For many, the turn of the calendar from June to July means summer holidays and vacation time. But for the Yale Alumni Association Board of Governors, it is the start of a new academic year, replete with a new slate of executive officers and eight new board members.
In the officer ranks, the only change is the addition of Rob Greenly ’83 MBA, a three-year board member who replaces Tom Opladen ’66 as an executive officer and will serve alongside returning officers Xiaoyan Huang ’91 and Pulin Sanghvi ’92. Chair Nancy Stratford ’77 and Vice Chair Jerry Henry ’80 MDiv are beginning the second of their two-year terms leading the organization.
The new board members for the 2019-20 academic year are Regina Bain ’98 BA, ’01 MFA, Cornell Brooks ’90 JD, Devrim Celal ’96 MPPM, Bradford Galiette ’08, ’11 MBA, ’11 MS, Elaine Gustafson ’86 MSN, Sudip Mukherjee ’04 MBA, Aaron Shipp ’96, and Kristina Tremonti ’11.
In addition to Opladen, those whose service has concluded are Susan Ball ’78 PhD, Paul Broholm ’78, Renata Cesar ’79, Pam Farr ’78 MBA, Serena Flaherty ’99, ’06 MSN, Lauren Graham ’13 MEM, and Anthony Sabatelli ’81 MS, ’84 PhD.
"We are very grateful to our board members whose terms have ended, and we so appreciate their commitment to Yale, their wisdom, and their contributions to the work we do on behalf of all Yale alumni. We will miss them and are thankful that they will continue as dedicated alumni leaders," said Stratford. "We are delighted to welcome to the board an accomplished group that is ready to make their own mark on the alumni association and to contribute to the successes of Yale alumni events and programs across the world."
Annually, six Board of Governors members are elected by YAA delegates and two are appointed by a board nominating committee. Board members serve three-year terms, though their stay on the board can be extended if they are elected as officers. The 24 board members are joined on the Board of Governors by the five executive officers and a group of ex-officio members who serve by virtue of their responsibilities in related roles.
The board meets in person four times per year, usually over two days, to set the direction for the association and to hear updates from university leadership. Members also work through their respective committees to devise programs and events to serve the alumni community worldwide. Current priorities include increasing engagement opportunities for recent graduates, international alumni, and alumni from diverse backgrounds, as well as expanding programs that provide lifelong learning and career development for alumni audiences.
“Our board volunteers serve a critical function for the YAA and in creating opportunities for all alumni,” said current YAA Executive Director and former YAA Chair Weili Cheng ’77. “We can’t thank them enough for volunteering to make a difference for Yale and in the lives of their fellow classmates.”
The first Board of Governors meeting of the new term will be in September.
