Board of Governors

Our distinguished Board of Governors meets formally twice a year to review the Center’s progress and offer guidance on our programing, finances, and overall direction. The Chair of the Board is Mr. Larry Schmadeka ‘87 and the Vice Chair is Mr. Christian Oestlien ‘99. Our board members often engage in outreach events and career panels at the Center and the College. Two board members serve on the college’s Board of Trustees. There are fourteen members on the Keck Center Board of Governors, the vast majority of whom are also alumni of the College. Please see below interviews with several members of our esteemed board conducted by students who are alumni of the Center’s international journalism program.

Memorial Athenaeum Event

On March 12, 2025, the Keck Center held a memorial event at the Athenaeum in honor of the late General Crouch, the former Chair of the Center’s Board of Governors. Admiral Harry Harris gave the keynote address, following remarks by Ambassador Ronald Lehman II ‘68, CMC President Hiram Chodosh, and Keck Center Director Professor Hilary Appel. Opening remarks of the Memorial Athenaeum Event can be found here. Please find the interview with General Crouch here.

  • Larry Schmadeka '87

    Chair

    Partner, Pierson Ferdinand
    Please click here to read the interview!

  • Christian Oestlien '99

    Vice Chair

    Vice President Product Management, YouTube
    Please click here to read the interview!

  • Hilary Appel

    Director, The Keck Center for International & Strategic Studies Claremont McKenna College

  • Jim Bemowski '76

    Retired, Vice Chairman of the Doosan Group and CEO of Doosan Corporation Business Operations
    Please click here to read the interview!

  • Miemie Winn Byrd '89

    Professor, Asia-Pacific Center for Security Studies (APCSS)
    Please click here to read the interview!

  • Kate Castenson '10

    Senior Advisor, Mercy Corps
    Please click here to read the interview!

  • Ronald F. Lehman II '68

    Director of the Center for Global Security Research (CGSR) at the United States Department of Energy's Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory
    Please click here to read the interview!

  • Eric X. Li

    Founder and Managing Director, Chengwei Capital

  • Paul H. Nathan '80

    Founder, Ledex Consulting Corporation

  • Andrew Oliver '99

    Managing Director for Audax Private Equity

  • Richard Johnson '01

    Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense U.S. Department of Defense
    Please click here to read the interview!

  • Jennifer Miller '97

    Director of Staff, Office of the Secretary of the Air Force

  • Peter Adams '61, GP'21

    Life Member
    Chairman Adams Legacy Foundation

  • Robert A. Day '65, P'12

    Founding Donor
    Chairman and CEO Oakmont Corporation