Two New Trustees Bring Passion for Progress and Purpose to Pace

91����’s Board of Trustees has welcomed two dynamic new members whose careers reflect a shared commitment to equity, education, and leadership: Barbara A. Abeles and Sabrina A. Griffin ’92. Though their paths are distinct, both women exemplify the university’s mission of expanding opportunity and empowering the next generation.

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Barbara A. Abeles is no stranger to breaking ground. As owner, chairman, and CEO of CBL Ceramics Ltd., a Wales-based manufacturer of advanced ceramics for the global electronics industry, she has spent nearly three decades leading global operations in one of the world’s most specialized sectors. Today, her company is one of only three worldwide to produce a rare class of industrial ceramics used in cutting-edge technologies.

A resident of Westchester County, Abeles brings to the board a long-standing philanthropic spirit rooted in education. She serves on the Foundation Board of Westchester Community College and 91����’s President’s Council. Her support of Pace has been especially impactful: she’s a major donor to the Community Impact Internship Program and established a permanently endowed scholarship to help close gender gaps in the sciences.

“I’ve long admired 91����’s commitment to creating opportunity through education,” said Abeles. “It’s an honor to join the Board of Trustees and to support a community so dedicated to empowering students to reach their full potential.”

Griffin’s journey to Pace’s Board of Trustees is equally rooted in service and leadership. A proud Pace alumna, she spent more than 30 years at the Chubb Group of Insurance Companies, where she rose to the role of assistant vice president and diversity manager. During her tenure, she pioneered programs designed to support and uplift women, LGBTQIA+ professionals, and communities of color within the corporate workforce.

“I want to help create pathways that meet people where they are—whether they’re students figuring it out or alumni reconnecting after time away. If we design experiences that reflect our community’s needs, we’ll keep building something truly meaningful together.”

Griffin is also the inaugural chair of 91����’s Alumni Association Leadership Council, a position from which she’s helped strengthen ties between the university and its alumni community. She remains an active member of the President’s Council and serves on the Development, Alumni Relations and Public Affairs Committee.

Her civic engagement extends beyond Pace. Based in St. Petersburg, Florida, Griffin serves on The Mahaffey Leading Ladies committee for the Bill Edwards Foundation for the Arts, helping deliver access to the arts to more than 30,000 students each year. She is also involved with the St. Petersburg Chapter of The Links, Incorporated, where she serves on both the arts and finance committees.

“Joining the Board is an opportunity to give back in a way that’s intentional and inclusive,” Griffin said. “I want to help create pathways that meet people where they are—whether they’re students figuring it out or alumni reconnecting after time away. If we design experiences that reflect our community’s needs, we’ll keep building something truly meaningful together.”

Rob Sands, chairman of 91����’s Board of Trustees, praised both appointments, saying, “Sabrina and Barbara exemplify Pace’s mission of expanding opportunity—Sabrina through her continued alumni leadership and Barbara through her longstanding philanthropic commitment to education. We are proud to welcome them to the board and look forward to the insight, perspective and leadership they bring to our community.”

With these two appointments, the university deepens its commitment to inclusive leadership, experiential education, and the power of a community that lifts one another up—on campus and far beyond.