John Frank ’78, P’12 Named Chair-Elect of the Board of Trustees

At its May 24 meeting, Wesleyan’s Board of Trustees elected John B. Frank ’78, P’12 as chair of the board for a two-year term beginning July 1, 2020.

Frank will succeed Donna Morea ’76, P’06, who will step down in June 2020 after four years as chair and 12 years on the board. The board will, once again, follow the tradition that started with Morea of choosing a board chair-elect a year in advance in order to provide for a smooth and successful transition period.

“John Frank is an accomplished leader, an active listener, and an astute observer,” said Alford Young, Jr. ’88, chair of the Board Governance Committee. “He knows when to lead and when to stand in support of other leaders. John will bring this blend of characteristics and much more to his service as board chair.”

Frank is vice chairman of Oaktree Capital Management, a global investment manager specializing in alternative investments. He joined Oaktree in 2001 as general counsel, and later served as managing principal and principal executive officer. Prior to Oaktree, Frank was a partner of the Los Angeles law firm Munger, Tolles & Olson, where he focused on mergers and acquisitions and corporate counseling. From 1983 to 1984, he served as law clerk to the Honorable Frank M. Coffin of the United States Court of Appeals.

Frank holds a BA degree with honors in history from Wesleyan, where he was president of his class and a member of Psi Upsilon. He earned a JD, magna cum laude, from the University of Michigan Law School, where he was managing editor of the Michigan Law Review and a member of the Order of the Coif. Frank joined the Wesleyan Board of Trustees in 2008, has served on all of its committees, and has chaired its Investment and Governance Committees. He also serves on the boards of The James Irvine Foundation, the Good Samaritan Hospital of Los Angeles, and the XPRIZE Foundation, among other organizations.

Frank commented, “Wesleyan is a special place with enormous impact. Every day I rely on the critical thinking and writing skills I developed as a student at Wesleyan. It’s a privilege to succeed Donna as chair, and I’m grateful for the opportunity to work with the board to continue to strengthen this university that we all cherish.”