May 8, 2015
Geralyn M. Presti, the general counsel, executive vice president, and secretary for Forest City Enterprises, Inc., will deliver the commencement address for Ursuline College on May 15, at the Wolstein Center at 7:00 pm. The College will be awarding 397 students bachelor and master’s degrees.
Ursuline College’s graduates are a diverse group, hailing from eight countries (Brazil, China, Iran, Nigeria, Spain, Ukraine, Zimbabwe, and the US) and have a large range of ages, from the traditional college student all the way to Vivian Miller, graduating with a bachelor’s degree in Management Information Systems at the age of 73. Additionally, Linda Tabler is graduating with a Master’s of Science in Nursing at the age of 66.
Additionally, student-athletes from seven of the College’s 11 sports are graduating this year. These distinguished athletes helped bring Ursuline College its first three Great Midwest Athletic Conference championships. Included in this group of graduating student-athletes are one All-American, a three-time G-MAC Athlete of the Year, two all-region performers and a combined 13 G-MAC selections. In addition, the record holders in 13 track and field events, the soccer program’s all-time leading scorer, and the basketball team’s career leader in assists are graduating. The recipient of the 2013-2014 G-MAC Scholar-Athlete of the Year Award (Natalie Huggins, softball) is also graduating.
Presti graduated from Ohio University with a Bachelor of Music degree, where she majored in Music Therapy. Presti continued on to receive the joint Master of Social Science Administration and Juris Doctor program degrees from the Case Western Reserve University Mandel School of Applied Social Sciences and the School of Law, respectively.
Geralyn M. Presti
Presti has been with Forest City Enterprises, Inc. for 25 years, and she is also the executive sponsor of the company’s associate resource group for women, WE LEAD. She is a board member of several non-profits, including Sisters of Charity, Business Volunteers Unlimited, Apollo’s Fire Ambassador Council and The Music Settlement.
Presti has also been the recipient of several awards and accolades, including being named a YWCA Woman of Achievement. Professionally, she has received the St. Thomas More Award from the Lawyer’s Guild of the Catholic Diocese of Cleveland and The Centennial Medal from Case Western Reserve University Law School. Presti has also been named one of the Top Attorneys of Cleveland.
On a personal note, Presti is married to John R. Sedor, M.D., MetroHealth Research Endowment Professor, Kidney Disease Research Center, and they have two sons, Jonathan and Geoffrey.
