Board & Staff

Our Board

Louis V. Gerstner, Jr., Chairman

Mr. Gerstner was chairman of the board of IBM Corporation from April 1993 until his retirement in December 2002. He served as chief executive officer of IBM from 1993 until March 2002.

Dr. Elizabeth Gerstner, Vice Chair, VP: Environment Programs

Dr. Gerstner is a clinical neuro-oncologist at the Mass General Cancer Center and Associate Professor of Neurology, Harvard Medical School. She obtained her bachelor’s degree in neuroscience from Brown University and pursued her medical degree at Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons, where she served as Chief Resident in Neurology while completing her residency training. Dr. Gerstner then attended Harvard Medical School to earn her Masters in Medical Science.

Dr. Gerstner is an NIH funded researcher and her research accomplishments have been recognized by a number of prestigious awards, including the Clinical Research Scholar, awarded by Massachusetts General Hospital Cancer Center and the Claflin Distinguished Scholar Award.

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our staff

Kara V. Klein, Executive Director

Ms. Klein is the Executive Director of the Gerstner Philanthropies. She joined the team in 2006 where she serves as President overseeing the investment portfolio, estate planning, and family office services. Prior to her work with the Gerstner family, she was a management consultant advising Fortune 500 financial companies on strategic sourcing and outsourcing projects.

Ms. Klein is a member of the Cornell University Council and the President's Council for Cornell Women. She serves on Cornell University Committee on Alumni Trustee Nominations.

She holds a B.A. from Cornell University in Economics and Government and an MBA from Columbia University where she graduated Beta Gamma Sigma.

Alice C. Goh, Program Director

Ms. Goh is the Program Director at Gerstner Philanthropies. She leads the foundation's grantmaking in Helping Hands, an emergency assistance program, and the environment. 

Previously, Ms. Goh was Senior Vice President at Sesame Workshop and co-head of the International Social Impact division, where she was responsible for country offices and project management. Before that, Ms. Goh was Director of the Office of the Executive Vice President at the Ford Foundation, where she worked closely with senior leadership to determine and execute the foundation’s strategic priorities and programs globally. Prior to that, Ms. Goh was the Vice President of Strategy and Administration at Teach For All, serving on the founding leadership team and was responsible for global finance, technology, and operations. Ms. Goh started her career at Goldman Sachs, where she worked in the New York and Hong Kong offices.

Ms. Goh serves on the Board of Trustees for the CUNY Graduate Center Foundation and is a member of the Board of Directors of LitWorld. She is also a member of the President’s Council for Cornell Women

Molly C. Gelinas, Program Officer

Ms. Gelinas is the Program Officer for Gerstner Philanthropies. She joined the Foundation as the Program Assistant in 2019 and was named Program Officer in 2022. As Program Officer, she manages and supports the development of the Foundation’s Education and Helping Hands programs. Prior to joining the Foundation, she provided high-level administrative support to for-profit companies for over seven years.

Outside of her professional work, she has coordinated with local social services agencies and a small group of dedicated volunteers for 10+ years to organize an annual holiday charity drive to support families in need.

She holds a B.A. from Stony Brook University.

Victoria Coker, Program Officer

Ms. Coker is a Program Officer at Gerstner Philanthropies, leading the foundation's grantmaking for the College portfolio of Helping Hands, an emergency assistance program. 

Previously, Ms. Coker served as Executive Director for the New York region of Bottom Line, an educational nonprofit partnering with degree-aspiring students from under-resourced communities to get into and through college. As Executive Director, Victoria oversaw the organization's programmatic impact and raised and sustained critical resources and partnerships to ensure the region's success. During her tenure at Bottom Line, she also served in a variety of other roles, including Managing Director of Programs and Director of Annual Giving. Ms. Coker has also worked as the Director of College Success for Let’s Get Ready and as a teacher in the Indianapolis Public School system through Teach for America. 

Ms. Coker holds a B.A. in psychology from Colgate University, an M.A. in Teaching from Marian University, and an M.P.A. from Baruch University. 

Lorie Stewart, Chief Financial Officer

Ms. Stewart is the Chief Financial Officer for Gerstner Philanthropies and the Gerstner family office, where she is responsible for all aspects of accounting, investment reporting, cash management and tax planning. Lorie joined the Gerstner team in 2018 with over 20 years’ experience in family office accounting and investment administration. Lorie holds a Bachelor of Science in Business from Skidmore College and is a Certified Public Accountant in the State of New York.

Kathy Dzuban, Executive Assistant to the Chairman

Ms. Dzuban is the Executive Assistant to the Chairman of the Gerstner family office. Kathy joined the Gerstner team in 2016 with over 30 years’ administrative experience in the executive office of the IBM Chairman and Chief Executive Officer. Before joining the team, Kathy held numerous positions within IBM.

Deb Caswell, Executive Administrative Assistant

Ms. Caswell is the Executive Administrative Assistant to the Mr. Gerstner. She began her career at IBM in 1984 and joined Mr. Gerstner in 1997 as his assistant and team lead of the IBM Executive Offices in New York City. She continued her career with Mr. Gerstner in his role as Chairman of The Carlyle Group from 2006-2016.

Michael V. Costa, Administrative Assistant

Mr. Costa is the Administrative Assistant for Gerstner Philanthropies, providing administrative support across the organization. He joined the Foundation team in 2022. Prior to joining the Foundation team, he provided administrative support to the NYS Department of Health. He holds a B.A. from Binghamton University.

Nicole Mondrus, Program Assistant

Ms. Mondrus is the Program Assistant for the Environment and Biomedical programs, providing program research and administrative support. Prior to joining Gerstner Philanthropies in 2024, she worked at Citadel. She holds a B.A. from Sarah Lawrence College.

Louis V. Gerstner, Jr. and Gerstner Philanthropies Team