Rider alumnus and student recognized for leadership

Senior Antonio Lombardi and Robert Goldsmith ‘69 are the recipients of the 2020 Center for the Development of Leadership Skills Leadership Legacy Award.

Each year, Rider's Center for the Development of Leadership Skills presents the Leadership Legacy Award to one alumnus and one graduating senior who have demonstrated tireless commitment to positively impacting the lives of others through their leadership.

"The Leadership Legacy Award winners truly emulate what the Center for the Development of Leadership Skills advocates — that leadership is derived through service to others," says Laura Seplaki, associate director of the Center for the Development of Leadership Skills. "Antonio and Robert have both put others at the forefront of their leadership and made lasting, positive contributions to their communities."

Lombardi's leadership has left a mark on Rider's student life. As the director and president of the Rider Pep Band, Lombardi has transformed the band of eight members to 35 during his four years at Rider. The band has become a highlight at Rider sporting events and campus traditions for the lively spirit it amplifies. The Rider Pep Band is now one of the largest in the MAAC Conference.

Lombardi has also dedicated his time to creating new events to promote more student engagement on campus as a member of the Campus Life Committee. A political science major, Lombardi is also a member of the Rebovich Institute for New Jersey Politics and the Leadership Development Program.

Goldsmith is the executive director of Adults and Children with Learning Disabilities (ALCD), an organization that advocates for and assists those with intellectual, developmental and physical disabilities in Suffolk and Nassau counties in New York. Under his leadership since 2014, ALCD has expanded its residential services and day programs, created the ACLD Cleaning Services, which employs individuals with developmental disabilities, and created a recycling program called “RewearABLE” that staffs individuals with developmental disabilities to help collect, sort and sanitize donated/used clothing.

Goldsmith is dedicated to mentoring younger leaders and strongly committed to succession planning. He believes modeling inclusive and empowering leadership will assure that ACLD is able to continue its important work once he leaves the organization. Goldsmith earned a bachelor's in history from Rider, a master's in psychology education from New York University and a master's in guidance and counseling from Long Island University Brooklyn.