This academic year, the Claremont McKenna College Board of Trustees elected Lorraine Bains ’88 as a new regular trustee.
Bains graduated from CMC with a dual major in Political Science and Philosophy, becoming the first woman and woman of color to serve as President of the Claremont McKenna College Alumni Association. In recognition of her exceptional leadership and service to the College and its alumni community, she received the Jack L. Stark ’57 GP’11 Distinguished Service Award.
Over the years, she has continued to lead alumni initiatives. Currently she is co-leading and planning Claremont McKenna College’s 50 Years of Co-Education celebration with Mari Adam ’80. In addition, Bains and the late Ambassador and CMC Trustee Steven McGann ’73 developed a concept for a D.C. Program Speaker Series, which launched during the program’s 50th Anniversary in November, another milestone for CMC.
Bains serves as senior vice president at City National Bank, where she is a recognized leader in treasury management and working capital strategy. A certified treasury professional, she combines technical expertise with a passion for supporting clients. She earned a master’s in public policy with an emphasis on business from Claremont Graduate University and is a fellow of the U.S.-Japan Leadership Program. In addition, Bains earned an Executive Leadership Certificate from the University of Washington’s Foster School of Business and is a graduate of the Pacific Coast Banking School.
Bains also volunteers her time to teach financial literacy to young people, bridging her professional experience with her commitment to community education.