Lopa Patel Zielinski

Lopa P. Zielinski serves as Director and Senior Counsel, Corporate Governance for Teachers Insurance and Annuity Association of America - College Retirement Equities Fund (TIAA-CREF), a full-service financial services group of companies with over $487 billion assets under management (as of 3/31/2012).

On behalf of the boards of the TIAA-CREF group of companies, Ms. Zielinski and her colleagues in the Corporate Governance Group work to enhance the governance and social responsibility practices of companies held within TIAA-CREF's investment portfolios with the objectives of increasing shareholder value and improving long term performance of targeted companies. Prior to joining the Corporate Governance Group, Ms. Zielinski served as Director and Counsel in the office of Corporate Secretary at TIAA-CREF. 

Prior to joining TIAA-CREF, Ms. Zielinski served as in-house securities and governance attorney for Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia, Inc. In addition, she practiced corporate law with Dreifuss, Bonacci, and Parker, LLP in New York and New Jersey. Additionally, she has previous work experience with FINRA and White and Case, LLP. Ms. Zielinski also served as a judicial law clerk to the Honorable John A. O'Shaugnessy, in the Superior Court of New Jersey. 

Ms. Zielinski received her B.A. from Lehigh University, and her J.D. from New England School of Law, where she was a managing editor of the New England Law Review. She also received her LL.M. in securities and financial regulation from Georgetown University Law Center.