Announcement
Boston, MA —
Emerson’s Board of Trustees has approved a significant restructuring of the Board of Overseers, including the appointment of its first 19 members. Ultimately, the new Board, which will meet twice a year, will have 30 members.
“We are very fortunate to have attracted and retained a talented group of leaders willing to give generously of their time to assist Emerson,” said President Lee Pelton. “I am very grateful to those who have accepted the Board of Trustees’ invitation to serve on our new Board of Overseers.”
Through standing and special committees, Overseers offer advice and recommendations to the President and the Board of Trustees on plans and initiatives related to the schools; the student experience; industry outreach and engagement; diversity and inclusion; fundraising; and special projects identified by the President.
“The restructuring will allow the Overseers greater involvement as the College plans for its future,” said Donna Heiland, vice president and special assistant to the President, “and will strengthen their engagement with Emerson’s faculty, students, and staff.” Heiland, assisted by staff in the President’s office, will facilitate the Board’s work.
“It is my great privilege to serve as chairman of the Emerson College Board of Overseers,” said Daniel Black, a shareholder with the law firm Greenberg Traurig, where he co-chairs the Los Angeles Entertainment Practice Group. Black's son Alex graduated from Emerson in 2007. “I am rejuvenated by the Board’s new structure, responsibilities, and dedicated and talented members. We are looking forward to helping President Pelton and the Board of Trustees advance Emerson's future.”
The following individuals have been appointed to new the Board of Overseers:
- Daniel H. Black, Parent ’07, Chair
- Donald Spetner, Parent ’12, Vice Chair
- Eric Alexander ’78,Emerson CollegeTrustee
- Bonnie Comley ’94
- Mark Donovan ’89
- Sandra Goldfarb ’78
- Jan Jacobs Greenhawt ’69
- Lisa Gregorian ’83, MA ’86
- Michelle Keating ’84
- Gary A. Krantz ’81
- Michael MacWade ’86
- G. Michael Mara Jr. ’81
- Winthrop L. McCormack, Parent ’09
- Michael Mendenhall ’84
- Michael Rogers
- Colette A.M. Phillips MS ’76
- Janet Scardino ’81
- Mike Vasilinda
- Mary Sweig Wilson ’64
About the College
Based in Boston, Massachusetts, opposite the historic Boston Common and in the heart of the city’s Theatre District, Emerson College educates individuals who will solve problems and change the world through engaged leadership in communication and the arts, a mission informed by liberal learning. The College has 3,780 undergraduates and 670 graduate students from across the United States and 50 countries. Supported by state-of-the-art facilities and a renowned faculty, students participate in more than 90 student organizations and performance groups. Emerson is known for its experiential learning programs in Los Angeles, Washington, DC, the Netherlands, London, China, and the Czech Republic as well as its new Global Portals, with the first opening last fall in Paris. The College has an active network of 51,000 alumni who hold leadership positions in communication and the arts. For more information, visit Emerson.edu.
