Preparations for the new academic year are underway around campus and beyond. For the Yale Alumni Association Board of Governors, the first order of business is welcoming a host of new faces and a few familiar faces in new positions.
The new board members for 2021-22 are Mark Badger ’91, Andrew Burgie ’87, J.C. Calderón ’92 MArch, Jia Chen ’00 PhD, Elijah Heyward III ’07 MAR, Simon Ingold ’07 MA, Karin Kricorian ’94, Llewellyn Miller ’70, Michael Montaño ’03, Yvette Soliz Rivers ’96, and OrLando Yarborough ’10 PhD.
Joining the board’s executive committee for the coming year are newly minted executive officers Paul Bosco ’84 MS, Wendy Maldonado D’Amico ’93, and Jennifer Madar ’88, all of whom originally joined the board in 2018 and recently completed their terms as board members. The other members of the executive committee are Chair Jerry Henry ’80 MDiv, Vice Chair Xiaoyan Huang ’91, and Immediate Past Chair Nancy Stratford ’77, all of whom continue in their roles from last year.
“We’re thrilled about our new board members and executive officers,” said Henry, who is beginning the second of his two-year term as chair. “This is a remarkable, accomplished group that will bring new ideas to the board and blend seamlessly with our existing board members as we continue to work to organize programs and events that serve the greater alumni community.”
Annually, six board members are elected by YAA delegates (representing regional clubs, classes, interest groups, alumni associations, and more) 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 YAA Board of Governors by the chair, vice chair, three executive officers, the immediate past chair, and a group of ex-officio members who serve by virtue of their responsibilities in related roles. For the members joining the board for 2021-22, the majority are coming on to serve the first year of a three-year term, while Badger, Burgie, and Yarborough have each been elected to serve the final year of a vacant board seat.
The board meets regularly throughout year to set the direction for the association and to hear updates from university leadership. Members also work through their respective committees to develop and support programs and events. Current committees include those focused on alumni communities, Yale Medal, alumni fellow nominations, careers and mentoring, equity and inclusion, board governance, and volunteer pipeline development.
“On behalf of all the staff members of the YAA, I want to offer a warm welcome to our new board members and congratulate the new executive officers,” said Weili Cheng ’77, executive director of the YAA. “These are dedicated volunteers who have an impressive record of service to alumni and to Yale through their leadership of alumni communities and programs. We’ll of course miss our dear friends who are leaving the board, and we are grateful for their exemplary service. But we’re also excited for what lies ahead. We can’t wait to get to work!”
The first official YAA board meeting of the 2021-22 term will take place virtually in September.
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Photo above (clockwise from top left): Clockwise from top left: Andrew Burgie ’87, Mark Badger ’91, J.C. Calderón ’92 MArch, Jia Chen ’00 PhD, Elijah Heyward III ’07 MAR, Simon Ingold ’07 MA, Yvette Soliz Rivers ’96, OrLando Yarborough ’10 PhD, Michael Montaño ’03, Llewellyn Miller ’70, and Karin Kricorian ’94.