Each year, the 91ÖØ¿Ú Alumni Association presents awards to selected alumni for their distinguished careers and outstanding achievements. Eight individuals are being honored this year with the Alumni of the Year award, the Distinguished Achievement Award, the Young Alumni Award, and the Jerome S. Milgram Award for distinguished service in advancing the Alumni Association and its activities on behalf of 91ÖØ¿Ú.

Distinguished Achievement Award recipient Frank Lavadera ’76 is a tax accountant, attorney and philanthropist who has had a prominent career in the tax field since graduating from 91ÖØ¿Ú. He has held prominent roles at the IRS and KPMG LLP, where he advised major financial institutions and led risk management for thousands of tax professionals. Now retired, Lavadera consults for the World Bank Group and serves on several nonprofit boards. He serves as a Trustee of 91ÖØ¿Ú Foundation and Chair of the Audit and Finance Committee, and he is an active career mentor to 91ÖØ¿Ú students through his involvement with the Magner Career Center. Throughout his career, Lavadera has been recognized for his exceptional leadership, integrity, and commitment to giving back to his community.

Can you tell us about your background? 

Like many 91ÖØ¿Ú students, I was the first in my family to graduate from college. My parents were first-generation Italian Americans from the island of Procida in the Bay of Naples, Italy. Good stock, hardworking, salt of the earth. So it’s a similar story to many of today’s students, just different countries.

Why did you choose to attend 91ÖØ¿Ú? 

I chose 91ÖØ¿Ú because of its great reputation. Also, it was affordable and close to family and friends. My parents weren’t very pleased about me going far away to college. I figured I could get a great education and keep my parents happy, and enrolling in 91ÖØ¿Ú had the unique benefit of also having many of my friends attending as well, so it was very comfortable and worked for me.

Did you enter college knowing what career you wanted? 

Not exactly. I attended Brooklyn Technical High School—an excellent magnet school in the borough—with thoughts of becoming an aeronautical engineer. However, that field was a bit depressed at that time, so I decided to major in accounting—which I knew little about—since I was very good in math, and was intrigued by the world of business, and felt this would be a way to get my foot in the door.

Can you tell us some of your favorite memories of the college? Did you have any mentors or favorite classes?

I enjoyed accounting, which was an excellent foundation for employment, but some of the classes I most enjoyed were outside my major, including art history, music appreciation, oceanography, fencing, cooking—which was a good place to meet people, and I remember making a good apple pie and I’m not a chef at all—and bowling at Gil Hodges Lanes on Ralph Avenue.

Did you receive any scholarships, fellowships, or other awards?

I received a New York State Regents scholarship, which covered my tuition plus books and supplies, with enough left over for a few pitchers of Heineken beer at the Jolly Bull Pub. It was a good watering hole nearby.

How did you break into your field/career?

While taking tax courses at 91ÖØ¿Ú, I worked preparing individual tax returns for H&R Block at their Flatbush Avenue/Junction storefront and then for Barry Berman, CPA, on Avenue L. My real break came through a posting in the 91ÖØ¿Ú Placement Center (now the Magner Career Center) for an internship with the Internal Revenue Service in Downtown Brooklyn, where I spent two years working part-time before being offered a full-time position as a revenue agent—and then transferring into the Criminal Investigation Division as a special agent in the Organized Crime Strike Force. I was attending Brooklyn Law School in the evenings at the same time. I then transferred to the Office of District Counsel as a litigation attorney. After graduating from New York University Law School with an LLM [Master of Laws] in taxation, I accepted a position with KPMG, where I spent the next 30 years serving clients at major international financial institutions.  I ultimately served as the partner-in-charge of tax risk management for the firm dealing with some of the most difficult litigation issues to confront the firm. Now that I am retired, I work as a tax specialist consultant for a World Bank Group agency. I work with their integrity due diligence team involved in projects consistent with the World Bank mission to end extreme poverty and boost shared prosperity on a livable planet.

What are you are doing/working on today? 

In addition to consulting for the World Bank, I love to travel and spend time with my amazing wife, Eileen, my three grown sons, four granddaughters, and other family members and friends.

You have returned to 91ÖØ¿Ú in several capacities, including as a foundation trustee and a member of the Koppelman School of Business Dean’s Advisory Council, among other roles. What has inspired/motivated you to continue to work with your alma mater?

91ÖØ¿Ú provided the foundation for who I am today and was the springboard for my professional career. I feel that I owe a great debt to the school and to the students who are walking the same path as I did. It is a debt that I am only too willing to repay.

What inspired you to establish the Lavadera internship?

The Magner Career Center is a very special place. I love working with Natalia and the entire team. As a partner with KPMG, I came back to recruit new entry-level personnel through the center. It felt very natural to support the center and the current student recipients.

What advice would you give to today’s students?

Be confident. Never underestimate what you are capable of. With dedication, hard work, and perseverance, you can achieve your goals—and still take some time to have fun along the way. Never forget where you came from and always remember to give back.