Saint Mary's Board of Trustees elected four new members and appointed a student member in June.
The new trustees include Sr. Maureen Grady, Rose Marie Lopez Jones, Almira Wilson Cann and Carmen Murphy.
Kristle D. Hodges was appointed as the student trustee.
Hodges was appointed to serve as the student trustee for the 2009-2010 school year. She is senior at the College, currently majoring in English writing. She also has minors in Religious Studies and Women's Studies. Hodges has served on the Board of Governance since 2007.
As the student representative, Hodges "is a full voting member so she participates exactly like any other trustee. She attends the committee meetings, the full board meetings, the executive sessions, the whole bit," Susan Dampeer, executive assistant to the president, said.
"No restrictions are on her that aren't on anybody else."
Dampeer said the trusteeship committee of the Board nominated each new trustee. The new trustees will serve three-year terms while the student representative will participate for one year. Each representative may be reelected for three terms.
"There are two classes of members of the Board," Dampeer said. "Class one consists of the president of the Congregation and two other persons appointed by the president of the Congregation. Class two trustees are all other trustees."
The current chair is John J. O'Connor, and the vice chair is Susan Fitzgerald Rice.
Grady's professional experience includes nursing and pastoral services. In the past she has served as a director of field ministry, visited the Middle East while working in Lebanon and has worked as a professor of pastoral formation at the Latin Rite Diocese.
Grady earned her diploma as a registered nurse from Holy Cross School of Nursing, as well as a bachelor's degree from Loyola University. She received her Master's Degree in Pastoral Care and Counseling from the Christian Theology Seminary. She also earned a Doctor of Ministry degree.
Since 1980, Jones has worked as a surgeon with Carmel Surgical Specialists PC in Carmel, Ind. She also worked as a clinical assistant professor of surgery at the Indiana University School of Medicine since 1990.
She earned a Bachelor's Degree in chemistry from Saint Mary's. She was given her medical degree from the Indiana University School of Medicine.
Previously a member of the Board, Cann served from 1996 to 1999. She has worked as an ophthalmologist in Pasadena, Calif.
She received her Bachelor's Degree in chemistry from the College. She went on to earn her Ph.D. at Columbia University. She earned a medical degree and her Master's in Business Administration from the University of California.
Like Cann, Murphy was also re-elected to the Board after a one year break. Murphy served from 1999 to 2008.
As a local community member, Murphy has worked in the area as a volunteer. She served on the Indiana University South Bend Arts Foundation Board as well as the Indiana University South Bend Campaign Committee. She has also served on the Family and Children's Cent Foundation Board, The WNIT Public Television Board and the United Way Campaign Board.
