Board of Directors

Rob Yaffa is Co-President of My Money Workshop. Mr. Yaffa is the President of RDY Advisors, LLC, which is a real estate investments and advisory firm. He has over 29 years of experience in advising companies and organizations with their real estate, specifically tenant representation, space disposition and strategic planning around the world in both the private and public sectors. Additionally, Mr. Yaffa was recognized by the Real Estate Board of New York’s distinguished “Most Ingenious Deal of the Year” award for the relocation of the U.S. Customs Service to 266,327 square feet following the destruction of its headquarters in the September 11, 2001 attacks. Mr. Yaffa co-founded Brookside Properties, Inc., a real estate investment management company.

He currently serves on the Development Committee at the Dwight Englewood School. In 2015 Mr. Yaffa was appointed as Chair of Hospital for Special Surgery’s (HSS) Board of Advisors, on which he has served for nine years, and in this role serves on the HSS Board of Trustees. He also serves on the HSS Finance Committee and is also a member of the Board of Medical Indemnity Assurance Company. In 2016 Mr. Yaffa completed the David Rockefeller Fellows Program, a Partnership for New York City leadership program which brings together participants and key leaders to collaborate on issues in the private, public and not-for-profit sectors of New York City.

Mr. Yaffa graduated from Muhlenberg College with a Bachelor of Arts in History and Government and currently resides in Manhattan with his daughter Caroline.

Robert Yaffa
Co-President

Rich Yaffa is a global marketing and media industry leader with over 25 years of experience in the media, sports, entertainment, content, new technology and cause marketing arenas. Rich brings a distinct perspective to building businesses and enterprise value through his unique experience in the convergence of content, media and brands, often finding solutions, partnerships and results where others may not have considered it. Rich has represented or negotiated over $5 Billion in content, sponsorships or partnerships on behalf of clients and created business opportunities in excess of $7 Billion through these deals. He is currently the Global Chief Executive Officer of Spring Studios, a global communications firm specializing in Creative Marketing and Communications with offices in New York, London and Milan. Spring is a leader in developing unique business models for media, content, e-commerce, marketing and communications.

Rich received his Masters in Business Administration from New York University’s Stern School of Business and is a graduate of Franklin and Marshall College. He currently lives in New York with his wife, Cathy and two children Jessica and Douglas.

Rich’s Defining Career Moments (Some serious and some just fun):

  • Always making and reaching our financial goals – Never missed a year
  • Relationships – Collaborating and developing meaningful relationships with Clients, Colleagues and Staff
  • Building Great Teams – Identifying talent, mentoring my staff and seeing them go onto great success at my company and other organizations
  • Developing the initial measurement model for The Leverage Group, which became an industry standard
  • Selling the Leverage Group to WPP/GroupM and Starting GroupM ESP and successfully integrating and managing 7 companies within GroupM
  • Recognized and honored for innovative marketing strategies, implementation and reaching financial goals.
  • Securing the American Express Founding Sponsorship deal for the Tribeca Film Festival, insuring that the Festival would occur, 12 hours prior to the deadline.
  • Did good and did good business – Developing the St. Jude Thanks and Giving Day Branding and Fundraising Campaign with Marlo Thomas, Partnership with Genworth Financial and Andre Agassi’s Academy and many other campaigns that had social impact.
  • Winning our First Brand Marketing Awards at The Leverage Group for our Campaigns (We ended up winning 6 that year)
  • Meeting Bruce Springsteen at the listening session for Human Touch and Lucky Town in New Orleans – then working on those projects
  • Securing first deal ever for the Leverage Group between Givenchy and Hollywood Records
  • Completing my MBA while working full time at Columbia Records
  • Responsible for securing the first Naming Rights deal for a NASCAR Team
  • Securing Citi as a client, creating the global marketing program for “Let’s Get it Done” and sitting at Citi Field for the first game at the new stadium
  • Starting in the mailroom at CBS Records Branch
Richard Yaffa
Co-President

Eric Ribachonek joined the Board of Directors for My Money Workshop in 2017. He enjoys topics on financial literacy and is excited to be part of the growth of My Money Workshop and its mission of helping others making smart financial decisions.

He currently is a manager at UHY. UHY is one of the top professional services firms in the US, and UHY International is one of the largest accounting networks in the world.

Eric received his Masters in Business Administration from Clarkson University and a Bachelor of Science in Accounting from the State University of New York at Brockport. He is a Certified Public Accountant in the State of New York.

 
Eric Ribachonek
Treasurer
Board Member headshot

Celene Menschel joined the Board of Directs for My Money Workshop in September 2018. Celene is Vice President of Operations at Max My interest, an intelligent cash management solution that helps users maximize yield and FDIC insurance coverage. Celene is also on the board of Trustees at Nightingale-Bamford and the Board of Advisors at Hospital for Special Surgery. Celene graduated cum laude from Harvard College and has an MBA from Harvard Business School.

Celene Menschel
Secretary

Jay Canell is a Managing Director and Financial Advisor at J.P. Morgan Securities, a wealth management division of J.P. Morgan. Prior to joining the firm, he was a Managing Director and Chairman’s Council member at Morgan Stanley. Jay is experienced in all equity investments with areas of focus which include portfolio analysis, structured products and mutual fund diversification. Additionally, Jay provides credit access to The Canell Group clients through lending, mortgages, debt refinancing, HELOCs and other credit line strategies. He coordinates and manages our referral relationships with various trusted advisors, such as attorneys, sports agents, entertainment industry executives and CPAs.
Jay joined J.P. Morgan Securities in 2017 to offer his clients the boutique advisory environment and distinctive services available at the firm. He leverages the wide breadth of J.P. Morgan’s industry-leading resources to help his clients pursue their individualized financial goals. Jay received his B.A. from Lehigh University in 1989 and is Series 7, 31 and 63 registered. Jay resides in Scarsdale, NY with his wife Sari and their two children, Hayley and Dylan. He is currently a founding Board Member of S.C.O.P.E., a nonprofit organization that sends less fortunate children to summer camp. He serves as a Board Member of The Riley Sandler Foundation, The Pediatric Cancer Foundation, My Money Workshop, The Athletes vs. Crohn’s & Colitis Organization and is a member of the Board of Governors and the current Membership Chairman of Willow Ridge Country Club.

Jay Canell
Doug Apluche

Doug is an investor in and advisor to early stage companies, with a particular interest in the healthcare and technology sectors.  His advice encompasses a broad range of strategic, operational, and financial matters and he regularly acts as a mentor to startup company founders and other young professionals. Prior to retiring in 2008 to devote full time to these activities, Doug served as President & Chief Operating Officer of Synapse Group, Inc. (a wholly-owned subsidiary of Time Warner), where he was responsible for managing the day-to-day business operations of the company with approximately $400 million in revenues and a 300+ person workforce.

Doug is a graduate of Pace University, where he received an B.B.A. in Public Accounting, Magna Cum Laude.

Doug is a former Treasurer and Board Member of the American Diabetes Association and currently serves on the board of 914Cares in Westchester.

Doug Alpuche

In 2004 June Jaffee became Executive Director of the Muriel F. Siebert Foundation, an organization whose top priority is financial literacy. Prior to joining the Muriel F. Siebert Foundation, Ms. Jaffee held various public relations positions at several international companies, including 15 years at Revlon International.

Ms. Jaffee is a native Californian who graduated with honors from UCLA with a BA in Political Science. During her time there, she held the position of Vice President of the Associated Students of UCLA and later founded the UCLA Club of New York. Ms. Jaffee enjoys spending her time in New York City where she currently resides.

June Jaffee

Marc Jerome is president of Bronx-based Monroe College, a national leader in urban education that delivers some of the best outcomes in the country for first-generation students.

He has played an integral role in leading the College for more than two decades, serving as its Executive Vice President for 22 years prior to his elevation to President in January 2017.

President Jerome has dedicated his career to higher education. He leads the College’s many pioneering initiatives to improve college access, affordability, and outcomes. He works closely with the College’s Student Financial Services team to ensure the College offers effective programming to improve students’ financial literacy so that they can make better-informed decisions about money management and borrowing.

A recognized expert on the impact of higher education policy on urban and international students, he is proud to be a passionate advocate for students’ interests in Albany and Washington, DC.

President Jerome graduated magna cum laude from Tufts University with a degree in Political Science; he earned his juris doctor degree at the University of Pennsylvania Law School.

He and his wife, Helen, have three daughters.

Marc Jerome Photo small

Charlie is an operationally focused CMO and P&L leader with 25 plus years experience in data-driven marketing and strategic operations across media, financial services and direct marketing industries.  His focus is on bridging the gap between marketing, analytics and technology through a pragmatic yet leapfrog approach to capability design, growth, innovation, and organizational enrollment.

Charlie is also committed to helping the development of the communities in which he lives and works. He is currently on the boards of  three non-profit organizations: Marketing EDGE, MyMoneyWorkshop and the Seeger-Bartlett foundation.  He is also an active volunteer firefighter who is always looking for adventure, be it scuba diving, skiing, kayaking, or mountain biking with his wife and two daughters. Charlie holds a BSE from Princeton University and an MBA from Columbia Business School.

Charlie Swift

Mr. Yaffa has been managing director of Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher and Flom, LLP since 1980, where he continues as advisor to the Executive Partner.  Prior to joining Skadden, Mr. Yaffa was a partner at Arthur Young & Company, having been with the firm for 17 years. In addition to My Money Workshop, he is on the Board of JHF Foundation and on the finance committee of Northern Westchester Hospital.  He has his Master’s Degree from the Sloan School of Management, MIT and received an undergraduate degree in Mechanical Engineering from Tufts University.

Earle Yaffa

Marisol Katchadurian, Director of Program and Operations

Marisol Katchadurian is the Director of My Money Workshop. She oversees the day-to-day aspects of the not for profit organization including marketing, planning, curriculum and the execution of the many workshops that are conducted annually.

Marisol joined My Money Workshop in 2012 and was mentored by Dick Yaffa, the Founder of My Money Workshop.

Prior to My Money Workshop, Marisol worked in marketing and advertising at various firms including Saatchi & Saatchi/Conill Advertising and Iberia Airlines.

Marisol attended Saint Michael’s College in Colchester, Vermont and is fluent in Spanish.

Alyssa Munoz, Community Manager