Board of Directors

Ed Stack-Chairman Emeritus is the retired president of The Clark Estates, Inc. (1956-2000) and retired chairman and president of the National Baseball Hall of Fame (1977-2000).

Ralph Branca-Vice Chairman is a former starting pitcher in Major League Baseball. From 1944 through 1956, Branca played for the Brooklyn Dodgers (1944–53, 1956), Detroit Tigers (1953–54), and New York Yankees (1954). He was also a member of the All Star team between 1947-1949. Branca now consults with Charter Oak Financial and Insurance Services, and is a member of the Italian American Sports Hall of Fame. He was also the former Chairman and President of the Baseball Assistance Team (BAT),

Joseph D. Salerno-Chairman, a financial executive with over 40 years experience was CFO and Board member of Integro Inc., CFO of Marsh Inc., as well as Mercer Consulting Group. Joe is a founding member of Sports Angels Inc., and also a former Board member of MLB’s Baseball Assistance Team (BAT).

Thomas Duffy-President  is one of the main principal at Charter Oak Financial and Insurance Services. Over the last 15 years he has built a multi-billion dollar licensing, sponsorship and marketing business for the most recognizable sports franchise in the world, Major League Baseball Properties. In 2000 Thomas left baseball to build a world-class marketing business in the music industry. He was a former board member of BAT and is a founding member of Sports Angels, Inc.

Thomas Lombardi-Treasurer Tom Lombardi oversees the global tax function for the Oliver Wyman Group, a subsidiary of the Marsh & McLennan Companies. He is a Certified Public Accountant in the State of New York and has been the treasurer of Sports Angels since 2011.

Geoff Belinfante-Secretary  Geoff has been involved with Sports Angels from its inception. For over 35 years, Geoff has been producing sports programming for television networks such as NBC, CBS, ESPN, MSG and SNY.

Kevin V. Fitzpatrick--Vice President--is a tax partner at PriceWaterhouse Coopers. Kevin is the Chapter Chair of the Westfield Mountainside Red Cross Chapter and serves on the Westfield United Way Fund Distribution Committee.

Mary Lanning--Vice President--is president of ML&G Associates, a regulatory consultant to investors, product innovators, and legal professionals in the international commercial insurance sector. A lifetime neighborhood services volunteer in New York City, Mary is a Board member of Sports Angels, chair of the New York City Clothing Bank for the Homeless, Secretary and Board Member of Boys Hope Girls Hope New York, a founding member of Morningside Retirement and Health Services in West Harlem, and chair of the Board of YES!Solutions, the first grant sponsor of Sports Angels.

Maja M. Arcyz, Esq. is an associate in Arnold & Porter LLP’s New York office. Maja practices in the area of federal income taxation, with an emphasis on international tax matters, providing advice to both domestic and foreign institutional and individual clients. In the not-for-profit sector, Maja provides assistance to public charities and private foundations on the federal tax regime applicable to their creation and operation.

Mike Kostel produces sports related documentaries and films.

Phil Mushnick is an award winning journalist who has written for many years for the NY Post on Sports and social related issues.

Andrew Perel is a partner at the law firm of Michelman and Robinson LLC.

Joe Pignatano is the former catcher for the Brooklyn Dodgers, as well as a former coach for the New York Mets.

Dr. Rene Rodriguez-Sains is an ophthalmic plastic and reconstructive surgeon and clinical assistant professor at New York University School of Medicine. Besides being on the Board of Sports Angels, he is active in the Inner City Scholarship Fund, The Police Foundation and is a volunteer with the NYC Medical Reserve Corps. He is a consultant to worldwide institutions on skin and eye cancers. He lectures extensively and volunteers his surgical expertise to help patients unable to afford medical care.

Gary Romaniello: has been active in the commercial real estate debt and equity business in a Banking role for over 20 years.  He has worked in this capacity at major firms such as Lehman Brothers , JP MorganChase, Merrill Lynch and Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce.  He is currently employed as a Managing Director at Annaly Capital Management (NYSE:NLY).  He holds a BS and MBA from Plymouth State University and an MS from Columbia University.

 Julius. Schwarz is a Principal of Bayrock Group LLC and Green Investments Group, LLC. Schwarz has led the acquisition, financing and development of projects valued at over $2.5 Billion, including, without limitation, the $600 Million, 391 room Trump SoHo Hotel Condominium, located in the SoHo area of New York City, the elegant and sophisticated Centurion Condominium located off of 5th Avenue in the heart of Midtown, New York and designed by the internationally renowned architect I.M. Pei, the multi-phased commercial and residential project known as Midtown Miami, located in the heart of Miami, Florida, among numerous other projects. Prior to joining Bayrock, Schwarz was a Real Estate Partner in the Miami, Florida Office of the law firm Akerman Senterfitt, and was also a member of the Corporate and Creditors’ Rights Departments and the Real Estate and REIT Mergers and Acquisitions Practice Groups at the law firm Wachtell, Lipton, Rosen & Katz, located in New York, NY.