The Board of Trustees of Garrett-Evangelical Theological Seminary Welcomes Four New Members
June 4, 2021
Garrett-Evangelical Theological Seminary announces the addition of four new members to the Board of Trustees: Rev. James Clark III, Rev. Dr. Charley Hames Jr., Ms. Tiffany Shaw, and Rev. Andrea Wright. The vote to affirm the newest trustees was taken at the bi-annual Board of Trustees meeting held on May 13, 2021, and members of the board were unanimous in their decision.
“As the Committee on Trusteeship considered both new members and the board at-large, our goal is to create a Board of Trustees that mirrors the community of students, faculty and staff,” said Rev. Steven E. Poole, chair of the committee. “We are very grateful and blessed by these persons’ willingness to serve on behalf of Garrett-Evangelical at such a critical time in the Church, higher education, and our world.”
“I’m proud to welcome this new class of Trustees who will join us in our work of stewarding this institution,” said President Javier Viera. “The new class brings to our board expertise in pastoral and organizational leadership, strategic planning, higher education leadership, finance and audit, real estate, and global missional service. They also represent a significant step forward in our commitment to diversify our board in terms of race, gender, and professional expertise. Each new member is a prominent leader in their professional field, as well as a person of authentic faith and commitment who will help strengthen an already strong board. We are enriched by their presence and blessed by their willingness to offer leadership and service at this critical juncture in the life of the seminary.”
The Rev. James Clark III grew up in New York City, and is an ordained clergy at a parish in Aurora, Illinois. He holds a Master of Divinity degree from Garrett-Evangelical Theological Seminary. He has 35 years of experience encompassing commercial real estate investment, finance, development, portfolio management, and leasing. He serves as the managing director of Mission Real Estate Development for Trinity Church Wall Street. He founded EnTrust Realty Advisors, was president of investment services at Transwestern, ran the Midwest real estate region for an insurance company and worked on Wall Street in real estate investment banking at Lehman Brothers. He was inducted into the Midwest Real Estate News’ Hall of Fame in 2016. He serves as Board Member of Wheaton Bank & Trust Company, a Wintrust Community Bank, and at Jackson Park Hospital and Medical Center in Chicago.
Born and raised on the south side of Chicago, Rev. Dr. Charley Hames, Jr. graduated from the Master of Divinity program at Garrett-Evangelical Theological Seminary in 2000. While at seminary, he served as senior pastor at New Hope C.M.E. Church in Evanston, Illinois. Hames has been serving as the senior pastor at Beebe Memorial Cathedral C.M.E. in Oakland, California, since 2003. He also serves as chaplain of 100 Black Men of the Bay Area Inc., is former president of the National Action Network’s Oakland chapter, and is the immediate past chairman of the board of the Oakland African American Chamber of Commerce. Hames is a familiar voice on the Bay Area airwaves as KBLX’s (102.9 FM) “Voice of Inspiration” for the past 15 years.
Ms. Tiffani Shaw is the executive vice president and chief operating officer at the University of Iowa Center for Advancement. She began her career at the University of Iowa as controller and chief financial officer at the age of 27. Shaw oversees $2B in total assets and an annual budget of $35M. She also manages the University of Iowa’s Facilities Corporation and serves on multiple corporate and non-profit boards. Shaw is highly skilled in the areas of data management, human resources, fundraising, and corporate governance and is a frequent speaker on data analytics, endowment management, and leadership.
Rev. Andrea Wright is a 2016 graduate of the Master of Divinity program at Garrett-Evangelical and a current student in the Doctor of Ministry program (anticipated 2022). As a partner at Johnson Lambert, Wright manages the firm’s governmental audit practice and is highly experienced in financial statement audits involving a diverse group of nonprofit organizations and employee benefit plans. She also serves as associate minister at Coppin Memorial African Methodist Episcopal Church in Chicago, Illinois. Her responsibilities include oversight of the feeding program which serves 1,750 individuals in the Washington Park neighborhood of Chicago. Wright has served on numerous boards over the last 15 years and is deeply committed to the work of non-profits, education, and Garrett-Evangelical Theological Seminary.
Garrett-Evangelical Theological Seminary, a graduate school of theology related to The United Methodist Church, was founded in 1853. Located on the campus of Northwestern University, the seminary serves more than 450 students from various denominations and cultural backgrounds, fostering an atmosphere of ecumenical interaction. Garrett-Evangelical creates bold leaders through master of divinity, master of arts, master of theological studies, doctor of philosophy, and doctor of ministry degrees. Its 4,500 living alumni serve church and society around the world.