Rochester’s new trustees bring insight and expertise in many areas, including medicine, business, and diversity.
At a virtual May meeting, the University of Rochester Board of Trustees elected Steven Grinspoon ’88M (MD), Curtis Johnson ’88, and Mary-Frances Winters ’73, ’82S (MBA) as board members, and recognized four individuals on becoming life trustees.
“Speaking on behalf of all University of Rochester Trustees, we are thrilled to have these three distinguished leaders join our Board,” said Board Chair Rich Handler ’83. “They bring invaluable insight and expertise in many areas including medicine, business, and diversity, which are especially important during this volatile period that is full of both challenges and opportunities. We look forward to their contributions to the University of Rochester.”
University President Sarah Mangelsdorf said, “I want to welcome our newest members to the board and thank them in advance for serving in this role. I’m also very grateful to our newest life trustees, all of whom have made tremendous contributions to the University and provided sound guidance during their tenures.”
With continued circumstances resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic, both new and life trustees will be recognized in-person at a later date.
New trustees
Steven Grinspoon ’88M (MD) is a professor of medicine at Harvard Medical School, director of the NIH-funded Nutrition Obesity Research Center at Harvard University, and chief of the Metabolism Unit at Mass General Hospital, where he is the endowed chair in neuroendocrinology and metabolism.
Grinspoon graduated with a bachelor’s degree in political science from Cornell University—Phi Beta Kappa and magna cum laude—completed his medical training at Rochester, and internal medicine and chief residency at Columbia Presbyterian in New York City. He completed a fellowship in endocrinology at Mass General Hospital, where he has served on the faculty since.
His research investigates the neuroendocrine regulation and metabolic consequences of obesity, with patents on novel therapeutics for fatty liver disease, and a focus on specific treatment strategies targeting visceral adiposity. Grinspoon’s work contributed to the development of a major NIH initiative to reduce cardiovascular disease, inflammation, and related metabolic consequences. In this regard, he serves as principal investigator of the landmark REPRIEVE (Randomized Trial to Prevent Vascular Events in HIV) trial, which is active at sites across the U.S. and worldwide.
He was elected to the American Society of Clinical Investigation and the Association of American Physicians and has served on the World Health Organization Technical Advisory Group on Nutrition in HIV/AIDS. He received a Humanism in Medicine Award and served as a Trustee to the Arnold P. Gold Foundation for Humanism in Medicine, sponsor of the White Coat Ceremony. Grinspoon received the Alpha Omega Alpha Alumni of the Year Award from the University of Rochester School of Medicine and Dentistry (SMD). He additionally established a chair in endocrinology at SMD, and has provided medical student scholarships for summer research projects.
He and his wife, Winnie, have three children. Grinspoon is an avid runner, completing the Boston Marathon five times.
Curtis Johnson ’88 is managing director and head of consultant relations and private equity for The Carlyle Group, a global alternatives asset management firm with over $260 billion of assets under management. Based in New York City, he works closely with the firm’s global private equity and real assets teams in the U.S., Europe, and Asia to raise capital and develop relationships with institutional consultants.
He earned a bachelor’s degree in economics and political science from Rochester, and a MBA with a concentration in finance from the University of Michigan.
Johnson is passionate about education, mentorship and assisting underrepresented students. He previously served as co-chair of Carlyle’s Multi-Cultural Employee Resource Group and in Carlyle’s Global Mentorship Program. He has also served on the board of Boys Hope Girls Hope, a college preparatory program exclusively serving at-risk high school students in New York City, and on the NAACP Legal Defense Fund in Princeton, NJ. Originally from Rochester, Johnson has participated in the Urban-Suburban Inter-District Transfer Program, a voluntary desegregation program allowing City of Rochester students to attend suburban public schools.
Prior to joining The Carlyle Group in May 2014, he was a director with Schroder Investment Management and also held senior positions with BlackRock and Prudential Investment Management, before starting a career with G.E. Capital.
Mary-Frances Winters ’73, ’82S (MBA) is founder and CEO of The Winters Group Inc., a 37-year-old global diversity and inclusion consulting firm. The company helps organizations develop transformative solutions for equity and inclusion, and Winters is a master strategist with experience in strategic planning, change management, diversity, organization development, training, systems thinking, and qualitative and quantitative research methods.
Winters was the University’s first African-American woman to serve as a trustee when she was elected in 1987. She most recently has served as a life trustee but is returning to the board now as a voting member. She graduated from Rochester with bachelor’s degrees in English and psychology, and an MBA from the Simon Business School’s Executive Development Program.
Winters truly believes that diversity and inclusion work is her passion and calling. Recognized as a thought leader in the field, for the past three decades she has reached thousands of people around the world with her thought-provoking messages through her books, presentations at conferences and seminars, and through her work at community organizations. Prior to founding The Winters Group in 1984, she was an affirmative action officer and senior market analyst at Eastman Kodak Company, where she worked for 11 years.
She was named a diversity pioneer by Profiles in Diversity Journal in August 2007 and most recently received the Winds of Change award from the Forum on Workplace Inclusion in 2016. Winters was also featured in the June 2016 issue of Forbes, which honored some of the Washington DC Metro area’s most powerful women. In November 2019, she was named by Forbes as one of 10 Trailblazers in Diversity and Inclusion. In Rochester, she has been recognized as an Athena Award winner from the Greater Rochester Chamber of Commerce for her contributions to women and the community.
She has authored six books, most recently “Black Fatigue: How Racism Erodes the Mind, Body, and Spirit” (Berrett-Koehler Publishers, 2020), which was the focus of her presentation during the REAL Conversations series as part of Meliora Weekend 2020.
Life Trustees
At the May meeting, the board approved the transition of four individuals to life trustee status. Together the individuals have provided years of distinguished service to the board and their philanthropy has supported the creation of new facilities, scholarships, professorships, and other initiatives throughout the University.
Richard T. Aab
Richard Aab has been a board member since 2001, serving at different times as a member of the Advancement, Health Affairs, Human Resources, Research and Innovation, and Strategic and Financial Planning committees.
He has served key areas of the University, including on the Aab Cardiovascular Research Institute (CVRI) Advisory Board and the Medical Center Board; and serving as co-chair and vice-chair of the Medical Center Campaign Cabinet.
He has promoted excellence in the University of Rochester Medical Center through his extraordinary philanthropic support to the Golisano Children’s Hospital Building Fund, and particularly in the area of cardiovascular research through his establishment of the Richard T. Aab Cardiovascular Research Institute Endowment, and the Aab Cardiovascular Research Institute Fund.
Laurence H. Bloch
Larry Bloch ’75, P’13S has been a member of the board since 1998, serving as a member or chair of many committees during his tenure, including Audit and Risk Assessment, Executive, External Affairs, Health Affairs, Nominations and Board Practices, and Strategic and Financial Planning. He served as chair of the Advancement Committee for 17 years.
He has supported key areas of the University, including serving on the Friends of Rochester Athletics Board; serving as College National Campaign volunteer and leader; committee chair for his 20th, 25th, 30th, and 35th reunions, and member of 40th reunion committee; Trustee’s Council honorary member of the College; Campaign Marketing Workgroup member; member of San Diego Regional Cabinet; and Meliora Campaign Cabinet vice chair for West Coast.
Bloch established the Larry and Cindy Bloch Endowment for University Advancement and the James D. Thompson Chief Advancement Officer in support of the chief fundraising officer position. With his wife, Cindy, no one has been more influential in their direct leadership of the Advancement program and in the cultural shift of fundraising.
Brian F. Prince
Brian Prince ’86, ’89S (MBA) has been a member of the Board of Trustees since 2015, serving as a member of Student Life, Investment, and Research and Innovation committees.
He has supported key areas of the University, including, serving as member of the Friends of Rochester Athletics Board for College of Arts, Sciences and Engineering. His philanthropic support, particularly in the area of athletics, has notably included the significant renovation and expansion of the University’s outdoor athletic facilities. In establishing the Brian F. Prince Athletic Complex on River Campus, he honored his parents, Richard J. Prince and Christine L. Prince, with the aspiration that all student-athletes at Rochester will gain strength and confidence such as his parents bestowed upon him.
In 2003, he also established the Prince Family Endowment for Men’s Soccer in appreciation of his experiences and leadership opportunities as a student-athlete at the University. In 2016, he made a generous commitment to create the Prince Family Open Society Fund, which promotes democratic principles and open markets; and in 2018, he made a significant commitment to the new Sloan Performing Arts Center to name the Brian F. Prince Atrium.
Thomas R. Sloan
Thomas Sloan ’65, ’67 (MS) has been a board member since 2006, and has served as a member or chair of many committees during his tenure, including Advancement, Audit and Risk Assessment, Compliance and Compensation, Health Affairs, Nominations and Board Practices, Research and Innovation, and Strategic and Financial Planning. In addition, he served as chair of the Executive Committee for 10 years.
He has supported key areas of the University, including serving on the committee for his 35th, 40th, 50th, and 55th reunions, and chairing his 45th reunion committee; as a member of the Arts, Sciences & Engineering Optics Blue Ribbon Panel; vice chair of the Meliora Campaign Cabinet; and member of the Hajim Visiting Committee.
He has promoted excellence in Arts, Sciences & Engineering. He and his wife, Linda, have provided extraordinary philanthropic support to the University, particularly in the area of theatre and the performing arts and including the construction of the Sloan Performing Arts Center on River Campus. The construction of the Sloan Performing Arts Center is creating a much-needed venue for students to experience, engage, and personally participate in the performing arts, and will help showcase and promote the variety of music, dance, and theatre programs on campus as well as in the community.
He additionally established the Theatre Capital Endowment Fund and the Sloan Fund for Enrichment of Campus Life.
