The DePauw Board of Trustees has chosen six new members to begin terms of service in October. Each new trustee brings a proven record of leadership and a strong commitment to the values of the university. The newly elected members include Stephanie Braming ’92, Thom Jackson ’82, Jim Rechtin ’93, Amy Weisenbach ’98, Nichole Wilson ’99 and young alumni trustee Jenna Newton ’26. These individuals will join the existing trustees in providing institutional governance and direction for the university.
Stephanie Braming is the former global head and chief executive of William Blair Investment Management and former chair of the William Blair Funds and SICAVs. Earlier in her career, she served as a portfolio manager for $19 billion in international equity strategies and was a principal at Mercer Investment Consulting. Braming serves on the board of the Griffin Museum of Science and Industry, where she is vice chair of the audit committee and a member of the finance committee, and on the board and finance committee of Working in the Schools. She recently served on the Board of Governors of the Investment Company Institute. She was named to Forbes’ 50 Over 50 and was recognized by Barron’s, Crain’s Chicago Business and the CFA Society Chicago for her leadership. Braming is a CFA charterholder and holds an MBA from the University of Chicago Booth School of Business.
Thom Jackson has been an influential executive strategist, board member and trusted advisor to high-level private and public sector executives for over 30 years. He is the president and CEO of Edison Learning, a for-profit educational services organization which serves schools in 32 states. Previously, Jackson held corporate officer roles at MetLife and Prudential Financial Services, and he served as chief legal officer and corporate secretary for multiple international private equity portfolio organizations. Jackson was the first chairman of the Board of Directors of the University of Medicine and Dentistry’s University Hospital of New Jersey, the state’s largest charity care hospital, and he served as a board member for Englewood Hospital and Medical Center. He was named one of the 50 “Most Influential African Americans in New Jersey” by Black Villages Magazine for his work on behalf of communities of color throughout the state of New Jersey and as president of the Garden State Bar Association. Jackson is a graduate of the University of Cincinnati College of Law, and he currently serves as the assistant pastor at his church while actively pursuing a second doctoral degree in seminary. He has served on the advisory board for DePauw’s School of Business and Leadership.
James (Jim) Rechtin is the president and chief executive officer of Humana, bringing over two decades of experience in the healthcare industry and corporate leadership. Under his oversight, Humana operates as a leading integrated care delivery model centered on improving health outcomes and providing a personalized member and patient experience. Rechtin had previously served as president and CEO at Envision Healthcare and president of UnitedHealth Group’s OptumCare. Earlier in his career, he held key roles with DaVita Medical Group and Bain & Company and served in the United States Peace Corps in the Republic of Congo. Rechtin is on the boards of The Humana Foundation and The Elizabeth Dole Foundation in addition to his role as co-chair of Colorado Thrives. Rechtin holds an MBA from Harvard Business School and has been named one of Modern Healthcare’s 100 Most Influential People in Healthcare. He has also been a member of DePauw’s School of Business and Leadership advisory board.
Amy Weisenbach is the chief marketing officer for the New York Times. In this role she guides all brand strategy and marketing, having led her team in the development of numerous award-winning campaigns. Prior to joining the Times, Weisenbach led global marketing for Wilson Sporting Goods and held marketing leadership roles at Beam Global Spirits & Wine and Trunk Club. She started her marketing career at Unilever, where she helped launch AXE Hair Care. Weisenbach also serves as an adjunct professor at the NYU Stern School of Business, where she teaches on brand strategy and consumer behavior. Weisenbach has been featured on the CMO 50 List issued by Campaign US and was named a Woman to Watch by Ad Age. She holds an MBA from Harvard Business School and is a recent graduate of The Marketing Academy Fellowship. Weisenbach has previously served DePauw as a member of the School of Business and Leadership advisory board.
Nichole Wilson is the vice president of Community Health Operations at IU Health, where she is responsible for creating, launching and leading community-facing initiatives and investments that improve the health and wellbeing of Indiana’s most vulnerable citizens. Her team devises and implements innovative models of care while improving healthcare access through various advocacy and policy initiatives. Wilson is a board-certified Fellow of the American College of Healthcare Executives and a member of the National Association of Health Services Executives, Executive Women in Healthcare, the American Physical Therapy Association and the National Association of Parliamentarians. She also serves on the boards of Citizen’s Energy Group, AAA Hoosier Motor Club and Marquette Senior Living. She holds a master’s and a doctoral degree in physical therapy from the University of Indianapolis and an MBA from Purdue University.
Jenna Newton joins the Board of Trustees as the young alumni representative from the Class of 2026. During her time at DePauw, Newton served as a first-year mentor, presidential ambassador, admissions representative, media fellow, Rector scholar and member of the Community Standards Review Board. Newton was also an active leader in numerous organizations, including the Lily Scholars Network (vice president of communications), the DePauw Panhellenic Council (vice president of internal affairs) and Kappa Alpha Theta (vice president of recruitment). Newton was a finalist for the Walker Cup and the recipient of the Alice G. Ross Award and the Paul C. Glick Award. After recently graduating with a major in anthropology and minors in psychology and Hispanic studies, Newton is currently planning to begin her early career in public affairs, with a specific focus on nonprofit sectors, education policy and higher education spaces before going to graduate school.
