In early May, Antioch University’s Board of Governors unanimously elected the following five new members to the Board of Governors: Kenny Alexander, Mike Bills, Froswa’ Booker-Drew, Devorah Lieberman, and Tim Robinson. As Chancellor Groves said, “We are very fortunate to have attracted such a capable and talented group to serve on our Board.” Three of the five new members will attend the June in-person BoG meeting in Seattle. Their first full three-year term of service will begin on July 1.
The new board members are each distinguished in their fields. Kenny Alexander is currently the Mayor of Norfolk, Virginia. Mike Bills is the president of AtlasRTX. Froswa’ Booker-Drew is the owner of Soulstice Consultancy. Devorah Lieberman is the retired president of the University of La Verne. Tim Robinson is vice president, general counsel, and chief of staff at the Lumina Foundation. Three of the new members—Alexander, Booker-Drew, and Bills—are alumni of the Graduate School of Leadership and Change. In the coming months each new board member will be highlighted in Antioch’s internal newsletter, Our DNA, as well as on Common Thread.
As Antioch welcomes these new members, the University also says goodbye to two long-term Board of Governors members, both current and former Board Chairs. Carole Isom-Barnes (herself a 2010 graduate of the PhD in Leadership and Change) began her tenure on the board in 2013, and she began her two-year term as Chair in 2022. She will step down as Chair and leave the Board at the end of June. (Read the profile of Isom-Barnes from this year’s Antioch Alumni Magazine.) Paul Mutty joined the Board the same year as Isom-Barnes, and he served as Chair from 2020–2022. Mutty will also step down at the end of June, though he will continue to serve on the Coalition for the Common Good’s Board of Directors as an Antioch University representative.
Leaving the Board after over a decade of service has made Isom-Barnes reflective. “Throughout my 11-year Board tenure, I’ve participated in countless events and meetings, engaged deeply with faculty and students, and had the privilege of speaking at several commencement ceremonies across our campuses in Santa Barbara, Keene, and Yellow Springs,” she says. “Each of these experiences has been imbued with a sense of warmth and community that is uniquely Antioch. This familial spirit goes beyond mere obligations; it embodies a profound connection and shared commitment among faculty, board members, students, alumni, and donors.”
These sentiments are echoed by Mutty, who preceded Isom-Barnes as Chair. “It’s been a privilege to work with so many smart, dedicated, and creative members of the Antioch community during my decade-plus on the Board,” said Mutty. “I’ve been deeply inspired by the faculty, staff, administrators, and board governors who have worked tirelessly to ensure that Antioch continues to be a force for good and empower its students with the knowledge and skills to make their communities better and more just. Although I’m not an alumnus of Antioch, I will nevertheless proudly consider myself an Antiochian for life!”
Antioch University is grateful to Isom-Barnes and Mutty for their time and dedication to Antioch over the past decade and more.
