Our Junior Board
The America SCORES New York (ASNY) Junior Board is comprised of a select group of forward-thinking
community leaders who support ASNY.
From fundraising to event planning, this group’s members play an active role in the progression of the organization.
Libby Thomas
Junior Board Chair
Capstone Investment Advisors
Libby works in Communications at Capstone Investment Advisors. She grew up in Cumberland, Maine, and currently lives on the Upper East Side.
‘Washed up’ collegiate athletes leave their comfortable bubbles on campus and enter the real world with giant holes in their hearts, trying to fill them with adult co-ed leagues, and I was certainly no exception. In getting involved with America SCORES and everything it gives to the kids – teachings of self-expression, introspection, and general harnessing of skills that stretch beyond the game – I’ve learned more about my own soccer career and myself retrospectively than I ever did in the moment.
A favorite line from a favorite poem: "Are you in earnest? Seize this very minute; / What you can do, or dream you can, begin it. / Boldness has genius, power, and magic in it." (Jean Anouilh)
A favorite soccer memory: "Winning my college’s first-ever conference championship!"
Libby joined the Junior Board in 2019 and is the Development and Communications Committee Chair.
Liam Connor
TPG
Liam is an Associate at TPG. He is originally from East Islip, NY and currently lives in the Lower East Side
"Soccer and education played a huge role in my formative years. For this reason, I’m incredibly grateful to be part of an organization that uses soccer and poetry as a tool to teach kids invaluable life skills."
A favorite line from a favorite poem: “Advice is a form of nostalgia. Dispensing it is a way of fishing the past from the disposal, wiping it off, painting over the ugly parts and recycling it for more than it's worth / But trust me on the sunscreen.” (Sunscreen by Mary Schmich)
A favorite soccer memory: "Being a part of the University of Scranton’s run to the quarterfinals of the 2012 DIII national championship tournament,"
Liam joined the Junior Board in 2018.
Nico Fedus
S&P Global
Nico grew up in Queens, New York and currently lives in Williamsburg. He works as a Project Manager at S&P Global.
“Soccer and helping others are both passions of mine, and seeing how SCORES inspires poet-athletes motivated me to become more involved. My first memory of SCORES was participation in the 2016 Summer Cup and since then I’ve had the opportunity to meet and volunteer with several inspiring and committed leaders. It is truly an honor to be a part of the Junior Board and I am very excited for the future of SCORES and its positive impact on local NYC communities.”
Favorite soccer memory: When playing for Queens-based club team BW Gottschee, I had the opportunity to play against the U17 US National Team in one of the college showcases. The game took place in the evening and there were hundreds of spectators which included other teams, college coaches and our friends and families. We were very nervous going into the match but managed to draw at 2-2. This was unforgettable experience for me.
Nico joined the Junior Board in 2021.
Mackenzie Peeble
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Lazard
Mackenzie is an associate at Lazard. She grew up in Nashville, TN and currently lives in the West Village.
"Mentors have played a momentous role in my professional and academic career thus far and I've come to understand the importance of having counsel in the most impressionable years of youth. America SCORES addresses an important intersection -- teamwork, through soccer, and academic discipline and creativity, through poetry. The ASNY team is dedicated and thoughtful in their approach, with a complete emphasis on our poet-athletes' experience. My hope is that I can pass down guidance that has been instrumental in my life and serve as a positive influence in the trajectory of our poet-athletes' development."
Mackenzie joined the Junior Board in 2021.
Michael Cheaney
Credit Suisse
Michael Cheaney is an Associate at Credit Suisse Asset Management. He moved to New York City from his hometown of Shelby, North Carolina to attend New York University, where he graduated in 2017.
“As an Eagle Scout and a former student-athlete, I recognize the importance of serving one’s community and having an outlet to express oneself, which is why I’m honored to be supporting America SCORES New York as a Junior Board member. Over the past couple of years, I’ve been working with ASNY and have witnessed firsthand the organization's positive effect on the students they work with.
My favorite part of playing soccer has been the relationships I’ve built over the past two decades. The lifelong connections I’ve made have been a meaningful part of my life. I am excited to partner with an organization that allows youth to develop the same bonds.”
Michael joined the Junior Board in 2023.
Jacob Erlichman
Blackstone
Jacob is an Associate at Blackstone. He is originally from the suburbs of Chicago and currently lives in Manhattan.
Jacob joined the Junior Board in 2023.
Bino Cerqueira
Blackstone
Bino Cerqueira is a Director at Blackstone in the Tactical Opportunities group focusing on portfolio management. As a first-generation Portuguese-American, he was born and raised in New Jersey where he started his soccer career at the age of 8 before going on to play for a youth team in Portugal and eventually Boston University’s Men’s Soccer team. Bino currently lives in NoHo.
“Soccer has been a burning passion of mine from a young age and played an integral role in molding me into the man I am today by teaching me invaluable life lessons about discipline, sacrifice, work ethic, communication, leadership, and teamwork. As I reflect on my younger years, I can only express gratitude for the opportunity I had to participate in team sports and develop such critical life skills. It’s a privilege to join an organization whose sole mission is to provide that same opportunity to the youth in our communities and foster an environment for growth and development.”
A favorite quote: “Yet in a turbulent world, there’s another set of cognitive skills that might matter more: the ability to rethink and unlearn.” - Adam Grant
Bino joined the Junior Board in 2023.
Caley Watnick
MUFG Investor Services
Caley Watnick is a Director at MUFG Investor Services in the Business Consulting Group. Prior to joining MUFG, Caley began her career at Credit Suisse where she sat on the Prime Brokerage Business Consulting team. Caley first became involved in ASNY when she ran the NYC marathon in 2022. Since then, Caley has become further engaged in ASNY programing and led the ASNY marathon team in 2023. Caley graduated from Oberlin College with a Bachelor of Arts in Economics and was a member of the Oberlin Women’s Varsity Soccer team. As a native New Yorker and public school graduate, ASNY’s mission is core to Caley’s roots and she is excited to join the Junior Board in 2024.
Kyle Dedrick
Odyssey Investment Partners
Kyle is an associate at Odyssey Investment Partners. He grew up in Wilton, Connecticut and currently lives in Chelsea.
"It has been a privilege working with the America SCORES Chicago team for the past two years and I’m thrilled to join the ASNY junior board. Soccer and education have played a huge role in my life, so I’m honored to have the opportunity to help children develop essential teamwork, perseverance, and communication skills through soccer and poetry. America SCORES has done a fantastic job of using the unique combination of these activities to give local youth the platform to grow, express themselves, and gain confidence both on and off the field.”
A favorite soccer memory: "Growing up in Connecticut, my brothers and I often went to watch UCONN men’s soccer games since they had one of the best D1 teams in the country. My favorite soccer memory was senior year of college when my younger brother and I were playing for Notre Dame and we beat UCONN in a thrilling overtime game in their sold-out stadium. Playing on that field alongside my brother with family and hometown friends watching, and beating the team I followed growing up was an experience I’ll never forget.”
Kyle joined the Junior Board in 2020 and is the Events and Fundraising Committee Chair.
Alex Goodman
Collectors
Alex is originally from Roslyn, NY and currently lives in Manhattan. He works in strategy & finance at Collectors and was formerly an investment banker on Houlihan Lokey’s M&A team.
“Often the beneficiary of good mentorship, I appreciate the importance of role modeling to the development of children and young adults. I'm excited to work alongside the America SCORES NY team!”
A favorite soccer memory: A long throw-in assist to my best friend during Homecoming Friday Night Lights.
Alex joined the Junior Board in 2021.
Yamini Panagari
Commure
Yamini is a User Experience Researcher at Commure, where she helps the company build human-centric products for doctors, nurses, and other healthcare stakeholders. She grew up in Northern Virginia, is a previous resident of Washington, D.C., and now lives in Hell’s Kitchen.
A favorite line from a favorite poem: “Nobody warned you / that the women whose feet / you cut from running / would give birth to / daughters with wings” (Questions for Ada by Ijeoma Umebinyuo)
Yamini joined the Junior Board in 2021.
Ryan Bertrando
Symphony Communications
Ryan is a business finance senior associate at Symphony and is originally from Lititz, Pennsylvania in Lancaster county. He moved to New York in 2016 and currently lives in the Financial District.
"I was first introduced to America SCORES through a mentor who was involved with the organization, and as a former player immediately appreciated the value SCORES provides. I got involved through SCORES Cup in NYC and Boston, and continued growing my connection with the organization through other events and tournaments. Soccer helped shape who I am today, through the discipline it taught, the role models and mentors it provided, and the friendships made along the way. I am thrilled to be a part of an organization that can give those things back to others."
A favorite soccer memory: "Organizing and playing in a 3v3 soccer tournament in my hometown, with the proceeds and collected equipment going to a Haitian school. There have been many fond memories competitively, but nothing tops playing with your best friends in the spirit of helping others get the opportunity to experience the game."
Ryan joined the Junior Board in 2021.
Giuliana LaGumina
Deutsche Bank
Giuliana works as a vice president at Deutsche Bank where she specializes in clean energy lending. She grew up in Westchester, NY and now lives on the Upper West Side.
“As a former soccer player I know how impactful soccer can be when growing up. It shows you how to be a team player; it teaches you discipline; it teaches you fair play; and it teaches you how to cope with disappointment. When I first became involved with America SCORES in 2019, I connected with the mission for young people in NY to learn through the power of poetry and soccer. It is so important to support local youth in New York. When I first participated in the SCORES Cup , I heard from some of the youth who participated in the SCORES programming. The powerful words of poetry showed me how important ASNY was to these poet-athletes and I am very excited for the future of America SCORES New York!”
A favorite soccer memory: I was playing in the state cup semi-finals in the pouring rain. We were tied 0-0 and likely going to penalties. We were given a free kick around the half line and I was going to take it. I saw the keeper out of position and I took a chance at shooting on goal. The ball skipped right past the keeper and that goal took us to the finals. There is nothing quite like a rain celebration in the final minutes of play.
A favorite line from a poem is: "if you were born with the weakness to fall you were born with the strength to rise” - Rupi Kaur ("Milk and Honey")
Giuliana joined the Junior Board in 2023.
Harrison Brenner
Avista Capital Partners
Harrison is a Senior Associate at Avista Capital Partners. He grew up in Hewlett, New York and currently lives in Manhattan.
“Soccer and education have cultivated me with lifelong friends, understanding of teamwork, and important leadership skills that I apply to my everyday life. America SCORES New York provides youth with those same opportunities and I am excited to join the junior board to help continue driving positive change in the community.”
A favorite soccer memory: My role as captain of Hewlett High School’s Varsity soccer team and leading the team to win the conference!
Harrison joined the Junior Board in 2024.
Desmond Curran
Desmond is a consultant whose work has focused on risk management and regulatory compliance in financial services. He currently lives in Alphabet City, but originally grew up in northern Virginia and spent some time in Washington DC before moving to New York.
He was first introduced to America SCORES by playing in the SCORES Cup with DC SCORES. He has always felt a strong sense of the importance of giving back to his community, which when coupled with his passion for soccer is what drew him to ASNY.
Desmond played for the Vassar College Men’s Soccer team, and his favorite soccer memory is a tie between Christmas caroling with his teammates every offseason at senior living facilities and his teammate winning the Liberty League championship in the final five seconds with a panenka penalty.