New Members Bring Executive Experience, Global Perspective to UVA Darden School Foundation Board of Trustees

Seven accomplished University of Virginia Darden School of Business alumni will help support the School and its academic mission as new members of the Darden School Foundation Board of Trustees: Debra Draughan (MBA ’84), Owen Griffin (MBA ’99), Elizabeth Hagood (MBA ’89), Amanda Lozano (MBA ’09), William Payne II (GEMBA ’22), William Shelton Jr. (MBA ’93), and Jimmy Wei (MBA ’02). Their three-year terms began 1 July.

“Our new trustees hold leadership roles at innovative organizations across various sectors taking on the world’s most pressing challenges,” said Dean Scott Beardsley. “Their wealth of experience and global perspective represents the very best of Darden, and they are uniquely suited to help us achieve the full potential of our mission.”

Debra Draughan (MBA ’84) is responsible for Atlantic Street Capital’s fundraising activities. Her working relationship with the firm extends back to 2008 when she first assisted the ASC team with Fund II. For the last 28 years, Ms. Draughan has been dedicated to the private equity industry and brings to the table substantial understanding of the inner workings of the institutional investor community. Prior to joining Atlantic Street, Debra was the Managing Partner of Top Capital Advisors, a FINRA member broker-dealer. Top Capital Advisors provides consulting and fund placement services to private equity fund managers. She holds nine securities licenses.

Owen Griffin (MBA ’99) is the CFO of Northfield Medical Manufacturing, a Virginia-based provider of infection control and workplace safety products. He is responsible for leading Northfield’s financial operations and acquisition activity. Before joining Northfield, Griffin spent 15 years with Landmark Communications, a privately held media company based in Norfolk, Virginia. While at Landmark, he led a rollup of regional data centers and ultimately served as the CEO of the integrated company. Griffin spent his early career in public accounting as a tax CPA with Price Waterhouse and investment banking with First Union Securities.

Elizabeth Hagood (MBA ’89) is the former executive director of the Lowcountry Open Land Trust, a startup nonprofit land conservation organization in South Carolina. Working collaboratively with landowners, businesses and other nonprofit organizations, she led the organization to become one of the premier land trusts in the country, protecting more than 100,000 acres of land along the South Carolina coast. Since retiring from the Lowcountry Open Land Trust, Hagood has remained actively engaged in community conservation and advocacy, serving in civic leadership roles for various organizations.

Mandy Lozano (MBA ’09) is the chief development officer at Spoke Sciences Inc., an early-stage plant-based ingredients company founded to solve solubility with science. Her role focuses on business development, joint venture management, external marketing/communications, pipeline planning, operational strategy, brand development and analytics. Lozano spent more than 15 years in large manufacturing, consumer goods and retail companies such as PepsiCo, Burt’s Bees, Starbucks, and Nestlé, where she focused on marketing early on then shifted to corporate strategy and business operations. For two years before attending Darden, Lozano was a globally ranked professional bicycle racer.

Will Payne (GEMBA ’22) is the managing partner of Coalfield Strategies, an economic development matchmaker for companies seeking cost-effective and talent-rich business expansion opportunities in rural Virginia. He also leads business development for the Energy DELTA Lab, an energy testbed focused on leveraging previously-mined land as a proving ground for the commercialization and deployment of innovative energy technologies. Payne previously worked with Virginia Energy on developing the growing U.S. East Coast offshore wind industry supply chain and economic revitalization strategies for Virginia’s coalfields. He was also principal of Bull Moose Strategies, forming bipartisan coalitions for Virginia political candidates on both sides of the aisle.

Bill Shelton (MBA ’93) is the chief marketing officer for G1001, a consumer-centric group of financial service companies. He also is responsible for the firm’s life and annuity businesses, which include Gainbridge, Delaware Life and Annuity, and Guggenheim Life and Annuity. As a business leader, Shelton specializes in delivering transformational revenue growth and social change. He has more than 25 years of experience, including stints as a managing director at Goldman Sachs and Deutsche Bank, as well as starting several companies.

Jimmy Wei (MBA ’02) is the chief business officer of Inmagene Biopharmaceuticals, a global clinical-stage biotechnology company focused on developing novel therapeutics for immunology-related diseases. Before founding Inmagene, Wei gained nearly 20 years of global biotech business development and investment experience. He participated in the formation of multiple leading biotech companies, including ZAI Lab, iMab, XW Lab and OncXerna. Wei has been the founding partner of Pivotal Bioventure and I-Bridge Capital, in addition to the venture partner of KPCB China. Before joining KPCB, he was the senior vice president and head of business development at Hutchison MediPharma, where he led the effort to set up multiple partnerships with U.S. and European pharmaceutical companies.

“I am thrilled to welcome such a strong group of new trustees to the board,” said Martina Hund-Mejean (MBA ’88), chair of the Darden School Foundation Board of Trustees. “They are exceptional leaders, and we are delighted that they will bring their unique experiences and global perspective to Darden. I, along with our other board members, look forward to work with them to further the School’s impact and stature.”

Alongside these seven new trustees, Darden Professor Yael Grushka-Cockayne started another three-year term as an ex-officio faculty member trustee on 1 July. Additionally, six trustees completed their board service on 30 June: J. Andrew Bugas (MBA ’86), Karen Edwards (MBA ’84), David Kelso (MBA ’82), Elizabeth Lynch (MBA ’84), Zhiyuan (Jerry) Peng (MBA ’03), and Elizabeth Weymouth (MBA ’94).

“On behalf of the Darden community, I am so grateful to Andy, Karen, David, Liz, Jerry and Elizabeth for their remarkable board service during these unprecedented times,” said Michael Woodfolk (TEP ’05), president of the Darden School Foundation. “The positive difference they have made here at Darden mirrors that which Darden aspires to make on the world.”