The Brooklyn College Foundation is proud to announce that longtime Board of Trustees member Anthony R. Castellanos ’85 will serve as the new board chair effective Oct. 1, 2023. Castellanos follows Evan Silverstein ’76, who has served on the Board of Trustees since 2009 and chair since 2017. Both are leaders in the business community who have shared their talents with Brooklyn College students, faculty, and staff for years.
Silverstein was the lead supporter of the effort to raise emergency funds for students during the COVID-19 pandemic, establishing the Renee and Evan Silverstein Internship Fund at Brooklyn College.
“We are thrilled to welcome Tony Castellanos into this new role,” Brooklyn College President Michelle J. Anderson said. “We are confident that the foundation will continue to thrive in its important work under his leadership. I would also like to thank Evan Silverstein for his board leadership in supporting the college’s mission, particularly through the COVID-19 pandemic.”
A lifelong New Yorker who grew up in Brooklyn, Castellanos has served as an active member of the Board of Trustees since 2016 and most recently was the chair of the Audit and Finance Committee. He is a 38-year accounting professional, who recently retired from KPMG. During his nearly 18 years as a KPMG partner, he served numerous multinational clients in his roles as national partner-in-charge of industry sectors for KPMG’s U.S. Tax Practice; media and entertainment sector leader; and global account lead partner.
“I am looking forward to helping lead the dynamic team at the Brooklyn College Foundation,” Castellanos said. “I have always said that the best investment I ever made was a Brooklyn College education, and my goal is to share that gift with as many students as possible.”
“Working with the Brooklyn College Foundation over these many years has been an honor and a privilege,” Silverstein said. “I know that Tony will continue our unwavering commitment to enhance the educational and other opportunities for our students.”
Throughout his career, Castellanos has been a passionate mentor and coach to rising professionals and students, especially those from underrepresented immigrant and first-generation backgrounds. Over the years, he has mentored countless Brooklyn College students. He also established the Anthony R. Castellanos ’85 Scholarship to support Brooklyn College students majoring in the college’s CPA-eligible accounting programs. His deep commitment to education has also led to work on the Dean’s Advisory Council for the Murray Koppelman School of Business at Brooklyn College.
A first-generation Cuban American, Castellanos began his career in accounting while attending Brooklyn College. As a student, he prepared tax returns and performed bookkeeping services for clients of a local accounting firm. Active in the student community and campus life, Castellanos served as a member of the Brooklyn College Student Council, president of the Accounting Society, and proud member and past president of the Beta Eta Chapter of Alpha Phi Delta. He earned his B.S. in Accounting in January 1985.
Upon graduating from Brooklyn College, he accepted an associate position with Price Waterhouse, where he launched his career in their entertainment and media practice and was admitted to the partnership. In 2000, he accepted a position with SoftBank Group Corporation, a technology, media, and telecommunications company with global private equity and venture capital investments and operations. He was a partner in SoftBank’s venture capital arm, SoftBank Capital, and served as SoftBank’s chief tax and administrative officer until January 2006, when he joined KPMG.
In 2015, Castellanos was elected by his partners to serve a five-year term as a member of KPMG’s Board of Directors. He is also a member of the Latino Corporate Directors Association, the National Association of Corporate Directors, and the American Institute of CPAs.
