The Colby-Sawyer College Board of Trustees has announced the election of five new trustees, including three alumni, who began varying terms of service Thursday, July 1, 2021.

Edwin A. Cowell, Mitchell E. Harris, Susan MacMichael John ’68 and Sally Shaw Veitch ’66 will each join the board for up to three, three-year terms, while Jourdain Bell ’19 will serve up to three, one-year terms per his role as a Winton-Black Trustee. Created in 2009 in recognition of former board chair Anne Winton Black ’73 ’75, Winton-Black Trustees offer a unique set of perspectives as recent graduates, and, in turn, are afforded opportunity for professional growth through service as a trustee.

“The board is thrilled to welcome these five individuals, all of whom bring with them a wealth of experience and diversity of knowledge,” said Lisa M. Hogarty ’81, Chair of the Colby-Sawyer Board of Trustees. “Their service will undoubtedly enrich the board’s engagement with the college and help steer the institution through the next stages of its strategic plan.”

Bell, who will replace Nick Ciarlante ’14 as one of two Winton-Black Trustees on the board, graduated from Colby-Sawyer with a bachelor’s degree in business administration and was a standout member of the men’s basketball program. Now an investor relations manager for Alumni Ventures Group, one of the most active venture capital firms in the world, Bell remains active with the college and often participates in alumni events.

Joining Bell as alumni representatives to the board are MacMichael John and Shaw Veitch. MacMichael John graduated from then-Colby Junior College with a degree in medical technology in 1968 and currently works as a certified financial planner for FL Putnam in Wolfeboro, N.H. A generous donor to the college, MacMichael John is a member of the Heritage Society — which celebrates individuals who include Colby-Sawyer in their estate planning — and recently established the Susan MacMichael John ’68 Scholarship Fund. Shaw Veitch, who earned an associate degree in business administration from then-Colby Junior College in 1966, previously served on the board of trustees from 2011 to 2020, and was the recipient of the 2020 Distinguished Alumni Award. Shaw Veitch is the general partner of Marca Associates, LLC, a privately held residential property management firm in Colorado Spring, Colo., and is a member of both the college’s Legends Society — which celebrates individuals who’ve given more than $1 million to Colby-Sawyer — and Athletic Hall of Fame.

Cowell, who works as the director of community and inclusion at St. Christopher’s School for Boys in Richmond, Va., brings 28 years of varied leadership and teaching experience in educational institutions. He earned his bachelor’s degree in psychology from Virginia Wesleyan University and a master’s degree in education from Virginia Commonwealth University. Harris joins the board after a 35-year career in investment management and private banking, most recently serving as the chief executive officer of BNY Mellon Investment, one of the world’s largest investment firms. Mitchell earned both his bachelor’s degree (political science and history) and master’s degree (public administration) from the State University of New York at Albany.

“I truly look forward to working with our newest trustees as we continue to shape the future of the college,” Colby-Sawyer President Susan D. Stuebner said. “Collectively, they bring a myriad of talents and experiences that will enhance the board’s work. In addition, each of them has a unique connection to Colby-Sawyer that will benefit their work as trustees.”