Five graduates inducted into UConn School of Business Hall of Fame

Five UConn School of Business alumni who have excelled in fields as diverse as college basketball, power tool manufacturing and complex financial services will be inducted into the School of Business Hall of Fame this spring.

The school’s signature event, the Hall of Fame, begins April 26 at 6 p.m. at the Hartford Marriott Downtown. Tickets are $175 each. Black tie is optional for formal events. For more information or to make reservations, visit alumni.business.uconn.edu.

Dean John A. Elliott said this year’s inductees are not only impressive in their professional accomplishments, but also particularly committed to the business school.

“These outstanding graduates embody our history, hard work and tradition. They excel in a variety of industries and activities,” he says. “Their accomplishments are a reminder of the great foundation our business school provides for diverse endeavors.”

The Hall of Fame inductees are:

Antonietta “Toni” Boucher ’02 MBA He is a former Fortune 500 executive, co-founder of several startup companies, a leader who served 22 years in the state Legislature, and an avid philanthropist. Currently, Boucher is a first selectman for the city of Wilton and is currently writing four books.

Boucher earned an MBA in International Marketing from UConn in 2002. She is a former director of Commonfund, one of the nation’s leading nonprofit asset management firms. She has also held executive positions at Fortune 500 companies, spearheading new business development, managing multibillion-dollar budgets, and leading teams of hundreds of employees. She also co-founded several startup companies.

Mr. Boucher has dedicated 22 years of service to the Connecticut State Legislature, including 10 years as Deputy Leader of the Connecticut Senate. Her expertise includes tax policy, finance, transportation, and education.

A passionate philanthropist, Mr. Boucher made an $8 million gift to the UConn Business School and created the Boucher Department of Management and Entrepreneurship. The gift honors her late husband, Henry “Bud” Boucher, and reflects the couple’s passion for entrepreneurship, opportunity, and investing in the state’s economic growth. The Bouchers have also supported student scholarships and faculty fellowships at UConn.

In addition to his interests in business, government, and education, Boucher is also a strong supporter of research, technology, biological sciences, and conservation. She serves on the boards of numerous organizations in southwestern Connecticut.

Jamel Elliott ’96 (BUS), ’97 MS (EDU) was an assistant coach for the UConn women’s basketball team and helped lead the Huskies to five national championships.

A standout athlete during his collegiate years (1992-1996), Elliott helped build a UW basketball dynasty. As a junior, she was an integral part of the undefeated Huskies team that won the 1995 NCAA National Championship by defeating the Tennessee Lady Vols. She became the second player in school history to surpass the 1,000 point and 1,000 rebound milestones. Elliott never missed a game or practice throughout her four-year college basketball career.

Head coach Geno Auriemma said of his former player, “I’ve coached a lot of good players, but Jamel is the smartest and the toughest.” He was a basketball player, but made up for it with his strength, determination, and competitive spirit.

Elliott is a two-time Husky, earning a bachelor’s degree in business administration in 1996 and a master’s degree in sports management in 1997. She was an assistant coach at UConn for 12 seasons (1998-2009) and played a key role in the 2000 league game. She won team championships in 2002-2004 and 2009.

She then became the head coach at the University of Cincinnati, where she led the Bearcats women’s basketball team from 2009 to 2018, leading the team to the WNIT playoffs. Under her supervision, every student-athlete who qualified during her tenure earned her degree.

Additionally, Elliott also had the opportunity to work on coach Auriemma’s staff for the 2016 Olympic gold medal-winning U.S. women’s basketball team.

Elliott returned to UConn in 2018 as the National C Club’s associate athletic director. The club helps UConn student-athletes find coaching, internships, and jobs through the UConn Athlete Alumni Network. She returned to coaching in her 2020. “I’ve lived a life that other people only dream of,” she said.

Mary Jane Fortin ’86 (BUS) He is an experienced business leader who has held executive roles at some of the industry’s largest and most complex financial services companies.

Mr. Fortin served as President and Chief Commercial Officer of Thrivent, a Fortune 500 financial services company, where he was responsible for growing the organization’s insurance and wealth management businesses.

Prior to joining Thrivet, Mr. Fortin served as president of Allstate’s financial operations, where he led the company’s life, pension and benefits business, generating $6 billion in revenue. She served as a member of Allstate’s steering committee, and during her tenure she led the company’s $2 billion strategic acquisition. From 2006 until 2015, she held leadership positions at AIG and played a key role in the company’s restructuring efforts.

Fortin, who studied accounting, graduated with honors from the Graduate School of Business in 1986 with a bachelor’s degree in business. She received her MBA from the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania and is a certified public accountant.

Fortin is a member of the Dean’s Advisory Cabinet at the UConn School of Business. She has been active in financial industry organizations, including serving as vice chair of LL Global Inc. and as a board member of the American Council of Life Insurance Companies.

She serves on the boards of the United Way of Metro Chicago and Greater Houston, and also serves on the board of SEARCH, a Houston-based organization focused on ending homelessness.

Lee B. McChesney ’94 (bus) Executive Vice President and CFO of MSA Safety, a global leader in the development, manufacture and supply of safety products for people and facilities. MSA safety products combine and integrate electronics, mechanical systems, and advanced materials to protect against hazardous or life-threatening situations, often in the oil, gas, petrochemical, firefighting, construction, mining, and military sectors. Protect.

Mr. McChesney has held senior finance and business leadership positions at United Technologies and Stanley Black & Decker. He served as CFO of Stanley Black & Decker, a security and tools business unit that included the DeWalt, Stanley, Craftsman, and Black & Decker brands. He also played a key role in the merger of Stanley Works and Black & Decker and the acquisition of both the Craftsman and Newell tool businesses.

McChesney graduated magna cum laude from the Graduate School of Business in 1994, majoring in finance. He received the school’s Financial Excellence Achievement Award. He then earned his MBA at the University of Massachusetts.

He serves on the Business School Dean’s Advisory Cabinet and on the Central Maryland Junior Achievement Board. In the workplace, he has long been an advocate for undervalued employees.

Randy Schiller ’79 (BUS) is co-founder and managing partner of Siller & Cohen Family Wealth Advisors, a nationally recognized firm that manages more than $1 billion in investments and an additional $1 billion in life insurance.

Schiller graduated magna cum laude in 1979 with a bachelor’s degree in accounting and a minor in finance. He continued his education, earning a master’s degree in taxation from Pace University and completing the Financial Leadership Program at Harvard University. He is a certified public accountant and certified investment management analyst.

Mr. Schiller began his career at Coopers & Lybrand and Touche Ross before becoming Director of Tax Planning at CIGNA Individual Financial Services. There he met Jeff Cohen, who would become his business partner for decades.

Mr. Schiller also served as senior vice president of Lincoln Financial Advisors, where he was responsible for the New York metropolitan area and New Jersey region. Under his leadership, the regional organization grew its revenue and profitability in just three years, moving from the middle of the group to the top regional office.

Siller is a member of the Dean’s Advisory Cabinet at the UConn School of Business. He also serves on Hightower Advisors’ executive leadership committee. He recently chaired the Estate Planning Committee of the New York City Society of CPAs and has been featured in a best-selling financial advice book. Mr. Schiller is also a board member of the Community Health Care Network, where he has served for more than 10 years. He created a full scholarship to the Neag School of Education in honor of his father Bernard, who was his educator.