William & Mary Foundation Elects Three New Trustees

The William & Mary Foundation (WMF) announced the election of three new members to the organization’s governing body, the Board of Trustees. The three new members are Timothy “Tim” J. Carroll ’87, Sue Hanna Gerdelman ’76, P ’07, P ’13 and A. “Clay” Clayton Perfall ’80.

“An exciting era at William & Mary is underway, and we are thrilled to have three outstanding alumni join the W&M Foundation board this fall to help us achieve our vision for the future,” said WMF Chief Executive Officer Matthew T. Lambert ’99. “I have been privileged to know Tim, Sue and Clay across the years and I am confident that their expertise will be invaluable as we uplift excellence through our support for the university’s people and programs.”

The William & Mary Foundation is an independent organization that raises private funds to support the priorities of the university. The William & Mary Foundation’s defining and essential mission is to support the university’s people and programs. By seeking private support, and then diligently managing those funds, the W&M Foundation advances and furthers the work of William & Mary’s students and faculty — providing vital resources for scholarships, professorships, research and program funding.

Incoming William & Mary Foundation Trustees

Timothy “Tim” J. Carroll ’87

Carroll has spent 30 years in the tech industry and has run both Fortune 500 global organizations and startups. He currently leads the Weather & Climate portfolio within Microsoft Azure. As an international relations major in an industry dominated by computer scientists, he witnesses firsthand how communications and critical thinking skills are vital to implementing cutting-edge technology. In his work with Microsoft, he is a data interpreter, collecting information on opaque issues such as climate change and making them accessible to the public. He translates technical capability into a language that non-technical decisionmakers and policymakers require. Building those skills in the next generation of leaders is Carroll’s passion. He also supports William & Mary’s Global Research Institute and W&M club men’s lacrosse and he has previously served as a lacrosse coach in the Maryland area, having come to William & Mary to play lacrosse himself.

Sue Hanna Gerdelman ’76, P ’07, P ’13

Gerdelman currently serves as the chair of the All In campaign for W&M Athletics. She previously served on the William & Mary Board of Visitors, including her tenure as an officer, and as chair of the For The Bold campaign, the largest fundraising campaign in the history of William & Mary. In the early 2000s, Sue served on the W&M Foundation from 2005-2013 and was chair of the board. She also volunteers in the Williamsburg community. She is vice chair of the Jamestown Yorktown Foundation and a member of the VA250 Commission, which is charged with planning a statewide commemoration of America’s 250th anniversary in 2026. After receiving her Bachelor of Arts in elementary education at William & Mary, Gerdelman began her career as an elementary school teacher and eventually served on several White House policy councils on Homeland Security and the economy. Previously, she served as a member of the Presidential Search Committee for the 28th President of William & Mary, Katherine Rowe. In recognition of her outstanding professional accomplishments, leadership and dedication to the community and commitment to her alma mater, Gerdelman was awarded the Alumni Medallion in 2011. Her two children are also alumni of William & Mary as was her late husband, John W. Gerdelman ’75, L.H.D. ’19, P ’07, P ’13.

Clayton “Clay” Perfall ’80

For the last decade, Perfall has divided his time among serving as a private equity operating executive, a corporate director and advisor and a board member of educational organizations. He began his career in public accounting after earning his Bachelor of Business Administration at William & Mary, and eventually became a partner at Arthur Andersen. He subsequently served as the CFO and CEO of several publicly traded companies before entering private equity. Perfall currently serves as a board member and chair of the Audit Committee of Enovis Corp., a medical technology innovator and manufacturer focused on orthopedics. He also serves on the board of advisors of Scenthound, LLC, a high-growth franchisor of dog wellness centers. Perfall previously served as a trustee of the Mason School of Business Foundation at William & Mary and is a trustee emeritus. He has also been engaged voluntarily and philanthropically with supporting educational programs and initiatives in Alexandria and across the state. Perfall and his wife, Anne Montgomery Perfall ’89, divide their time between Alexandria, Virginia, and Park City, Utah.

Retiring William & Mary Foundation Trustees

Melissa Dozier Friedery ’78

Friedery has been a member of the William & Mary Foundation Board of Trustees since October 2014 and served on the Foundation’s development strategy committee and athletics sub-committee. Friedery was a member of the Pi Beta Phi sorority and was a cheerleader at William & Mary, where she received her Bachelor of Arts degree in secondary education in 1978. She married fellow W&M graduate John R. Friedery ’78 and worked as a teacher before becoming a full-time homemaker. On the WMF board, Friedery was an engaged leader and friend to fellow trustees and campus partners. Her work on the development strategy committee was instrumental in positioning the WMF and the university for the future. During her service on the athletics sub-committee, William & Mary launched the All In campaign for W&M Athletics, and Friedery helped ensure thoughtful and successful advocacy for all members of the Tribe family: athletes, coaches, staff, family, friends and more.

Jennifer “Jen” Tepper Mackesy ’91

Mackesy has served on the William & Mary Foundation Board of Trustees since October 2014 and provided her expertise on the executive committee, committee on trusteeship, development strategy committee and the athletics sub-committee. She came to William & Mary to play soccer and both she and her husband, D. Scott Mackesy ’91, were varsity student-athletes at the university. She was also a member of the Omicron Beta chapter of the Chi Omega sorority. After receiving her Bachelor of Business Administration, Mackesy spent 10 years in the retail industry. Following a succession of roles, she became vice president, merchandise manager at Lord & Taylor Department Stores. On the William & Mary Foundation board, Mackesy was chair of the athletics sub-committee during one of the most critical times for W&M Athletics. Under Mackesy’s leadership, the All In campaign for W&M Athletics launched to secure a brighter future for the Tribe and she was named an honorary co-chair of the All In campaign. She and Scott have helped provide funding for several key athletics programs, facilities and scholarships, including the construction of the Mackesy Sports Performance Center, the Mackesy Tennis Center and the new soccer practice fields at the Dillard Complex.

The Honorable Michael K. Powell ’85, D.P.S. ’02

Powell previously served on the WMF board from 1996-2002, and — following a stint on the William & Mary Board of Visitors from 2001-2009 when he served as the university’s Rector — he rejoined the W&M Foundation in 2014 to continue his work, including as the board’s chair. Powell attended W&M on an ROTC scholarship and became the commander of the Corps of Cadets during his senior year. He graduated from William & Mary with a degree in government and was commissioned as an officer into the U.S. Army. After the military, Powell turned to civilian work, serving as a policy advisor to U.S. Secretary of Defense Dick Cheney. In 1997, President Clinton appointed Powell to serve as commissioner for the FCC and he was later appointed FCC chairman by President George W. Bush. He has served as president and CEO of NCTA since 2011. Both he and his wife, Jane Knott Powell ’85, have remained deeply connected to William & Mary. As chair of the WMF board, Powell was instrumental in overseeing a restructuring of the board and its investment structure which positioned William & Mary to build on fundraising successes that he had helped to foster. During his tenure, the university marked the largest growth in its consolidated endowment, increasing its total value to nearly $1.3 billion. William & Mary also closed out the largest fundraising campaign in its history, the For the Bold campaign, under his leadership. Powell is a frequent speaker at university events and a regular participant in programs at the Washington Center, where he teaches a course on leadership. He also served as a member of the Reves Center for International Studies Advisory Board. For his many contributions to the university, he was awarded an honorary doctorate from the university in 2002 and received the Alumni Medallion in 2011.

John E. Simmons ’92

As a member of the William & Mary Foundation Board since October 2014, Simmons’s expertise in the financial sector proved invaluable during some of the most challenging economic circumstances faced by the university. Simmons came to William & Mary in 1988, the son of a plumber, with no idea he would go into banking. Just four years later, he received his Bachelor of Business Administration from the university and has worked at JPMorgan Chase & Co. for more than 30 years, where he now serves as the head of middle market banking and specialized industries for commercial banking. On the WMF board, Simmons’s insights and leadership were critical through his service on the budget and finance committee and the athletics sub-committee. In recognition of his service to the university community and students, Simmons was awarded the Howard J. Busbee Finance Academy Alumni Award in 2018.