy
• Determine flow of financials to support the pilot – Basic money flows have been determined and in process of setting up additional account in Business Council structure
• Achieve buy-in from business council and faculty members to participate – 2 Faculty Members on board with pilot participation, many other faculty members have express support/interest
• Secure commitment from pilot customers and set out detailed timelines to begin – First pilot customer is ready and second is pending internal signoff

We Need YOUR Help!

The Business Council members are critical to SCALE this program.  Once we prove the concept this fall semester, there will be a great need for Business Council Member participation.  Near the end of this semester, we will distribute more materials describing the program, how it works, and how companies can engage a BASIC Team – be the ambassadors and get the word out.  We will be looking for additional opportunity, next semester and we need YOU to be on the lookout for appropriate projects to refer to the BASIC Team.  As we scale, we will need more participation from the Business Council Members to support the faculty/student project teams.  This is an ambitious undertaking that is truly differentiated.  Business Council and Faculty support are critical to the success of this program.

The Leon Hess Business School continues to advance our mission of academic excellence and student success while navigating a period of leadership transition. I am pleased to share that we received official confirmation of continued AACSB accreditation for both our BSBA and MBA programs, extending through 2030. This recognition reflects the dedication of our faculty, the talent of our students, and the ongoing support of our community.

Our faculty distinguished themselves through publications and presentations at national and international conferences, while our students excelled through initiatives such as Hawk Capital, which again outperformed the S&P 500, as well as entrepreneurial activities that highlight their creativity and determination.

The Center for Entrepreneurship and the Kislak Real Estate Institute delivered impactful programming and expanded community partnerships. Our Summer High School Entrepreneurship Program also experienced significant growth.

As we celebrate these milestones, I want to extend my appreciation to the Business Council and our many partners who contribute to the strength of the Leon Hess Business School. Your continued guidance and engagement are vital as we prepare our students to lead with purpose in an evolving business landscape.

Dr. Janeth Merkle
Acting Dean

At the September 12th Leon Hess Business Council meeting, Monmouth University President Patrick Leahy expressed deep appreciation for the longstanding partnership with the Council and the invaluable student engagement opportunities it provides. Entering his 14th year with renewed energy, President Leahy painted a picture of a university reaching unprecedented levels of achievement and recognition.

Leahy pointed out that Monmouth has earned the prestigious Carnegie Research classification, joining an elite group of only 500 universities nationwide. This recognition coincides with a clean review from the Middle States Commission, which awarded the University 12 commendations across academic, financial, and co-curricular areas. The University’s exceptional financial health is reflected in its 6.8 Independent Colleges Financial Index score—well above the 3.0 baseline—and zero debt position.

President Leahy also looks forward to a spotlight on the University to help build its brand and attract top students and faculty.  The ambitious $175 million “Excellence, Access, Ambition” campaign continues to build momentum since launching in December and is focused on accessibility initiatives and other strategic investments to enrich the University’s learning environment. Major investments are transforming the campus landscape, highlighted by the $50 million Bruce Springsteen Archives and Center for American Music, opening spring 2026 and fully grant-funded. Leahy also pointed to the University’s membership in the Coastal Athletic Association for the past 2 years, which has enhanced both competitive opportunities and recruiting capabilities up and down the east coast.

Record enrollment figures underscore Monmouth’s growing appeal, with 888 first-year students maintaining the highest-ever 3.67 average GPA, and 56% representing first-generation or low-income backgrounds. President Leahy emphasized how this commitment to accessibility aligns with the University’s mission while maintaining academic excellence.

Leahy admitted he is the envy of his peers as the President of Monmouth University – a growing and thriving center for higher-education that offers unprecedented value for its students. 

“Ain’t It Grand” was our theme for the first Business Council meeting of the 2025/26 academic year.  This was in recognition of our increased membership from last year and exceeding the milestone of 1,000 years of professional experience on the council. We are off to a great start with 7 guests attending the first meeting, expressing high levels of interest in joining our group and contributing to the great work we have been doing for 40 years.  The first meeting was in our new location at 201 Edison Hall and was packed with participants as well as great information for the members, faculty, students and guests.  Dr Patrick Leahy was the keynote speaker and delivered a university update that is covered later in the newsletter.  Several important dates were announced, and these are again summarized in this newsletter for your reference so that you can plan in advance to attend all the events

Fall is a busy time at the University and it’s also a busy time for the LHBS Business Council.  The Executive Mentoring Program (EMP) is kicking off and we expect that the student/mentor parings and the introduction breakfast occurred in early October.  This program is the centerpiece of our Student Engagement activities and has been recognized by the AACSB Accreditation Board as “Best Practices” for programs of its type.  I appreciate everyone’s participation and enthusiasm about this program.  This Fall, I’ve heard so many great stories from both students and business council members about the fulfilling experiences they have had participating in this program.  Lastly, I would like to welcome our new student assistant, Natalie Brunke.  Our student assistants do so much behind the scenes to make things go smoothly.  We appreciate Natalie’s work so far and look forward to having her assistance this year and beyond.

Ken Young