March 16, 2012
Standing in the Kelleher Center of the St. John’s Staten Island
campus, Hon. Alfred Cerullo III ’83NDC, ’86L couldn’t help but
smile.
Who
could blame him? He was back on his old stomping grounds, returning
to the campus he still calls home, this time fulfilling a new role:
panelist at the Alumni Insider’s View…Business Ethics
Program.
“I remember what it was like to be a student worried about the
future,” Cerullo noted. “Programs like these allow students to hear
the real-life stories of people who were once sitting in the
audience like them. So it’s my hope that the students will be
inspired by our stories and will learn the information they need to
set out on a road that leads to their own success.”
Cerullo, along with other alumni panelists, shared his insight with
today’s students, speaking about how to make ethical decisions in
business and how to conduct yourself the right way in the
professional world.
“This was a very focused and nuanced topic,” he explained, “and it
was great to see how engaged the students were. The kind of
questions they were asking really says a lot about their character.
They wanted to know what’s possible out there in the ‘real world,’
and with the economy being what it is, I’m so glad that the
panelists and I could provide some optimism for them.”
Cerullo’s fantastic insight was bolstered by his strong
professional background. He currently works as the President and
CEO of Grand Central Partnership, a not-for-profit business
improvement corporation that works to ensure that Midtown Manhattan
looks its best and functions as one of New York City’s most
exciting areas. He also works as City Planning Commissioner for
Mayor Bloomberg and has previously served as a City Councilman and
Consumer Affairs Commissioner under Mayor Giuliani’s
administration.
Cerullo is quick to point out that his career in public service can
be traced back to his time at St. John’s.
“When I look back on my time at the University, I am so grateful
for the opportunities it provided,” he said. “I was a member of the
President’s Society and was President of Student Government, Inc.
in ’82-’83. That absolutely prepared me for my career by forcing me
to see what it’s like to be a good person, a person of their word.
And Student Government taught me how to deal with large groups, how
to be effective with policy making, and it gave me my first
experiences working with bylaws.”
Despite being incredibly busy and active as a professional, Cerullo
has still found time to pursue his other passion: acting. The
nephew of Academy Award Nominee Patty McCormack, Cerullo is a
member of the Screen Actor’s Guild and has his own page on The Internet Movie
Database (IMDb). He has appeared in several daytime
dramas, theater productions and made-for-television movies.
“I was bitten by the acting bug at a young age,” Cerullo
recalled. “I was a proud member of the Staten Island stagers – the
St. John’s theater group – and that only increased my passion for
dramatic arts. So in my early 20s, I told myself that there was no
reason why I shouldn’t try my hand at an acting career, so I’ve
been very thankful to have had bosses and jobs that have permitted
me to pursue that dream.”
In recognition of his outstanding contributions to the St. John’s
community, the University bestowed Cerullo with the Alumni
Outstanding Achievement Award in 2008, the Pietas Medal in 1996 and
the President’s Medal in 1983.
He hopes to continue helping today’s students at Alumni Insider’s
View…Programs and making sure that tomorrow’s professionals are as
well equipped for their careers as he was.
“St. John’s changed my entire life, and I know it will change
today’s students as well,” Cerullo noted. “I met my best friends
while on the Staten Island campus and created a relationship with
the University that I love having. In fact, I can’t put it any
better than that: I love being an alumnus of St. John’s.”