Presidential Search Committee chairs
Board of Trustees Chair Karena Strella ’90 announces the chair and vice-chair of the Presidential Search Committee.
April 13, 2022
Dear members of the Mount Holyoke community,
I am delighted to announce that trustees Mona Sutphen ’89 and Anne McKenny ’79 will guide the process to identify Mount Holyoke’s twentieth president, serving as chair and vice-chair respectively of the Presidential Search Committee. Both are extremely dedicated and uniquely well qualified to lead this important effort.
Mona graduated with a bachelor’s degree in international relations and went on to receive her master’s degree from the London School of Economics. She is a partner at the purpose-driven private equity firm, The Vistria Group, and has worked at the intersection of geopolitics, policy and markets for more than two decades. She previously served as partner at Macro Advisory Partners and as managing director at UBS Group AG. Mona also has a lengthy résumé in public service, serving as Deputy Chief of Staff for Policy during the Obama Administration and on the National Security Council during the Clinton Administration. She currently serves on the boards of the International Rescue Committee, Human Rights First, Spotify, Pattern Energy and Putnam Mutual Funds. Mona is co-author of “The Next American Century: How the U.S. Can Thrive as Other Powers Rise” and is an executive producer of several films including HBO’s 2021 documentary, “Obama: In Pursuit of a More Perfect Union.”
After graduating cum laude with a double major in physics and math, Anne began a 39-year career with General Motors. There, she started as an engineer in vehicle emissions testing, and quickly rose to engineering manager, and ultimately, to overseeing GM’s global IT systems and applications for propulsion system development, testing and certification. Higher education is a longstanding value in the McKenny family, which has sent four generations to Mount Holyoke. Her great-grandfather founded Cleary University, where Anne currently serves as a trustee. She is also a board member and vice president of the MLM Charitable Foundation, serves as an elder in her church and has served as a class of 1979 volunteer since shortly after graduation.
Mona and Anne will lead a search committee comprising students, faculty, staff, alums and trustees. Meanwhile, we are working with campus constituencies to identify committee representatives and hope to announce the full committee prior to the end of the spring semester.
Sincerely,
Karena Strella ’90
Chair, Board of Trustees