Matt Frankel, Bradford Hart, and Michelle McQuigge Join Board of Morristown-based Guide Dog School
Morristown, N.J. – The Seeing Eye Board of Trustees has elected Michael H. Mittelman, OD, MPH, MBA, Rear Admiral, USN (Ret.), of Horsham, Pa., to serve as Chair during its December 2024 meeting. Mittelman, who joined the Board in 2017, succeeds Cynthia Bryant, who had served on the Board since 2011.
“I am deeply honored to serve as the Chair of The Seeing Eye Board of Trustees, an organization whose mission empowers individuals to lead independent, fulfilling lives,” Mittelman said. “I look forward to working alongside our new President & CEO Karen Leies, my fellow trustees, the dedicated Seeing Eye team, and our extraordinary community, to continue building on our legacy of excellence and innovation.”
Mittelman is the president of Salus University in Elkins Park, Pa. After graduating from the Pennsylvania College of Optometry in 1980, he began his career as a U.S. Navy optometrist eventually retiring as a Rear Admiral (Upper Half). Prior to joining Salus University, he served as Deputy Surgeon General of the Navy.
A native of Long Island, N.Y., Mittelman holds a bachelor’s degree from Jacksonville University, a master’s degree in public health from the University of Alabama at Birmingham and an MBA from the Fox School of Business at Temple University. He also completed the Naval War College non-resident program. He currently resides in Pennsylvania with his wife.
In addition to Mittelman’s appointment, the Board also elected CEO Karen Leies as President; David Hertz, Karen Keninger, and Catherine Kiernan, Esq., as Vice Chairs; OhSang Kwon as Treasurer; and Ira H. Fuchs as Secretary.
“The Seeing Eye impacts my life every day,” said Keninger.” With Dave, my eighth Seeing Eye dog, at my side, I have the independence, the freedom, and the comfort to go where I want, when I want. There’s no real way to measure the value of that freedom, but I am honored to serve as Vice Chair of the Board of Trustees and to help guide this prestigious and life-changing organization as we move ever forward.”
Following the Board election, three new Trustees were welcomed:
Matt Frankel retired in 2014 from AIG as the President of the Warranty Division after a 40-year career specializing in consumer electronics and insurance. He volunteers for Score, a Small Business Association affiliate, and has a consulting business in the warranty arena. He and his wife Jeri-Ann, a long-time volunteer of The Seeing Eye, live in Morristown, N.J.
Bradford Hart recently retired from his second career as a high school teacher at the Millbrook School in Millbrook N.Y. Prior to that, he was an investment banker for 25 years, primarily at Morgan Stanley where he worked in originating and structuring debt transactions. Hart lives in Greenwich, Conn., with his wife, Susan, and their golden retriever, Eloise.
Michelle McQuigge is a journalist with The Canadian Press, currently in the role of Weekend and Special Projects Editor for Canada’s national wire service. McQuigge has spent nearly a decade on the board of The Seeing Eye Organization in Canada and currently serves as its Chair. She is a three-time graduate of The Seeing Eye. McQuigge lives in Toronto, Ontario with her Seeing Eye dog, a black Lab named Lucy.
The Board of Trustees also expressed its gratitude to departing trustees Cynthia Bryant, Karon C. Bales T.E.P., C.S., and Michael B. McKitish for their many years of service and dedication to the organization. The Honorable Thomas Kean, who first joined the Board in 2013, was appointed as Honorary Trustee.
Established in 1929, The Seeing Eye provides specially bred and trained dogs to guide people who are blind or low vision. Seeing Eye dog handlers experience greatly enhanced mobility and independence, allowing them to retain their active lifestyles. The Seeing Eye is a 501(c)3 non-profit supported by contributions from individuals, corporations and foundations, bequests, and other planned gifts. The Seeing Eye does not receive government or insurance funding.
The Seeing Eye is a trademarked name and can only be used to describe the dogs bred and trained at the school’s facilities in Morristown, N.J. If you would like more information on The Seeing Eye, please visit the website at www.SeeingEye.org, call (973) 539-4425, or email info@seeingeye.org.
