Sabrina A. Griffin ’92, of St. Petersburg, Florida, and Kelly Herbert ’06, of Brooklyn, New York, have been appointed to serve as the chair and vice chair of the Pace University Alumni Association Leadership Council as of July 2021.
Griffin, who will serve as chair, is a senior consultant with Jennifer Brown Consulting, LLC, a diversity and inclusion firm, where she develops business cases for clients, creates long-term strategy plans, conducts focus groups to assess corporate culture, and guides clients on establishing and/or rebranding employee resource groups to align with business objectives.
Griffin is an alumna of the Lubin School of Business where she received an MBA in finance. She serves on the President’s Council and the Presidential Taskforce on Diversity and Inclusion. Griffin received her bachelor’s degree in marketing and management from New York University’s Stern School of Business.
Griffin previously worked at Chubb & Son, Inc. for over thirty years, most recently as assistant vice president and diversity manager, overseeing leadership development programs for women, people of color, and LGBTQIA+ employees.
As chair of the Pace University Alumni Association Leadership Council, she will support the Association’s guiding principles and set of the Leadership Council’s priorities. Griffin will also serve as one of the Association’s representatives responsible for reporting annually to the Board of Trustees through the Development and Alumni Relations Committee.
As a leader of the Association, Griffin aims to bring her whole self to her new role, especially her passion for diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI).
“When I think about diversity, equity, and inclusion, with regard to an alumni association, I focus on inclusion and consider how to broaden offerings that appeal to every member of the Pace alumni family,” she shared. “When you get that right, diversity and equity can be achieved. By discovering what is important to people at their particular stage in life, you can develop programming around a variety of topics. Everyone won’t be interested in the same thing, but there should be something for everyone.”
Herbert, who will serve as vice chair, is a litigator in the New York office of Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher. Her practice involves complex commercial litigation, data and privacy issues, government investigations, appellate law, and constitutional law. She also has a robust pro bono practice centered on immigration rights, racial justice, election law, and LGBTQIA+ issues.
Herbert is an alumna of the Dyson College of Arts and Sciences where she received bachelor’s degrees in psychology and english language and literature, with a minor in women’s and gender studies. While at Pace, Herbert was the recipient of many academic honors including the David A. Bickimer Promise of Learning Award by the Academy of American Poets, the Scholarly and Critical Writing Award, and Dyson College’s Senior Awards for Excellence in both Psychology & English. Herbert then earned her Juris Doctor from Fordham University School of Law, where she was elected to the Order of the Coif.
After graduating from Pace, Herbert was instrumental in founding the University’s LGBTQA+ Center in New York City and ultimately ran the Center for its first four years. In that capacity, she developed many educational and social programs, facilitated discussion groups, and advised students, staff, and faculty on LGBTQIA+ issues and campus policy. Between her time spent as a student and as a staff member, Herbert dedicated 13 years of service to Pace. In honor of her lasting contributions to Pace, the Kelly Herbert Writing Award was established. The Award was endowed in 2011 and is awarded annually to students who demonstrate excellence in writing about LGBTQIA+ topics, life, and love.
As vice chair of the Pace University Alumni Association Leadership Council, she will aid the Office of Alumni Relations and the chair in setting priorities for the Council and the execution of the Association’s guiding principles.
Herbert hopes to strengthen the alumni network and create an environment where people are comfortable reaching out for opportunities and eager to support fellow alumni. She aims to nourish a sense of shared responsibility to care for others and create a strong, tight-knit Pace alumni community.
“I look forward to showing alumni that they are not on their own,” she shared. “My hope is that the Association will not only communicate—but demonstrate—that the greatest benefit of becoming part of the Pace alumni family is that you inherit a diverse, accomplished network of people who are ready and willing to help.”
The Pace University Alumni Association creates a space for alumni to engage with each other, current students, and the University to enrich the alumni experience. Alumni will build community, celebrate Pace, and share innovative ideas to move the University forward. Through programming and volunteer opportunities, the Association provides a home for alumni where they can support and strengthen their affinity to the university. After administering an all alumni survey in November 2019, the University's Board of Trustees along with the Office of Alumni Relations partnered to ensure a structure was established to provide a sense of community, connection, and belonging for all Pace alumni, therefore creating the Alumni Association. Follow Pace Alumni on social media: Twitter: @PaceUAlumni, Facebook: @PaceAlumni, and Instagram: @paceualumni or stay up to date by visiting the Pace University Alumni Association’s Webpage.
Zachariah “Zach” Hosseini, a communications and marketing expert with a unique combination of business, higher education, and public sector experience, has joined Pace University as the chief marketing officer and vice president for University Relations.
Pace University was recently awarded a $25,000 grant from the Teagle Foundation to establish an undergraduate fellowship to create the next generation of leaders working on the governance of New York City waterways.
Pace University’s Elisabeth Haub School of Law is once again ranked #1 in the country for Environmental Law by the latest U.S. News and World Report rankings, released today. Haub Law was also ranked #13 in the nation for its trial advocacy program, placing it impressively among the top 10% of schools nationwide.