At its annual meeting on Saturday, May 11, Carnegie Mellon University’s Board of Trustees(opens in new window) unanimously voted to elect seven new trustees.

Alumni J. Michael McQuade, Brian Olsavsky and KristieAnne Reed were elected voting trustees. Pittsburgh City Council President Daniel Lavelle, alumnae Joanna Lovering and Katherine Kohatsu, and Faculty Senate Chair Lowell J. Taylor were elected ex-officio trustees. In addition, Carnegie Mellon trustee and former chair Jim Rohr(opens in new window) has been elected to emeritus status.

"It was my great honor to witness Jim’s exemplary leadership as chair of the board. He provided an immeasurable benefit to the Carnegie Mellon University community, through his wise counsel and thoughtful mentorship.” said David Coulter(opens in new window), chair of the board. “I join the Tartan community in expressing great appreciation for his contributions to Carnegie Mellon."

The new trustees begin their term July 1, 2024.

J. Michael McQuade

Alumnus, special adviser, Carnegie Mellon University

McQuade is a thought leader in the national dialogue on science, technology and policy, having served as a founding member of the Defense Innovation Board, the President’s Council of Advisors on Science and Technology, and the Secretary of Energy’s Advisory Board.

He retired from United Technologies Corporation, where for 12 years he served as senior vice president for science and technology, overseeing research, engineering and development activities for high-tech products in aerospace and building systems. Prior to this role, he held leadership roles at companies like 3M and Eastman Kodak, where he contributed to technology development and business growth. Following his retirement, he joined the CMU administration serving for three years as vice president for research and then as special adviser to the president.

McQuade holds bachelor’s, master’s and doctorate degrees in physics(opens in new window) from Carnegie Mellon University, attained in 1977, 1978 and 1983, respectively. 

Brian T. Olsavsky 

Senior vice president and chief financial officer, Amazon.com, Inc.

Olsavsky, the chief financial officer and senior vice president of Amazon.com, Inc., received his master’s degree in industrial administration from CMU in 1989. He joined Amazon in April 2002 and assumed the role of CFO in June 2015. As CFO, he oversees the company’s overall financial activities, including controllership, tax, treasury, analysis, investor relations, internal audit and financial operations. Before his current position, Olsavsky served as vice president of finance and CFO for the Global Consumer Business, where he was responsible for the finance team supporting Amazon.com websites, merchant services and fulfillment operations. His career also includes leadership roles at Fisher Scientific, BF Goodrich and Union Carbide.

Olsavsky has served on the Tepper School of Business(opens in new window)' Business Board of Advisors since 2015, and he was awarded an Alumni Service Award in 2013.

KristieAnne Reed

CEO, Jerry Bruckheimer Television

Reed completed the John Wells Directing Program(opens in new window) and received her bachelor’s degree in drama from CMU’s College of Fine Arts(opens in new window) in 1995. A post-graduation internship at Disney led her to realize that producing was her forte. As the CEO of Jerry Bruckheimer Television, she oversees the development and production of all network, cable and streaming series such as “Fire Country,” the “CSI” franchise, “Hightown,” fan-favorite “Lucifer” and Emmy Award-winning “The Amazing Race.” While serving as senior vice president of feature films for Jerry Bruckheimer, she spearheaded production of blockbusters such as “Pirates of the Caribbean,” “National Treasure” and “Remember the Titans.”

KristieAnne has served on the Advisory Board for CMU’s Master of Entertainment Industry Management(opens in new window) program since its founding. She received CMU’s Alumni Achievement Award(opens in new window) in 2023.

Ex-officio trustees are appointed as voting members of the board of trustees by virtue of their office in accordance with board bylaws. 

Daniel Lavelle

President, Pittsburgh City Council

Born and raised in the City of Pittsburgh’s Hill District where he now resides, Lavelle was first elected to City Council in 2010. He won reelection bids in 2014, 2018 and 2022. Lavelle is currently serving as City Council president. He represents District 6 which comprises part of Pittsburgh’s Northside (Manchester, Chateau, California-Kirkbride, Marshall-Shadeland, part of Central Northside, Perry Hilltop), part of Downtown, Uptown, the Hill District and Oakcliffe.

Lavelle emphasizes the importance of addressing issues such as public safety, job preparation and development, housing, economic development and access to quality education from preschool through college.

Joanna Lovering

President-elect, Carnegie Mellon Alumni Association Board

Lovering, whose 2004 bachelor of humanities and arts degree(opens in new window) from Carnegie Mellon combines drama and psychology, is a consultant who helps companies engage, develop and retain their pipeline of female leaders. Her expertise lies in implementing programs that teach women “unteachable” leadership skills, such as presence, confidence and self-advocacy.

Lovering has worked at companies like JetBlue, Microsoft, L’Oréal USA, Tiffany & Co., Red Bull North America, Lululemon Studio and Daily Burn. She champions women leaders and partners with companies across sectors that share her passion for female leadership. Lovering’s insights have been featured in publications like The Wall Street Journal, RealSimple, and Fast Company.

Katherine Kohatsu 

President-elect, Andrew Carnegie Society Board

Kohatstu is a partner at EY-Parthenon’s Strategy and Transactions health care practice. For 20 years, she’s helped clients navigate through the evolving health care market. 

She earned a bachelor’s degree from CMU’s College of Engineering(opens in new window) in 1995, and an MBA from its Tepper School of Business(opens in new window) in 2005. 

Kohatsu is vice chair on the board of Lumity, a Chicago-based nonprofit dedicated to providing teens and young adults from under-resourced communities with STEM opportunities.

Kohatsu received an Alumni Service Award(opens in new window) in 2020.

Lowell J. Taylor

Incoming Chair, Faculty Senate

Taylor is the H. John Heinz III University of Professor of Economics at the Heinz College of Information Systems and Public Policy(opens in new window) where he has been on the faculty since 1990. He is currently the chair of the CMU Faculty Senate. He is also a senior fellow at NORC at the University of Chicago, and he previously served as a senior economist on President Clinton’s Council of Economic Advisors. He holds a master’s degree in statistics and a Ph.D. in economics, both from the University of Michigan.

Taylor works on a variety of topics in labor economics, health economics, and demography. He was announced as the 2024 winner of the prestigious NICHM Research Award, which recognizes “outstanding published work from researchers furthering innovation in health care financing, delivery and organization or the implementation of health care policy.” He is a four-time winner of the top teaching award at Heinz College.

As the incoming chair of the faculty senate, Taylor succeeds Laurie Weingart(opens in new window), who has served as chair since 2023.

Jim Rohr

Rohr, trustee and former chair, has been elected to emeritus status. He is the retired executive chairman and former chief executive officer of The PNC Financial Services Group. A legendary business icon, Rohr held various positions in his more than 40 years with the company and as CEO, oversaw the company’s expansion into one of the largest financial institutions in the country. Through his leadership in Pittsburgh, where he has served on the boards of several philanthropic and cultural institutions, Rohr has been influential in a wide array of initiatives that sparked the region’s revival. 

A member of the board since 1992, he served as chair of the CMU Board of Trustees from 2015-2021. Rohr received an Honorary Doctor of Business Administration(opens in new window) from CMU in 2022.