Alumni-Elected Trustees

Although it seems customary to toot one’s own horn for such occasions as this, I confess to being sorely winded from years of doing just that to convince my wife and children that I know what I’m talking about. And to be honest it doesn’t matter. There are no wrong votes here. No objective way to determine who might be the best candidate. My underlying principle is that we attended Wesleyan, which in my mind makes us all worthy of consideration.

I would say, that after all this time, the prime reason for my interest in running for the AET position sprung from working on the 50th anniversary of the Class of ’71. I was struck by the commitment of the alumni office and my fellow classmates that chose to participate. I was impressed with how they had sustained and communicated the spirit of that time, which in turn made me reflect on my experiences at Wesleyan. Although, the University offered me the academic tools to ready me for the future, I must say I was frequently not as enthusiastic as my professors. For me the greater growth was often that which occurred outside of the classroom. The people I met, the convictions that I shaped, the values that became important, friendships that still mean so much to me, make me view my time at Wesleyan as the platform for my growth as a person, as a man. It probably would have happened with any college I attended, except for the evil schools of Amherst and Williams. But the point is it happened at Wesleyan and as such it is a primary part of me.

As to my professional accomplishments and accolades, you can always Google me. They sound better than they feel. What I’m bringing to the table is my personality and the impact I feel Wesleyan has made on my life. That and a dose of levity—when I’m not napping.

• President and screenwriter, Chuckles Production
• Career in television spanning 40 years
• Co-creator of NBC hit show 227, as well as co-executive producer for award winning Netflix show Family Reunion
• Writer/producer of the ABC sitcom Benson, One on One, The Parkers, The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, In the House, and many, many others
• Author and essayist
• Taught sitcom writing at AFI, USC, and UCLA

In my 30+ years as a television writer and producer, I have had many opportunities to interview recent college graduates who want to start a career in the entertainment industry. I can always tell which ones are the Wesleyan grads. They tend to be the ones who say, “I went to Wesleyan.” But even if they didn’t say that, I believe I would know. They are the ones who are mad to live, mad to talk, mad to be saved. . .Or they are the slightly more curious ones, or the slightly more empathic ones, or the ones for whom the light bulb switched on after arriving in Middletown and has been gaining in intensity and luminosity ever since. The way Wesleyan teaches liberal arts marks its graduates in a way that hits differently than other liberal arts colleges. There is an enthusiasm borne of the thrill that big ideas taught in an exciting way can inspire.

Wesleyan definitely marked me and sent me in a direction I would not otherwise have gone. For that I am deeply grateful, and I have maintained a strong commitment to Wesleyan over the years as a way of showing that gratitude. Now I want to be able to ensure that Wesleyan will always be the expansive, weird, magnificent place that has shaped so many remarkable people. That is why I am asking for your vote to be an alumni trustee.

• Co-creator/executive producer of the 18-time Emmy Award-winning comedy series Will & Grace
• In addition to Will & Grace, created and served as executive producer on numerous television series over the past 25 years with writing partner Max Mutchnick
• Other projects include Clipped, Partners, $#*! My Dad Says, Four Kings, Twins, Good Morning, Miami, Boston Common, Dream On, The Single Guy, The Wonder Years, Evening Shade, Designing Women, and The Dennis Miller Show
• Recipient of an Emmy and a People’s Choice Award

I graduated from Wesleyan nearly 50 years ago, as a member of the first class to admit women in modern times and one of the first classes to enroll a significant number of non-white freshmen. While Wesleyan faculty and students largely welcomed the diversity, it was a tumultuous era in America. Yet, through an extraordinary balance of generous personal attention with an expectation that students should themselves choose how to spend their time, Wesleyan gave me the tools to think critically, creatively, and independently and to articulate my opinions clearly and with confidence. Graduating in the midst of an economic downturn with a seemingly unmarketable degree in photography, my Wesleyan experience gave me the skills and confidence to launch myself successfully in the professional world and subsequently to seek further education in economics and business.

My career as a health economist, policy researcher, consultant, and business leader has included positions in the government and private consulting firms. Throughout, I have relied on the analytic and independent thinking skills that Wesleyan instilled. I credit Wesleyan’s emphasis on social responsibility and inclusiveness for my professional commitment to embracing diverse perspectives. In recent years, as I focus increasingly on volunteer and non-profit board activities that enable me to give back in meaningful ways, these same strengths of my Wesleyan education prevail.

As a trustee of Wesleyan University, I intend to preserve the Wesleyan education characterized by “boldness, rigor and practical idealism.” Ever increasing resources for critical programmatic and facility needs as well as to ensure adequate financial aid to diverse applicants will be required. Resolute attention to efficiency in resource use and to environmental impact is critical. I believe that Wesleyan trustees need to be resourceful and practical in the guidance they provide to Wesleyan leadership to prioritize initiatives and broaden funding sources to allow Wesleyan to continue as the unique and fulfilling place that has served me and so many other students.

• Vice President, Charles River Associates: consulting work in health care antitrust and reimbursement issues; also served in various leadership positions, including as Chief Operating Officer
• Board Chair, Boston University Medical Group
• Board member, Boston Medical Center Health System
• Former advisory board member to Wesleyan President's Advisory Council
• Former advisory board member to Wesleyan Quantitative Analysis Center (QAC)
• Active in recruiting Wesleyan students to economic consulting
• Pro bono consultant to various non-profit organizations engaged in tackling problems of food insecurity, increasing civic engagement, and amplifying access of minority populations to graduate STEM education
• See Noether's LinkedIn profile

We are at a critically important crossroads in our history. Through rapid advancements in technology, we now live in a global world defined by frictionless flows of information. However, these advances also contribute to the polarization in our society where the very notion of “facts” and “truth” is under assault. In this world where (mis)information is so easily weaponized, it is more essential than ever for its citizens to question, probe, think critically, and understand. Indeed, these are the principal attributes that define a liberal arts education and where Wesleyan excels.

But I believe that educational institutions such as Wesleyan must further adapt if they are to adequately address these existential challenges. Having spent my career working at the intersection of technology, entrepreneurialism, education, and finance, I believe I can uniquely contribute to the discussion around Wesleyan’s role and to ensure its continued relevance and impact as a leading voice in higher education. I am particularly focused on how to harness the benefits of technology while defending against its misuse.

Since graduation, I have also worked with dozens of students and recent alums, helping them prepare for life after college. While the Career Center has come a long way since my time on campus, I think we can—and have the responsibility—to do more for students on this front; nurturing their intellect alone is not enough to navigate this noisy and competitive world.

To that end, Wes is more than an educational institution to me. It provided the open and honest atmosphere I needed to grow and find myself, as well as my best friends. It is critical that we not lose the essence of Wesleyan culture and the people that define it. The refrain “Keep Wes Weird” was often said during my time on campus, and I believe this is a critical ingredient in the special alchemy that defines the Wesleyan experience, one that enables both intellectual and personal growth.

If elected, I will work to support the culture that has come to define generations of Wesleyan students while helping to bring the school and its students into the future.

• Co-Founder of an early-stage venture capital firm
• Staff representative, President’s Advisory Council on Doing Business in Africa (PAC-DBIA)
• Mentor, Wesleyan Startup Incubator (congrats again Daëlle!)
• Board Member, Web3 product studio
• Helped establish a summer internship opportunity at Wesleyan
• See Chu's LinkedIn profile

When I arrived at Wesleyan as a sophomore transfer, I wasn’t aware of just how fleeting my time on campus would feel, nor how life-changing it would be. Between transferring and studying abroad, I only spent five semesters in Middletown in contrast to the eight that most do. Yet even as early as my first week on campus—living above WesWings in 156 High, overwhelmed in orientation, and meeting my softball teammates—I could already tell that transferring was the right choice. Not just because of the beauty of the campus, but because of the vibrant social life that the school played host to. The thing that made Wesleyan so obviously special wasn’t the well-funded programs, the clubs and groups advertised during the student involvement fair, or the slick building renovations that might be touted in brochures, it was the people and the holistic experience of the community we make together each year.

My Wesleyan experience was defined by the friendships that developed organically from simply being young people smushed into close proximity during the formative years of our lives. Delirious late-night debates with friends in Olin, waking early and driving to Amherst to watch friends play tennis in Cardinal red for the very last time, or stumbling into the WestCo lounge after a night out on Fountain to support friends during the 3 a.m. hour of their 24-hour improv show. Friendship, community, and people are the elements of the Wesleyan experience that stuck most with me. These are also the guiding principles I would take into serving on the board of trustees, where every decision I make would be done with the intention of advocating for the student body, and continuing the Wesleyan tradition of fostering a dynamic, challenging, safe space to express yourself and grow into the person you’re proud to be.

I am also a strong proponent of the idea that one’s Wesleyan experience does not end at graduation. Since graduating, I have only grown closer to the school through numerous alumni volunteer experiences. I also married a fellow Cardinal (Reiss Clauson-Wolf '13) for good measure. My appreciation for Wesleyan has deepened since graduation, and though nowhere is perfect, our alma mater does quite a few things right. I’d be proud to serve on the board and continue improving the Wesleyan experience for generations to come.

• Managing Director of Playhouse Capital
• Trustee of I See a Foundation
• Reunion Chair (5- and 10-Year Reunions)
• Class of 2012 Class Agent
• GOLD (Graduates of the Last Decade) Party Organizer
• Athletic Advisory Council
• Wesleyan Volunteer Fund Committee
• Alumni Association Executive Committee
• See Levy's LinkedIn profile

Wesleyan is an amazing institution and I am lucky to have had such a formative educational experience coupled with fond memories and close friends from diverse backgrounds. Since beginning my professional life on Wall Street, I have kept Wes in mind by 1) lending time and knowledge to students and young alumni as they embark on their professional careers, 2) recruiting and mentoring young professionals from Wes, and 3) supporting creatives from Wes, namely in film and fine art. There have been myriads of positive outcomes for the Wesleyan community on the back of these efforts.

While athletics have always been a core part of my life and it was Coach Raba’s top ranked lacrosse team that initially attracted me to Wes, another unique facet of our community is the creative impetus of its student body. I’ve viewed my ability to meld business acumen with the creative spark of many of my friends from Wes as a unique skill and scarce resource, helping create a launchpad for the artistic careers of many, like Wesleyan graduate Michael Gittes. The same way I have played a small part to help spawn the finance careers of Wesleyan grads and the entrepreneurial endeavors of startup company founders that I have backed, I have viewed my support to Wesleyan creatives as something similar. Over time, I have no doubt that these endeavors will make their mark on history, enrich the lives and careers of those involved while also shedding positive light on the university, thus strengthening our community. Our focus on this is already bearing fruit for the community as our Wesleyan alumni led film, The Line, directed by Ethan Berger ’10, is scheduled to world premiere at Tribeca Film Festival this summer.

Wesleyan is an incredible place. I’m grateful for my friends and experiences and am lucky to have had a reasonable degree of success early in my business career, part of which is attributable to the help of mentors and some luck, part of which is attributable to intellectual curiosity and a drive to make a positive mark on whatever I’m doing. Combining my fondness for Wesleyan with the knowledge, skills, and network I have built throughout my career, I know I would have a positive impact on the university, its students, and alumni, by serving on the board of trustees in a formal capacity.

• Guided and mentored Wesleyan graduates thru interview processes leading to jobs and careers at multiple bulge bracket financial firms
• Wesleyan Athletic Advisory Council member
• Named a Rising Star of Wall Street Research by Institutional Investor Magazine, one of the youngest research analysts on Wall Street to receive this recognition
• Forbes 30 Under 30 for Finance
• Andrena Board Member
• Executive producer of Wesleyan alumni-led films
• Chicago Hope Academy: Served as a mentor and fundraiser for their entrepreneurship program which is sponsored by Chicago Booth