St. John Fisher University Board of Trustees Welcome New Chair, Vice Chair

Phil Yawman, president of the Cooley Group, and Rebecca Pelino ’86, managing partner, Capital Investment Advisors, LLC, were recently voted to serve as the new chair and vice chair of the St. John Fisher University Board of Trustees.

Formerly vice chair, Yawman succeeds Thomas Bowles ’71, former chief executive officer of Enesco, LLC, who recently completed his two-year term. Yawman and Pelino began their two-year terms on June 1, 2024. With this appointment, Pelino is the first female graduate to serve in a Board leadership position.   

The Board of Trustees determines the general, educational, and financial policies of the University. In addition, the Board has responsibility for sound resource management of the institution and works closely with the president in planning the strategic direction of the University.

“I am delighted to welcome Phil Yawman and Rebecca Pelino ’86 as the new chair and vice chair of the Board of Trustees. They are accomplished leaders who have distinguished themselves in service to the Fisher community. Phil and Rebecca bring a wealth of experience, vision, and passion to their roles, and I look forward to working together with them to advance the mission of our great institution,” said Dr. Gerard J. Rooney, president of the University. “I also want to express my deep gratitude to the outgoing chair, Tom Bowles ’71, for his dedicated commitment to Fisher. His legacy of leadership will continue to inspire us all.”

With more than 25 years of leadership experience, Yawman became president of Cooley Group in December 2018. Under his leadership, the company was recognized in 2021 as a “Greatest Company to Work For” by the Promotional Products Association International and has earned a statewide “Best Companies to Work For” designation from the New York State Society for Human Resource Management. In addition, he was named Small Business Person of the Year in 2023 by the Small Business Council of the Rochester Chamber of Commerce. Prior to joining Cooley Group, he was executive vice president for sales and marketing at Annese and Associates and was formerly a co-founder of Choice One Communications, a telecommunications company that grew rapidly in the early 2000s. His expertise lies in strategic planning and positioning; executive leadership coaching and mentoring; start-up, expansion, and growth management; and marketing, sales, and business development; among other salient aspects of management and leadership.

A member of Fisher’s Board since 2000, Yawman has chaired the Finance and Facilities, Strategic Enrollment Planning and Intercollegiate Athletics, and Academic and Faculty Affairs committees prior to serving as vice chair. He also currently sits on the board for the Constellation Brands Performing Arts Center (CMAC). His past board involvements include the Monroe Community College Foundation and the 2023 PGA Championship Executive Committee. He holds a bachelor’s degree in economics from Hobart and William Smith Colleges and an MBA from the Simon Business School at the University of Rochester.

Pelino, who earned a bachelor’s degree in economics from Fisher in 1986, is a founding and managing partner of Capital Investment Advisors (CIA). She is responsible for CIA’s acquisitions, manages deal origination and capital sourcing, and oversees all project management activities, contracts management, as well as the company’s leasing and sales efforts. The principals of CIA have owned, managed, and developed a real estate portfolio of more than $500 million over the past 25+ years.

Prior to forming CIA, she was a managing partner in a land development firm. Pelino holds a Class A General Contractors License and has been involved in new construction projects and renovations of multifamily projects, commercial projects, and single family detached homes since 1989. She began her career as a commercial real estate broker and worked for a national commercial real estate firm in their large asset sales department.

Pelino has been an active alumna of Fisher. She joined the Board of Trustees in 2019 and has held leadership positions on several committees. In 2021, Pelino made a gift to the University to establish the Rebecca Pelino ’86 Entrepreneur-in-Residence Program, funding a new faculty position and bolstering a robust entrepreneurship program at the School of Business.