Ronan Fitzgerald is a native of Castlebar. He has worked in marketing and communications since 2007, specializing in digital channels. Ronan arrived in New York in 2017 after ten years in the UK, where he worked across a range of industries including non-profits. He describes himself as a data-driven, audience-focused professional, and he is excited to bring that approach to the objectives of the County Mayo Foundation.

For the past 25 years, John has been assisting companies by providing managerial advice in the areas of strategy and alignment. Through business and financial planning, development of an effective marketing strategy and improving process through technology advances, John has been able to bring measurable impact to many organizations across multiple industries in several countries. His mother was Annie Josephine Igoe from Carnacon, Claremorris and his father is John Vincent Roche from Clogher, Claremorris. John attended Belcarra NS before moving back to America.

Dwayne McNicholas is a Vice President in the Commercial Real Estate Capital Markets Group at J.P. Morgan. Mr. McNicholas’ responsibilities include the creation and structuring of new issue Commercial Mortgage Backed Securities transactions in both a principal and agented capacity.

Mr. McNicholas joined J.P. Morgan in 2014. Prior to joining J.P. Morgan, Mr. McNicholas was responsible for rating new issue Commercial Mortgage Backed Securities transactions at Moody’s Investors Service. Prior to that, Mr. McNicholas spent more than 7 years at Allied Irish Bank holding several positions within the U.S. commercial real estate lending platform and structured products investment business.

Mr. McNicholas earned a Bachelor of Technology in Wood Science and Technology from University of Limerick, Ireland and a Master of Science in Finance from the National College of Ireland.

John J. O’Malley is a shareholder and chair of the Trademark/Copyright Practice Group at the intellectual property law firm of Volpe and Koenig P.C. in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.  John graduated cum laude with a B.A. in political science from The George Washington University and received his law degree from the Villanova University School of Law. John is first-generation Irish-American with his father from Louisburgh, County Mayo and his mother from Termon, County Donegal. He currently serves as the Chairman of the Irish Immigration Center of Philadelphia, and is a board member of the Irish American Business Chamber & Network. John lives in suburbs of Philadelphia with his wife, Andrea, and their sons, Daniel and Brian.

James T. O’Hora, 52, currently serves as the U.S. Representative of the Irish Stock Exchange in Dublin and is responsible for Business Development for the investment funds business. Previously he worked for the New York Stock Exchange, Merrill Lynch and London based Tullett Prebon. James is a 1986 graduate of Montclair State University (N.J.) and holds a Master of Public Administration (MPA) from Rutgers University (1993). He resides in New Canaan, Connecticutt with his wife of twenty years Maureen-Buckley-O’Hora; and two high school children Meghan a senior and Seamus, a junior.

O’Hora is an active member of the Ancient Order of Hibernians in Stamford, CT. and the Knights of Columbus Council in New Canaan, CT.

He is the fourth son of the late Michael J. O’Hora, a native of Kiltimagh, and Sarah Ellen (O’Gara) O’Hora, a native of Claremorris.

Originally from Ballyvary, County Mayo, Geraldine Sweeney is currently the Chief Strategy Advisor at the New York City’s Mayor’s Office of Operations where she provides leadership and strategic planning guidance to a wide range of City agencies and spearheads a number of innovative public/private partnerships.

Geraldine currently leads the multi-stakeholder effort to implement Vision Zero – the City’s plan to reduce traffic fatalities and serious injuries, and oversees the City’s Small Business First initiative that helps to streamline how over 220,000 small businesses interact with City government.

In response to Hurricane Sandy, she oversaw the creation of a new $30 Million public/private program to help the most vulnerable families in the hardest hit areas.

Geraldine also played an integral role in developing NYC Service which was created to tap into the spirit of volunteerism, and implemented the program’s signature initiative, NYC Civic Corps program, which to date has engaged over 2.1 million volunteers, who in turn have served over 2.8 million clients in New York City.

In addition to serving on the County Mayo Foundation Board, Geraldine is thrilled to chair the Foundation’s Communications Advisory Group and looks forward to promoting the amazing work of our partner organizations to the wider Mayo diaspora across the United States.

She holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Modern Literature and Writing from the State University of New York, Empire State College.