Board of Directors

The Board of Directors is ultimately responsible for the fiscal and long-term operation of Dwight Hall. The Board’s membership consists of Dwight Hall alumni, Yale professors, members of the New Haven community and current Dwight Hall student representatives.

Board members may log-in to the Board Communication Page here.

Executive Committee

Bradford Williams ’10, Chair

New York, NY

Partner, Crestview Partners

Originally from Chicago, Bradford Williams is a 2010 graduate of Yale and currently works as a partner at the private equity firm Crestview Partners in New York. He also serves on the board of the Center for Urban Community Services.

What does Dwight Hall mean to you? “Dwight Hall was my biggest college activity and the experience had a formative impact on my world view and professional development. Instilling an ethos of service and justice in Yale students is critically important work and I’m very proud to be involved.”

Sandra Lee ’97, Vice Chair

Washington, DC

Deputy Assistant Secretary, the Financial Stability Oversight Council (FSOC) U.S. Department of Treasury

Sandra Lee serves as Deputy Assistant Secretary at the Financial Stability Oversight Council (FSOC), the U.S. regulatory body responsible for identifying risks and responding to emerging threats to financial stability. She previously served in the Executive Office of the Federal Reserve Bank of New York and the Legal Group at the New York Fed.

At Dwight Hall: Sandra was co-coordinator of ExComm, founded a literacy tutoring program with the New Haven Free Public Library and was a key organizer of a nationally recognized conference for young women that, in conjunction with the U.S. Department of Education, brought together women from Yale with students at Troup Middle School. As a President’s Public Service Fellow in 1995, she worked on blighted housing issues with the City of New Haven

Laura Huizar ’06, ’12 J.D., Secretary

Laura Huizar ‘06 ‘12 J.D.

Washington, DC

Senior Counsel, U.S. Department of Labor

Laura Huizar is Senior Counsel at the U.S. Department of Labor. She worked previously at the National Employment Law Project , the ACLU, and LatinoJustice PRLDEF.

At Dwight Hall: Laura was co-coordinator of ExComm and a President’s Public Service Fellow. Working with JUNTA for Progressive Action during the summer of 2005, she reported on job training, migrant farm worker conditions and health care access in Connecticut. She was also involved in Bridges, a member group that provides free English tutoring to New Haven immigrants.

Madeline Kerner ’07, Treasurer

Brooklyn, NY

Entrepreneur-in-Residence, Luminary Fund

Madeline Kerner is currently working on innovations to support parents who are raising young children with ADHD. Previously, she co-founded and led Matriculate, a national college access organization helping talented, low-income students navigate the college application process and go on to attend colleges where they will thrive.

What does Dwight Hall mean to you? “At Dwight Hall, I had my first experience organizing public service and social action work. I learned my first lessons about how to do that work (and how not to) and I found people I connected with, who are friends and mentors to this day.”

Thomas Meyer ’11, Chair of Investments

Boston, MA

Manager, Bain & Co.

Thomas Meyer began his career in philanthropic advising and domestic policy before transitioning to management consulting, where he focuses on go-to-market and growth strategy in software and advanced manufacturing firms. He completed his BA in Sociology at Yale, a Fox Fellowship at the University of Cambridge, and an MBA at MIT’s Sloan School of Management.

What does Dwight Hall mean to you? “Dwight Hall gave me the opportunity to explore career pathways that serve the greater good, helped me to develop a more inclusive leadership style, and, through direct service opportunities, provided a healthy (and humbling) counterweight to Yale’s academic coursework.”

Peter Crumlish ’09 MAR (Ex-Officio)

New Haven, CT

Executive Director & General Secretary, Dwight Hall at Yale

Peter Crumlish lived abroad in Thailand and Japan in his early twenties. From 1996-98 he served in the Peace Corps in the Philippines as a teacher trainer, where he met his wife, Sara, a fellow PCV. Peter later worked as a community organizer in the Bronx and ran a nonprofit public/private partnership with the New York City Parks Department, building community engagement around parks and public spaces in the five boroughs of the city. Next Peter taught Western Philosophy and World Religions at a boarding school in Maine, where he also served as the Director of College Counseling and as the Head of the freshman and sophomore boys’ dorm. He received a Master of Arts in Religion from Yale Divinity School in 2009 and afterward returned to nonprofit work in New Haven, serving as the director of resource development for Neighborhood Housing Services of New Haven. Peter has been at Dwight Hall since 2013.

What does Dwight Hall mean to you? “Dwight Hall embodies the best of Yale. It is a community of people united with a shared passion to imagine a whole, thriving, just world, and the energy, creativity, and drive to realize that vision. Working with young leaders gives me hope in times when I otherwise would despair.”

Rena Liu ’26, Student Co-Coordinator (Ex-Officio)

New Haven, CT

Student, Yale University, Junior Co-Coordinator of Dwight Hall Student Executive Committee

Rena Liu is a sophomore from East Tennessee. She has worked with Dwight Hall students to push for endowment justice, connected hundreds of Yalies with community service opportunities, and founded the Spring Break Externship program.

What does Dwight Hall mean to you? “Dwight Hall is a chance to organize Yale’s resources to make student service initiatives more efficient and effective. Ultimately, I hope this is a way to give back to New Haven.”

Emily Zhang ’25, Student Co-Coordinator (Ex-Officio)

New Haven, CT

Student, Yale University, Senior Co-Coordinator of Dwight Hall Student Executive Committee

Emily Zhang is a junior from Massachusetts majoring in Ethics, Politics, and Economics with a certificate in Statistics. She is Timothy Dwight College’s biggest fan and a public transportation enthusiast.

At Dwight Hall: In addition to being a Co-Coordinator of the Student Executive Committee, Emily has been an active member of the Yale Undergraduate Legal Aid Association (YULAA), the New Haven Urban Debate League and the Urban Philanthropic (UP) Fund.

Directors

Mohsin Ansari ’24

Glendale, IL

Portfolio Strategist, TLP Investments

Mohsin Ansari is a Portfolio Strategist at TLP Investments. He has more than 30 years of experiencein hedge fund management across diverse asset classes, incorporates both fundamental analysis and quantitative risk strategies. Recognized as one of the few IBM Qiskit Advocates in the US, he is deeply involved with emerging tech like AI and Quantum Computing. He is an alumnus of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

Omer Bajwa

New Haven, CT

Director of Muslim Life, Yale University Chaplain’s Office

Omer Bajwa serves as Director of Muslim Life in the Chaplain’s Office at Yale and is a Lecturer at Yale Divinity School. He has been engaged in religious service, inter-religious engagement and educational outreach since 2000. His interests include the intersections of culture, media, politics and spirituality, and he regularly mentors contemporary Muslims on exploring their intellectual and spiritual lives in today’s world.

What does Dwight Hall mean to you? “To me, Dwight Hall, above all, means extraordinary opportunities for student leadership and wise mentorship. I am regularly amazed at the caliber of Yale students who work with Dwight Hall, and I am even more amazed at their willingness to listen and learn from experienced leadership.”

Sarah Baron ’04

New York, NY

Director of Inpatient Quality Improvement for the Department of Medicine and Division of Hospital Medicine, Montefiore Medical Center/Albert Einstein College of Medicine

Sarah Baron, MD, MS, grew up in Branford, CT coming to New Haven for concerts on the green, trips to the Chapel Square Mall, and eventually high school. At Yale (Timothy Dwight) she majored in Cognitive Science while tutoring, walking patients to abortion clinics, teaching high schoolers about sexual health, and facilitating resource management for undomiciled New Haven residents through Dwight Hall. She works at Montefiore Medical Center/Albert Einstein College of Medicine in The Bronx, NY as a hospitalist and expert in systems change and patient safety, working to meaningfully improve the lives of her patients and their health care providers.

What does Dwight Hall mean to you? “During my time as an undergraduate at Yale, Dwight Hall was a really important place of belonging for me. I appreciated the energy of the students working around me, the ability to give back to my community both the students and New Haven, and the support that Dwight Hall gave me as a Summer Fellow working on issues around homelessness.”

Abie Benitez

New Haven, CT

Retired and Independent Consultant

Dr. Abie Benitez has a PH. D. in Curriculum and Instruction and 40+ years serving learning humans from Pre-K to the graduate school level. She serves New Haven students for 35 years and continues to support leadership development locally, nationally and internationally. Her passion is breaking barriers to exceptional experiences and academics that allow students to improve their learning and in the long run their socioeconomic life.

What does Dwight Hall mean to you? “Dwight hall is one of the jewels in our town, providing an opportunity for young adults to contribute and learn with young kids. My passion for creating service and social justice mentoring opportunities makes DH a place dear to my heart. One that can impact children’s life positively.”

Anna Blanding ‘03, ‘09 MBA

Hamden, CT

Chief Investment Office, ConnCORP

Anna Blanding is passionate about venture capital, specifically in the biotechnology sector. She is a savvy institutional investor, with experience in deploying capital across all asset classes including equities, hedge funds, venture capital, biotech, real estate, emerging markets, and energy/natural resources. Anna was a Senior Investment Officer at The Annie Casey Foundation as well as Choate Rosemary Hall. In addition, she has a strong background in impact investing, policy, and philanthropy.

David Dodson ’77, ’81 MPPM, ’81 MDiv

Durham, NC

Independent Advisor to Philanthropy and Nonprofits

Since graduating from Yale, David Dodson’s work has been concentrated in the American South, where he has focused on strengthening the conditions that allow people and communities to thrive by improving educational attainment, catalyzing social mobility, and building bridges across the divides of race and ethnicity. Today David is helping philanthropic foundations to be courageous and catalytic in the deployment of their funds and influence to address enduring inequities.

What does Dwight Hall mean to you? “Dwight Hall embodies the best of Yale – a place that enables talented people to put mind and spirit into action to make the world a fairer place. I love how the Hall continues to inspire and support pragmatic, impatient, curious, and caring student activists to do good – and to make “good trouble” in a world that sorely needs that.”

Paola Flores Sanchez ’25 (Student Member)

New Haven, CT

Student, Yale University

Originally from Clarksburg, Maryland, Paola Flores Sanchez is a junior majoring in Economics & Political Science. She is the New Haven Engagement Chair of the Yale College Council.

At Dwight Hall: At Dwight Hall, Paola was the Student Executive Committee’s Institutional Service Coordinator in 2023. She has been actively involved in several member groups including the Yale Interpretation Network, the Yale Undergraduate Legal Aid Association. She was an in intern with New Haven Legal Aid Association

Hiroko Kawase ’26 (Student Member)

Tokyo, Japan

Student, Yale University

Hiroko Kawase is a sophomore at Yale studying cognitive science and education studies. She is originally from Kyoto but grew up across Tokyo, New York, Hong Kong and London. Regardless of which city she finds herself in, she is always looking for ways to get involved in education, the food scene and nearby hiking trails!

What does Dwight Hall mean to you? “To me, Dwight Hall is a place of both comfort and change. Comfort in that there are so many Yalies and alums who have and are dedicating their time and energy towards public service and uplifting various communities. It is also a place of change in that there are both tangible and intangible support systems and resources that empowers many to take initiative.”

Ferentz Lafargue ’05 Ph.D.

New Haven, CT

Associate Dean of Residential Life & Director of Mellon Mays & Edward A. Bouchet Fellowship Programs, Yale College Dean’s Office

Ferentz Lafargue is the Associate Dean of Residential Life & Director of Mellon Mays & Edward A. Bouchet Fellowship Programs at the Yale College Dean’s Office. He was formerly Dean of Saybrook College. Ferentz earned his PhD in African American and American Studies at Yale. His academic interests are nineteenth and post-twentieth century African American and Caribbean Literature and Culture. He is the author of Songs in the Key of My Life, and his writing has appeared in numerous publications.

Anika Singh Lemar ’01

New Haven, CT

Clinical Professor of Law, Yale Law School

With her students, Anika provides legal representation to affordable housing developers, community-based organizations, tenants, and homeowners. She writes about land use and housing and is currently the Editor-in-Chief of the American Bar Association’s Journal of Affordable Housing & Community Development Law, a Non-Resident Fellow at the Brookings Institute’s Metropolitan Policy Project, and a member of the Academic Advisory Committee at the Metropolitan Abundance Project. She lives in New Haven with her husband and three children.

What does Dwight Hall mean to you? I spent most of my waking hours at Dwight Hall during my undergraduate years. I served as Secretary of the Yale Hunger and Homelessness Action Project, an Urban Fellow at Fellowship Place and the Hill Development Corporation, and as a Co-coordinator of Dwight Hall’s Executive Committee. I learned so much in those roles but the most important bit, in retrospect, was the appreciation I gained for experiential and service learning opportunities. Today, as a member of the Yale Law School faculty, I try to provide those kinds of opportunities to graduate students.

Kathryn Lofton

New Haven, CT

Dean of Humanities, Yale Faculty of Arts & Sciences

A scholar of religion in American history, Kathryn Lofton has written extensively about capitalism, popular culture, and the secular. Her earliest scholarly writing examines the history of Protestant modernism and fundamentalism in the United States and the historiography of African American religion. Katie earned an A.B. in History and Religion and the Humanities from the University of Chicago in 2000, and her PhD in Religious Studies from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in 2005. Since her tenure in 2013, Lofton has worked to increase academic excellence through strengthened faculty governance, diversity, and community ethics. She is currently the FAS Dean of Humanities.

Kristen Meola ’26 (Student Member)

New Haven, CT

Student, Yale University

Kristen Meola is a sophomore from New York City majoring in Econometrics and Quantitative Economics with a certificate in advanced study of Spanish.

At Dwight Hall, Kristen previously served as Membership Coordinator and Financial Coordinator of the Student Executive Committee. She has been an active member of Hear Your Song, Y2Y New Haven and the Yale Hunger and Homelessness Action Project.

Nilakshi Parndigamage ’06

New Haven, CT

Vice Provost for Strategic Initiatives and Chief of Staff, Office of the Provost at Yale University

Nilakshi Parndigamage designs and executes strategic initiatives that support Yale’s academic priorities, assists with the development and drafting of university policy, and closely collaborates with the Development Office on major fundraising initiatives. Prior to her tenure at the Office of the Provost, Nilakshi served as a lecturer of Political Science and the dean of Ezra Stiles College at Yale. Before returning to Yale, Nilakshi practiced law at a major global law firm and also did international human rights work in the U.S. and abroad.

What does Dwight Hall mean to you? “I came to Yale as an international student from Sri Lanka. I had not visited the U.S. prior to arriving at Yale nor had I studied in English. I had four wonderful years at Yale with challenging adventures. At Dwight Hall, I found one of my homes at Yale. The community embraced me, provided a space for me to be myself, and gave me the opportunity to serve New Haven. That sense of belonging and purpose is something I carry with me even today.”

Yusuf Rasheed ’24 (Student Member)

New Haven, CT

Student, Yale University

Yusuf Rasheed served on the 2022 Dwight Hall Executive Committee as a Membership Coordinator. He has continued to work closely with the Hall through his involvement with the Muslim Student Association, for which he served as President in the 2023-24 academic year. He is passionate about organizing student programming that benefits the community and fosters strong relationships.

What does Dwight Hall mean to you? “Dwight Hall is where I got my start in community building and organizing at Yale. My time as Membership Coordinator gave me a deep understanding of how the Hall supports student groups, which was highly beneficial when organizing events as President of the Muslim Student Association. I am truly grateful for the mentors and friends I made through Dwight Hall, who deeply shaped my time at Yale.”

Randi Roth ’79, Audit Committee Chair

Saint Paul, MN

C.E.O., Complex Settlements, P.C.

Randi Roth is C.E.O. of Complex Settlements, P.C. Strategic, passionate, collaborative leader and lawyer who has built and led organizations that have delivered exceptional results. Motivated by complex, important issues that affect large or small communities. Among other things, she was previously Executive Director of Interfaith Action of Greater Saint Paul and Farmers’ Legal Action Group

Benjamin Staub ’06

Washington, DC

Partner, Thorsen French

Benjamin Staub works as a federal lobbyist, advocating in Washington on behalf of leading unions and companies in industries ranging from the arts to medicine. Prior to joining Thorsen French, Ben served as senior vice president of federal government affairs at the Motion Picture Association (MPA) and as staff for the U.S. House of Representatives Committee on the Judiciary. He is a founding board member of the Advocacy Council and has volunteered with numerous political campaigns and non-profits.

What does Dwight Hall mean to you? “Dwight Hall opened so many doors and experiences, and I think back on those lessons and friendships at least once every day. It was a place to learn about problem solving, communication, and harmonizing idealism with practicality.”

Kiran Tahir

Hamden, CT

Director Prospect Management & Research, Yale Law School

Kiran Tahir is a nonprofit development professional with over 15 years of experience in all areas of development including fundraising, grant writing, grantmaking, research and prospect management. She is currently serving as the Director of Prospect Management & Research at the Yale Law School. She is a 2022 recipient of the Linda K Lorimer Award for Distinguished Service at Yale University. She is an Associate Fellow of Trumbull College at Yale and serves on the board of the New England Development Research Association. Kiran is a graduate of Indiana University, and received her Master of Science in Library and Information Science from Long Island University.

What does Dwight Hall mean to you? “As a member of the New Haven community, I am deeply appreciative of Dwight Hall’s social-justice roots as an initiative founded by students. To me, Dwight Hall is a place for community to thrive, a safe space for introspection, an opportunity for growth, and a place to be of service to the broader New Haven community.”

Tim Tompkins ’86, Development Committee Chair

New York, NY

Principal, SharedCitySharedSpace & Professor of Urban Planning, New York University

Tim Tompkins “studies, teaches and preaches cities.” He has worked for over three decades to understand and improve cities, with an emphasis on neighborhood-driven economic development, place management, public art, and public-private partnerships. In 2022 he created SharedCitySharedSpace, which nurtures the interaction of ideas, institutions, individuals and cultures. He is currently an NYU Marron Institute Fellow and an Adjunct Professor of Urban Planning at the Wagner School of Public Service at New York University,

At Dwight Hall: In 2010 Tim was honored by Dwight Hall’s inaugural “Spotlight On” campaign for championing the revitalization of Times Square and the New York City parks.

Investment Committee

The Investment Committee is responsible for managing Dwight Hall’s endowment.

Thomas C. Meyer ‘11, Chair

Mohsin Ansari P ‘24

Anna Blanding ‘03, ‘09 MBA

Carl Eifler ’70

Charlotte Kaiser ’07 MBA/MES

Aaron Podolny ’12

Daniel Shen ’14

Edward Swenson ’67, ’80 MBA