LOS ANGELES – Loyola Marymount University welcomes 10 new members to its Board of Trustees and Board of Regents, leaning into their wisdom, diverse perspectives, and leadership experience to support LMU’s mission and commitment to academic excellence.
These new members are philanthropists and innovators, and are spiritual, community, and business leaders. They will help to guide LMU through the boldest comprehensive fundraising campaign in university history, and support critical strategic plan initiatives to dismantle racism, advance innovation, and elevate the university’s reputation, renown, and impact.
“Our new trustees and regents are bold leaders who strengthen and inspire our community with their expertise, talents, and love for LMU,” said LMU President Timothy Law Snyder, Ph.D. “Their commitment to our mission is vital for laying a robust foundation as we seek to ignite a brighter world.”
The five new members of the Board of Trustees and five new members of the Board of Regents are:
TRUSTEES
Dominic H. Chai, S.J., is a member of the Society of Jesus, currently pursuing theology studies at Boston College in preparation for ordination to the priesthood. He has previously held faculty positions at Manchester Business School, Seoul National University, and the University of London. His industry experiences include serving as a senior executive vice president at Hyundai Development Company in Korea. During the recent pandemic, Chai was missioned to the Vatican COVID-19 Commission at the Dicastery for Promoting Integral Human Development in Rome. Born in Seoul, Korea, and raised in Los Angeles, he earned a bachelor’s degree from UC Berkeley, and a doctorate from the London School of Economics.
Kathleen Duncan is a community volunteer with extensive experience on boards of Catholic and educational institutions throughout California. She is a former teacher at Marymount Junior School and St. Paul the Apostle. Duncan served previously on the LMU Board of Trustees and was a member of the Academic Affairs and Development committees. She is currently co-chair of the Campaign Committee with Trustee Henry Jordan. Duncan received the 2022 Cardinal’s Award from the Archdiocese of Los Angeles.
Michael Gaviña ’02, MBA ’07, is managing director of accounting and finance at F. Gaviña & Sons, a coffee roaster and wholesale distributor in Vernon, California, that produces Gaviña Gourmet Coffee, Don Francisco’s Gourmet Coffee, Cafe La Llave, and Jose’s. Gaviña has also served as purchasing director for the family-owned company founded in 1967. He joined the LMU Board of Regents in 2015, became chair in June 2023, and has served on the Membership, Executive, and Regent Engagement and Government Affairs committees. He has served on the LMU Latino Association Board of Directors for over a decade. Gaviña is active in industry and community organizations and has held leadership roles with the National Coffee Association, the city of Vernon’s CommUNITY Fund and Green Commission, and Rio Vista YMCA.
Michael Lawson ’75 is president and CEO of the Los Angeles Urban League, one of the country’s oldest and most respected civil rights organizations. President Obama appointed him to serve in Montreal as Permanent U.S. Representative to the Council of International Civil Aviation Organization. He spent 31 years with the law firm Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom LLP, and Affiliates, retiring as a partner of the firm’s executive compensation and benefits group. He started his career as a staff attorney for the U.S. Pension Benefit Guaranty Corp. Lawson served from 2012 to 2014 on the LMU Board of Trustees and was a member of the Finance and Governance committees. He is a former member of the LMU African American Alumni Association Board.
Kathryn “Kathy” Nielsen ’76 is senior vice president and controller for Columbia TriStar Motion Pictures Group, the theatrical division of Sony Pictures Entertainment, serving in the role since 1995. She was also chief financial officer for Interscope Communications; vice president, controller, and chief accounting officer for Management Company Entertainment Group; director of corporate finance for the Walt Disney Co.; and an audit manager at Arthur Young & Co. A certified public accountant who joined the LMU Board of Regents in 2006, Nielsen served as chair from 2015 to 2017. A member of the LMU School of Film & Television Council and the LMU Alliance of Women Philanthropists, Nielsen in 2010 received the LMU Distinguished Alumni Award.
REGENTS
Lisa Burrell ’84 is committed to improving the lives of individuals in the areas of mental health, education, and community support. She is a board member at Lakewood Center in Fern Park, Florida – a residential treatment facility affiliated with the La Amistad Foundation that caters to adults with chronic mental illness. She has served as a board member at Young Lives in Orlando, Florida, overseeing mentor care for those supporting pregnant teenage women through meal provisions and incentives. She was governor at St. George’s College in Weybridge, Surrey, England, from 2010 to 2015 and was also a board member, Parents’ Society chair, and treasurer.
Kedric Dines ’86 joined Mizuho May 2007 as a managing director and senior derivatives marketer in New York City. Currently, his focus is project finance and Latin America finance derivatives structuring and sales. His product mix includes interest rate and cross currency swaps, treasury locks, and deal contingent hedges. Prior to Mizuho, Dines spent approximately 10 years as a trader at Chase Manhattan Bank. There, while primarily based in New York, he spent several years on assignments in Tokyo and Hong Kong. Past derivatives marketing roles were held at Commerzbank and Credit Agricole. Dines graduated Magna Cum Laude from Loyola Marymount University with bachelor’s degree in economics. He earned his MBA in finance from Columbia Business School.
Channing Lindsay ’96 is associate group director and vice president for the Newport Beach branch of Flagstar Bank, a publicly traded, full-service commercial bank with private client offices throughout the New York metropolitan area, Connecticut, North Carolina, and California. He has worked in the financial industry for nearly two decades, having served as vice president and senior private client advisor for Bank of the West, as a private banker with Wells Fargo, and as vice president and managing partner for Capitol Pacific Finance, specializing in purchase lending. Lindsay serves as an Orange County ambassador for LMU alumni and a member of the Dean’s Council for LMU College of Communication and Fine Arts.
Jim Negus ’94 is a partner and practice leader for KPMG’s U.S. capital markets and asset management practice. He is also a global lead partner with KPMG’s JPMorgan Chase & Co. account. Negus has held several key positions with KPMG, including serving as practice lead for U.S. banking and finance, U.S. treasury and capital markets, and U.S. energy trading and risk management. He has also served as partner-in-charge of KPMG’s Pacific Southwest consulting practice. Negus has worked for KPMG since 1996 and was elected into the partnership in 2001.
Angelica Nwandu ’12 is founder of The Shade Room, an Instagram-based media company focused on celebrity gossip, politics, and Black culture with over 35 million followers across all social media platforms. In 2022, she announced the launch of The Shade Room TSR Shop, an e-commerce platform powered by Flourysh, a community-driven marketplace featuring Black-owned brands. Forbes magazine in 2016 included Nwandu in its “30 Under 30” list, and Time magazine recognized her among the “30 Most Influential People on the Internet.” Refinery 29 calls Nwandu “the Oprah of our generation.” Nwandu co-wrote the film “Night Comes On,” which premiered at the 2018 Sundance Film Festival and won the NEXT Innovator Award.
