Honorees
2023 Most Distinguished Alumnus
Patrick (Pat) Walsh '90
Managing Partner and Chief Executive Officer
Withum
Pat sits as Withum’s Managing Partner and Chief Executive Officer, leading one of the country’s top 25 advisory, accounting and tax firms. He holds his MBA and is a licensed, certified public accountant with over 30 years of professional experience.
Pat served on the Firm’s Management Committee for six years, leading up to his role as Managing Partner. Pat has led numerous firm-wide strategic initiatives around best practices, client experience and technology. He led the Firm’s National Tax Practice strategy for five years and oversaw the Corporate Tax Services Practice. Pat is also the executive sponsor for Withum’s expansion overseas in opening and growing its India office. He is actively involved in the Firm’s alliance with HLB International, a global network of independent advisory and accounting firms.
Pat is an experienced tax executive and corporate tax specialist advising clients in numerous industries and as an “in-house” senior tax executive. He also specializes in all aspects of corporate taxation advising global organizations on tax strategy and structuring. Pat is passionate about assisting those in at-risk communities and underserved youth. He firmly believes in paying it forward and giving more than you receive. He is a Trustee of the Boys and Girls Club, in his hometown of Newark, NJ. Pat also is a member of the Leadership Council for Habitat for Humanity of Morris, Greater Plainfield and Middlesex Counties.
Pat received a B.S. in Accounting from Seton Hall in 1990 and his M.B.A. with a concentration in Finance and Tax at NYU Stern School of Business. Pat established the Edward Walsh ’87 Endowed Scholarship Fund to honor the memory of his brother, Edward Walsh ’87. The scholarship provides awards to undergraduate students who are (1) academically capable, (2) demonstrate academic potential; and/or (3) financial need; and (4) embody some of the same qualities of Edward Walsh.
Pat resides in Spring Lake, NJ with his wife, Kelly and his two children, Sean and Shannon.
Past Honorees
2021 Most Distinguished Alumnus
Dr. Sampson Davis '95
2020 Most Distinguished Alumna
Catherine Alicia Georges '65
Meet Our Emcee
John Fanta ’17
Member, Alumni Board of Directors
Commentator, Host and Reporter, FOX Sports and the BIG EAST Digital Network
John Fanta has covered a wide variety of events as the voice of the BIG EAST Conference since 2017, from the conference's legendary tournament at Madison Square Garden to multiple NCAA Tournament Final Fours. A 2017 Seton Hall School of Communication and the Arts graduate, Fanta earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in journalism. While at The Hall, Fanta, a native of Cleveland, OH, felt truly at home and made his mark in coverage of Pirate Athletics. As the voice of the Pirate Sports Network, a fixture on 89.5 FM WSOU and a contributor to The Setonian and Pirate Television, Fanta was seen and heard covering Seton Hall sports teams and traveled over half the country covering teams throughout his four years. Because of his work, he became the first non-student athlete to receive the Seton Hall Most Valuable Pirate Award, typically given to a student-athlete who had gone above and beyond in their respective sport. Today, Fanta calls Hoboken, NJ home. He can still be seen at Seton Hall Basketball games covering the latest across BIG EAST Hoops and The Hall. His work has also been seen on ESPN's family of networks, NBA TV and more.