Board of Trustees

In her current position, Lynn Johnson overseas Parking and Transportation Services, Procurement Services, Office of Budgets, Business & Financial Services, Facilities Management, Environmental Health Services, Central Receiving & Mail Services, HR, the Office of the Ombuds & EAP, Risk Management & Insurance, Training & Organizational Development & the Office of Equal Opportunity. Lynn also serves as the liaison to the Administrative Professional Council and State Classified Personnel Council and as Board Chair of the Executive Steering Team for the Kuali Financial System Project.

She obtained her B.S. in accounting from UT Arlington. Lynn is a CPA and spent several years with KPMG and served as the CFO for a non-profit cancer research center in Denver prior to joining CSU in 2003.

Dr. Lori Barker is a professor in the Psychology Department at California State Polytechnic University, Pomona (Cal Poly Pomona). Dr. Barker’s main interests are multicultural attitudes, multicultural education/diversity training, and the psychological impact of diverse U.S. presidential candidates. Dr. Barker is also a licensed clinical psychologist with a private psychotherapy and diversity, equity, and inclusion consulting practice in Riverside, California. As a therapist, she specializes in providing culturally inclusive, sensitive, and responsive therapy. As a consultant, she helps organizations develop policies and procedures to meet their DEI goals. Two of Dr. Barker’s favorite things are travel and teaching, so when she heard about Semester at Sea, she knew it was a perfect fit.

Kristina previously worked for the Microsoft Corporation in Recruiting for nearly 12 years. Her last position there was Director of University and MBA Recruiting which also included responsibility for the company’s internship and scholarship programs. Kristina is a long-time member of the Board of Trustees for Rainier Scholars, an educational non-profit in the Seattle area which opens doors to education for hardworking, disadvantaged children of color, providing a pathway to college graduation and creating future community leaders. She also currently serves on the Board of Trustees for Seattle Country Day School, a private K-8 school in Seattle. Stanford University, Bachelors of Arts and Science degree in Economics and Biology.

Lisa is a Clinical Assistant Professor of Psychiatry and a Licensed Clinical Psychologist (retired). She currently volunteers at UCSD’s School of Medicine. Graduated cum laude with a BA degree from Brandeis University and earned her Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology from the University of Vermont.

Greg started his career in the insurance industry at Chubb, in San Francisco and Warren, NJ. After returning to the Pasadena area, Greg joined Swett & Crawford as a wholesale insurance broker in Los Angeles. In 2000 Greg acquired his father’s insurance brokerage where he expanded operations to become a top 100 firm in the United States. Ten years later Greg sold his firm to Arthur J. Gallagher and transitioned into the auto parts business by acquiring Transgo. After growing Transgo into one of the largest aftermarket transmission kit manufacturers, he sold the firm to a private equity group out of North Carolina. Greg currently serves on several forprofit and nonprofit boards. He is the Board Chair of Semester at Sea, Board Chair of the Chapman Family Foundation, and the Executive Chair of Smart Parke. Greg and his wife, Kristin, live in San Marino and have 3 children (Reese 19, Luke 17, and Nico 14). Greg graduated from the University of San Diego and has an MBA from the Marshall School of Business at USC.

Cedric Dark, MD, MPH, FACEP is an Associate Professor in the Henry J. N. Taub Department of Emergency Medicine at Baylor College of Medicine where he trains the next generation of America’s emergency physicians while caring for patients in one of Houston’s major trauma centers.

Dr. Dark has received the Texas Medical Association’s C. Frank Webber Award, the Emergency Medicine Residents’ Association Joseph F. Waeckerle Alumni of the Year Award, and was named to Elemental’s List of 50 Experts to Trust in a Pandemic.

He has expansive media experience including print, radio, podcast, and television – including outlets such as NPR, CNN, MSNBC, Fox News, and BBC World News.

A graduate of Morehouse College, Dr. Dark earned his medical degree from NYU and a master’s degree from Columbia.

Gilder, Gagnon, Howe & Co. is a stock brokerage firm focused on helping small investors create wealth. James invests in high growth public companies around the world. He also serves on the Board of Trustees of Rodeph Sholom School, where his daughters are enrolled, and Trinity School, NY where he went to high school. Graduated from Stanford University in 2000 where he studied Economics and Computer Science.

Moonbeam Investment Corporation invests in and acquires distressed assets of which the underlying security interest is real estate. Such assets include, commercial and consumer debt, tax liens, large land tracts and commercial real estate. Christopher graduated from the University of Wisconsin Madison in 1988 with a degree in Economics. Sailed Spring 86 as a Sophomore as well as Lifelong Learners with my wife and two children Spring 2014.

Dennis Gertmenian is the CEO of Foxdale Properties and Founder of Ready Pac Foods®, where he served as CEO for 40 years. During his career, Dennis has completed over 60 mergers and acquisitions mostly related to the food and real estate industries. Dennis received an AA from Pasadena City College, a BS from the University of Southern California, and a MBA from Pepperdine University. Community service is very important to Dennis and his wife Susi, where they devote a great deal of time and resources. He is a lifetime resident of Pasadena where he and Susi raised 5 children. Dennis and Susi spend their summers at Grouse Creek Reserve- their ranch in the Tetons, where they enjoy multiple outdoor activities.

Conrad joined Franklin Templeton in 1988, holding various leadership roles as well as serving as lead portfolio manager of the Franklin California Growth Fund (later renamed the Franklin Flex Cap Growth Fund) from 1993 until 2016. During his 23-year tenure of this traditional long-only mutual fund, it was a top performing fund, outpacing his peers and relevant benchmarks, producing over 16% average annual returns. Prior to this, Conrad received his undergraduate degree from Brown University, and his MBA from Harvard. Conrad has two grown children, Christine and Alex, and married Julia Petitt Herrmann in 2020 after reconnecting with her at their 40th HS reunion. They mainly split their time now between CT and FL, in addition to traveling the globe.

Marisa is passionate about maritime law, which she has practiced since 2007. She handles a variety of maritime matters including cases involving yachts, ship repairs, maritime personal injury, maritime products liability, general average, and bunker fuel disputes. Her practice also includes marine insurance coverage, liability defense, bad faith defense, and commercial maritime transactional matters.

Marisa’s Education includes: Santa Clara University School of Law, J.D. (2007), Law of the Sea Studies at Oxford University, University of San Diego, B.A. International Relations (2001)

Jenny Lewis is the Chief Marketing Officer and President at The Knot Worldwide. In her role, Jenny leads all Marketing initiatives for the company and its 19 global brands. With expertise in growing and advancing well-known brands, Jenny was the Head of US and Canada Marketing for Uber and UberEats prior to joining TKWW. As one of Uber’s earliest marketing hires, she helped transform the start-up into an iconic household name, and was the driving force behind a number of product and brand-defining initiatives.

She is a graduate of George Washington University, Semester at Sea alumna, and currently resides in Boston with her husband, Ryan, and 2 year old son, Jack.

Emily leads marketing for LinkedIn’s Learning business, focused on connecting consumers and organizations with digital learning to develop skills needed in an evolving world of work. Emily has over 15 years of experience across marketing and product management at companies including Accenture, American Express, and Yahoo!. She joined LinkedIn in 2013 and led the Consumer Marketing function until joining the LinkedIn Learning in 2016. Emily graduated from Johns Hopkins University with a degree in International Relations and studied abroad in Paris, France through the Sweet Briar program. She holds an MBA from the Haas School of Business, UC Berkeley.

Marjorie is a former high risk labor and delivery nurse with volunteer experience in HIV/AIDS in Zambia, Kenya and Rwanda. She has worked with and supported the Clinton Foundation HIV/AIDS Initiative as well as several other international NGO’s and philanthropies. Marjorie was one of the founding donors of the Women’s Foundation of Colorado and has served as president of her family’s foundation which focuses on social justice issues and the needs of the underserved. She is a former co-owner of The Shreveport Journal and is currently an investor in commercial real estate and alternative assets. Received two undergraduate degrees including a BSN and a Master’s Degree in Health Administration and Policy

Karen retired from JPMorgan as a Vice Chairman in investment banking and held numerous leadership roles over her 36-year career, living in London for 20 years. Karen currently serves on the Boards of three publicly traded companies: Aker ASA, listed in Oslo; Energean plc, listed in London and Crescent Energy listed on the NYSE. Karen is a Co-Chair of the Thunderbird School of Global Management Global Alumni network and advisor to the Dean as well as on the Executive Advisory Council for the Bush Institute in Dallas. Karen holds a Masters of International Management from Thunderbird and an MBA from Southern Methodist University in addition to a BA from the University of Colorado. Karen sailed on SAS in the Spring of 1979 and enjoys hiking, cycling, golf, skiing, wine tasting and travel!

Liz first sailed with Semester at Sea as a Resident Director in Spring ’04 then again as staff in Summer ’08 and Fall ’10. Her background is in Higher Education and Human Development, working in Residence Life. After the Summer ’08 voyage she and her husband both switched careers to focus on sustainability as a result of their time with Semester at Sea.

Liz currently serves as the Executive Director for Ecochallenge.org, a digital nonprofit focusing on behavior change and the environment. Liz is a proud Semester at Sea Alum, happy to serve on the Board of Trustees for ISE, and lives in Portland, Oregon with her husband and son.

Libby graduated with a BA in Psychology from the University of Virginia and relocated to Austin, TX shortly after to pursue a career in tech sales. After starting her professional career at Oracle Corporation, she now coaches incoming sellers at MongoDB.

R. Foster Hillis (he/him) is a recent graduate with Academic Distinction from The University of Oklahoma where he studied Elections and Campaign Management, accompanied by a General Business Management minor.

He now is an Account Representative at MissionWired, helping connect large international progressive campaigns, committees, and causes to voters and donors across North America.

Before college, Foster was an International Trustee for Key Club International, the high school service organization of Kiwanis International.

Foster enjoys traveling, recreational running, and reading. He has traveled to over 45 countries and over half of the United States.

Dr. Tymitz served as the Chief Executive Officer of the Institute for Shipboard Education until February 2007. He served as a faculty member for Chapman College’s World Campus Afloat in 1972 and as the Associate Director of Operations from 1973-75.

In 1976 he was the co-founder of the Institute for Shipboard Education, serving as the Director of Administrative Affairs until 1984. In 1984 he was appointed Executive Director; in 1997 the Board of Directors changed his title to Chief Executive Officer.

His teaching experience includes serving as an Assistant Professor of History at the University of Central Oklahoma and Oklahoma State University. He has his B.A. and M.A. from Southern Illinois University and received his Ph.D. in 1973 from Oklahoma State University.

Dr. Blanche Hughes received her Bachelor’s degree from Earlham College, a Master’s of Education degree in Student Affairs and Doctorate degree in Sociology from Colorado State University. She is currently in her 17th year as the Vice President for Student Affairs at Colorado State University. In this role, she works with a Division that includes 15 departments that collaborate with other units in the University community providing support for our students and staff. Dr. Hughes teaches and advises in the Student Affairs in Higher Education graduate program.

Blanche is married to Wayne Hughes and they have four children (two are alums of CSU) and five grandchildren. She enjoys spending time with her grandchildren, attending athletic events, and teaching.

Jill has been involved with SAS for over 40 years, having sailed 6 times in staff positions. Her family sailed four of those times, something for which she is grateful. Her career in student affairs/housing at U.C. Santa Barbara ran parallel to her involvement with SAS. She recently retired from UCSB and picked up her involvement with the SAS Alumni Association once again. She currently serves as the past-president of the Alumni Association, and is interested in bridging the Alumni Association, home office and the Board of Trustees to build an even stronger overall program.

Dr. Mandy Bratton is the Executive Director of the UC San Diego Center for Global Sustainable Development, home to the award-winning Global Ties and Global Changemaker Scholars programs. These programs inspire students to collaborate with communities to co-create solutions to urgent challenges such as the UN Sustainable Development Goals. Mandy also serves as a Founding Director of the UC San Diego Changemaker Institute. As an Ashoka U Change Leader, she was instrumental in making UC San Diego an Ashoka U Changemaker Campus. Mandy holds a Ph.D. in Counseling Psychology from the University of Texas and a Public Leadership Credential from Harvard University. She has completed three voyages with Semester at Sea and served as president of its alumni association.

Shaun N. Crisler (He/Him) has been committed to higher education and student success as a professional for 15 years and currently serves as the Assistant Vice President for Residence Life and Housing at SUNY Oswego in New York. He has served in several roles within Housing and Residence Life with the primary goal to help create positive living and learning experiences for all students. By working with faculty, campus partners, and staff, Shaun looks for opportunities to collaborate with a focus on student success and retention.

Shaun actively works with students and professionals to increase their intercultural competence by facilitating workshops and through study abroad activities. Shaun has been a member of the Semester at Sea family for more than twenty years.

Paige Ensor is a five-year alumnus of the University of Colorado at Boulder and a Spring 2017 Semester at Sea voyager. Upon graduation, she moved to New York City to work for IBM, where she is currently employed as a Corporate Strategist. In addition to her corporate experience, Paige is also the Founder & CEO of MarqUP Brands, a small but mighty marketing services and consulting firm with expertise in non-profit and new business development. Paige joined the ISE/Semester at Sea Board of Trustees as an advisor in January 2023 and is a passionate contributor to the overall ISE/SAS mission.

Jim is currently an Investor and an Independent Director of Ingram Industries and FTAI Infrastructure. Jim retired in 2020 as Global Head of Transportation Investment Banking for JP Morgan after a 34-year career on Wall Street leading high-performing Global Transportation Investment Banking teams covering clients in the Shipping, Cruise Line, Transportation, Aviation and Logistics sectors. Before heading to Wall St, Jim sailed on deep sea coastwise and foreign trades as a Deck Officer with Gulf Oil Corporation, raising his license to Chief Mate. Jim was also a LTCDR in the US Naval Reserve. Prior to this, Jim received a B.S. from the US Merchant Marine Academy and an MBA from NYU Graduate School of Business. Jim and his wife Debra live on the Southern Outer Banks in North Carolina.

Kirk loves sports, family time, and learning. Kirk still regularly plays basketball (often at San Quentin State Penitentiary) and enjoys time with his wife and twin boys.

He received a BA in Science, Technology, and Society. Technical Depth – Management Science and Engineering Stanford Unversity, 2010

For the past 24 years, Todd has served as a founding Partner at Western States Technologies, a real estate investment company headquartered in Los Angeles. Prior to that, Todd was Vice-President/Director of Marketing at The Sammis Company, a national real estate investment company headquartered in Irvine, California. Todd graduated cum laude from the Real Estate Finance Program at the University of Southern California’s Marshall School of Business and was awarded membership in The Golden Key International Honor Society.

Anthony manages investment operations for his Family Office, Armo Corporation, which invests in reliable income producing assets that align with its ultra-conservative investment criteria. Anthony holds a background in Finance and is working toward becoming a CFA charterholder. He graduated from the Leeds School of Business at the University of Colorado at Boulder in May 2016.

Anthony holds past experience as an Account Executive, Season Ticket Sales for both the Denver Nuggets and the Colorado Avalanche, and enjoys travel and recreation activities while spending time with loved ones. Anthony joins the Finance Committee as an Advisory Member in 2023. Anthony is determined to help grow and spread the word about this life changing program, Semester At Sea!

Chanel Watson is a Brand and Program Marketing Manager at Showtime Networks specializing in consumer marketing and brand strategy tactics to promote Showtime’s original programming. Her previous experience in the media industry includes roles at Complex Networks and BET. Currently serving as an Advisory Committe Member among the Marketing and Recruiting Committee, she hopes to help bring more awareness of the Semester at Sea program to HBCUs, and provide opportunities for BIPOC students to take advantage of the voyage she claims is “An experience of a lifetime.”

Chanel was born in Washington D.C. and raised in Maryland until leaving home to attend Lincoln University in Pennsylvania. She earned her Bachelor of Science in Mass Communications with a focus on Strategic Communications and a minor in Entrepreneurship. After moving to begin her career in New York City, Chanel attended The New School to receive her Master of Science in Media Management. In the meantime, she enjoys continuing to travel with her old Semester at Sea friends, creating music playlist, and kickboxing!