Rosealie (Roz) Lesser ’67, ’73

When Roz told her high school guidance counselor that she was planning on attending college, he dismissed the idea as a pipe dream. He believed she wouldn’t be accepted, and even if she was, wouldn’t be smart enough to earn a degree. But she succeeded despite her guidance counselor’s worry. Not long after graduation, she was studying at Pace University.

Roz excelled at Pace. She earned her AAS in accounting at Pace in 1967, then her BBA in finance in 1973. Not only did she graduate college, she even earned her MBA in international management from Suffolk University in 1981. Despite the misguided words from her guidance counselor, Roz persisted and continuously proves him wrong.  

Her ambition, education, and love of accounting led Roz to an amazing career. During her time at Pace, she was hired by a Pace graduate at Borden Foods. When her supervisor left and she no longer felt challenged at her job, she became an assistant controller at Technological Operations, Inc. In fewer than 10 years, she was promoted to controller. At 40, she and her husband decided to move to Florida, so she started an early retirement. Retirement did not suit Roz and soon, she came out of retirement and threw herself back into her work. She’s held many prestigious positions over the years, including, controller at Marriott International and controller at Six L's Packing Company, Inc.

Now at age 76, Roz takes pride in her accomplishments. On top of her advanced degree and impressive resume, she’s also an avid philanthropist. One of Roz’s greatest accomplishments was spending ten years restoring the historic Frank Alderman House in the River District in Fort Myers, FL where she resided. During that time, she was able to offer her home free of charge to non-profit organizations for use in their fundraising events. Because of her generosity, several non-profit organizations were able to raise significant funds for their organizations. Additionally, she used her experience and expertise to become the Volunteer Director of Finance at the Southwest Florida Symphony, a role she held for many years. Her favorite place to donate, however, is Pace University.

Roz credits much of her success to Pace. She got a degree from Pace after being told higher education wasn’t an option for her and received her first job because of the Pace network.