Board of Directors
Lise Chapman ’81 MBA
Founding President
Michael Watson ’81
Vice President
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Barb Protacio ’81
Vice President
Being grateful, Lise P. Chapman wants to give back and help the next generation as others have helped her along the way. Growing up in Los Angeles to a single parent, she could not have attended Stanford as an undergraduate and later the Yale School of Management for her MBA without guidance from others and financial aid. Her volunteer service for Yale includes serving as Founder & President, 1stGenYale (2016-present); member, Yale Alumni Fund Board of Directors (2016-present); Yale SOM '81 Class Agent (2016-present); Chair, YAA Board of Governors (2016-2018); Founder, Careers, Life, and Yale (2015); and Chair, Yale Day of Service (2012-2014). At Stanford, she was the 1975 Class Notes editor for 35 years and an active volunteer. Lise's earlier careers were in commercial banking at Citibank, Mergers & Acquisitions at Merrill Lynch, and later non-profits. Since 2016, she has been an independent career and educational advisor. Lise is humbled to receive both the Yale Medal and the Stanford Medal for her service. Education includes BA '75 Stanford and MA '16 Counseling Kean. Lise and her husband, Andrew Chapman MBA ‘81, are the proud parents of three children, Yorkshire terrier Toto, and cat Amigo.
Michael Watson was appointed as the first Employee Experience Advisor for The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey in January 2021. Prior roles he held include Deputy Director, Human Resources, The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey; Senior Vice President, Talent and Culture for National 4-H Council; and Senior Vice President, Human Resources and Diversity for Girl Scouts of the USA. Prior to Girl Scouts, Michael held positions at IBM Global Services, Time Warner Inc., and GE Capital. He is a GE Human Resources Management Program graduate and recipient of GE Capital’s Pinnacle Club and IBM’s Golden Circle awards. Michael served as the National Human Services Assembly’s Human Resources Council chair, was former board treasurer for the Nonprofit Workforce Coalition, and served as a former board member of the Robert F. Kennedy Children’s Action Corps and Manhattanville College. He currently serves on the 1stGenYale board. He has a BA in economics from Yale University and MS in organizational management and human resource development from Manhattanville College. His publications include the chapter “How to Promote Diversity and Inclusion” in Nonprofit Management 101.
Barb Protacio was the first in her family to attend college. Adopted as a baby in Guatemala by U.S. parents, she grew up in six countries in the Americas. At Yale she majored in architecture and lettered in crew. Barb became a Naval Intelligence officer, retiring after 30 years at the rank of Captain. In 2014 she became a first- and second-grade teacher through Teach For America. For Yale, she has directed the Virginia Tidewater Alumni Schools Committee, interviews applicants, and serves on the executive committees of 1stGenYale and its Washington DC Chapter. Barb is also active with Moms Demand Action for Gun Sense in America where she serves as Virginia’s Federal Legislative Lead. Barb and her husband have two adult children and one grandchild. Education B.A., Yale College ‘81, Architecture, Ezra Stiles B.S., U.S. Naval Academy ‘86 M.A. National Security Studies, Georgetown University ’87
Suzanne Solensky ’83
Secretary
Joanne Siu ’90
Treasurer
Grace Kim ’22
Graphic Designer
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Growing up only 20 miles from Yale, but worlds away, Suzanne Solensky entered Yale as a first-generation, low-income student. Since graduating with a degree in classical civilization, Suzanne has had several careers, including as a writer, researcher, and editor specializing in science and health. For twenty-five years she worked in higher education, in admissions, academic support, advising, and especially the creation and direction of initiatives to open the benefits of higher learning to more students. After stepping away from a full-time administrative role, she continued to teach and advise first-year students as an adjunct faculty member while consulting and volunteering with mission-driven organizations. Suzanne is now executive director of Literacy Volunteers of Southern Connecticut, which empowers adult English language learners and immigrants through free literacy tutoring. Suzanne also holds a master's degree in liberal studies from Wesleyan University and is active in YaleWomen and other Yale alumni groups. She lives in Connecticut, not far from New Haven, with her husband and their third rescue cat, Zelena.
Joanne Siu (BA Economics) was born in a small village near Zhongshan PRC and is an immigrant and first-generation college graduate. She attended public schools in Los Angeles and learned about Yale from a minority student recruiter who visited her school as part of Yale’s effort to recruit students from inner-city schools. She also holds a Master in Public Policy from Harvard's Kennedy School of Government and a law degree from UC Berkeley Law. She is currently the Head of Tax at Ouster, Inc., a start-up company that manufactures and sells lidar sensors and related products. Throughout her career, Joanne has helped start-up, private, and public companies in the high-tech and biotech industries navigate transformative acquisitions, global reorganizations, product line expansions, and high-visibility audits and investigations. She lives in San Francisco with her husband and teenage daughter.
Grace Kim is a teacher and entrepreneur, devoted to empowering the youth of the future. Since 2016, she has partnered with international NGOs and non-profit organizations to make strides toward ensuring inclusive, equitable, and quality educational opportunities for all people. Currently, she is a special education teacher, teaching STEM classes at Columbia Secondary School in NYC. When not teaching, she volunteers her time for 1stGenYale, serves on the board for Yale Alumni Educators, coaches cheerleading for ages 11-18, and creates graphic design projects through her platform, gracefulperfect.com.
Ann T. Freedman ’78
MPH & MHA
Fundraising
Jackson Higginbottom, ’20 MPH
Board Member
Marv Berenblum ’56
Board Member
Ann T. Freedman is an outcomes-driven executive, consultant, and entrepreneur with extensive profit and nonprofit leadership experience. She is currently founder and principal of Transitions Consulting LLC, driving consulting engagements, philanthropic initiatives, and leadership development. Ann has held transformational leadership roles in Fortune 100 organizations, top financial services companies, best-in-class consulting firms, and nonprofit, educational, healthcare, and insurance organizations. As an advocate, fundraiser, mentor, and alumni volunteer, Ann has served in a variety of roles at Yale, most notably as a Yale School of Public Health Class Agent for over 40 years, 1stGenYale volunteer and board member, and At-Large Delegate to the Yale Alumni Association Assembly. Throughout her career, Ann has contributed to philanthropic and socially responsible organizations. She is an ardent supporter of first generation and underserved students, leadership effectiveness, public health, personal and financial wellness, and rights of voters. Ann advocates for inclusivity and equity, diversity of thought, educational equity, well-being, public health, social justice, and the ability for everyone to have a fulfilling life. These are her core values, reflected in her professional, volunteer, and personal commitments.
Jackson Higginbottom, '20 MPH, is a public health practitioner working at the intersection of behavior change, health communications, and community engagement. He leads the Initiative for Strategic Health Communications at the Yale-Griffin Prevention Research Center and is a lecturer in the Social and Behavioral Sciences Department at the Yale School of Public Health (YSPH). Jackson is the interim Executive Director and President of the Board at Fundación Manos Juntas, a free medical clinic that provides care to over 3,000 patients in Oklahoma City. Additionally, he serves as a board member of the Association of Yale Alumni in Public Health, YSPH's alumni board.
Marv graduated from Yale University with a BA degree in American Studies and obtained a Master’s Degree in Industrial and Labor Relations from Cornell University, where he was awarded a teaching fellowship. He also completed the Advanced Management Program at Harvard Business School. His key current Yale related roles include: Member of the Board of 1stGenYale; Founder and Chairman Emeritus, Yale Alumni College; National Commissioner, Anti-Defamation League; Member of the Board of Yale Alumni Fund and its Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Committee; Member of the Board of Yale Alley Cats Alumni Association; Member of his Yale Class Executive Committee; and ex officio Member and former President of the Board of Yale Glee Club Associates. Marv’s former Yale related roles were President of the Yale Alumni Association of Greenwich; Executive Officer of the Board of Governors of the Yale Alumni Association; President of the Advisory Council of the Board of Governors of the Yale Alumni Association; and Member of the Board of the Yale Alumni Chorus. Marv is a recipient of the Yale Medal, Yale Glee Club Medal; the Daniel R. Ginsburg Humanitarian Award from the Anti-Defamation League; and the European Humanities University Meritorious Service Award.
Karin Kricorian ’94
Board Member
Karin Kricorian is a data science executive at the Walt Disney Company, leading corporate analytics consulting services across several business units. She is on the board of directors at MiOra, a nonprofit dedicated to increasing the representation of women and people of color in health sciences, and serves on several university advisory boards for their graduate and undergraduate analytics programs. She is vice chair of the Dean’s Advisory Board at the College of Business and Economics at California State University, Los Angeles. A native of upstate New York, she lives in Southern California with her husband and two children.