INFORMATION FOR
Alumni Greg Makowski ’81, founding partner and managing member of CFS Investment Advisory Services, LLC and Dawn Makowski ’80, president of AL Alexander Agency, an independent insurance agency; Bill Duffy, head of cataloging and metadata for the David and Lorraine Cheng Library at William Paterson University and a member of the William Paterson Foundation Board; and Valley Bank, a regional consumer and commercial bank, will be honored as the William Paterson University Foundation hosts its 34th Annual Legacy Award Gala on Thursday, April 24, 2025 at The Grove in Cedar Grove.
Tickets for the gala begin at $500; tables of 10 can be purchased for $5,000 and $10,000. Congratulatory ads are also available for purchase beginning at $250.
For ticket reservations, contact the office for special events at 973-720-2478 or visit wpunj.edu/legacy. Discounted tickets for current William Paterson faculty and staff members are available by selecting the faculty and staff ticket option.
The Makowskis will be honored as Distinguished Alumni, Duffy will be honored as Distinguished Faculty/Staff, and Valley Bank will be honored as Distinguished Organization. The awards recognize individuals and organizations that demonstrate leadership in the community and are dedicated to the success of students at William Paterson University.
The Legacy Award Gala is the Foundation’s largest event to raise funds to support the University’s mission of promoting student success and academic excellence through student scholarships. All proceeds from the Gala directly fund academic scholarships at William Paterson University, thereby directly affecting the lives of students—most of whom rely on scholarships to complete their education.
“This year’s honorees represent the diverse mix of alumni, faculty, and community partners who exemplify the Pioneer spirit of excellence and tradition of service,” says WP President Richard J. Helldobler. “We are grateful for their commitment to William Paterson and are excited for their participation in this very special event. Together, these honorees are the catalyst for the wonderful surge of support from so many from across the University community that the Gala generates and which will directly benefit our students as they build bright futures for themselves, their families, and their communities.”
“We’re grateful for the opportunity to highlight our loyal and supportive alumni, friends, faculty and corporate partners,” says Pam Ferguson, president of the William Paterson University Foundation and vice president for institutional advancement. “On behalf of the entire University community, I thank them for their partnership, leadership, and friendship — and for supporting our students.”
At left, top and bottom, are Greg and Dawn Makowski; at right is Bill Duffy.
About the Honorees
Greg Makowski ’81 is a founding partner and managing member of CFS Investment Advisory Services, LLC., in Totowa. A Registered Investment Advisor, he has been advising institutions, retirement plans, high net-worth individuals, and families for more than 40 years. CFS has received numerous industry accolades, including its selection by The Financial Times as one of the 300 Best Investment Advisors in the U.S. and by Plan Sponsor magazine in 2018 and 2020 as one of the Top 100 Retirement Plan Advisors in the U.S. Since 2017, CFS has been recognized as one of the Top Defined Contribution Advisory Firms by the National Association for Plan Advisors. Makowski has been recognized by Barron’s as one the of the top Best-In-State Wealth Advisors in the country for 10 years and by Forbes as a Best-in-State Wealth Advisor. He is a multi-year New Jersey Five Star Wealth Manager award winner. A featured speaker at national industry conferences on 401(k) and retirement plans, he is the co-author of Common Financial Sense, a number one Amazon bestselling book about simple strategies for successful 401(k) and 403(b) retirement plan investing. A graduate of William Paterson with a bachelor of arts degree in music, he is a Certified Financial Planner® professional and earned the Accredited Investment Fiduciary® designation. In addition, he is a member of the William Paterson University Cotsakos College of Business Advisory and Advancement Board and is a mentor in University’s Pesce Family Mentoring Institute.
Dawn Makowski ’80 is the president of AL Alexander Agency, an independent insurance agency located in Totowa. She joined her family’s insurance agency after graduating from William Paterson with a bachelor of arts degree in music, and became president of the Al Alexander Agency in 2000. In addition, she served as the PTO president at both George Washington Middle School and Wayne Valley High School in Wayne. She later served on the Wayne Board of Education for three and one-half years. Since 1978, she has served as the organist and music minister of her childhood parish, Our Lady of Pompei Church in Paterson, New Jersey. She loves to cook and entertain family and friends at her homes.
The Makowskis, who met on campus, have been donors to the University for more than two decades and both are members of the Heritage Society, which celebrates loyal donors who have given to William Paterson University for 20 or more years at any giving level. They reside in Wayne.
Bill Duffy is the head of cataloging and metadata for the David and Lorraine Cheng Library at William Paterson University. A member of the library staff since 1978, he has, over time, been in charge of online searching, bibliographic instruction and, for nearly 25 years, served as head of reference before assuming his current role in 2023. A member of the University’s Faculty Senate since 1984, Duffy currently serves as the Senate’s secretary, a position he has held dozens of times during the past four decades. He served as chair of the Senate from 2005 to 2007 and has also served as vice chair twice. His long record of service includes his involvement on countless University-wide committees, including current membership on the Academic Master Plan Committee and the Strategic Plan 2022-25 Decolonizing the University Working Group. He has been honored with the Faculty Senate Outstanding Service Award and the Provost’s Award for Excellence in Service. Duffy’s commitment to supporting the institution includes his service since 2003 as a member of the William Paterson University Foundation Board and its Scholarship Committee. In 2017, he established the annual Barbara Duffy Nursing Scholarship in honor of his wife, a pediatric nurse practitioner and a 1981 graduate of William Paterson. The Duffys are members of the Heritage Society, which celebrates loyal donors who have given to William Paterson for 20 or more years.
Valley Bank, the principal subsidiary of Valley National Bancorp, is a regional bank with $62 billion in assets and more than 200 consumer branches and commercial banking offices in communities across the United States. Founded in 1927 as the Passaic Park Trust Company, the company today has more than 3,800 employees across real estate, commercial and industrial, healthcare, nonprofit, government contracting, and more. The bank was recognized as one of America’s Best Regional Banks 2024 by Newsweek and Plant-A Insights Group, based on a survey of more than 35,000 individuals that included over 140,000 reviews of regional banks and credit unions. This marked the second year in a row that Valley was awarded this recognition. Valley has been a supporter of William Paterson University since 1989. Its involvement has included support for the Legacy Gala, Golf Outing, Continuing and Professional Education, and the Cotsakos College of Business, including scholarships and participation in the College’s COIN (Career Outlook and Industry Networking) Professional Enrichment Program. In 2020, under the leadership of president and CEO Ira Robbins, Valley pledged $1 million for the Valley Bank Endowed Scholarship at William Paterson University, which provides support in perpetuity for full-time undergraduate students. More than 50 William Paterson University alumni are Valley employees.
03/26/25
