Who are the Trustees?

Mr. Ahmad is a founding partner in the Houston law firm Ahmad, Zavitsanos & Mensing, or AZA. He represents executives in a variety of matters, including breach of contract, trade secrets, covenants not to compete, and breach of fiduciary duty. Mr. Ahmad earned a bachelor's degree in economics from Lawrence and a law degree from the University of Michigan. 

As a student, Ahmad was a member of the Lawrence University Community Council, cross country and track teams, and Delta Tau Delta. He served on the committee for his 35th reunion. He was a member of the President’s Advisory Council and currently co-chairs the Mind the Gap Scholarship Committee.

Mr. Ayabe retired from the firm of Ayabe, Chong, Nishimoto, Sia & Nakamura, having served as its managing partner for 25 years. Previously, he served as Hawaii’s deputy attorney general from 1970-72.

Mr. Ayabe earned a bachelor's degree in government from Lawrence and a law degree from the University of Iowa.

Mr. Baer is a Visiting Fellow at The Brookings Institution where he writes and provides commentary on antitrust and competition law matters. He served as Assistant Attorney General in charge of the Antitrust Division of the U.S. Department of Justice from 2013 to 2016 and as Director of the Bureau of Competition at the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) from 1995 to 1999. Mr. Baer earned a bachelor's degree in government from Lawrence and a law degree from Stanford Law School.

Ms. Becket leads the Global Marketing Center of Excellence for the Disney Experiences segment of The Walt Disney Company. Her team is responsible for developing and activating the marketing for Disney destinations, experiences, signature vacations, and consumer products across the Disney Experiences segment. She earned a bachelor's degree in mathematics from Lawrence, a bachelor's degree in aerospace engineering from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, and an MBA from the Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University.

While at Lawrence, Ms. Becket was captain of the conference championship winning tennis team and played French Horn in the Wind Ensemble. She has served on the Viking Athletic Advisory Committee and the President’s Advisory Council. 

Ms. Davis is a non-profit and philanthropic sector executive, having served as President & CEO of the Coleman Foundation, the inaugural Executive Director and later President of the Forest Preserve Foundation, and the immediate past Board chair of the Albert Pick Jr. Fund. Her career experiences also include crisis intervention counseling and policy advocacy, grantmaking to uplift communities, and organizational development growth. Ms. Davis is currently a fractional non-profit executive and Senior Consultant for the Lawyer’s Trust Fund.

Ms. Davis earned a bachelor's degree in psychology from Lawrence and a master’s degree in urban planning and policy from the University of Illinois at Chicago.

Mr. DuMonthier is a portfolio manager at Nuveen. Previously, he was as partner at Copia Capital LLC, a global long-short equity hedge fund, where he served as portfolio manager and led the risk management effort.

He earned a bachelor's degree in economics from Lawrence and a master's degree in management from the Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University.

Mr. Fessler serves as Professor of Neurosurgery at the Rush University Medical Center. Prior to assuming this position, he was the John Harper Seeley Professor and Chief of Neurosurgery at the University of Chicago Hospitals and Clinics. 

Mr. Fessler earned a bachelor's degree in psychology from Lawrence, a master's degree in psychology from North Dakota State College of Science, and an MD and PhD in Pharmacology and Physiology from the University of Chicago.

Mr. Fisher, AIA, FAAR, is an architect at Frederick Fisher and Partners. He earned a bachelor's degree in art and art history from Oberlin College and a master's degree in architecture from the University of California, Los Angeles.

Ms. Franklin is Senior Director of Development for Major Gifts-Southern California at University of California, Berkeley where she leads strategic priorities and philanthropic engagement in the region. A native of Jamaica, Ms. Franklin earned a bachelor’s degree in government and philosophy from Lawrence.

As a student, she was involved with Lawrence International, The Lawrence Fund, Lawrence University Community Council, Black Organization of Students (now Black Student Union), LU Model UN, and Kappa Alpha Theta.

Mr. Gandre has been President of Manhattan School of Music since 2013. He served in various leadership positions at MSM from 1985 to 2000 before becoming dean of Chicago College of Performing Arts/Roosevelt University, and later Provost and Executive Vice President of the University. He has been a soloist with the Cleveland Orchestra and the London Classical Players, and performed in more than 150 ensemble concerts with the New York Philharmonic, Concertgebouw Orchestra, Israel Philharmonic, and San Francisco Symphony, among others. He serves on the Advisory Council of The Misty Copeland Foundation, a nonprofit that aims to bring greater diversity, equity, and inclusion to dance. 

A Wisconsin native, Mr. Gandre earned a bachelor's degree in vocal performance from Lawrence. He earned a master’s degree from San Francisco Conservatory of Music, and an Ed.D. in higher education administration from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. He received an honorary Doctor of Music from Lawrence in 2024.

Ms. Hall retired in late 2021 upon the sale of the 95 Percent Group, a company she co-founded. The company’s mission is to help teachers and administrators identify and address the needs of struggling readers.

Ms. Hall earned a bachelor's degree in psychology from Lawrence, an MBA from Harvard Business School, and a Doctor of Education from National Louis University. She and her husband, David, have served as members of the President’s Advisory Council.

Mr. Hochkammer is a partner at the law firm Honigman LLP. He formerly served as Honigman’s Chairman and CEO.

Mr. Hochkammer earned a bachelor's degree in economics from Lawrence and a law degree from Northwestern University School of Law. He served as chair of the board from 2005-2008.

Ms. Howarth is a retired manuscript editor for various academic book publishers, including the University of Wisconsin Press, the University of Chicago Press, the National Geographic Society, and Beacon Press, Boston.

Ms. Howarth earned a bachelor's degree in English and philosophy from Lawrence, a master’s degree in English from the University of Chicago, and a master's degree in writing and literature from Bennington College. Her other service to Lawrence University includes co-chairing the Legacy Circle and the More Light! campaign.

Mr. Knapp is a Senior Vice President of Northern Trust’s Wealth Management division where he has served in leadership and client development roles since 2001.

He earned a bachelor's degree in philosophy from Lawrence and an MBA in finance from the University of Iowa.

A long-time public servant, Ms. Lawton was the first woman elected lieutenant governor in Wisconsin, serving from 2003-2011. She earned a bachelor's degree in Spanish from Lawrence and a master's degree in Spanish from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. She received an honorary Doctor of Laws degree from Lawrence in 2009.

Mr. Moser is Divisional Vice President, Corporate Communications, at Abbott, a global healthcare manufacturer.

He earned a bachelor's degree in English from Lawrence and an MBA at the Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University.

Mr. Murray served forty years as a Foreign Service Officer with the U.S. Department of State. His assignments included diplomatic positions as the U.S. Ambassador to the Republic of the Congo, Political Advisor to the Supreme Allied Commander for NATO Forces, and Deputy Chief of Mission at the U.S. Mission to the European Union in Brussels. Mr. Murray earned a bachelor's degree in government from Lawrence and a law degree from Cornell Law School.

Mr. Musser has more than 40 years of experience in the investment management and investment banking industry as an equity portfolio manager and research analyst. He is currently principal of Angeline Properties, LLC, a private investment firm. He earned a bachelor's degree in economics from Lawrence.

He served on the 25th and 40th Reunion committees and was an event volunteer and working group member for Lawrence's More Light! Campaign.

Mr. Myers is a retired partner in the Pharmaceuticals & Medical Products practice at Accenture. Following his retirement from Accenture, Mr. Myers served on the 2016 Chicago Olympic bid team. At the end of that bid, he helped launch World Sport Chicago, an organization focused on using sport to teach social and emotional values to youth in Chicago’s under resourced communities. He is also a founder of the Winnetka Music Festival, a weekend festival patterned after The Mile of Music, with professional music groups as well as youth musicians performing throughout the downtown area of Winnetka.

Myers, a third generation Lawrentian, earned a bachelor's degree from Lawrence.

Mr. Nettles is the Founder and Managing Director of Generation Growth Capital, Inc., a private equity fund focused on buyouts and providing growth capital to small businesses and lower-middle market companies in the upper Midwest. He previously was Of Counsel at Quarles & Brady LLP in the Corporate Services and Government Relations groups. Nettles also served as Secretary for the Wisconsin Department of Commerce. 

Mr. Nettles earned a bachelor's degree from Lawrence and a law degree from the University of Wisconsin-Madison Law School. He served as chair of the board from 2021-2024.

Ms. Quandt is recently retired as professor of Public Health Sciences at Wake Forest University School of Medicine where she is now professor emerita. Until 2023, she held a visiting faculty appointment at the University of Cape Town in South Africa. An applied medical anthropologist, Quandt worked on programs to correct the health disparities experienced by rural and minority populations.

Ms. Quandt earned a bachelor's degree in anthropology from Lawrence and a master's degree and PhD in medical anthropology from Michigan State University. She previously served on the Lawrence University Alumni Association Board of Directors.

Mr. Shepard is Chief Operating Officer and Board member of Marki Microwave, a RF semiconductor & component company. He began his career at Texas Instruments and went on to be President & CEO of Sequoia Communications, a startup developing RF transceivers for mobile handsets. He then held SVP/General Management positions at Peregrine Semiconductor and Integrated Device Technology

Mr. Shepard, an Appleton native, earned a bachelor's degree in physics from Lawrence and a master's degree in electrical engineering from University of Wisconsin – Madison. He served on the President's Advisory Council for over 6 years, including serving as co-chair of that committee for over four years. 

Ms. Skala is currently the owner of AT Skala Designs LLC, an interior decoration and renovation company, that she started in 2010. Prior to this, she worked as a financial analyst for Frank Russell in London. Earlier, she was an associate research analyst with the investment research firm Sanford C. Bernstein in New York.

Ms. Skala earned a bachelor’s degree in government from Lawrence, an MBA in finance from New York University’s Stern School of Business, and a bachelor’s degree in fine arts from the New York School of Interior Design.

During her time at Lawrence, Ms. Skala was a member of the women’s soccer team and a founding member of the Women’s Rugby Club. She also held several officer positions in the Delta Gamma Sorority.

Ms. Strei is Chief People Officer of a venture-funded biotech start-up, IntegerBio. Ms. Strei earned a bachelor's degree in sociology from Lawrence and a master's degree in organization development from American University.

Ms. Sullivan, now retired, previously served as Senior Vice President and Director of Human Resources at Ingalls Advertising. During her time there, she worked on multiple high-level accounts including Converse, Ocean Spray, and TJ Maxx before moving into HR management. Previously, she held positions on the McDonald's advertising account at Arnold Worldwide and at Major Market Radio.

Ms. Sullivan earned a bachelor's degree in history from Lawrence. As a student, she was a member of Kappa Alpha Theta. After graduating, she served as an admissions volunteer and on the committees for her 25th and 40th reunions, the Mind the Gap Scholarship Committee, and the President's Advisory Council.

Mr. Valukas is an attorney and senior partner with the law firm of Jenner & Block in Chicago. He served as the firm’s chairman for a decade before retiring from that role in April of 2017. Specializing in litigation matters related to civil and white-collar crimes, Mr. Valukas has handled many high-profile cases. 

Mr. Valukas earned a bachelor's degree in government from Lawrence and a law degree from Northwestern University. He served on the Lawrence University Alumni Association Board of Directors, hosted a focus group for the More Light! campaign, served as a member of his 50th reunion committee, and returned to campus as the Commencement speaker in 2012 when he also received an honorary Doctor of Laws degree from Lawrence.