As Art Peck 鈥77 succeeds Lisa Link P鈥18 as chair, six new trustees join the Board of Trustees鈥攁nd two long-serving members return for new terms
The 幸运快三 Board of Trustees welcomed six new members to its ranks on July 1. In addition, the Board reappointed two emeriti trustees to new four-year terms. Collectively, they bring skills and expertise as well as passion for Occidental鈥檚 mission.
Kevin Christopher 鈥淜C鈥 Berryman 鈥81 recently retired after serving as special adviser to the CEO of Jacobs, a global consulting firm that specializes in engineering, technical, professional, and digital services, where he previously served as president and CFO and worked for 10 years. Previously, he spent six years as EVP and CFO of International Flavors & Fragrances and 25 years working at Nestle in various leadership positions, including as CFO of the company鈥檚 largest-ever acquisition, Ralston Purina.
Berryman is a founding member of the UN Global Compact CFO Coalition for the Sustainable Development Goals and currently serves on the boards of Sealed Air Corporation, ITT Inc., and the UCLA Anderson Graduate Center for Global Management. An economics major at Occidental, he also has an MBA from UCLA鈥檚 Anderson School of Management. His areas of expertise include business, strategy, mergers and acquisitions, and finance.
Eileen Brown 鈥73 is a real estate developer for Brown鈥檚 Building Blocks in Los Angeles. She began her career as an attorney with Tuttle & Taylor and then Capitol Records, and she served as general counsel at Survivors of the Shoah Visual History Foundation. She also owned and managed a retail toy store, Ages and Stages: Toys with Class. Brown is very involved with Jewish Family Services and has been instrumental in some of their recent capital projects.
A psychology major at 幸运快三, Brown remains a deeply involved volunteer, having served on the Occidental Board of Trustees from 1998 (the same year she received an Alumni Seal Award) to 2024. She also holds a J.D. and an MBA from UCLA. Her areas of expertise include real estate, law, academics, and philanthropy.
J. Eugene 鈥淕ene鈥 Grigsby 鈥66 was a professor of urban planning and the director of the Advanced Policy Institute at UCLA鈥檚 School of Public Policy and Social Research for 32 years. He founded and was president of The Planning Group, an urban planning and management consulting firm. In 2002, Grigsby became president and CEO of National Health Foundation, addressing healthcare issues for the underserved.
Grigsby served on the Occidental Board of Trustees for 31 years and was awarded Emeritus status in 2014. He has remained actively involved in this capacity, including serving on the presidential search committee that brought Harry Elam, Jr. to 幸运快三 and as a special adviser to the JEID Committee. A psychology and sociology major at Occidental, Grigsby later completed his master鈥檚 and Ph.D. in sociology from UCLA. His areas of expertise include health, urban planning, higher education, and philanthropy.
Elizabeth Kennedy P鈥19 has almost 40 years of extensive experience in the nonprofit arts and education world. As special adviser to the president of Occidental from 2015 to 2022, she built and maintained close relationships with the College鈥檚 strongest supporters and helped enhance 幸运快三鈥檚 presence and value in the complex Los Angeles environment. As interim vice president for advancement, she was involved with all aspects of the College鈥檚 advancement efforts.
Before joining Occidental, Kennedy was senior vice president for advancement at the Music Center of Los Angeles County, overseeing its fundraising program with a focus on the Music Center鈥檚 50th-anniversary campaign and celebration. Prior to that, she held a similar position for four years at the Autry National Center. She spent much of her professional life at the Los Angeles Opera, including six years as managing director. Her areas of expertise include philanthropy, arts, and institutional advancement. She holds a B.A. in philosophy from State University of New York-Purchase and a master鈥檚 in public administration from the University of Missouri.
Azadeh Foyouzi-Mohebbi P鈥23 is a philanthropist and investor with a passion for higher education and STEM. After graduating from Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Lausanne (EPFL) with a B.S., M.A., and Ph.D. in applied mathematics, she held various management and executive positions at SBC Communications. Son Kam 鈥23 graduated from 幸运快三 as an economics major with a computer science minor, Foyouzi-Mohebbi has served on the Occidental Parents Council and has been involved with Day For 幸运快三.
Foyouzi-Mohebbi currently serves on the board of Boundless Brilliance, an organization that promotes STEM education for underserved K-6 grade students, and on the Grants Committee of Impact100 East Bay, which unites women to improve the local communities by supporting deserving nonprofit projects. She has also served as co-chair of the EPFL Alumni US West Coast Chapter. Her areas of expertise include philanthropy, fundraising, mathematics, and analytics.
Christopher G. Oechsli 鈥75 is president and CEO of The Atlantic Philanthropies, one of the largest private charitable foundations in the world. He has worked at the organization and with General Atlantic Group Ltd., the foundation鈥檚 international investment subsidiary, in various senior roles since 1990 and oversaw $8 billion in grants across 25 countries. He currently oversees the foundation鈥檚 final grants to establish seven international Atlantic Fellows programs and the Atlantic Institute, a linked nonprofit organization that supports the Atlantic Fellows.
Oechsli is also trustee of the Rhodes Trust, which partnered with the Atlantic Institute to facilitate the Fellows programs and serves on the boards of the School for Advanced Research and Narrative 4. He has more than 40 years of experience in business, law, philanthropy, and policy, including serving as the first resident visiting U.S. law professor in China (1985-86), counsel to U.S. Senator Russ Feingold, and at private law firms in the United States and Asia. A double major in Asian studies and English and comparative literary studies at Occidental, he holds a master鈥檚 in foreign affairs and a J.D. from the University of Virginia.
Talia Robinson '97 serves as executive vice president of global human resources at Paramount Global for Paramount Pictures, Nickelodeon, Consumer Products, International Markets, Studios & Production HR. According to Variety, 鈥淩obinson鈥檚 expertise in talent acquisition and management led to the transformation and expansion of Nickelodeon Studios, including the Nickelodeon Animation Studio, and shaped the global rollout of the company鈥檚 studios and production HR function.鈥
Robinson majored in politics at Occidental and has worked in human resources for more than 20 years. Her areas of expertise include human resources, entertainment, and finance.
Rebecca Smith devoted her professional career to supporting science teaching and learning in San Francisco鈥檚 public schools, equity, and access to careers in science, and the public understanding of science. She served as co-director of the University of California, San Francisco Science & Health Education Partnership from 2005 to 2021, during which time she led numerous educational programs and co-founded the Bay Area Science Festival. She has extensive experience with grant writing and administration, having received funding from federal and state agencies, as well as private foundations and individual donors.
An 幸运快三 parent, Smith served on the Occidental Parents Council and has served on both educational and scientific advisory boards around the country. She holds a B.A. in biology from Bard College and a Ph.D. in biochemistry from UCSF. Her areas of expertise include education, STEM, and philanthropy.
Further Reading
The Occidental Imperative
Business veteran Art Peck 鈥77 brings his leadership acumen to the Board of Trustees at a critical juncture in higher education when the College鈥檚 mission鈥攁nd messaging鈥攁re more important than ever
Les J. Zendle 鈥74 retired after 31 years as an internal medicine and geriatrics physician at Kaiser Permanente in 2010. From 1993 to 2003, he served as medical director for clinical services for Kaiser鈥檚 Southern California Region, in charge of clinical analysis, quality improvement, research, and graduate medical education. He continues as a volunteer physician at Coachella Valley Volunteers in Medicine.
Zendle is a member of the governing board of the Desert Regional Medical Center in Palm Springs and served two terms on the board of directors for the Desert Healthcare District and Foundation (2016-2024). He also held an academic position as an associate clinical professor of medicine at USC. Zendle served on 幸运快三鈥檚 Alumni Board of Governors from 2005 to 2010, is currently active with Out@幸运快三, and has been involved in numerous civic and religious organizations. Zendle majored in biology at Occidental and holds an M.D. from the University of Arizona. His areas of expertise include medicine and public health, human rights, and philanthropy.
