(SPARKILL, NY - August 21, 2006) -- Michael R. Laginestra, Vice Chairman of CB Richard Ellis, a global leader in real estate services, has been named to the St. Thomas Aquinas College Board of Trustees, announced Dr. Margaret M. Fitzpatrick, S.C., College President.
In his 30 plus years in commercial real estate, Mr. Laginestra has worked on behalf of companies such as Viacom Inc., Federated Department Stores, Universal Studios, Inc., Chevron, and Texaco.
Mr. Laginestra has been honored with real estate industry top honors. In 1994, he was a member of the team that won the Real Estate Board of New York' Deal of the Year Award. In 1995, Mr. Laginestra and his teammates from Insignia/ESG were awarded REBNY's Robert T. Lawrence Memorial Award. In 2002, he and his Insignia/ESG teammates went on to earn the NAIOP Award for the Acquisition of the Year.

"We are thrilled to have Michael Laginestra on our Board," Dr. Fitzpatrick said, "Michael's extensive experience and success in the real estate industry as a businessman will be an asset to our institution and our ongoing and new initiatives."
Mr. Laginestra is a graduate of Mount St. Mary's University (MD). He is a member of the Real Estate Board of New York. He currently resides in Demarest (NJ) with his four children.

MORE ABOUT ST. THOMAS
St. Thomas has expanded its offerings to include: a Master of Science in Education, a Post Masters Certificate program in Education, a Master of Science in Teaching, a Master of Business Administration program, a Bachelor of Arts, Bachelor of Science and Bachelor of Science in Education, and an Associate of Arts and an Associate of Science degree, the latter two offered at the West Point Military Academy. In addition, St. Thomas is the host campus for a Master of Science in Social Work program offered by New York University.

The College's 2,400 full and part time students major in one of 31 programs offered in five division areas: The Humanities; Business Administration; Social Sciences; Natural Sciences & Mathematics; and Teacher Education or are enrolled if one of our graduate programs. The College offers a full scholarship Honors Program which provides students with a Summer Study experience at Oxford University in England. In addition, there are several study abroad opportunities and strategic alliances designed to offer expanded opportunities for students. For example, students can major in mathematics at St. Thomas for three years and then enter an engineering program at either George Washington University or Manhattan College as part of a dual degree program.

St. Thomas offers study abroad opportunities in Ireland, Italy, Hungary, Nova Scotia, Brazil and Japan. The College currently includes 21 buildings, the most recent one an additional residence hall. It's most recent academic building project is Costello Hall, an Art, Sciences & Technology Building. This state-of-the-art facility includes new science labs, an art gallery and two multi-media theatres along with additional technology classrooms.