Eight new members named to college’s Board of Overseers

Whitman College President Emeritus Thomas Cronin is one of eight new members elected by the Whitman Board of Overseers when it met on campus May 6-8.

The 63 members of the Board of Overseers serve as ambassadors of Whitman, promoting the college in their communities to help with student recruiting and philanthropic efforts. Members serve on governing board committees with the college’s trustees and make recommendations to that board to help guide policy formulation, strategic planning and operations.

The new overseers are:

Janet Pitts Beckmann

Janet Pitts Beckmann is a former consultant and author of professional books on nursing malpractice, former dean of the School of Nursing at the University of Alabama in Huntsville, and former associate dean for Graduate and Continuing Education at the University of Miami School of Nursing. She earned a master’s degree in nursing from Emory University and a doctorate in physiology from the University of Washington. Her late husband, George Beckmann, was an internationally known scholar in the historical processes of Japanese modernization and the study of Japanese radical politics in the 20th century.

Alice S. Cho ’89

Alice S. Cho ’89 is a senior principal at the Promontory Financial Group, former director at BITS (an arm of the Financial Services Roundtable), a former special assistant to the vice chair at the Federal Reserve Board and former lead analyst at the U.S. Office of Management and Budget. She earned her master’s degree in public administration from the University of Chicago. She and husband James Joseph Bergera have a son, Christian.

Thomas E. Cronin

Thomas E. Cronin is McHugh professor of American institutions and leadership at Colorado College. An expert on presidential politics, he is the author or editor of 10 books and has lectured on the subject in 49 states and 20 countries. Cronin was president of Whitman College from 1993 to 2005. He also has served as acting president of Colorado College and as a visiting professor of politics at Princeton University. He earned his master’s and doctoral degrees in political science from Stanford University. His and wife Tania have one son, Alexander. He is serving or has served on boards of the Cascade Natural Gas Corporation, Institute of American Universities, Independent Colleges of Washington, American Council of Education, Northwest Commission on Colleges, National Association of Independent Colleges Committee on Tax Policy, Washington State Humanities Commission, Blue Mountain Area Land Trust, Institute for the International Education of Students, American Leadership Forum, American Political Science Association, Common Cause, National Civic League, Institute for Educational Leadership and Washington Council for Fair Elections.

Robert A. Hinnen ’91

Robert A. Hinnen ’91 is senior managing director at Trammell Crow and a former attorney at Stoel Rives LLP and Ball Janik LLP. He earned his law degree from Harvard University. He is a former trustee of the Oregon Parks Land Trust. He and wife Nancy Patterson have two children, Kathryn and Peter Hinnen.

Patricia “Patsy” Bates Mattingley ’70

Patricia “Patsy” Bates Mattingley ’70 is a homemaker and former teacher of second grade and remedial reading. She earned her teaching certificate from the University of Washington. She is an active community volunteer. She has been on the Board of Governors of the United States Pony Clubs since 2000; helped develop the James Center for Performing Arts, served on the Capital Campaign committee for the Audubon River Center; and is a past president and festival site coordinator for the Jazz in the Olympics. She and husband David have one daughter, Jennifer Mattingley ’99.

Marshal K. McReal ’84

Marshal K. McReal ’84 is co-founder and principal at Garde Capital, former vice president at Goldman Sachs, former senior vice president at Salomon Smith Barney. He earned his MBA from Cambridge University. He has served on the Board of Trustees of the Intiman Theatre in Seattle, as a member of Cambridge Universities’ 800th anniversary campaign planning committee and an ambassador for United Way of King County.

Sally Jane Otten ’79

Sally Jane Otten ’79 is a retired director of Pacific Coffee Company, former director of strategic marketing at Bank of America and a former bank officer at Seafirst. She and husband Thomas Neir have two children, Joseph and Robert Neir.

Victoria Ann Romero ’86

Victoria Ann Romero ’86 is director of admission at Claremont McKenna College. She worked in admissions at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Grinnell College and Whitman College.