Michael S. Geltzeiler and his wife, Rosann F. Geltzeiler, recently made a $1.5 million commitment to establish the Michael S. ’80 and Rosann F. Geltzeiler Trading Center Support Fund for the Alfred Lerner College of Business and Economics.
In recognition of the Geltzeilers’ commitment, the trading center, located in Purnell Hall, will be renamed the Michael and Rosann Geltzeiler Trading Center this spring.
The Geltzeilers’ gift will reinforce the center’s mission to offer students access to real-time, practical professional industry applications, and faculty the use of high-tech teaching tools that expose students to financial software that may be applied to live, professional applications across the financial markets, a release stated.
UD President Dennis Assanis said, “The Geltzeilers’ support of the University and the Lerner College will not only reinforce experiential learning opportunities for our students, but will elevate the University’s offerings to future Blue Hens who will continue to make great impact on the financial industry. I am hopeful the Geltzeilers’ gift will inspire others to advance UD in a similar manner.”
In addition to this recent gift, the Geltzeilers have provided financial support to the University for nearly 30 years, including the Michael and Rosann Geltzeiler Scholarship, established in 2011 to support Lerner College students from New York City who demonstrate high financial need.
“As an alumnus, I’ve always held the Lerner College near and dear to my heart,” said Michael Geltzeiler. “Given my former role at the New York Stock Exchange, I’ve seen what it takes to be prepared for the rigors of a career in financial services – and we wanted to provide resources to enhance the hands-on learning experiences necessary for UD students to succeed. Rosann and I could not think of a better way to do this than to support the programs that take place in the trading center.”
The Michael and Rosann Geltzeiler Trading Center will reach thousands of students who benefit from the classes, workshops and advanced training in trading technology that take place each semester in the Center.
Bruce Weber, dean of the Lerner College, said the Geltzeilers’ gift is a true inspiration. “We are all so grateful for the support the Geltzeilers have provided the Lerner College over the years and could not be more appreciative of their latest gift to the trading center. Not only will it ensure our students graduate with truly relevant exposure to the industry, but it will strengthen the reputation of our college tremendously.”
UD alumnus Michael S. Geltzeiler retired from ADT in July 2016 as senior vice president and chief financial officer. He has more than 30 years of financial leadership and investor relations expertise which includes being the CFO of NYSE Euronext and Readers Digest, as well as holding senior finance positions at Nielsen and Dun and Bradstreet.
Geltzeiler has served as a member of the University’s Board of Trustees for the past five years.
Rosann F. Geltzeiler is a psychotherapist at the Washington Square Institute in New York City, a nonprofit treatment center devoted to education, research and advancement of psychoanalytic thought and practice.
She received her master of social work degree from the New York University Silver School of Social Work and a bachelor of business administration degree in accounting from Iona College.
