On April 1, 2008, one of Mercy College's most esteemed alumni, Julio Garcia of the Class of 1987, was honored at the 27th Annual Trustees' Dinner at the Pierre Hotel in New York City. Julio, who earned a bachelor's degree in accounting from Mercy and is a Partner and the Chief Financial Officer of Perella Weinberg Partners, was honored for his distinguished 20-year career in the financial services industry and practice of giving back to the community.

Over 350 people attended the event, including many members of the Garcia family (including Julio's wife, Elisa, from the Class of 1989), Julio's colleagues and associates, and numerous members of the extended Mercy College family. Joseph R. Perella, Chairman and CEO of Perella Weinberg Partners; William H. Donaldson, 27th Chairman of the U.S. Securities & Exchange Commission; and Richard L. Schecter, Partner, Ernst & Young served as the event's honorary co-chairmen. CNN Anchor Soledad O'Brien, HD '06, was the evening's mistress of ceremonies.

Those in attendance enjoyed a festive evening including a silent auction, live music, dancing, and a spirited scholarship challenge. Mercy student Carrissa Benitez '09 delivered a rousing performance of the National Anthem.

After being presented with the Trustees' Medal, Julio gave a humorous and inspirational speech during which he stated,

"I am standing here tonight because of the Mercy College scholarship program. I am thankful to everyone here tonight for supporting this event and helping students who may not otherwise have a chance to earn a degree." To read the entire transcript of Julio's speech, click here.

The event was a tremendous success, raising nearly $500,000. Proceeds support Mercy's mission of providing a broad range of students with access to higher education. Mercy College is very grateful for the generous support of all who participated.

We hope you enjoy the 27th Annual Trustees' Dinner photo album!

About Julio Garcia '87

Mr. Garcia is a Partner and Chief Financial Officer at Perella Weinberg Partners.

Prior to joining Perella Weinberg Partners, Mr. Garcia was a Partner and Chief Financial Officer at FrontPoint Partners LLC, an alternative asset management firm. Mr. Garcia actively participated in the execution of FrontPoint's growth of $100 million in assets under management to over $6 billion in less than a four year period. Prior to his experience at FrontPoint, Mr. Garcia was Director of Finance at Credit Suisse Asset Management (CSAM/DLJ) responsible for the accounting, reporting, and administration for over 60 investment partnerships with over $6 billion in assets under management. Mr. Garcia was also a Vice President in DLJ Merchant Banking's Controllers' Group, responsible for the accounting and reporting of the private equity and private equity fund-of-funds business. Previously in his career, Mr. Garcia held finance positions at Chancellor LGT Asset Management and was an audit manager with Ernst & Young.

Mr. Garcia received a Bachelor of Science in Accounting from Mercy College and is a Certified Public Accountant.