Sacred Heart University in Fairfield, Connecticut, recently welcomed one new member and two returning members to its board of trustees, bringing continued leadership and experience in business, governance and strategic communications to the university. The board of trustees supports SHU’s mission and provides guidance on strategic planning, institutional governance and long-term growth.
Returning trustee Catherine “Katie” Burke is the founder and principal of Fall Creek Advisors, where she counsels a range of leaders, CEOs, investors and boards during pivotal moments. Burke serves on the board of directors of NCR Voyix where she chairs the committee on directors and governance and is a member of risk and compensation committees. Burke was previously global vice chairman and chief strategy officer of DJE Holdings (parent company of global consulting firm Edelman) where she continues to serve as a senior adviser. Earlier in her career, she was executive vice president of marketing and communications for Nielsen. Burke holds degrees from the London School of Economics (M.Sc.) and Skidmore College (BA).
New to the board is David D’Addario, chairman and CEO of Dada Holdings, an investment and management firm focused on control investments across industrial sectors. He has more than 35 years of leadership experience, including serving as chairman and CEO of New Day Aluminum Holdings and Wise Metals Group, as well as serving as president and CEO of D’Addario Industries.
He also is chairman and principal of ElementUS Minerals LLC and chairman and CEO of NICHE European Holdings and its subsidiaries. He holds a bachelor’s degree from Yale University and an honorary doctorate from the University of Bridgeport.
Returning to the board is Jeffrey Sonnenfeld, senior associate dean for leadership studies and the Lester Crown Professor in Management Practice at the Yale School of Management. He is also founder and president of the Chief Executive Leadership Institute, a research and educational organization focused on leadership and corporate governance. Sonnenfeld is a published author and scholar whose work on executive leadership and governance has appeared in leading academic journals, and he is frequently cited in national media. He has advised senior government leaders and testified before Congress on corporate governance issues and serves on the boards of several public and private companies and nonprofit organizations. He holds a bachelor’s, MBA and DBA degrees from Harvard University and recently received an honorary doctorate from Sacred Heart University. He has advised five U.S. presidents across political parties and was last year’s “Scholar of the Year” by the Academy of Management — the 30,000 member professional association of global management scholars.
As one of the nation’s largest Catholic universities and among the fastest-growing private doctoral institutions in the U.S., Sacred Heart University (SHU) is a national leader in shaping higher education for the 21st century. SHU offers more than 100 undergraduate, graduate and doctoral programs on its Fairfield, Connecticut, campus. It also has a campus in Dingle, Ireland, and offers online programs. Sacred Heart, a Laudato Si’ campus, stands out from other Catholic universities as it was established to be led by the laity. This contemporary Catholic university is rooted in the rich Catholic intellectual tradition and the liberal arts and, at the same time, cultivates students to be forward thinkers who enact change — in their own lives, professions and in their communities. The Princeton Review includes SHU in its Best 391 Colleges: 2026 Edition and Best Business Schools: 2025 Edition. Sacred Heart is home to the award-winning, NPR-affiliate station, WSHU Public Radio; a Division I athletics program and an impressive performing arts program that includes choir, band, dance and theatre.
