Entrepreneur Hall of Fame Special Recognition Honorees

Karen E. Boroff, Ph.D., Professor and Dean Emeritus, Stillman School of Business

Karen Boroff served as dean of the Stillman School of Business for an unprecedented 10 years. In that time she focused on integrity, professionalism, innovation and excellence in leading the School to increased prominence. Just one example of this is the Stillman School's 2010 maintenance of accreditation from the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB International) and initial accreditation of its Accounting Department, placing the School among the most rigorous business programs in the world. Over the course of her tenure as dean, Boroff has committed to preparing tomorrow's business leaders to meet the challenges of the workplace. This commitment led to the development of several Centers for Academic Excellence, including the Center for Entrepreneurial Studies.

Boroff has supported the Center in all its endeavors, including the hiring of Susan Scherreik as founding director and supporting the hiring of faculty who are experts in entrepreneurial studies. In addition, she has supported the formation of a board of advisors, the building of a physical center, and the stewardship of donors to provide financial support in the form of scholarships and a venture funds.

Now that Boroff has returned to the School's management faculty, she continues to support The Center by educating its students.

Thomas A. Basilo, '71, CPA Chair, Center for Entrepreneurial Studies Advisory Board Partner, WithumSmith+Brown

Since his graduation from Seton Hall University in 1971 with a B.A. in accounting, Basilo has spent the bulk of his public accounting career serving entrepreneurs while maintaining an active role within the Seton Hall community. He has been honored by both Beta Alpha Psi as an Outstanding Alumnus and Beta Gamma Sigma as its 25th anniversary honoree. In 2004, Basilo helped create the entrepreneurial studies program and has served as an adjunct professor, teaching an introductory graduate school course on entrepreneurship since 2005. He is also chairman of the Board of Advisors to the Center for Entrepreneurial Studies.

In recognition of his contributions to the entrepreneurial community, Seton Hall University and the Stillman School of Business honored Basilo with the 2008 Many Are One Alumni Service Award.Tom has also received honors for his community service.

Basilo is a CPA in the states of New Jersey, New York and Connecticut and is currently a partner at WithumSmith+Brown and CEO of one of its divisions, WithumSmith+Brown Global Assurance.Basilo has written and spoken extensively on issues facing the middle market and has been interviewed on Fox Business News regarding the economic impact on small business.

Susan A. Scherreik, M.B.A. Founding Director, Center for Entrepreneurial Studies Susan Scherreik joined the Stillman School of Business at Seton Hall University in 2003 as the founding director of the Center for Entrepreneurial Studies and an instructor in the Department of Management. Under Scherreik's leadership, Seton Hall was named one of the 50 top MBA programs in entrepreneurship in 2008 by Women 3.0 magazine and has been listed in the Princeton Review/Entrepreneur Magazine ranking of national entrepreneurship programs. Scherreik has served as a judge in the Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year New Jersey contest for the past six years and she has been quoted in The Star-Ledger, NJ Biz magazine and NJEntrepreneur.com. She served as a member of the Board of Trustees of Community Blood Services in Paramus, N.J. from 2005-2008.

Previously, Scherreik was an editor at BusinessWeek magazine. She holds an M.B.A. in finance from Columbia University, where she was a Knight-Bagehot Fellow. Scherreik is a contributor to Writing About Business, The New Columbia Knight-Bagehot Guide to Economics and Business Journalism.