Claire “Yum” Arnold
CEO, Leapfrog Services
B.A., Mary Baldwin College
Honorary Doctorate, Mary Baldwin College
Spelman College Board of Trustees: Elected in 2008
City of Residence: Atlanta, Georgia
As CEO, Claire Arnold brings a wealth of experience in high growth business development and long range strategic planning to the Leapfrog team. Prior to starting Leapfrog, which provides remote IT infrastructure management, Arnold acquired NCC LP, a local distributor of consumer goods to convenience stores and mass merchandisers. After acquiring the company through a leveraged buyout, Arnold spent the next 15 years building NCC into one of Georgia's five largest privately held companies.
Before acquiring NCC, Arnold spent nearly 10 years with Coca-Cola USA, where she was the Marketing Manager for Coke's first plastic beverage containers. She was named the 2002 Small Business Person of the Year by the Metropolitan Atlanta Chamber of Commerce and the Atlanta Business Chronicle and received the 2004 Lettie Pate Whitehead Evans Award for outstanding performance as a corporate director. In 2006, Arnold was inducted into the YWCA Academy of Women Achievers. She serves on the Board of Trustees of EARTH University Foundation and The Georgia Conservancy. She is also on the Board of Visitors of The Fuqua School of Business at Duke University as well as its Center for the Advancement of Social Entrepreneurship, The Board of Councilors of The Carter Center, the Board of Directors of two NYSE firms and the Technology Association of Georgia.
Thoughts on why she chose to serve on the Spelman College Board of Trustees: Having attended an all women’s college [Mary Baldwin College], served on its Board of Trustees for 19 years and chaired it for five, women’s education has long been one of my priorities. I felt that serving a woman’s college in my home city was a natural…and it was an honor for Spelman to ask me.
Theodore R. Aronson
Founder, Aronson+Johnson+Ortiz
B.S., University of Pennsylvania,
The Wharton School of Business,
M.B.A., University of Pennsylvania,
The Wharton School of Business
Vice Chair of the Board
Spelman College Board of Trustees: Elected in 2004
City of Residence: Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Ted Aronson is Founder of Aronson+Johnson+Ortiz, an institutional investment advisor with $26 billion under management.
Mr. Aronson joined Drexel Burnham Lambert in 1974 while still a graduate student. He was a member of the Quantitative Equities Group, which provided innovative practical applications of modern portfolio theory and quantitative portfolio management. His group managed the Revere Fund, the first actively managed fund registered with the SEC to employ modern portfolio theory. Prior to forming AJO, Mr. Aronson founded Addison Capital Management. He was past chair of the CFA Institute (formerly AIMR) and is a CFA charter holder.
Mr. Aronson chaired AIMR’s Trade Management Guidelines Task Force. He was a lecturer in finance at University of Pennsylvania, Wharton School of Business and is a frequent speaker on Wall Street issues, especially innovations in trading methods to minimize transaction costs. He is on the Board of Directors of WXPN-FM (University of Pennsylvania’s radio station) and LINC (Leveraged Investment In Creativity).
Thoughts on why he chose to serve on the Spelman College Board of Trustees:
I had been one of Spelman's investment managers for nearly 20 years, and the College wished my further involvement on the Investment Committee.
Aurelia “Rea” Brazeal, C’65
Foreign Service Officer
B.A., Spelman College
Master’s Degree, Columbia University
Honorary Doctorate, Spelman College
Spelman College Board of Trustees: Elected in 2003
City of Residence: Washington, D.C.
Ambassador Rea Brazeal has had a long and distinguished career as a U.S. diplomat. Ambassador Brazeal is the first African-American woman career foreign service officer to be promoted into the U.S. Senior Foreign Service and to be appointed an Ambassador. Her current rank of Career Minister is the second highest in the United States Foreign Service. She has served as U.S. Ambassador to Ethiopia, U.S. Ambassador to Kenya and first U.S. Ambassador to the Federated States of Micronesia.
She was also the first Dean of the new Leadership and Management School at the Foreign Service Institute and is a former Diplomat-In-Residence at Howard University. In addition, Ambassador Brazeal was Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for East Asia and the Pacific where she had policy responsibility for 22 countries. She also was responsible for policy toward the Association of South-East Asian Nations (ASEAN) as an organization and the ASEAN Regional Forum, the premier security/political body for Southeast Asia. In the course of her career, Ambassador Brazeal has received several honor awards including Superior Honor, Performance Pay and Presidential Performance. She is listed in Who's Who in America and Who's Who in the World. She was invited to join the Council of Foreign Relations.
Ambassador Brazeal received the Department's prestigious Ambassador-level Cobb Award for Initiative and Success in Trade Development. She was a member of the Advisory Boards for the Morehouse College Andrew Young Center for International Affairs and the Institute for International Public Policy, which addresses the lack of diversity in the Foreign Service.
Thoughts on why she chose to serve on the Spelman College Board of Trustees:
I believe in Spelman’s mission, attended Spelman myself and my family has long-time connections with the College.
Rosalind G. Brewer, C’84
Division President-Southeast Operations,
Wal-Mart Stores U.S.
B.S, Spelman College
Advanced Management Program, University of Pennsylvania, The Wharton School of Business
Vice Chair and Secretary of the Board
Spelman College Board of Trustees: Elected in 2006
City of Residence: Atlanta, Georgia
Roz Brewer is Division President–Southeast Operations for Wal-Mart Stores U.S. As Division President, she manages the operations of 800 stores with sales of $60 billion across the Southeast U.S. She oversees sales and operating plans for this unit and is responsible for the strategic direction of all growth opportunities including new real estate, execution of store innovation and people development for 250,000 employees.
Prior to joining Wal-Mart, Brewer held leadership positions in various marketing, sales, and product development organizations within Kimberly-Clark. In 2001, she was Campaign Manager for the United Way at Kimberly-Clark Corporation. She is a member of the Johnnetta B. Cole Leadership Society of United Way, the Executive Leadership Council, and is a member of the Board of Directors for Molson Coors Brewing Company. She is on the Board of Councilors for the Carter Presidential Center. Brewer is the recipient of the Spelman College Legacy of Leadership award and has been named one of 25 Most Powerful Women to Watch-Atlanta.
Thoughts on why she chose to serve on the Spelman College Board of Trustees:
I chose to serve as a trustee because of the genuine love I have for my alma mater and my personal interest in investing in the education of African-American women.
Janine Brown
Chair, Alston & Bird’s Global Strategies Group
B.A., University of Michigan
Jurist Doctorate, Duke University
Chair, Board Affairs Committee
Spelman College Board of Trustees: Elected in 2008
City of Residence: Atlanta, Georgia
Janine Brown is Chair of Alston & Bird’s Global Corporate Strategies Group. The Global Corporate Strategies Group includes lawyers in the firm’s New York, District of Columbia and Atlanta offices focused on technology, sourcing and energy infrastructure transactions.
Brown’s primary focus is strategic and complex transactions for technology and telecommunications companies, including capital raising transactions, corporate governance matters, mergers and acquisitions, information technology transactions, strategic alliances and outsourcing transactions. Brown’s clients include public and private companies, as well as private equity funds. She has been listed in The Best Lawyers in America and Super Lawyers magazines and is a frequent lecturer on matters related to technology mergers and acquisitions. Brown serves on the Board of Directors of the Georgia Justice Project, Piedmont Healthcare, the parent corporation of Piedmont Hospital, Piedmont Fayette Hospital, and Piedmont Mountainside Hospital and The Atlanta Opera.
Stuart Burgdoerfer
Chief Financial Officer, Limited Brands
B.A., Indiana University
M.B.A., Northwestern University, Kellogg Graduate School of Management
Spelman College Board of Trustees: Elected in 2006; Chair of the Audit Committee
City of Residence: Columbus, Ohio
Stuart Burgdoerfer is Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer for Limited Brands, Inc. He has responsibility for all brand and function finance activities, which includes financial planning and analysis, control, enterprise risk management and internal audit, tax and treasury. Prior to returning to Limited Brands, Mr. Burgdoerfer spent approximately two years as Senior Vice President of Finance for The Home Depot where he provided finance leadership for the sourcing, logistics, merchandising, marketing and e-commerce activities for the company’s $70 billion U.S. retail business.
In his previous six-years of service with Limited Brands, he served as Senior Vice President of Finance, as well as Corporate Controller for Limited Brands. Prior to that, he was the CFO for White Barn Candle Company. Mr. Burgdoerfer began his Limited Brands career as a Vice President in Financial Planning. He came to Limited Brands from PepsiCo subsidiary Pizza Hut, and was a Management Consultant with CSC Index, and practiced as an Audit Manager and CPA with Deloitte and Touche. He presently serves on the KIPP: Central Ohio School Board. Mr. Burgdoerfer was a member of the Board of Directors for Galyan’s Trading Company.
Thoughts on why he chose to serve on the Spelman College Board of Trustees:
I have a passion for education due to the success and contribution that it enables. My passion and interest is furthered by the special contribution that Spelman makes to our society. And, I learn something every time that I spend time with the Spelman Board, the staff, the faculty and the students of Spelman.
Kimberly B. Davis, C’81
President, JPMorgan Chase Foundation
B.A., Spelman College
Spelman College Board of Trustees: Elected in 2008
City of Residence: New Rochelle, New York
As president of the JPMorgan Chase Foundation, Kim Davis is responsible for JPMorgan Chase’s philanthropic activities globally. With more than 25 years of experience in the financial services industry, Davis has held a wide range of responsibilities in both line and staff functions, including Senior Vice President & Director of Recruiting, Training & Development for Chase Manhattan’s Global Banking organization, Latin America Human Resources Executive, and Vice President National Sales Manager, Private Banking.
The combination of her academic training and corporate experience has provided her with a unique set of skills that have enabled her to assume a diverse career. She is Co-founder of Springboard, Partners in Cross-Cultural Leadership, a leadership education and consulting company committed to building strong women (and other diverse) leaders. She was active in developing, designing and implementing a national leadership center in collaboration with Spelman College. Known as Spelman LEADS, the Center focuses on unique leadership issues for women of color. She was named among the 25 Top Minority Women in Business by Black Enterprise magazine and among the Top 10 Most Important Executives in Philanthropy. Davis is a member of the Advisory Boards of the University of Virginia/Darden Business School, the London Business School, and is a trustee of the Kenan Institute at the University of North Carolina/Chapel Hill.
Thoughts on why she chose to serve on the Spelman College Board of Trustees:
I have chosen to serve because of my commitment to the future of Spelman and the College’s continued high standards and excellence in educating women of color. My service as a trustee provides a sense of personal contribution that I can make to the vision, mission and goals of the College. Lastly, it allows me to give back to a school that has given me so much.
Jerri L. DeVard, C’79
B.A., Spelman College
M.B.A, Clark Atlanta University
Vice Chair and Chair-Elect of the Board
Spelman College Board of Trustees: Elected in 2005
City of Residence: New York, New York
Jerri DeVard is the former Senior Vice President, Marketing and Brand Management for Verizon Communications. She was responsible for national marketing and marketing communications strategies for consumer and small business segments as well as brand management, market research and online market strategy.
Prior to this position, DeVard was Senior Vice President, Brand Management and Marketing Communications for Verizon where she led corporate initiatives to build and strengthen the Verizon brand worldwide. She also managed advertising, media planning and buying, and direct mail response for the company’s Domestic Telecom group. Prior to joining Verizon, DeVard was Chief Marketing Officer at Citigroup, responsible for the e-Consumer line of business. Before joining Citigroup, she was Vice President of Marketing for color cosmetics at Revlon, Vice President of Marketing for Harrah’s Entertainment in New Orleans, and held several brand management positions at the Pillsbury Company in Minneapolis.
DeVard was recognized as one of Black Enterprise magazine’s 75 Most Powerful African-Americans in Corporate America and was named among the Wall Street Journal’s Women to Watch. DeVard is a member of the Board of Directors of Tommy Hilfiger Corp. She also serves on the Pepsi African-American Advisory Board. In addition, she serves on the Board of Directors of the Association of National Advertisers (ANA), the Executive Leadership Council and the Executive Committee for the American Advertising Federation Board (AAF).
Thoughts on why she chose to serve on the Spelman College Board of Trustees:
I serve because of my love for Spelman College and the legacy of the school and its contribution.
Evelynn M. Hammonds, C’76
Dean, Harvard College
B.S., Spelman College
B.E.E., Georgia Institute of Technology
S.M., Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Ph.D., Harvard University
Honorary Degree, Spelman College
Chair, Faculty Affairs & Educational Policy Committee
Spelman College Board of Trustees: Elected in 2008
City of Residence: Cambridge, MA
Evelynn Hammonds is Dean of Harvard College. As Dean, Dr. Hammonds has oversight of the undergraduate curriculum and all other aspects of the College. Prior to becoming Dean, she was the Barbara Gutmann Rosenkrantz Professor of the History of Science and of African and African American Studies at Harvard University. She became Harvard’s first Senior Vice Provost for Faculty Development and Diversity in 2005.
Dr. Hammonds’ scholarship focuses on the intersection of scientific, medical, and socio-political concepts of race in the United States. She is the author of Childhood’s Deadly Scourge: The Campaign to Control Diphtheria in New York City, 1880-1930. She co-edited Gender and Scientific Authority with Barbara Laslett, Sally G. Kohlstedt, and Helen Longino, and she is completing two new books on the history of race in science and medicine.
She is an Associate Member of the Broad Institute of Harvard/MIT. Dr. Hammonds is a member of the Board of Governors, University of California Humanities Research Institute, the Board of the Association of American Colleges and Universities, the Board of Overseers, Museum of Science, Boston, and the Board of Trustees of the Social Science Research Council.
Yvonne R. Jackson, C’70
President, BeecherJackson
B.A., Spelman College
Management Development Certificate, Harvard University Business School
Chair of the Board
Spelman College Board of Trustees: Elected in 1996
City of Residence: Miami, Florida
Yvonne R. Jackson is President of BeecherJackson, a management and human resources consulting company. Jackson is formerly Senior Vice President and Chief People Officer at Pfizer Corp, Compaq and Burger King Corp. For a number of years, she held senior human resource positions at Avon Products.
During her 30 plus years in the corporate sector, Jackson has been involved in dynamic business environments, turn-arounds, acqui¬sitions, joint ventures, business units, division, and corporate operations of high profile publicly traded companies. She has been recognized as a Woman of the Year by the YWCA and named by Ebony magazine as one of the Top 40 African Americans to Watch. Her life story was told in Rosey Grier’s book, All American Heroes.
She is a recognized speaker in areas of change management. She currently serves on the Advisory Council of Price-WaterhouseCoopers. Jackson is a member on the Board of Directors for the Association of Governing Boards of University and Colleges, Winn-Dixie Stores, and Girls, Inc.
Thoughts on why she chose to serve on the Spelman College Board of Trustees:
I chose to serve on the Board because I believe as a senior corporate executive I can add value to an institution I love and hold dearly.
Rose Harris Johnson, C’57
B.A., Spelman College
M.Ed., National College of Education
Spelman College Board of Trustees: Elected in 2005
City of Residence: Evanston, Illinois
Rose Harris Johnson is an advocate for education, having taught at pre-school, elementary and high school levels for more than 30 years in Chicago Public Schools and Evanston Public Schools. Johnson received the Justin Wynn Leadership Award from the Justin Wynn Foundation in Leadership and was presented with the 2007 Alumnae Achievement Award by Spelman College. Johnson served on the Board of Spelman College’s National Alumnae Association. She is currently a member of the Board of Directors for the Evanston Community Foundation, Family Focus Auxiliary, Unity Church of the North Shore and Cherry Scholarship Foundation.
Thoughts on why she chose to serve on the Spelman College Board of Trustees: I believe in the power of education, especially a Spelman education. Spelman and other HBCUs are taking students from different backgrounds and helping them to become the superstars. Spelman is taking these young women, diamonds in the rough, and helping them to become all that they can be.
Terry L. Jones
Managing General Partner, Syncom Venture Partners
B.S., Trinity College
Master’s Degree, George Washington University
M.B.A., Harvard University
Chair, Buildings and Grounds Committee
Spelman College Board of Trustees: Elected in 2003
City of Residence: Washington, DC
Terry Jones is Managing General Partner with Syncom Venture Partners. Prior to joining Syncom, Mr. Jones lived and worked in Nairobi, Kenya where he was a Co-founder and Vice President of Kiambere Savings and Loan and a Lecturer at the University of Nairobi. He has also worked as a Senior Electrical Engineer for Westinghouse Aerospace and Litton Industries.
Mr. Jones served on the Board of the Southern African Enterprise Development Fund, a presidential appointment. Currently, he is a member of the Board of Directors of a number of Syncom portfolio companies including Radio One, Inc., Iridium Satellite, LLC and TV One, LLC.
Susan A. McLaughlin
CEO and Publisher, Motto Media
B.S., University of Nebraska
Chair, Human Resources Committee
Spelman College Board of Trustees: Elected in 2002
City of Residence: Atlanta, Georgia
Sue Mc Laughlin possesses more than 25 years of senior management experience. In 2006, she became CEO and Publisher of Motto Media, a struggling magazine focused on inspiring its readers to lead a life of purpose and passion. Prior to that, she served as President of ABD International, where she executed the successful turnaround of the business following its purchase out of bankruptcy. ABD International is the largest distributor of printing presses and related products to the small commercial print marketplace.
Previously, she was Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer of AGL Resources, a $1.2 billion publicly held company and the parent company of Atlanta Gas Light Company. Prior to joining AGL, McLaughlin was President of Consumer Services at BellSouth Telecommunications, Inc. Before that, she held a number of key executive positions at Eastman Kodak Company in both operational and financial management.
While at Kodak, McLaughlin was Vice President and Chief Operating Officer of Eastman Kodak Company's $2.5 billion Professional Division, where she managed the worldwide operations. McLaughlin also held positions as Vice President of Citibank and Chase Lincoln First Bank. She currently sits on the Board of Mary Baldwin College and is a member of the Corporate Council of the White House Project, the Committee of 200 and The International Women’s Forum.
Thoughts on why she chose to serve on the Spelman College Board of Trustees: Since my first involvement with Spelman as a Kodak executive in the mid 1990s, when I was tasked with establishing a relationship between Kodak and Spelman, I have been inspired by the energy on the campus and by the outstanding students, faculty and staff. Therefore, I was honored to be asked to join the Board of Trustees and to be able to continue to contribute to the advancement of the institution.
Gwendolyn Adams Norton
B.A., College of William and Mary
Executive Program, Louisiana State University,
Graduate School of Banking of the South
Spelman College Board of Trustees: Elected in 2008
City of Residence: New York, New York
Gwen Adams Norton is formerly a Senior Vice President & Business Banking Executive for Wachovia Bank where she was responsible for tri-state business banking operations and banking strategy. She has had additional positions at Wachovia including Senior Vice President & Commercial Banking Sales Director, Senior Vice President & Southern Region Sales Manager and Senior Vice President & Community Development Manager.
Prior to Wachovia, Norton was Chief Operating Officer & Vice President for Banco Popular De Puerto Rico, Virgin Island Region. She has also held the position of Commissioner, Department of Finance for the Government of the U.S. Virgin Islands. Norton is a member of the Board of Trustees for Visiting Nursing Service of New York and Aid to Artisans. She is also a member of the Women’s Leadership Board at Harvard University and serves on the Advisory Board to the Dean of the Harvard University John F. Kennedy School of Government.
Thoughts on why she chose to serve on the Spelman College Board of Trustees: It is a pleasure to serve on the Board of an organization that helps shape the minds and characters of young women. When you speak to these young women and they express their confidence and ability, you know that they are going to do important things in the world.
Vicki R. Palmer
B.A., Rhodes College
M.B.A., University of Memphis
Honorary Doctorate, Cambridge College
Spelman College Board of Trustees: Elected in 1995
City of Residence: Atlanta, Georgia
Vicki Palmer is the former Executive Vice President, Financial Services and Administration of Coca-Cola Enterprises Inc. Palmer was responsible for overseeing the Treasury Department, which manages the Coca-Cola Enterprises’ $10 billion multicurrency debt portfolio and its $4.5 billion pension plan and 401(k) plan investments; internal audit; risk management, diversity, the ombuds office and corporate affairs. She also serves as a member of the Company’s Executive Leadership Team.
A native of Memphis, Tennessee, Palmer spent five years with Federal Express Corporation where she held numerous financial positions. She was inducted into the YWCA Academy of Women Achievers and received the Bridge Builders Award from the Rainbow Coalition. She has been saluted by the Atlanta Business League with their Millennium Pacesetter Award. She was named one of the Top 75 Blacks and one of the Top 50 Women in Corporate America by Black Enterprise magazine.
Palmer was recognized by the Board of Directors Network with its 2005 Lettie Pate Whitehead Evans Award. Palmer is a member of the Executive Committee of the Board of Governors for Woodward Academy. She currently serves as a member of the Board of Trustees at Rhodes College. Palmer is a member of the Board of Directors of First Horizon National Corporation and Havertys Furniture Company.
Anna Eleanor Roosevelt
Enterprise Wide Leader, The Boeing Company
B.A., Stanford University
Master’s Degree, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Chair, Student Affairs Committee
Spelman College Board of Trustees: Elected in 2002
City of Residence: Chicago, Illinois
Anne Roosevelt is the Enterprise Wide Leader for Boeing’s global corporate citizenship, providing philosophical and strategic direction to a network of U.S. and international community investors, who employ and leverage Boeing’s multiple resources to address needs of communities where the company has a business presence; and for the business units as they engage as world citizens.
When The Boeing Company relocated to Chicago, Roosevelt became Director of Community and Education Relations for Boeing’s Corporate Offices. From 1996 through 1998, Roosevelt was Director of the Mayor's Office of Program Development for the City of Chicago. In January 1998, Roosevelt became Executive Director of the Brain Research Foundation, an affiliate of The University of Chicago.
Roosevelt has received the Handy L. Lindsey Jr. Award for Inclusiveness in Philanthropy presented by African Americans In Philanthropy, the Changemaker Award from Urban Gateways Chicago and the Leader in Education Award from the New Leaders For New Schools. She is a trustee of Roosevelt University where she chairs the Advisory Committee for the Center for New Deal Studies. She is also on the Board of the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum Foundation and the Advisory Board of the Joan B. Kroc Institute for International Peace Studies. In addition, Roosevelt co-chairs the Franklin and Eleanor Roosevelt Institute in New York.
Thoughts on why she chose to serve on the Spelman College Board of Trustees: Spelman is an inspiration in education for women. Spelman has remained focused on its goal, yet flexible in its actions. I am bowled over by the faculty quality and the leadership of Dr. Beverly Tatum. It is a pivotal place to be in the quest to prepare future generations of citizens.
Lovette Twyman Russell
Community Advocate and Volunteer
B.A., Spelman College
Spelman College Board of Trustees: Elected in 2009
City of Residence: Atlanta, Georgia
Lovette Twyman Russell is a committed advocate for children’s causes. After earning her bachelor’s degree in psychology from Spelman College, Russell worked as a computer programmer for a small firm and then went into sales and marketing for the Xerox Corporation.
She has been actively involved in fundraising for a number of charitable organizations including the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra Talent Development Program and the YWCA’s “Open Your Purse” fundraiser. A native of Atlanta,
Russell is also involved in fundraising for Children’s Health Care of Atlanta, Zoo Atlanta’s annual fundraiser “The Beastly Feast”, the High Museum’s David Driskell Prize and currently serves as Southeast Co-Chair of Spelman College’s Capital Campaign. Russell has been honored for her community work as a "2009 YWCA Woman of Achievement," has been featured in Southern Seasons magazine as an accomplished philanthropist and was named in Atlanta Woman Magazine as "A Woman of Impact." She serves on the Advisory Council to the National Monument Society, Advisory Council to the Anti-Prejudice Consortium and is an advisor on the Children’s Advocacy of Fulton County. She serves on the Board for Sheltering Arms, Zoo Atlanta and Trinity School.
Thoughts on why she chose to serve on the Spelman College Board of Trustees: Because I am a graduate of Spelman College, I am very passionate about the institution and am very committed to its success. I am excited to serve on the Board and look forward to using my experience in community involvement and fundraising to help Spelman continue to be an exceptional college.
Bradley T. Sheares
B.S., Fisk University
Ph.D., Purdue University
National Institutes of Health Postdoctoral Fellow
Lucille P. Markey Scholar at the Center for Cancer Research, Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Chair, Audit, Budget and Finance Committee
Spelman College Board of Trustees: Elected in 2004
City of Residence: Washington, D.C.
Brad Sheares has more than 20 years of experience in science, business and the pharmaceutical industry. Dr. Sheares most recently served as Chief Executive Officer of Reliant Pharmaceuticals, Inc., a company with integrated sales, marketing and development expertise that marketed a portfolio of branded cardiovascular pharmaceutical products.
Upon joining Reliant, Dr. Sheares led the restructuring of the company’s debt, secured the company’s first credit ratings from Moody’s Investor Service and Standard & Poor’s Ratings Services, assembled a seasoned executive management team, developed a comprehensive five-year strategy and business plan for the company, and successfully executed a dual path initial public offering/merger and acquisition process resulting in the sale of Reliant to GlaxoSmithKline for $1.67 billion in December 2007.
Prior to joining Reliant, Dr. Sheares had a 19-year career at Merck & Co. Inc., starting as a Research Fellow and holding numerous positions including President, U.S. Human Health. In addition to his significant commercial responsibilities, during his tenure as President, U.S. Human Health, Dr. Sheares was a member of Merck’s Management Committee, which was responsible for formulating global business strategies, operations management and the development and implementation of corporate policies.
Thoughts on why he chose to serve on the Spelman College Board of Trustees:
I joined the Spelman Board of Trustees because I have a soft spot in my heart for HBCUs. I am a big believer in the role/mission they play in educating students. I am also very inspired and motivated by President Beverly Tatum’s leadership and vision for the College.
Cynthia Neal Spence
Associate Professor, Spelman College
B.A., Spelman College
Master’s Degree and Ph.D., Rutgers University
Certificate, Management and Leadership in Education, Harvard University
Spelman College Board of Trustees: Elected in 2009
City of Residence: Atlanta, Georgia
Dr. Cynthia Neal Spence is an Associate Professor of Sociology at Spelman College. Her teaching and research interests in the areas of sociology, criminology, law and violence against women support the Law and Criminology concentration in the College’s Department of Sociology. Dr. Spence’s interest in issues of higher education access, gender role socialization and violence against women frame her research, writing, community service involvement and public speaking. She has served as a consultant for the Ford Foundation Institutional Transformation Project, the University of Chicago Provost Initiative on Minority Affairs, the Agnes Scott College Center for Teaching and Learning and the Georgia Department of Corrections.
In addition to her faculty position at Spelman, Dr. Spence serves as Director of the UNCF Mellon PrograThe Mellon Programs provide fellowships for students interested in becoming college professors in the areas of the humanities, physics, mathematics, sociology, anthropology and other disciplines employing philosophical or historical analysis. Dr. Spence is the recipient of the Spelman College Alumnae Achievement Tiffany Award and the Fannie Lou Hammer Community Service Award (Spelman College). She currently serves on the Board of Directors for the Washington Internship Institute.
Thoughts on why she chose to serve on the Spelman College Board of Trustees:
I am most pleased to have been selected to serve as the Faculty Trustee member of the Board of Trustees. My various roles at Spelman College including alumna, parent (both her daughters graduated from Spelman), faculty member and former Dean of Freshman Studies, Associate Academic Dean and Academic Dean have well prepared me to be able to view Spelman in her fullness.
My interactions with Spelman faculty and students for the past 28 years have enriched my being and helped to develop a passion for this institution. I hope to bring all of the knowledge I have gained through my professional and personal associations to the job of Faculty Trustee.
Ronda E. Stryker
Director, Stryker Corporation
B.A., University of Northern Colorado
Master’s Degree, Western Michigan University
Vice Chair of the Board
Spelman College Board of Trustees: Elected in 1997
City of Residence: Portage, Michigan
Ronda Styrker is the Director of Stryker Corporation, Vice Chairman and Director of Greenleaf Trust, a Michigan Chartered Bank and Director at the Kalamazoo Institute of Arts and the Kalamazoo Community Foundation. Stryker’s philanthropic interests are focused on the empowerment of women and support of non-traditional student enhancement programs at colleges and universities. Additionally, her charitable gifting seeks to assist the elimination of racism and sexism. She is a trustee at Kalamazoo College.
Thoughts on why she chose to serve on the Spelman College Board of Trustees:
I have always known that when a woman receives a college degree, the entire family and future generations of that family benefit directly. Higher education for women, women of color, non-traditional women students and women returning to education after raising families has held high importance in my gifts of time, talents and treasures.
At other colleges and universities where I have participated in assisting women gain access to education; I have witnessed real life stories that demonstrate positive life changing events that result from increased opportunities created by earned degrees. My opportunity to serve Spelman students has both validated and reinforced this long held belief and passion.
Beverly Daniel Tatum
President, Spelman College
B.A., Wesleyan University
Master’s Degree, Hartford Seminary
Master’s Degree and Ph.D., University of Michigan
Spelman College Board of Trustees: Ex Officio
City of Residence: Atlanta, Georgia
Scholar, teacher, author, administrator and race relations expert, Dr. Beverly Daniel Tatum is the ninth President of Spelman College. Prior to her appointment to the Spelman presidency in 2002, she spent 13 years at Mount Holyoke College, serving in various roles during her tenure there- as Professor of Psychology, Department Chair, Dean of the College and Acting President.
Prior to joining the Mount Holyoke faculty in 1989, Dr. Tatum was an Associate Professor and Assistant Professor of Psychology at Westfield State College in Westfield, Massachusetts, and a Lecturer in Black Studies at the University of California at Santa Barbara. Dr. Tatum is a clinical psychologist whose areas of research interest include black families in white communities, racial identity in teens, and the role of race in the classroom.
For more than 20 years, Dr. Tatum taught her signature course on the psychology of racism. She has also toured extensively, leading workshops on racial identity development and its impact in the classroom. Her latest book, Can We Talk about Race? and Other Conversations in an Era of School Resegregation, released in 2007, explores the social and educational implications of the growing racial isolation in public schools.
Dr. Tatum is the recipient of numerous honorary degrees including from Agnes Scott College, Bates College, Bowdoin College, Bridgewater State College, Mount Holyoke College, Salem State University, Westfield State College, Washington and Lee University, Westfield State College and Wheelock College. In 2005, she was awarded the prestigious Brock International Prize in Education for the innovative leadership she has provided in the field of education.
Kathy N. Waller
Vice President and Chief of Internal Audit, The Coca-Cola Company
B.A., University of Rochester
M.B.A., William E. Simon School of Business Administration, University of Rochester
Spelman College Board of Trustees: Elected in 2009
City of Residence: Atlanta, Georgia
Kathy Waller is Vice President and Chief of Internal Audit for The Coca-Cola Company. She is responsible for assessing the internal control environment for The Coca-Cola Company, advising the Audit Committee of the Board of Directors and senior management of the Company of any risks to that control environment and supporting the administration of the code of business conduct. She joined The Coca-Cola Company in 1987 as a Senior Accountant in accounting research. Prior to joining The Coca-Cola Company, she worked as a Senior Accountant for Deloitte Haskins and Sells Public Accounting Firm, both in Rochester, New York and Atlanta, Georgia.
Waller is Chair of The Coca-Cola Company’s Women’s Leadership Council that addresses the rapid impact global changes in demographics, economic access and personal expectations are having on the marketplace for talent. Waller is the 2007 recipient of the University of Rochester William E. Simon School Distinguished Alumna Award, 2007 Treasury and Risk Magazine 100 Most Influential People in Finance designation and the 2005 University of Rochester Career Achievement Award. She is a member of the University of Rochester’s Board of Trustees and the University of Rochester’s William E. Simon School of Business Executive Advisory Council.
Effective August 1, 2009, pending on approval by the Board of Directors on July 24, 2009, Waller will become the Vice-President and Controller for The Coca-Cola Company. As Controller, she would be responsible for the overall internal control environment of the Company as well as responsible for the consolidation of the financial statements.
Thoughts on why she chose to serve on the Spelman College Board of Trustees:
My desire to serve on the Spelman Board of Trustees is two-fold. First, The Coca-Cola Company has a wonderful on-going relationship with Spelman and I am proud to continue that supportive role with my Board membership. Secondly, I am an African-American native of Atlanta. I grew up knowing that Spelman women were professional and sophisticated. I have known many proud African-American women who graduated from Spelman. I am personally very proud that I can support such a wonderful institution.
Celeste Watkins-Hayes
Assistant Professor of Sociology and African American Studies, Northwestern University
Faculty Fellow, Institute for Policy Research, Northwestern University
B.A., Spelman College
Master’s and Ph.D., Harvard University
Spelman College Board of Trustees: Elected in 2009
City of Residence: Evanston, Illinois
Dr. Celeste Watkins-Hayes is an assistant professor of sociology and African American Studies at Northwestern University. Her areas of research specialization are urban poverty, social policy, HIV/AIDS, formal organizations (non-profit and government), and race, class, and gender. While at Harvard, she was a fellow in the Harvard Multidisciplinary Program in Inequality and Social Policy. The program draws on sociology, economics, political science, and public policy to train scholars to develop an interdisciplinary approach to research and to participate in the national debate around issues of social inequality.
Dr Watkins-Hayes is the author of the 2009 book The New Welfare Bureaucrats: Entanglements of Race, Class, and Policy Reform. She has served as a visiting fellow at the Center for AIDS Prevention Studies at the University of California at San Francisco and was awarded a two-year postdoctoral fellowship from the National Science Foundation.
Dr. Watkins-Hayes has been recognized for her professional achievements with the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Health Investigator Award and was featured in articles for Essence magazine, “The New Power Generation” and USA Weekend magazine “Black History Month Celebration: The Next Generation of African-American Achievers.” She is a member of the National Advisory Board for the Women’s Research and Resource Center at Spelman College and the Power Girls Advisory and Mentoring Council at the Johnnetta B. Cole Global Diversity & Inclusion Institute at Bennett College for Women and sits on the Board of Directors of the Test Positive Aware Network.
Thoughts on why she chose to serve on the Spelman College Board of Trustees: Attending Spelman was one of the best experiences of my life. I was encouraged to dream, to lead, and to serve. It was my Spelman experience that led to me choosing to become a professor. I firmly believe in doing everything that I can to contribute to the institution to ensure that other women have the same, or even better, opportunities to shape the world around them after receiving a Spelman education.
Christina A. Whatley
Junior, Spelman College
Spelman College Board of Trustees – Student Trustee: Elected in 2008
City of Residence: Washington, D.C.
Christina is a junior with a dual major in international studies and economics. is President of the Spelman College Student Philanthropy Council, an intern with Spelman’s Center for Leader and Civic Engagement (LEADS) and a member of the Golden Key Honor Society. She has been on the Dean’s List each semester since matriculating at Spelman. She is the recipient of the 2007 Jack and Jill Regional Award for Community Service and the 2005 Bank of America Student Leadership Award.
Whatley is actively involved in the Atlanta community as a tutor at Herndon Elementary School and currently serves as Vice President of Invisible Children – Spelman Chapter, an advocacy group for children in Uganda.
Thoughts on why she chose to serve on the Spelman College Board of Trustees: Serving as a trustee on the Board demonstrates Spelman College is open to the opinions of students and has enough confidence in its student body to allow us to be engaged in making decisions regarding Spelman affairs. As an undergraduate, I bring a modern student perspective to the table.
