Thomas Krumholz and the Krumholz Family

Margaret M. Krumholz (’79) of Smithtown, NY, lived a vibrant life dedicated to her family, her faith, and her career. As a child, Margaret dreamed of being a New York City Rockette. She was tenacious and pursued her dream through high school, culminating in an audition for the prestigious group on the Radio City Music Hall stage. Ultimately, Margaret did not meet the minimum height requirement, but her pursuit of this childhood dream taught her valuable lessons about hard work, determination, and leadership which would inform her approach to her life. After graduating from Saint Joseph’s High School in Brentwood, Margaret decided she wanted to build a career where she could maximize her positive impact on others. She recognized that the private sector can offer life-changing opportunities, especially for young women like herself, to achieve economic stability and independence. She quickly realized a technical skill like accounting would make her marketable in the workplace and provide her an invaluable set of skills to underpin her business career.

She chose to attend Suffolk County Community College, along with her childhood sweetheart and husband Thomas, where she felt she would earn a strong, affordable education. Margaret thrived in the accounting program graduating with a 3.9 GPA in her accounting courses, and a 3.7 GPA overall. At Suffolk, she forged strong relationships with her friends and professors. Throughout her life she and her husband Thomas maintained a close connection with accounting professor, Henri LeClerc, eventually finding themselves as neighbors in Smithtown. Margaret and Thomas both celebrated their graduation from Suffolk County Community College in 1979. Their academic achievements at Suffolk County Community College gave them the academic foundation they needed to continue their undergraduate education together at New York’s Pace University Lubin School of Business, after which both launched successful careers as Certified Public Accountants.

Her early career included time at Arrow Electronics and later at Entenmann’s. At both companies, she distinguished herself as someone who prioritized business ethics and instituted controls to improve the compliance, effectiveness, and efficiency of her departments. She joined Disc Graphics (Disc), a specialty printer, in 1994 as controller and would settle into a fulfilling career. Over her nearly 25-year career at Disc, Margaret set herself apart as a skilled business woman and leader, steadily moving up the ranks to serve as President of the company. Margaret led Disc as the industry evolved to meet changing market needs, and ensured the company navigated uncertainty to achieve growth. Her work at Disc Graphics earned her accolades as a prominent business executive on Long Island, including the 2007 Long Island Business News recognition ‘Top 50 Women Award’. Above all, Margaret took pride in creating a positive work environment, mentoring other professionals, and paving the way for the next generation of women executives.

Outside of her career, Margaret was a proud mother to her four children—Meghan, Tara, Ryan and Sean—encouraging them to pursue their interests. Advocates of the transformational power of higher education, Margaret and Thomas also paved the way for their four children to succeed in some of the nation’s most highly regarded colleges and universities. She was devoted to her Catholic faith, which underpinned her outlook on life, family, and community service. She served on the Board of the Guide Dog Foundation for the Blind, sat on a federal magistrate selection committee, and for several years held a position with the New York Federal Reserve Board. In her life and career, Margaret was a true inspiration to those around her.