The Claremont McKenna College Board of Trustees elected this academic year four new regular trustees and an alumna trustee. Rossi Russell ’71, a Regular Trustee since 1989, was named a Life Trustee.
The new regular trustees include David Brown ’00, Andrew Kaiser P’13, Kristen Kaufman ’98, and Mitzi Reaugh ’99. The new alumna trustee is Michelle Oden ’94.
Here are snapshots of the new regular trustees and alumna trustee:
David Brown ’00
Regular Trustee
Brown is the chief investment officer of Hawk Ridge Capital Management, a multi-billion-dollar long-short equity hedge fund that he founded in 2005. Prior to launching Hawk Ridge, Brown worked in investment banking and private equity investing at Donaldson, Lufkin and Jenrette, Credit Suisse, and Brentwood Associates. He earned his CMC degree in Economics, summa cum laude, and was a member of the CMS Athletics tennis team.
“CMC has been an important part of my life since I first arrived as a freshman in 1996. The education, mentorship, and community I found here have stayed with me ever since. I’m proud to support the College’s mission and values, and I look forward to giving back by serving on the Board and helping to guide CMC into its next chapter,” said Brown.
Andrew Kaiser P’13
Regular Trustee
Kaiser previously served as a partner and managing director of Goldman Sachs, where he was the founder and global head of the Goldman Sachs Private Bank from 2006 until his retirement from the firm in 2022. He served on the firm’s Finance Committee, Investment Policy Committee, Bank Management Committee, and was chair of the Community Investment Committee. Kaiser is a former chairman of the board of NatureServe, an environmental organization that provides data and tools for the preservation of biodiversity. He is currently a board member of Auto Club Enterprises, the parent company of the Automobile Club of Southern California. Kaiser previously served on the advisory council of The Robert Day School of Economics and Finance at CMC.
“I believe that CMC is particularly effective at lifting up its students, regardless of background, and launching them along the leadership path as so eloquently stated in the College’s mission statement,” said Kaiser. “It is a privilege to be associated with an institution of higher education that works so earnestly to achieve its mission.”
Kristen Edgreen Kaufman ’98
Regular Trustee
Kaufman is the senior vice president of Global Impact Initiatives at the United States Council for International Business, where she provides strategic direction for policy issues of critical importance to U.S. businesses in the multilateral system, including Corporate Responsibility and Labor Affairs, Environment, Health, and International Product Policy. Kaufman is a contributor to Forbes, a trustee at the Carnegie Council for Ethics in International Affairs, and previously served as the deputy commissioner of Public Private Partnerships and Economic Development in the NYC Mayor’s Office for International Affairs. She is a Fulbright specialist for Helsinki, Finland, and a lifetime member of the Council on Foreign Relations. She majored in International Relations at CMC and holds an MBA from Columbia Business School.
“Claremont McKenna gave me a unique education that blended rigorous academics with real-world application,” said Kaufman. “The College fosters leaders who think critically, act ethically, and make an impact across a variety of fields.”
Mitzi Reaugh ’99
Regular Trustee
Reaugh’s career includes two decades in digital media, consumer internet, and technology with experience building new businesses and working on more than $7 billion in strategic transactions. She currently serves as vice president of Finance & Strategy for Netflix’s global Advertising and Consumer Products & Experiences business. In this role, she oversees the global strategy, pricing, and financial planning for the company’s growing advertising, consumer products, and experiences businesses. Reaugh is the co-founder and an advisory board member of the non-profit Female Executives in Media & Entertainment. She majored in Economics at CMC.
“CMC provided me with an excellent education,” said Reaugh. “I am thrilled to be giving back as the school continues to grow.”
Michelle Oden ’94
Alumna Trustee
Oden is a partner-principal in People Advisory Services at EY. She has two decades of experience working with organizations to develop and execute global transformation strategies for IT, finance, HR operating and service delivery models. Oden’s core experiences include delivery of new technologies, customer solutions, and digital experiences, with a focus on the Media & Entertainment sector, where she held key positions at Warner Bros. Entertainment leading various organizational transformation efforts across Corporate and Operations functions. Oden majored in Psychology and Economics at CMC.
“Claremont McKenna College had a significant impact on my life—academically, professionally, and personally,” Oden said. “I'm grateful for the foundation it gave me, and I am thrilled at the opportunity to give back and support our next generation of leaders.”