Overseer, HAA elected director elections ballot set

This spring, Harvard degree holders will have the opportunity to vote for new members of the Harvard Board of Overseers and elected directors of the Harvard Alumni Association.

The election begins April 1, and completed ballots will be accepted until 5 p.m. May 14. Harvard degree holders can vote online or by paper ballot for five anticipated vacancies on the Board of Overseers and for six openings among the HAA elected directors.

All Harvard degree holders as of Jan. 1, except for officers of instruction and government at Harvard and members of the Harvard Corporation, are eligible to vote for Overseer candidates. All Harvard degree holders as of Jan. 1 may vote for HAA elected directors.

The candidates listed below have been named by the nominating committee appointed by the Harvard Alumni Association’s volunteer leadership. The candidates’ names appear below in ballot order, as determined by lot.

Overseer candidates

The HAA nominating committee has proposed the following candidates for the 2024 election:

Tim Ritchie
M.P.A. ’98
B.A. ’83, Davidson College; J.D. ’87, Duke University
President, Museum of Science
Boston, Massachusetts

Theodore D. Chuang
A.B. ’91, summa cum laude, J.D. ’94, magna cum laude
U.S. District Judge, U.S. District Court for the District of Maryland
Bethesda, Maryland

Juan Antonio Sepúlveda Jr.
A.B. ’85
M.A. ’87, University of Oxford; J.D. ’93, Stanford Law School
Calgaard Distinguished Professor of Practice in Political Science and President’s Special Adviser for Inclusive Excellence, Trinity University
San Antonio, Texas

Modupe Nyikoale Akinola
A.B. ’96, magna cum laude, M.B.A. ’01, A.M. ’06, Ph.D. ’09
Zalaznick Professor of Business and Faculty Director of the Bernstein Center for Leadership and Ethics, Columbia Business School
New York, New York

Ming Min Hui
M.B.A. ’15
B.A. ’10, Yale University
Executive Director, Boston Ballet
Boston, Massachusetts

Scott Mead
A.B. ’77, cum laude
M.Phil. ’79, University of Cambridge; J.D. ’82, University of Pennsylvania
Photographer; Founder, Bramley Studio
London, England

Danielle A. Feinberg
A.B. ’96, cum laude
Cinematographer; Visual Effects Supervisor, Pixar Animation Studios
Oakland, California

Nworah Blaise Ayogu
A.B. ’10, cum laude, M.D. ’15, M.B.A. ’15
General Manager and Chief Medical Officer, Amazon Clinic
Los Angeles, California

Scott Mead is a current member of the Board of Overseers, serving since 2022, and completing the unexpired term of an Overseer who concluded her service early.

HAA elected director candidates

The HAA nominating committee has proposed the following elected director candidates for the 2024 election:

Randolph C. Lindel
A.B. ’66
M.B.A. ’70, University of Washington
Retired Senior Director, Westport Consulting Group
West Chester, Pennsylvania

Theresa S. Cho
A.B. ’90, cum laude
M.Phil. ’96, Ph.D. ’99, Columbia University
Vice President of International Affairs, Seoul National University
Seoul, Republic of Korea

Basil Williams
A.B. ’14 magna cum laude, J.D. ’19, M.P.P. ’19
Associate, Patterson Belknap Webb & Tyler LLP 
Brooklyn, New York

Madeleine Mejia
Ed.M. ’00
B.A. ’99, University of California, Los Angeles; Ed.D. ’15, University of Southern California
Assistant Professor, California State University, Fullerton
Beverly Hills, California

Edward L. Rocha
A.B. ’06
M.S. ’09, Boston University
President, Rola Corporation
Malden, Massachusetts

Adrian D. Blake
A.B. ’88
M.B.A. ’96, University of Pennsylvania
CEO, Precision Syringe
Omaha, Nebraska

Tjada D’Oyen McKenna
A.B. ’96, cum laude, M.B.A. ’02
CEO, Mercy Corps
Potomac, Maryland

Dorian Orlando Burton II
Ed.L.D. ’15
B.A. ’06, Pennsylvania State University; M.A. ’08, New York University; M.B.A. ’22, University of Oxford
Managing Partner, The Southern Reconstruction Fund
Raleigh, North Carolina

A previously announced candidate for elected director, Brooke Ellison ’00, M.P.P. ’04, passed away unexpectedly on Feb. 4. The HAA and the nominating committee decided to move forward with eight elected director candidates this year, noting their desire to honor Ellison and her important contributions to the Harvard community.   

The nominating committee, assembled and appointed by HAA volunteer leaders, is composed of 13 alumni with varied backgrounds and includes three current or recent Overseers with direct knowledge of the workings and needs of the board. The committee reviews materials and deliberates on hundreds of prospective candidates recommended by alumni and others in the Harvard community before nominating the candidate slate.

The committee’s considerations include factors such as the board’s present composition and the University’s future needs; prior board service and an understanding of complex organizations; experiences and accomplishments in an academic or professional domain; a broad interest in and concern for higher education, including the interests of Harvard and the quality and ongoing development of its education and research mission; a commitment to investing the time and energy required for effective service; and the ability to lead as well as to build consensus. The committee also looks to nominate candidates who together have a wide range of experiences, perspectives, and backgrounds.

The Board of Overseers is one of Harvard’s two governing boards, along with the President and Fellows, also known as the Corporation. Formally established in 1642, the board plays an integral role in the governance of the University. As a central part of its work, the board directs the visitation process, the primary means for periodic external assessment of Harvard’s Schools and departments. Through its array of standing committees, and the roughly 50 visiting committees that report to them, the board probes the quality of Harvard’s programs and assures that the University remains true to its charter as a place of learning. More generally, drawing on its members’ diverse experience and expertise, the board provides counsel to the University’s leadership on priorities, plans, and strategic initiatives. The board also has the power of consent to certain actions such as the election of Corporation members. The current membership of the board is listed here.

The HAA Board, including its elected directors, is an advisory board that aims to foster a sense of community, engagement, and University citizenship among Harvard alumni around the world. The work focuses on developing volunteer leadership and increasing and deepening alumni engagement through an array of programs that support alumni communities worldwide. In recent years, the board’s priorities have included strengthening outreach to recent graduates and graduate school alumni and continuing to build and promote inclusive communities.