Board of Directors Nominees
The board recommends a YES vote for the entire slate. Voting closes Feb. 8, 2025, at 9:30 a.m. All alumni are eligible to vote in board elections.
Saidah Nash Carter ’96
Atlanta
Saidah is a trailblazing, global leader with a corporate career spanning two decades and marked by expertise in global data product innovation, corporate social responsibility and intrapreneurship. Beginning her career with Reuters NewMedia during the early days of the consumer internet, Saidah played a pivotal role in developing multimedia news products for global media and tech giants like The New York Times and Google. Many years later, as the former senior vice president of Africa Innovation at Thomson Reuters, she launched the flagship Data and Innovation Lab in Cape Town, South Africa, with award winning innovations in financial inclusion and risk management for small commercial farmers.
Saidah is known for pushing the boundaries of corporate thinking and championing social innovation and intrapreneurship within large institutions. Notably, she served on the Junior Achievement Board of New York and facilitated one of the earliest conversations on Race in Corporate America at Thomson Reuters New York City Headquarters in 2016.
Her standout accomplishments also include a mobile financial data co-creation program between Vodafone and Thomson Reuters, which fundamentally expanded the company's partnership and IP ownership paradigms and resulted in leading-edge, data product innovation. She is passionate about fostering intrapreneurship and collaborates closely with the League of Intrapreneurs as a global catalyst. She has been recognized with awards such as the Inspiring 50 Women in Tech Award and the United Nations Voices of African Mothers Innovation Award.
In 2019, she co-founded Bright Insights Global (BIG), a boutique consultancy that partners with companies at the intersection of innovation, inclusion and impact. Soon after, she founded BIG Labs for Good as a platform for data-led social innovation and community initiatives like Ask An Elder, which encourages storytelling as a pathway to intergenerational partnership for positive futures. She is a devoted wife and mother to her daughters, Zoe and Maya Haley, and exemplifies passion not only in her professional pursuits but also in nurturing the next generation.
Christian Alexander Chisolm ’18, M.B.A. ’24
New York City
A government and history major at William & Mary, Christian was a member of Delta Phi, played football as a defensive end, enlisted in the Army ROTC program as a cadet and worked as a media technician at Swem Library.
After graduation, Christian commissioned into the U.S. Army and served as an armor officer in the 3rd Infantry Division in Savannah, Georgia. His military career included a deployment to Eastern Europe, supporting peacekeeping, COVID-19 relief and NATO security missions.
In 2022, Christian transitioned from the Army to pursue an MBA at the Raymond A. Mason School of Business, with a dual concentration in finance and consulting. During his MBA program, he championed initiatives for student veterans through the VET program, collaborated closely with the Center for Military Transition and served on the Graduate Honor Council, including as chairman.
Upon completing his MBA, Christian moved to Manhattan, where he joined JPMorgan Chase to pursue a career in corporate financial strategy.
“I am deeply honored by the trust and confidence placed in me by such an accomplished and inspiring community. It is a privilege to stand beside members of the Tribe who are so deeply committed to advancing the mission and legacy of William & Mary.
“The College holds a uniquely special place in the hearts of its alumni, not just as an institution of learning but as a vibrant and supportive community that feels like family. The connections made here — rooted in shared values of achieving excellence and dedication to service — are what make this place truly extraordinary. As we continue to build toward the future, it is more important than ever to engage our alumni in meaningful conversations and foster participation that helps shape the next chapter of our university’s story.
“Drawing from my experiences as both an undergraduate and a graduate student, I hope to bring a fresh, multifaceted perspective to the board. My time at William & Mary was transformative, from my days as a student-athlete and Army ROTC cadet to my advocacy for student veterans at the Mason School of Business. These experiences have given me insight and a deep appreciation for the diverse voices and unique needs within our community.
“I am eager to contribute my energy and perspectives to continue building a strong, inclusive and forward-thinking Tribe. Thank you for this opportunity to serve and represent our extraordinary family.”
Cynthia Little Jordan ’88
Walnut Creek, California
Cindy graduated from William & Mary with a bachelor’s degree in history, then received a master’s degree in health care administration from The George Washington University. She has spent the majority of her career in various regulatory compliance executive consulting roles with Kaiser Permanente in Oakland, California. In addition, she serves on the Board of Directors for two local library organizations. Cindy is a class ambassador for the Class of 1988, is a member of the Society of 1918 and served on the local planning committee for W&M Weekend in San Francisco in 2023.
“I am excited for this opportunity to serve William & Mary and our network of alumni. While living on the West Coast, I have maintained a strong connection to the College and look forward to bringing those experiences to the Alumni Association Board. A fun fact about my time as an undergraduate is that I lived in Prince George House for two years. Little did we know that we were residing in the historically significant Bray School. I am immensely proud of the work that William & Mary has undertaken with Colonial Williamsburg to ensure its preservation.”
Chase Jordan ’15
Washington, D.C.
Chase Jordan is EY’s global private equity ESG leader. He helps client-serving partners across tax, assurance, consulting and strategy & transactions groups understand how to embed sustainability into their traditional offerings. Previously he was a founding management team member of Malk Partners and a strategy consultant at Booz Allen Hamilton in both the Dubai and Washington, D.C., offices. While at William & Mary, Chase was a proud student assembly senator, member of Alpha Phi Omega and president of TEDx. He is a former chairperson of the Young Guarde Council and is a class ambassador.
Rebecca Milkowski-Gerdelman M.B.A. ’12
Chester, Virginia
Rebecca earned her MBA from the Raymond A. Mason School of Business at William & Mary in 2012 with a Major General James Wright MBA Fellowship. A colonel in the U.S. Army, she serves at Fort Gregg-Adams in Virginia. Her career spans 22 years of tactical, operational and strategic sustainment operations in the U.S. as well as abroad. Rebecca has commanded at the company and battalion level, most recently serving as the director for strategic communication for a multi-star command. A combat veteran of four deployments, Rebecca’s most significant operational assignment was as a battalion commander in Germany, where she worked seamlessly with her sister battalions in support of U.S. forces during the crisis in Ukraine. Her team handled the receipt and issue of over 4,000 pieces of combat equipment to deploying units.
Rebecca met her husband, Mark Gerdelman M.Acc. ’13, M.B.A. ’13, while attending William & Mary, and they are parents to a rambunctious 7-year-old son.
“William & Mary gave me the opportunity to grow personally and professionally and to develop special lasting friendships I treasure. I am especially grateful for the way in which William & Mary makes service members feel like part of the Tribe and embraces our diverse skillsets. Service to the university and our students through the Alumni Association Board of Directors would allow me to continue to give back to the university that has already given me so much.”
Graeme Miller ’85, M.B.A. ’87
Spring, Texas
Graeme is a co-owner of MG Miller Holdings LLC and, along with his wife Michele, has been operating a top producing residential real estate business serving the Greater Houston region since 2020. Immediately after graduating, Graeme entered the consumer electronics industry and was part of a small group of pioneers who helped introduce personal computing into the retail business segment. His time in this industry was highlighted by serving 22 years as a sales executive with Hewlett-Packard Inc., where he had responsibility for managing several of HP’s largest global business partners. At William & Mary, Graeme played varsity football as a four-year starter at offensive guard and served as team captain during the 1985 season. A longtime supporter of W&M athletics, Graeme currently serves as a class ambassador and is a member of the Sports Resource Council, driving engagement activities and fundraising with alumni in support of Tribe football.
“I love William & Mary and serving on the Alumni Association Board of Directors would be a profound personal honor and opportunity. I have been deeply engaged in outreach with my fellow football alumni since 2018 when we rallied support for Jimmye Laycock’s final game as head coach and over 400 former players came back to Williamsburg to celebrate his historic 39 years leading the program. Since 2019, I have been authoring regular communications to all Tribe football alumni and friends of the program, including sending a weekly e-mail during the football season with updates on the coming game. Joining the board would present an opportunity to build on these efforts, and I am excited about the prospect of contributing my energy and enthusiasm in support of the board’s mission and strengthening connections with the William & Mary community.”
Luis Navas ’82, P ’13
Miami, Florida
Luis came to William & Mary as a foreign student from Nicaragua in 1978 and graduated with a BA in Government in 1982. He has been in the private wealth management industry for over 43 years and is now a partner at Insigneo Financial Group. He and his wife, Maria Dolores, have three children, Patricia, Gloria Navas ’13 and Luis Alberto.
Luis is a member of the board of the American Nicaraguan Foundation, a 501(c)3 that has provided more than $2 billion in aid to Nicaragua. Additionally, he and his family donated the funds to start and operate a free clinic in a very poor neighborhood of his native country. He is also a member of the board of the Florida International Business Association.
He was a member of the Reves Global Engagement Board for two decades. He is now on the Familia Advisory Board. In 2018, Luis created the Jorge Alberto Urcuyo Scholarship, which aids W&M students whose immigration status prevents them from receiving financial aid or federal assistance. In February 2024, he received the Douglas N. Morton Alumni ’62 Service Award.
“William & Mary has made an enormous impact in my life. You could say that even though I physically left W&M back in 1982, I never truly left. The friendships that I made have lasted more than 40 years now. I learned so much from my professors and especially hold the honor code as a personal motto. I’ve always enjoyed staying involved with the university and alumni community.”
Kirsten Quackenbush ’05
Vienna, Virginia
Kirsten is an attorney at Capital One and is a member of the enterprises agency finance group. In addition to her legal work, Kirsten has remained connected to William & Mary through various alumni endeavors. She served as the president of the W&M D.C. Metro network Board from 2009 to 2013. In 2012, she was elected as Chapter Presidents Council vice chair and then its chair in 2013. Kirsten also participated as her 10-year Class Gift Committee co-chair. In 2016, she received the Douglas N. Morton ’62 Young Alumni Service Award. Kirsten served on the WMAA Board of Directors from 2017 to 2021, and Inclusion, Careers, Affinity and Regional (ICARE) Committee Chair from 2017 to 2019. Kirsten is a founding member of the Society of 1918. She was part of the Asian Centennial Planning Committee to help celebrate and commemorate the 100th anniversary of the admission of the first Asian student to W&M and participated in the Asian-Pacific Islander-Middle Eastern/Southwest Asian (APIM) Alumni Leadership Circle. Kirsten was a founding member of the APIM Advisory Board in 2022 and continues to serve on the board today. She is currently the secretary of the WMAA.