Bios | Montclair Kimberley Academy

“Trust, friendship, and gratitude…that’s what started it, and that’s what keeps it all going.”

Caitlin Diruggiero & Angela McCaffrey ‘06

Co-Founders, Corefire & CityWest

An honors marketing graduate of the University of Scranton, Caitlin brings a strong business mindset and a people first approach to every transaction. At 25, she co-founded Corefire, a Montclair based fitness studio that became a community staple and earned multiple awards before she successfully sold the business. That entrepreneurial experience sharpened her negotiation skills and strategic edge.

Known for staying calm under pressure, Caitlin guides clients through complex transactions with steady communication and a focus on results. Clients consistently describe her as hardworking, genuine, and deeply committed to their best interests.

Caitlin specializes in Essex, Morris, and Bergen Counties, with particular expertise in train line towns and surrounding communities throughout Northern New Jersey. She works extensively with first time buyers, move up sellers, and investors seeking both lifestyle and long term value.

Outside of real estate, Caitlin gives back through her work with The Arc of Essex County and her time as former President of the MKA Alumni Council. When she is not working, she enjoys golf, surfing, and spending time with family, friends, and her dogs.

Angela McCaffrey is a North Jersey native and real estate professional known for pairing sharp financial instincts with a steady, relationship-first approach. She co-founded CityWest with her childhood best friend and business partner, Caitlin DiRuggiero, to serve the community that shaped them, and has built a reputation for strategic execution, trusted guidance, and consistently strong outcomes.

With 15+ years in real estate and a finance degree from Providence College, Angela leads every transaction with disciplined analysis, confident negotiation, and total reliability. Clients count on her to move fast, stay calm under pressure, and protect their interests, whether they are first-time buyers, renters, sellers, developers, or investors. Her business is built on long-term relationships and a deep local network, earned through performance, integrity, and follow-through.

Rooted in Montclair and active across Northern NJ, Angela supports The Arc of Essex County and has served on the Alumni Council at Montclair Kimberley Academy. She also co-founded, scaled, and sold Corefire, a multi-award-winning fitness brand with multiple North Jersey locations, reflecting her track record for building companies that last.

Outside of work, Angela prioritizes time with family and friends and is usually planning her next travel adventure. She lives in Essex County with her husband, Patrick, and their two children, Tommy (4) and Rosie (2).

“The key is knowing when to hold on and when to move forward.”

Chris Martin IV '71

Chairman of the Board of C.F. Martin & Co.

Christian Frederick Martin IV, known as “Chris,” is the Chairman of the Board of C. F. Martin & Co.® and the sixth-generation leader of the legendary acoustic guitar maker. Over the course of his career, Chris has expanded Martin’s reputation for innovation, sustainability, and philanthropy while maintaining its tradition of handcrafted excellence. Under his leadership, the company has introduced groundbreaking guitar designs, advanced environmentally responsible manufacturing, and continued to build lasting partnerships with artists and organizations. Chris remains actively engaged in preserving Martin’s history and regularly tours with Martin ambassador Craig Thatcher, sharing stories from his 50-plus years with the company. In addition to his leadership at Martin, he is a strong advocate for music education, environmental sustainability, democracy, and charitable giving, including spearheading major philanthropic efforts through the Martin Guitar Charitable Foundation.

“One thing that excites me right now is how technology, particularly artificial intelligence, is impacting both the practice of law and the way companies think about talent and incentives.”

Eric Wolf '01

Partner, Sidley Austin LLP

Eric Wolf advises clients on executive compensation and employee benefit-related arrangements, including cash-based incentives, equity-based incentives, employment, severance, deferred compensation, and retirement arrangements, with a particular emphasis on issues arising in connection with mergers and acquisitions, initial public offerings, new and joint ventures, and other corporate transactions. Eric has extensive experience representing both private equity investors and management in their portfolio companies with structuring equity compensation and employment arrangements. Eric also advises public companies and their executives on employment, severance, and change-in-control arrangements and with respect to ongoing disclosure requirements for stock ownership.

“A vision without a plan is simply hope — and hope is not a strategy.”

Kevin Wilkins '83

Founder & CEO, Trepwise

Kevin N. Wilkins is the Founder and CEO of Trepwise, a strategy consulting firm whose mission is to unlock the potential of purpose-driven organizations by aligning people, process, and vision. With over 35 years of experience in corporate, non-profit, and private ventures, Kevin has built a strong team of consultants at Trepwise who collectively have worked with over 700 purpose-driven organizations.

Since moving to New Orleans, he has served as Entrepreneur-in-Residence and COO for The Idea Village (2011-2013). Kevin’s early experience working in the New Orleans ecosystem with for-profit, non-profit, and public entities solidified his vision for Trepwise: thriving communities nourished by good ideas. The company, established in 2013, believes that good ideas that make a real impact can come from anywhere and anyone. When solving problems or addressing opportunities for purpose-driven organizations, Trepwise puts people at the center of their work. The resulting solutions empower people to drive progress from where they sit. Uniquely, Trepwise uses this human-centered approach to drive change and create solutions at systems, organizational, and project levels.

Kevin serves on many boards, including The French and Montessori Education Inc., Dartmouth College Hillel, Institute of Mental Hygiene, Touro Synagogue, ADL South Central Regional Board, and Jewish Endowment Foundation (JEF); and formerly for City Year New Orleans, The Foundation for Science and Mathematics Education, Jewish Federation of Greater New Orleans, Louisiana Children’s Museum, and GNO Inc.

“We all have many chapters in life, and each one offers a chance to grow in ways we could not have imagined at the start.”

Rohina Gandhi-Hoffman '86

Artist

Rohina Hoffman is an Indian-born American artist whose narrative work explores themes of identity, home, adolescence, and the female experience. Raised in New Jersey and now based in California, Hoffman earned both her B.S. in Neuroscience and M.D. from Brown University, and also studied photography at the Rhode Island School of Design. After years of practicing as a clinical neurologist, she shifted her focus fully to her artistic practice. Her first monograph, Hair Stories (Damiani Editore, 2019), was accompanied by a solo exhibition at Brown University’s Alpert Medical School. The book is held in prominent public collections, including the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the Getty Research Institute, the Cleveland Institute of Art, and over 25 university libraries. Her second book, Embrace (Schilt Publishing, 2023), was exhibited in a solo show at the Griffin Museum of Photography. In 2023, she also self-published Providence: Uncovered, a bound collection of photo postcards documenting Providence’s iconic street names with accompanying historical notes. In 2021, she won the Purchase Award with the Atlanta Photography Group, and several works from her Generation 1.75 project were acquired by the High Museum of Art in Atlanta. Hoffman’s photographs have been exhibited nationally and internationally in juried group shows at venues including the Center for Fine Art Photography, Griffin Museum, Atlanta Photography Group, Colorado Photographic Arts Center, Los Angeles Center of Photography, Photo LA, and A. Smith Gallery. She has also shown work with Alta Vista Arts (Paris) and the World Food Photography Awards in Madrid, Spain. Her work has been featured in Marie Claire Italia, The Guardian, F-Stop Magazine, Lenscratch, Shots Magazine, Dodho Magazine, Aesthetica Magazine, Gastronomica, Blackberry Magazine, Oxford Magazine, and Art New England (including a cover feature). Her poetry has been published in Art New England and Blackberry Magazine, where both her writing and photographs appeared together. Her awards and recognition include being a Critical Mass Finalist (Top 200, 2025), a winner of the 20th Anniversary Julia Margaret Cameron Award for Women Photographers (Self-Portrait, Professional Category, 2023), and shortlisted as Food Photographer of the Year (Pink Lady, 2021). Her speaking and interview appearances include NPR’s Brian Lehrer Show (2019) and NPR/WJCT Public Radio (2023).

“I try not to see things as challenges, but as opportunities.”

Ruth Peretti '79

Founder, Marksboro Mills - River Valley Community Grains

Ruth Perretti started her career in fashion, design, and marketing in the early 80s, working for Ralph Lauren for over 23 years as Men's Creative Director and eventually Senior VP of Women's Blue Label and RRL. Additionally, she founded and managed her own branding and creative consultancy, working with clients such as Newman’s Own, Timberland, and Spike Lee. Her involvement in agriculture started when she and her husband, Eric Kaplan, opened a restaurant in Montclair called Ruthie’s BBQ and Pizza. Ruthie’s provided freshly prepared food for students in the neighborhood and their families, and was also a much-loved music venue. Over the years, Ruthie’s became the “go to” place for family gatherings and weekend music, where the community could find a restaurant that would more typically be seen in the South, rather than in the suburbs of Northern NJ.

Ruth’s family owned a farm in Warren County, NJ, since the mid-70s, and in the early 2000s, she bought her brothers out and took over the farm completely, fulfilling a desire to grow healthy food naturally on the land. In 2016, she left her work in design and committed to running Ruthie’s with Eric full-time, and the opportunity arose to grow food for the restaurant on the farm. That chance quickly developed into a desire to source organic, regional grains to produce locally made flour, and after meeting River Valley Community Grains, this dream became possible. Ruthie’s served pizza made from their own organic flour and introduced the millers to professional bakers she knew in the area. Her interest went beyond growing her own restaurant; she wanted to learn more about regenerative farming practices and opportunities that aligned with rural economic development. Marksboro Mills was established in 2023 to provide infrastructure for other growers to take part in this movement. Ruth has collaborated with Montclair Community Farms’ Empowering Youth Entrepreneurs from Seed to Sale program, with a particular focus on small-grain production and vocational opportunities, and she currently serves as Board President of the Food Shed Alliance in Northwest NJ.

In August of 2023, Ruthie and Eric sold their restaurant after 17 years in business, and they are now full-time residents of Marksboro. She is tremendously excited about the evolution of Marksboro Mills as a home for River Valley Community Grains (RVCG), a pilot example that aims to inspire other rural communities to build their own “Grain Sheds.” She believes this mill can be a tool for restoring land and rural communities by raising awareness of where food comes from, the benefits of natural farming practices and foraging, and whole-foods processing and preparation. Marksboro Mills has become a lively community hub, offering baking classes, regular school and organization teaching tours, and a wildly popular Saturday pop-up bakery, all supported by its fully certified food-grade kitchen. Along the way, Ruth embraces the pure joy of the extraordinary taste of food-grown-right, coupled with events and live music that bring together people’s creative nature to feed souls and restore connections.

“Maybe I'll go back to grad school when I retire.”

Karen Bodner ‘90

Head, Global Investor Relations Advisory & Investor Solutions, BNY

Karen Bodner heads the Market Insights & Initiatives team in BNY Mellon’s Depositary Receipts (DR) division. The team provides investor relations, capital markets, and sustainability advisory solutions to the DR division’s clients to help them maximize their international shareholder base and enhance their investment profile. She brings more than 17 years of investment banking experience to this role. Before joining BNY Mellon, Karen was the Head of Equity Capital Markets for Daiwa Capital Markets America, where she focused on helping clients maximize their cross-regional profile and investments and executing cross-border transactions involving the Asian region. Before joining Daiwa, Karen was a Director in the equity capital markets group at Citigroup, where she was responsible for the execution of equity offerings for non-U.S.-based issuers looking to access the U.S. equity markets. She has experience in IPOs, privatizations, REG S and 144a offerings, convertible securities, block trades, and more, for companies of all sizes and from all geographic regions. Karen began her career at Santander Investment in New York in the investment banking group. Karen holds a B.A. from Vassar College and is a member of the Financial Women’s Association and a former member of the Women’s Syndicate Association.

“Leave behind a legacy of kindness.”

Dr. Robert Cerfolio '80 MD, MBA

Chief of Clinical Thoracic Surgery at NYU Langone

Dr. Robert Cerfolio, chief of clinical thoracic surgery at NYU Langone, specializes in treating lung and esophageal cancers and managing chest abnormalities outside the heart. Inspired by his father, a urologist, Dr. Cerfolio has performed over 17,000 thoracic surgeries. His pioneering robotic techniques have enhanced survival rates and reduced complications, earning global recognition.

Dr. Cerfolio emphasizes holistic patient care, collaborating with nutritionists, oncologists, and psychosocial experts to treat each individual comprehensively. He simplifies the patient journey by offering secure online consultations through the NYU Langone Health app, enabling preoperative and postoperative care for patients worldwide.

An accomplished researcher, Dr. Cerfolio has published over 150 peer-reviewed articles and 40 book chapters. He served as president of the Southern Thoracic Surgical Association and authored Super Performing at Work and at Home: The Athleticism of Surgery and Life in 2014.

“I like to work where there are interesting challenges and I can learn and contribute.”

Helen Crossen ‘95

Human Capital Advisor, Executive Coach, CHRO, Board Member

Helen Crossen is a human capital advisor and executive coach. Helen has 25 years of experience in the field of human capital. Helen leverages her skills and experiences in strategic human capital planning, leadership development and coaching, organizational change, governance, and Human Resources broadly to help organizations and individuals achieve their goals and potential.

Throughout her career, Helen has enjoyed working with CEOs, executives, professionals, and organizations. Helen has worked in several industries including technology, media, alternative asset management, and private equity. Helen’s experience includes working at IBM, General Electric, NBCUniversal, and Annaly Capital and advising clients in the tech start-up space. Helen has also worked closely with a public company board as a member of management.

Helen currently serves as a non-executive director at a private company. She is a co-founder of the Rutgers School of Management and Labor Relations Human Capital

Value Creation Lab. Helen is driven by the mission of empowering people and organizations to navigate the complex and dynamic human capital challenges with confidence, creativity, and compassion. Helen holds a B.A., an M.A in Industrial Relations and Labor Relations, and a J.D. from Rutgers University. Helen is an Associate Certified Coach (ACC) by the International Coaching Federation and holds a NACD Directorship Certification® from the National Association of Corporate Directors.

Helen is married and the mom of two boys. She lives in NJ and has recently picked up skiing.

“People always call me a pioneer in women's sports, but at the time, I didn’t realize the change I was making was historical.”

Judy Dixon ’67

American tennis player, collegiate coach, and tennis instructor

Timeline:

1949 – Born in New Jersey.
1967 – Won the national junior indoor tennis championship and was ranked in the top 20.
1969-1973 – Played on the professional tour; played singles, doubles, and mixed doubles in the U.S. Open; and played singles at Wimbledon. At 17, Judy was invited to be #1 Billie Jean King’s doubles partner on the Virginia Slims Tour. They played two tournaments together, including the U.S. Indoor Nationals, the original name for the U.S. Open.
1973 – Graduated from the University of Southern California with a degree in psychology and played tennis for USC.
1974 – Joined Yale University as Athletics Coordinator & Women’s Tennis Coach.
1975 – Facing unfair conditions for women coaches, administrators, and players, Judy filed a complaint with the university. After no actions were taken, she was the first person to file a discrimination lawsuit under Title IX. Her position was downgraded as the suit proceeded, and she resigned in 1977.
1975 – First woman nominated for an Emmy Award in Sports Broadcasting for her color commentary on the Spalding International Mixed Doubles Championship.
1981 – Yale settled the Title IX discrimination filed by Judy Dixon, agreeing to provide full-time coaches for women athletes and upgrading budgets and salaries for women’s athletics.
1980s-90s – Provided sports commentary for NBC and PBS and was a guest commentator on ABC’s “Eye on Sport.” She was also a contributing writer for Sportswoman Magazine. In addition, Judy became the first woman to offer commentary for a professional sports team when she provided Team Tennis commentary.
1992-2017 – Joined the University of Massachusetts Amherst as the Head Tennis Coach. She coached the women’s and men’s tennis teams until the University ended the men’s program in 2001. She continued to coach the University of Massachusetts’ women’s tennis team until her retirement in 2017. Her record makes her the most winning coach in all of UMass’ history.
1996 – Founded the Women’s Tennis Camp, a summer weekend of tennis instruction for women taught by women coaches, held at the UMass tennis courts.
2006 – Honored by The Yale Club of New York City to commemorate the history of women’s tennis at the school.
2008 – Inducted into the Tennis Hall of Fame recognizing all she has given to the sport.
2011 – Awarded the A-10 Coach of the Year award for the fourth time.
2012-2017 – Under Judy Dixon’s coaching, the UMASS tennis team made it to the Atlantic 10 Championships three times. In her final season as coach in 2017, against the odds and in dramatic fashion, the team won the A-10!
2017-present – Following her retirement from UMass, Judy became involved with the summer tennis program Moving On Up for youth in Springfield, MA. She has led instruction, developed programming, and is on the board.
2017 – At the Super Senior World Individual Championships in Florida, Judy reached the quarter-finals in singles, and she and her partner Molly Hahn reached the finals in doubles, losing to the Australian team.
2018 – At the USTA National Women’s Clay Court Championships in Houston, Judy reached the semi-finals in singles and lost in a 3-set match in the doubles final with her partner Victory McEvoy.
September 2018 – Judy was part of the 4-person USA team that went to Croatia for the ITF World Super Senior Championships. She and her doubles partner Vicky McEvoy, along with singles players Tina Karwarsky and Wendy McColskey faced Canada, Britain, and finally Australia to win the Kitty Godfree Cup.

“Rebranding the bagel into a cultural phenomenon has been my proudest accomplishment.”

Adam Goldsberg '92

Founder and Chief Brand Officer of PopUp Bagels

Adam is the Founder and Chief Brand Officer of PopUp Bagels. During the COVID-19 summer of 2020, Adam Goldberg set off on a mission to redefine the traditional bagel experience. Driven by a lifelong passion for food and hospitality, Adam, a seasoned entrepreneur, started this home-based endeavor by “popping up” in restaurant kitchens. Through the power of social media and brand partnerships, Adam and his team quickly grew PopUp Bagels into a thriving business, drawing national attention with more than a dozen locations and many more planned. Using only the highest quality ingredients in his recipe, Adam set the standard that every PopUp Bagels customer enjoys a hot, fresh, and whole bagel experience that stands out from the rest.

“Explore the opportunities that are outside of the path of least resistance.”