Loyola University Chicago Elects New and Returning Members to Board of Trustees and Appoints Life Trustees

Primary Contact:
Matthew McDermott
mbedugnis@LUC.edu

CHICAGO – May 8, 2024 

At its annual meeting, the Board of Trustees of Loyola University Chicago elected new and returning members and appointed two Life Trustees. 

Loyola President Mark C. Reed, EdD, extended a welcome to four distinguished leaders in higher education, law, and business who were elected to initial three-year terms: Reverend Michael J. Graham, S.J., Thomas N. Hund (BBA ’76), LaKeisha C. Marsh (JD ’05), and Reverend Jeffrey P. von Arx, S.J.

“We welcome these experienced and talented leaders to the Board of Trustees,” said President Reed. “LaKeisha Marsh and Thomas Hund reflect the best of what we hope for in our alumni in their professional and personal lives, and Father Graham and Father von Arx bring considerable perspective having both served as professors and presidents of other Jesuit universities. The breadth and depth of our new Trustees’ experiences will support our efforts to strive for excellence in every endeavor while reflecting our Jesuit, Catholic mission and heritage.” 

Seven current Trustees were reelected to three-year renewed terms: Sister Margaret Mary Cosgrove, BVM, Mary Hasten, Mark A. Hoppe, Reverend Timothy P. Kesicki, S.J., Rocco J. Martino, Taylor J. O’Malley, and Julie H. Sullivan. Reverend John P. Fitzgibbons, S.J., and William F. Lynch concluded their service on the Board.

Jackie Taylor Holsten (JD ’99) and Sister Mary Ann Zollmann, BVM (Mundelein College ’64), were appointed Life Trustees—a designation recognizing former Trustees who have devoted distinctive and meritorious service to the University.

Board Chair John Schreiber extended special congratulations to the new Life Trustees. “Loyola is profoundly fortunate to have these leaders, each of whom has devoted more than a decade of impactful service to the Board of Trustees,” said Schreiber. “We are proud to recognize that service with this title and look forward to their continued participation in the life of the University.”

Loyola’s New Trustees (Left to Right Below):

Fr. Michael J. Graham, S.J., is senior advisor for formation programs for the Association of Jesuit Colleges and Universities. Prior to this role, he retired in 2021 from Xavier University in Cincinnati as its longest-serving president, with a tenure of two decades. As president, Fr. Graham shaped Xavier’s Jesuit ethos and heart, founded a campus center for dialogue, and helped the university community become more deeply engaged with Cincinnati. Before becoming president, Fr. Graham held a variety of roles at Xavier including associate professor of history, vice president for university relations, and executive assistant to the president. In these positions, he oversaw a broad range of university activities, including a $125 million capital campaign, the most ambitious and successful in Xavier’s history at that time. He holds a BS from Cornell College, MA and PhD degrees from the University of Michigan, and a MDiv from the Boston College Clough School of Theology and Ministry. He entered the Jesuits in 1978 and was ordained in 1988.

Thomas N. Hund (BBA ’76) served as executive vice president and chief financial officer of Burlington Northern Santa Fe (BNSF), the largest freight railroad in the United States, from 1999 until his retirement in 2014–culminating more than three decades with the company. He began his career in the railroad industry with Santa Fe Industries in 1983 in the finance department before being appointed vice president and controller for Santa Fe Railway in 1989. Following the merger with Burlington Northern in 1995, Hund was appointed vice president and controller of BNSF Railway. He was promoted to executive vice president and chief financial officer of BNSF in 1999 and held this position until his retirement in 2014. Prior to working for the railroad industry, Hund worked for seven years at Peat Marwick (KPMG) in various management positions. He earned his BBA from Loyola and a MBA from the University of Chicago.

LaKeisha C. Marsh (JD ’05) serves as the chair of Akerman LLP’s Government Affairs and Public Policy Practice Group. She leads a bipartisan team of professionals providing strategic counsel on policy and regulatory issues in the United States. With a comprehensive legal background serving the higher education sector, including as an NCAA staff member, Marsh also serves as the chair of Akerman’s Higher Education and Collegiate Athletics Practice. She represents colleges, universities, and related institutions on federal and state regulatory compliance, accreditation, state licensure, institutional governance, and collegiate sports and NCAA compliance-related matters. She has structured and executed a broad range of transactional, restructuring, finance, and corporate governance matters for educational institutions. Marsh earned her BA from Clark Atlanta University and her JD from Loyola’s School of Law.

Fr. Jeffrey P. von Arx, S.J. currently serves as visiting professor of the history of Christianity in the Boston College Clough School of Theology and Ministry. Prior to this role, he was professor of history and president of Fairfield University from 2004 to 2017. Fr. von Arx began his academic career at Georgetown University in 1982, where he later served as chair of the Department of History for six years and became the founding director of the Center for Australian and New Zealand Studies. Following his tenure at Georgetown, he was associate professor of history and dean of Fordham College at Rose Hill in Fordham University from 1998 until 2004. Additionally, Fr. von Arx is the Superior of John LaFarge House, the Jesuit House of Studies in Cambridge, Massachusetts. He served six years as a member of the Commission on Institutions of Higher Education of the New England Association of School and Colleges, for whom he still chairs accreditation visits. Fr. von Arx holds an AB from Princeton University and MA, MPhil, and PhD degrees from Yale University. He received his MDiv degree from the Boston College School of Theology and Ministry. Fr. von Arx entered the Society of Jesus in 1969 was ordained in 1981. He is a Fellow of the Royal Historical Society.

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About Loyola University Chicago
Founded in 1870, Loyola University Chicago is one of the nation’s largest Jesuit, Catholic universities, with nearly 16,600 students. The University has five campuses: four in the greater Chicago area and one in Rome, Italy, as well as course offerings at the Cuneo Mansion and Gardens in Vernon Hills, Illinois. The University features 15 schools, colleges, and institutes. Ranked a leading national university by U.S. News & World Report, Loyola is also among a select group of universities recognized for community service and engagement by prestigious national organizations including AmeriCorps and the Carnegie Foundation. To learn more about Loyola, visit LUC.edu or follow us on Twitter via @LoyolaChicago.