For 23 years, Brian J. Fogarty ’82 protected and served the New York City community as an officer with the New York Police Department, working his way from a patrol position to a lieutenant commander who led the borough operations for the Strategic and Tactical Command Unit. He consistently showed compassion and care for the community and made special efforts to give back to those people most in need. Within his department for five years, he helped organize an annual golf outing fundraiser to support the Anthony Falco Scholarship, given in memory of a police inspector and awarded to deserving students to help them pursue education. In 2006, he transitioned into private security, working for Allied Universal Security Services and now serves as a general manager for the New York region for Convergint Technologies. In addition to continuing exceptional performance of his professional duties at his employer, he also spearheaded Convergint Social Responsibility Day, encouraging his coworkers worldwide to give back to their local communities. Throughout his life, Fogarty has not only prioritized giving back to his community, but he has rallied others to join him in the effort. Through his leadership and initiative, Fogarty has made impressive changes in his community, including: making technical security system upgrades and installations, constructing wheelchair ramps and renovating the playground for United Cerebral Palsy of Suffolk; creating a pergola, repairing footbridges, a deck and benches, and refreshing the gardens for the nonprofit AHRC Nassau; and recruiting 60 workers to assist him in building themed-rooms, donating electrical systems, purchasing furniture and installing security systems for Eden II Programs – an organization for adults with autism.
Shanna Fuld '16, founder of the Israel Daily News Podcast, reaches audiences worldwide, and from a diverse range of backgrounds and religions. Her roots in broadcasting and reporting run deep, as she covered her first big story at the age of 12 and hosted her own TV show on a public access channel in Queens, N.Y., as a middle schooler. In addition to her podcast, Fuld also serves as a reporter for the Jerusalem Post and an events host for the Am Yisrael Foundation, a weekly speaker series for young international immigrants living in Israel to meet and network. Fuld sends out a weekly newsletter with various personal thoughts and reflections, and through this newsletter, she landed her most recent job, as a researcher for the Showtime production of Ghosts of Beirut, a docudrama about the death of a Hezbollah leader killed in a joint operation between the CIA and Mossad. The show's writer, Avi Issacharoff, followed her newsletter and reached out to her about the job. A broadcasting and mass communication and Spanish double major, Fuld is a trailblazer who consistently pushes the boundaries and contributes meaningfully to the field of journalism. When Hamas terrorists attacked concertgoers in Israel in fall 2023, she became, as she described herself, a "reluctant war correspondent." Her media content has become required reading/listening for people all around the world, including international diplomats searching for an objective accounting of the war between Israel and Hamas. Fuld is an international ambassador for her alma mater, making time to speak to students, publicly crediting her SUNY Oswego education and modeling the curiosity and drive that the university tries to instill in its students.
Since graduating, Thaina Gonzalez ’92 has remained passionately connected to her SUNY Oswego family and has helped nurture that connection back to the university in countless alumni, students and friends. She has expanded opportunities for SUNY Oswego’s diverse body of students through her philanthropy as a scholarship donor and member of our Sheldon Legacy Society. She created the Roosevelt Muhammad Memorial Scholarship Fund to memorialize Roosevelt Muhammad, a former SUNY Oswego assistant dean of students and director of the former L.E.A.D. Center (The Point), who made an indelible impact on her life. A devoted member of the Oswego Alumni Association’s Board of Directors, she is influential in recruiting prospective students, including her own relatives, and she volunteers her time and energy to serve on alumni panels, speak with students, participate in the university’s annual ALANA Student Leadership Conference and organize Return to Oz, a reunion celebrating alumni of color. A Spanish literature graduate, Gonzalez was one of five founding members of Oswego’s Zeta Chapter of Sigma Lambda Upsilon/Señoritas Latinas Unidas Sorority, Inc. During her years as a student, many of her peers considered her the face of the Latino Student Union, and she continues to assist the current membership of that organization, as well as EOP students, ALANA organizations and many others. She serves as an Alumni Sharing Knowledge mentor and goes out of her way to assist any member of the Laker community in whatever way she can. In addition to her immeasurable contributions to her alma mater, Gonzalez’s work as an accomplished executive for SEO (Sponsors for Educational Opportunity) has helped that organization provide educational and career programs to young people from underserved and underrepresented communities to maximize their opportunities for college and career success for the past 20-plus years.
Aunrée Jacques-Laurent Houston ’00 radiates authenticity in his dedication to, and in his support of SUNY Oswego, its students, alumni, faculty and staff. He shares his professional expertise and personal insights through his service on the Oswego University Foundation Board of Directors and the School of Media, Communication and the Arts (SCMA) Advisory Board. His visionary perspective on creating a better world resonates deeply within the university community, particularly in his recognition of the symbiotic relationship between art and business, advocating for collaboration between the School of Business and SCMA. He generously shares his support in all of its forms with Oswego students. He established the Aunrée J. Houston Empowered Scholar Award to provide perpetual support for undergraduate SCMA students with demonstrated financial need – who are involved in the Black Student Union, ALANA, the School of Business Launch It Challenge and SUNY Oswego Pride Alliance. He volunteers to recruit prospective students, mentors current students, engages with alumni from across all generations and is known by many for his outstanding personal qualities of integrity, humility and a genuine talent for fostering meaningful connections. In addition to his impact on SUNY Oswego, Houston’s professional accomplishments are equally compelling. He is the founder and proprietor of Aunrée Jac, a lifestyle brand that utilizes creativity and psychology as tools for leadership, wellness and storytelling. He is a New York University-certified life and career coach. In his current role as vice president for account services and production operations at Paramount Global, Houston combines dynamic marketing, creative operations and project management skills to lead projects from inception to completion. His past professional success includes producing marketing campaigns, promotional strategy and interactive experiences for such HBO programs as Game of Thrones, Westworld and True Detective.
After graduating, Lisa Swengros Agona ’93 became a certified public accountant and worked at Ernst & Young before switching gears to accept a job in HBO’s management international finance division, which enabled her to travel all over the world. She then moved into executive coaching and created a large greenhouse in her backyard to grow vegetables and plants. In 2008, at the age of 37 years old, with two children under 10, Agona was diagnosed with a life-threatening brain tumor and was told she had six months left to live. The doctors felt it was environmentally derived and attributed to something as simple as what she was putting on her skin. That news prompted her to innovate her own line of clean skincare products so that she could create a legacy of positive change. She developed the Indie Lee (short for Independent Lisa) products, and in the process rebranded her life, even changing her name to Indie Lee. The brand promotes radical self-acceptance, positive self-image and healthy living, producing “pro-aging” longevity creams rather than the industry standard “anti-aging.” As the ever-optimist, she said: “I love my new name. Lisa was the accountant. Indie Lee is the lover of life!” Today, her high-end cleansers, exfoliants, toners, moisturizers, masks, skin treatments and cosmetics are all clean, eco-friendly and cruelty-free. The company has earned COSMOS and Leaping Bunny certifications and follows California Proposition 65 and the EU guidelines, which bans the use of more than 1,300 ingredients that are dangerous to humans and the environment. Indie Lee products are now sold in more than 2,000 stores worldwide, including Ulta, Nordstrom and Bluemercury. She and her products have been featured in national media and magazines, including Martha Stewart Living. Her blog, IndieLee.com, serves as inspiration for thousands of readers worldwide, and she serves on the FIDM Beauty Program’s Advisory Council and the board of the American Autoimmune Related Diseases Association.
Martha Ellen Searles Sturtz ’79 makes every group or community she’s part of better through her selfless dedication to others. For 30 years, she helped guide and develop young minds as an elementary school teacher in the Mexico (N.Y.) Central School District. She instilled a love of learning in her pupils, and was particularly effective at sparking their interest in the sciences. After retiring from teaching, Sturtz became a licensed real estate agent and for 15 years helped people find the property they needed to fulfill their dreams. She also made time to expand her volunteer work, particularly with the Mexico Food Pantry. She was able to build connections between the Mexico schools and the pantry so that families in need could be identified and assisted. She helped the pantry grow from its humble beginnings in a church basement that fed 9 meals per person each month to providing 21 meals per person a month from a dedicated space in a new building. She also serves on the Food Bank of CNY Advisory Committee. She also shows tremendous leadership through her work with PAWS of CNY, where she and her dog participate in therapeutic, wellness and reading visits to schools, nursing facilities, workplaces and public venues. She helps other therapy teams throughout the training and certification process. Sturtz serves on the boards of the Retired and Senior Volunteer Program (RSVP) of Oswego County and Oswego County Opportunities Inc., chairing its Audit and Compliance Committee and serving on the Incident Review Committee. She has received the Heart of Gold Award, the Roman Catholic Diocese of Syracuse’s Immaculata Award for Service and the Flo Peters Memorial Award.