Arlene Mellina Endowed Scholarship

Al considers himself fortunate to have led an exciting, varied, and fulfilling life. After graduating from Iona in 1963, he began his engineering career with Grumman Aircraft, contributing to the Apollo Program. During this time, he married his late wife, Arlene Agliardi, whom he had dated throughout college.

In 1968, after earning his MBA from Iona, Al transitioned to sales with Honeywell Information Systems, where he helped launch a successful new division selling key-to-disc computer systems. In 1974, he joined Four Phase Systems in Cupertino, California, establishing and leading the Financial Services Division—an experience that anchored his lifelong involvement in the financial industry and built a professional network that has served him for decades.

In 1982, Al and his friend Matt Cea began a series of entrepreneurial ventures, culminating in the success of CP Technology. As part of its executive team, Al led global sales, consulting, and support operations, delivering Market Data Distribution Systems to financial institutions worldwide.

Following CP’s sale, Al became a Partner at KPMG Consulting (later BearingPoint), where for 12 years he built and managed a global exchange practice, led strategy and technology engagements, and served as Global Relationship Executive for Morgan Stanley and Credit Suisse.

In 2009, amid the financial crisis, Al co-founded Gartland and Mellina Group (GMG) with former colleagues and a Morgan Stanley executive. Today, GMG operates in New York, Chicago, Baltimore, Toronto, and London, with an alliance in Southeast Asia. The firm has proudly employed numerous Iona graduates, whose talent and dedication have fueled its continued success.

Beyond his professional life, Al has served as President and board member of the Islip/Smithtown chapter of UNICO, supporting local charities and the Jimmy V Foundation, and has also taught as an Adjunct Professor at Vaughn College of Technology.

Deeply grateful to the Iona community for its enduring influence, Al established the Arlene Mellina Endowed Scholarship in loving memory of his late wife, who supported him throughout his career and lovingly raised their two sons, Robert and Edward. Al hopes the scholarship will give hardworking students the wonderful Iona experience he remembers so fondly and help prepare them to excel in their chosen fields.