The �ֲ���ý College residence hall located at 280 College St. has been named in honor of John Gillespie ’80, whose engagement with the college spans more than four decades and two generations, including 20 years on the Board of Trustees and four years as chair. 

“John’s love and ambition for �ֲ���ý are matched by creative thinking and stunning generosity,” said President Clayton Spencer. “Given John’s focus on preserving and enhancing the distinctive aspects of the student experience at �ֲ���ý, naming this welcoming and sought-after residence hall in his honor is especially fitting.” 

Located at the foot of Mount David at the corner of College Street and Mountain Avenue, Gillespie Hall opened in 2007 and was designed by the firm Shepley Bulfinch. The naming is effective immediately. 

Gillespie, who will retire from the board and his role as chair on June 30, served on 10 of the board’s 13 standing committees during his 20 years as a trustee. He chaired or co-chaired the board’s Investment Committee for nine years, and he led the work to transition the endowment’s day-to-day management from trustees to an external investment firm, working under the guidance and oversight of the board.

He was a founding member of the board’s Nominating Committee in 2013 and later its chair, a role in which he was directly involved with the recruitment of more than half of all current board members. In 2020, he oversaw the establishment of the board’s Equity, Inclusion, and Antiracism Committee.

Gillespie was a co-chair of the record-setting �ֲ���ý Campaign with fellow trustees Michael Bonney ’80 and Geraldine FitzGerald ’75. Publicly launched in 2017, the campaign closed in 2022 with $345.7 million raised, the highest campaign total in college history, including $135.2 million for financial aid. During the campaign, Gillespie was a key figure in a highly successful matching-gift initiative that yielded more than $30 million in new financial aid endowment.

“Throughout the campaign, John led by example. An especially effective advocate for the importance of building our endowment for financial aid, John stands today as one of the most generous donors in the history of the college,” Spencer said. Gillespie also played a key role as a member of the Presidential Search Committee that successfully recruited and selected Garry W. Jenkins as the college’s ninth president.

Gillespie served as chair during vexing times, noted Spencer. “The global pandemic arrived during his first year in the role, presenting especially challenging issues for residential colleges. �ֲ���ý’ successful response depended on support from an engaged and attentive Board of Trustees, and we benefited enormously from John’s steady hand.”

An honors major in economics at �ֲ���ý, Gillespie received a master’s in business administration from the Stanford Graduate School of Business and is the founder and managing member at Prospector Partners LLC, an equity investment firm. He is the father of three children, including two �ֲ���ý alumni.

A dedication of Gillespie Hall will take place during the 2023–24 academic year.

About Gillespie Hall

Gillespie Hall, long known by its street address on College Street, is home to 152 students each year as well as a live-in staff member from the Dean of Students team.

The hall comprises a white clapboard center block, two brick flankers, and glass-walled, midair bridges that tie it all together, complementing its historic neighbors on either side, Rand Hall (1905) and Libbey Forum (1909). Its various interior spaces prioritize comfort, collaboration, and connection.

The residence offers a “cluster” layout, where rooms are linked to shared lounges by means of a wide hallway, a configuration offering space for friends to hang out while encouraging new connections with others on the floor and in the building. Other spaces include Frank’s Lounge, a lofty and bright area for socializing on the first floor; a well-equipped kitchen; and The Underground, a popular social space open to all students on campus.

Gillespie Hall was among several major building projects that were envisioned and created as part of the college’s facilities master plan of 2004, which was developed by Sasaki Associates with input from the campus community. Of the college’s 36 student residences, Gillespie Hall is the 16th to carry the name of a �ֲ���ý alumnus or alumna. 

�ֲ���ý College has announced the election of three new members to its Board of Trustees, effective July 1, 2023:

• Jeremy Chase ’91, a healthcare investment professional
• Shannon Griffin ’16, analyst for community-driven real estate development
• Jason Ryan ’96, life-sciences industry executive and board director

“On behalf of the board, I wish to express our appreciation and excitement in welcoming three talented new �ֲ���ý trustees,” said John Gillespie ’80, chair of the board. “Jeremy, Shannon, and Jason will bring a broad range of perspectives and expertise that will benefit �ֲ���ý and our board. We extend a special welcome to Shannon, whose election as a young alumni trustee reflects the board’s interest, established in 2016, to include recent graduates’ viewpoints and input on communication, engagement, and volunteer strategies.”

Jeremy Chase ’91

Jeremy Chase is a healthcare investment professional with over 25 years of experience and is co-founder of Parkman Healthcare Partners, an investment firm based in Stamford, Conn., that specializes in the medical technology, biotechnology, life sciences, and health care services sectors. Prior to founding Parkman, Chase was a senior analyst at the investment firms Schonfeld and at Millennium; a managing director at First Manhattan; and a principal at Pequot Capital.

Chase majored in English at �ֲ���ý. A member of the varsity baseball team, he was co-captain his senior year, receiving the David Nash Baseball Award for exemplifying “effort and dedication” to baseball at �ֲ���ý. Chase has served as a �ֲ���ý Fund class agent; a member of the College Key alumni honor society and on the New York �ֲ���ý Business Network steering committee. He received a �ֲ���ý’ Best Award for volunteer service in 2016 and has been a member of the Alumni Council and Reunion Gift committees. He has served as a Purposeful Work Job Shadow Sponsor. He is married to Christine Werthmann Chase ’92, and the couple lives in Rye, N.Y., with their two children.

Shannon Griffin ’16

Shannon Griffin is a senior analyst at U3 Advisors, where she works with higher education institutions, hospitals, and other nonprofit organizations to develop community-driven solutions that prioritize equity and inclusion in development projects. Griffin’s previous experience includes a Princeton in Asia Fellowship in Shanghai, China, where she worked in student life and as a teaching fellow at a Chinese-English immersion boarding school. She has worked as a college counselor and community assistant and has certificates in TEFL/TESOL and in restorative justice and mediation.

Griffin majored in Chinese and psychology at �ֲ���ý, studying the impact of urbanization on China’s ethnic minorities and sustainable tourism. In women’s track and field, she earned NESCAC All-Academic honors and a �ֲ���ý Senior Scholar Award. At graduation, she received the Alfred J. Wright Foreign Language Award and the Richard V. Wagner Prize in Psychology, and delivered the annual Senior Address at Commencement. Griffin has served as a �ֲ���ý Fund class agent and on her 5th Reunion Gift Committee. She is a member of the College Key alumni honor society and the Benjamin Mays Black Alumni Society, and has served as a Purposeful Work Job Shadow Sponsor. She lives in Philadelphia.

Jason Ryan ’96

Jason Ryan has extensive executive and board experience in the life sciences and biotech industries, and currently serves as the executive chair of the board at GeneDx, a leader in delivering improved health outcomes to patients through genomic and clinical insights.

In addition to his role at GeneDx, Ryan serves as a director of Singular Genomics, a company that develops platforms and applications to advance genomics in medicine, and as the chair of the board of Somalogic, a leader in developing proteomics technology. He has a strong background in molecular diagnostics, genomic technologies, and therapeutics, and has extensive experience in scaling companies, developing strategy, capital markets, and commercialization. Previously chief operating and financial officer at Magenta and CFO at Foundation Medicine, he led finance and strategic planning functions in several industry firms, and began his career at Deloitte & Touche.

Ryan majored in economics at �ֲ���ý and earned an M.B.A. from the FW Olin Graduate School of Business at Babson College. He has served as a lead �ֲ���ý Fund class agent, Alumni In Admission volunteer, and chair of his 25th Reunion Gift Committee, and in 2021 received a �ֲ���ý’ Best Award for volunteer service. He is married to Jennifer Ryan, and the couple lives in Winchester, Mass., with their two children. 

�ֲ���ý College has announced the election of two new members to its Board of Trustees:

• Lance Matthiesen ’85, global manager, McKinsey Black Network Programs at McKinsey & Co.;
• Michelle Angelone Rosenberg ’94, global general counsel and company secretary of Janus Henderson Group plc.

“Lance and Michelle bring both considerable professional experience and fresh perspectives to the board. For many years, they have been active leaders and volunteers within the �ֲ���ý alumni community,” said John D. Gillespie ’80, chair of the board. “I look forward to working with them closely as we help �ֲ���ý continue to provide a distinctive liberal arts education during these unusual times.”

Matthiesen and Rosenberg were elected during a July 22, 2020 meeting of the board. Additionally, at the Spring 2020 board meeting in May, trustees re-elected to five-year terms of service were Andrea Bueschel ’90, Garth A.L. Timoll ’99, and Jean P. Wilson ’81.

Lance Matthiesen ’85

Lance Matthiesen is global manager, McKinsey Black Network Programs at McKinsey & Co., a role that he will begin later this month. Previously, he served as vice president of institutional partnerships at Management Leadership for Tomorrow, a Washington, D.C.–based career development organization providing skills, coaching, and networking for members of underrepresented communities. Prior to that, Matthiesen spent more than 20 years leading commercial teams in the technology and professional services industries. 

He serves on the board of ProInspire in Washington, D.C., and has previously served on the boards of the Montgomery County (Maryland) Community Foundation and Bright Beginnings Daycare in Washington, D.C. Deeply involved in the �ֲ���ý alumni community, Lance is a longtime Alumni in Admission volunteer, a member of several Class of 1985 Reunion committees, the Alumni Council, and the �ֲ���ý Alumni Mosaic network.

A Benjamin E. Mays Scholar, Lance earned a B.A. in economics at �ֲ���ý. He was a member of the Economics Club and Afro-American Society, Afro-American Club (now Amandla! Black Student Union) and worked at WRBC radio. He also played varsity basketball for three years, served as a co-captain, and won the varsity honor award in his senior year. Matthiesen was also elected to the College Club (now the College Key). After �ֲ���ý, he earned an M.B.A. from the Stanford Graduate School of Business and currently serves on its Business School Fund Alumni Council.

Lance lives in Chevy Chase, Md., with his wife, Tracey Griffin. They have two sons, Logan and Cole. 

Michelle Angelone Rosenberg ’94 

Michelle Angelone Rosenberg is global general counsel and company secretary of Janus Henderson Group plc, a global asset management group headquartered in London. She is responsible for global oversight of the legal and internal audit teams, representing Janus Henderson with regulators and industry groups and serving on a number of management committees including Janus Henderson’s Executive Committee. 

Previously at Janus Henderson, Michelle was senior vice president, head of legal, North America and deputy general counsel of Janus Capital Group. Prior to that role, she worked at Fidelity Management & Research Co., where she supported various legal initiatives, particularly investment advisory and investment company issues.

At �ֲ���ý, Michelle was a dean’s list student, earning a B.A. in criminal psychology. She went on to earn a J.D. with honors from the University of Florida Levin College of Law. Since graduating, she has stayed involved with �ֲ���ý by serving as a class agent, Reunion gift committee member, Alumni in Admission interviewer, and volunteer.

Michelle is married to Dave Rosenberg ’96. They live in Denver with their two children, Eli and Brooke.

At its February meeting, the �ֲ���ý College Board of Trustees elected John D. Gillespie ’80 as the next chair of the board, succeeding Michael W. Bonney ’80, who retires from the board on June 30 after 17 years as a trustee and nine years as chair.

John D. Gillespie is the newly elected chair of the �ֲ���ý College Board of Trustees.

“I am thrilled that John will be the next chair of the �ֲ���ý Board,” said President Clayton Spencer. “He is one of the most experienced of our current trustees, bringing to the role critical expertise in finance, management, and investment, as well as a track record of effective leadership in a wide range of roles on the board. Most important, John brings a deep commitment to �ֲ���ý that began in his undergraduate years and has deepened over time through his own engagement and the experience of two of his children as recent students and graduates.”

“I am honored by this opportunity to give back to �ֲ���ý, which has provided so much for my family and me, in such a meaningful way. I take very seriously the trust that has been placed in me by fellow trustees and the broader �ֲ���ý community,” Gillespie said.

“The knowledge, skills, and habits of mind taught in the liberal arts are increasingly important for the rapidly changing world of work, the stewardship of a healthy democracy, and life in a globally interconnected world. Our job as a board, working with the leadership of the college, is to make sure that the quality and relevance of the �ֲ���ý education are strengthened in the present and maintained for generations to come.”

Founder and managing partner at Prospector Partners LLC and respected as one of �ֲ���ý’ most hard-working and effective trustees, Gillespie joined the board in 2004 and has chaired or served on 10 of the board’s 12 standing committees. In 2013, as chair of the Investment Committee, he led �ֲ���ý’ transition to a professional endowment manager. Gillespie also served as a member of the Institutional Planning Trustee Subcommittee in 2016, and he has provided guidance and stability during a dynamic four-year period in which more than a third of the current trustees have joined the board.

As a trustee leader, Gillespie is “ambitious for the college and always prepared to ask the difficult questions that help us move the college forward in a way that is faithful to our mission and designed to ensure a sustainable future for the college,” Spencer said. “I am deeply grateful for John’s willingness to take on this new responsibility on behalf of �ֲ���ý.”

With Bonney and fellow trustee Geraldine FitzGerald ’75, Gillespie is one of three co-chairs of the current $300 million �ֲ���ý Campaign, which passed the $202 million mark in January. He is a philanthropic leader within the �ֲ���ý community, focusing his generosity on building endowed financial aid to ensure that a �ֲ���ý education is accessible to all qualified students, regardless of their families’ financial circumstances. A champion for educational opportunity, his leadership has inspired many other alumni and parents to also contribute to this key priority of the college.

�ֲ���ý Campaign co-chairs John Gillespie ’80 (right), Michael Bonney ’80, and Geraldine FitzGerald ’75 welcome guests to a kickoff event for the �ֲ���ý Campaign on May 18, 2017. (Ben Gabbe for �ֲ���ý College)

Gillespie was elected as chair by the �ֲ���ý Board of Trustees following a highly structured process of consultation with the board and a broad range of college constituencies. Secretary of the Corporation and Trustee Lisa Barry ’77, who led the chair succession subcommittee, described the process as “a nine-month listening tour,” involving students, faculty, staff, alumni, fellow trustees, and former trustees.

“Their insights were invaluable as we developed our recommendation for the next �ֲ���ý Board chair. While John Gillespie emerged as the leading candidate as an experienced and knowledgeable leader, we were particularly impressed with his commitment to access and inclusion, which was an issue raised by all of the college’s key stakeholders.”

Joining Barry on the succession subcommittee were FitzGerald, Andrea Conklin Bueschel ’90, Richard Smith P’12, and William Sweat ’79.

John Gillespie ’80 talks about the college’s efforts to increase endowment for financial aid during a kickoff event for the �ֲ���ý Campaign on May 16, 2017, in Boston, Mass. (Phyllis Graber Jensen/�ֲ���ý College)

Graduating cum laude from �ֲ���ý in 1980, Gillespie majored in economics and earned honors in the field, writing a thesis titled “An Empirical Analysis of the U.S. Import Demand Function.” He was a varsity golfer and was inducted into the College Key as a senior. After �ֲ���ý, he earned a master’s in business administration in 1986 from the Graduate School of Business at Stanford University.

The father of three children, including two recent �ֲ���ý alumni, Bradford Casey Gillespie ’13 and Lucas Gillespie ’18, Gillespie has demonstrated his dedication to his alma mater through a long history of active alumni service. As an alumni volunteer, he has served on Reunion gift committees, hosted dialogue dinners, delivered keynote addresses to alumni and parent gatherings, and counseled students as a career adviser. As a co-chair of the �ֲ���ý Campaign, he has participated in all aspects of advancement programming with alumni, parents, and friends of the college.

In 1997, Gillespie founded Prospector Partners LLC, an equity investment advisory business for corporations, foundations, endowments, and individuals. He is also the president of Prospector Funds Inc., a mutual fund firm affiliated with Prospector Partners.

Before forming Prospector, Gillespie was a vice president at T. Rowe Price Associates and served as president of the T. Rowe Price Growth Stock Fund and of the New Age Media Fund. Previously he was a senior financial analyst at GEICO Corporation.

Gillespie’s board service outside �ֲ���ý includes time as deputy chairman of White Mountains Insurance Group Ltd., and directorships at such firms as Montpelier Re, Esurance, OneBeacon Insurance, and Symetra. He served as a trustee of Pomfret School from 2010 to 2015 and was treasurer there from 2013 to 2015.