Harvard Announces New Overseers, HAA Board of Directors

President of the Harvard Alumni Association Susan Morris Novick ’85 announced the election of six members of the Board of Overseers and six directors to the board of the Harvard Alumni Association during the Afternoon Exercises of the 367th Commencement Thursday.

Members of the Board of Overseers—the University’s second-highest governing body—are tasked with weighing in on the direction of the University, advising top Harvard administrators, and approving certain actions by the the Harvard Corporation, Harvard’s top governing body. Its members serve for six-year terms, and Harvard degree holders vote every spring to elect five new members.

The HAA board of directors serves as an advisory body meant to connect alumni around the globe by developing volunteer leadership and bolstering graduates’ engagement.

The announcement comes after both the Overseers and HAA announced new leadership. Margaret M. Wang ’09 will succeed Novick as the president of HAA. Susan L. Carney ’73 will replace Scott A. Abell ’72 as the Overseers president while Gwill E. York ’79 will succeed Tracy P. Palandjian ’93 as the vice chair.

The new Overseers are Geraldine Acuna-Sunshine ’92, Philip Hart Cullom, Meredith “Max” Hodges ’03, Marilyn Holifield, Diego A. Rodriguez, and Yvette Roubideaux ’85, per Novick’s announcement.

Five of the six newly elected Overseers—everyone except Rodriguez—will serve the regular six-year terms, Novick announced. Rodriguez, who garnered the sixth-most votes, will serve the two years that remain on the term of former Overseer Jane Lubchenco, who stepped down due to work obligations.

The new HAA directors—each elected for three-year terms—are Collette Creppell ’82, Sid Espinosa, Natosha Reid Rice ’93, Krishnan Namboodiri Subrahmanian ’03, Bella T. Wong ’82, and Rashid Muhammed Yasin ’12.

The new Overseers were chosen from a slate of eight candidates nominated by an HAA committee. Harvard degree holders cast 26,765 ballots in the election. Similarly, the HAA directors were selected from a slate of nine candidates nominated by an HAA committee. Harvard degree holders cast 27,537 ballots in the election.

These elections mark the last announcement of expected turnover on Harvard’s governing bodies. The Corporation named its newest members Wednesday: Penny S. Pritzker ’81 and Carolyn A. “Biddy” Martin. The additions established gender parity on the University’s highest governing body, though it remains mostly white.

—Staff writer Caroline S. Engelmayer can be reached at caroline.engelmayer@thecrimson.com. Follow her on Twitter @cengelmayer13.

—Staff writer Kristine E. Guillaume can be reached at kristine.guillaume@thecrimson.com. Follow her on Twitter @krisguillaume.