The IEN Steering Committee represents a cross section of the IEN and is comprised of 35 leaders from higher education, foundations, investment firms, and non-profits. At its second meeting, the Steering Committee recommended forming an Executive Committee to provide strategic guidance and develop priorities for the Network. This committee is not a fiduciary board, it provides leadership and recommendations to the full Steering Committee and Network on larger policy issues. The inaugural members of the Executive Committee are as follows.
Co-Chair: Garrett Ashley, Vice Chancellor, University Relations and Advancement, The California State University
Garrett P. Ashley is vice chancellor of University Relations and Advancement for the California State University, providing oversight for systemwide fundraising, governmental affairs, community relations, alumni relations, communications and public affairs since November 2008. His division highlights the system’s positive role in California while advocating for public higher education interests. Read more.
Co-Chair: David Dinerman, Former Trustee, Hampshire College
David Dinerman is a former trustee at Hampshire College in Amherst, Massachusetts, where he was Vice Chair, and headed the Finance and Investment Committees. David is an attorney who has worked in financial services, software, manufacturing, and real estate, principally as the CFO of companies in which he has worked. Most of his work has been in lower middle market companies Read more.
Joe Biernat, Trustee, Gettysburg College
Joe Biernat is Chief Investment Officer of Permian Global, an environmental investment company. Previously he was a director and the Chief Investment Strategist at European Credit Management (ECM) where he served as a managing board member from 2000 to its sale to Wachovia/Wells Fargo in 2007. Read more.
Lisa Hayles, Institutional Investment Services, Boston Common Asset Management
Lisa works closely with members of the investment team to liaise with existing institutional clients—as well as support the development of new relationships with investors and consultants. Previously, she was head of Client Services (North America) for EIRIS, a non-profit ESG research firm headquartered in London. Read More.
Keith Johnson, Chairman, Institutional Investor Legal Services, Reinhart Boerner Van Deuren s.c.
Keith L. Johnson chairs the Institutional Investor Services Group at Reinhart Boerner Van Deuren s.c. He represents pension funds, foundations and other institutional investors globally on fiduciary, investment, governance and litigation matters. He is a member of the International Corporate Governance Network's Shareholder Rights Committee, the Sustainable Accounting Standards Board's Education Review Committee and the American College of Investment Counsel. Read more.
Tom Mitchell, Managing Director, Cambridge Associates
Tom Mitchell is a Managing Director in Cambridge Associates’ Arlington, VA office. He leads a number of relationships with colleges & universities, foundations, and private clients ranging in size from $30 million to $4 billion. Tom advises on total investment program management, inclusive of issues such as governance, strategy, portfolio construction, manager diligence and selection, and ongoing monitoring and evaluation. Read more.