Overseers Board Elects New President

Industrial CEO Joan M. Hutchins '61 was elected president of Harvard's Board of Overseers on Wednesday. She will assume her new position after Commencement.

The Board of Overseers, which is comprised of alumni from all of Harvard's schools, serves as an advisory committee to Harvard College and the Corporation, the University's governing body.

Overseers are elected to a 6-year terms by members of the Harvard Alumni Association, and the president of the board is elected annually by her fellow Overseers.

Overseers typically "visit" Harvard in committees charged with reviewing specific programs or aspects of Harvard's schools.

President Neil L. Rudenstine spoke highly of Hutchins in a press release yesterday.

"Joan Hutchins is an exceptionally talented executive and a deeply committed alumna who has been a broadgauged and energetic leader on the Board of Overseers since 1994," he said.

Overseers typically hold full-time jobs in addition to their responsibilities to the College. According to Sheila J. Kuehl, a Harvard Law School graduate and member of the board of overseers, this range of experience is precisely what makes their advice to the University rel- evant.

"The overseers have the most extraordinarybreadth of professional experience of any group ofpeople I've ever met in my life...Ultimately, wehave no authority other than our own experienceand persuasion," Kuehl said.

After receiving her A.B. in mathematics fromRadcliffe, Hutchins worked as a managementconsultant before joining Compotite Corp., abuilding-materials manufacturing firm based in LosAngeles, as Vice-President for development.

Hutchins is now president and CEO of Compotite,and is also president of MBH Farms Inc., in NewYork's Hudson Valley.

Hutchins also has extensive experience withHarvard's alumni network--in addition to her termas Overseer, she has served on the Harvard AlumniAssociation's board of directors, and waspresident of the Harvard-Radcliffe Club of LongIsland.

Hutchins, who could not be reached for comment,said in the press release that she was delightedwith her new position.

"It is a special privilege to lead the Board atthis time of increased intellectual ferment atHarvard. New facilities in both the humanities andthe sciences, substantially increasedcollaboration across schools and departments, andpervasive changes in technology are spurring theimaginations of our faculty and students as neverbefore," she said.

Still, it doesn't appear that the new presidentwill bring anything radically different to thetable. Several board members suggested that theposition of president was less a position investedwith the authority to set an agenda, and more anoffice charged with ensuring the board got itstasks done.

"The president is charged with helping toorganize the work of the board....She is thelynchpin in making sure that work goes forward,"Kuehl said

"The overseers have the most extraordinarybreadth of professional experience of any group ofpeople I've ever met in my life...Ultimately, wehave no authority other than our own experienceand persuasion," Kuehl said.

After receiving her A.B. in mathematics fromRadcliffe, Hutchins worked as a managementconsultant before joining Compotite Corp., abuilding-materials manufacturing firm based in LosAngeles, as Vice-President for development.

Hutchins is now president and CEO of Compotite,and is also president of MBH Farms Inc., in NewYork's Hudson Valley.

Hutchins also has extensive experience withHarvard's alumni network--in addition to her termas Overseer, she has served on the Harvard AlumniAssociation's board of directors, and waspresident of the Harvard-Radcliffe Club of LongIsland.

Hutchins, who could not be reached for comment,said in the press release that she was delightedwith her new position.

"It is a special privilege to lead the Board atthis time of increased intellectual ferment atHarvard. New facilities in both the humanities andthe sciences, substantially increasedcollaboration across schools and departments, andpervasive changes in technology are spurring theimaginations of our faculty and students as neverbefore," she said.

Still, it doesn't appear that the new presidentwill bring anything radically different to thetable. Several board members suggested that theposition of president was less a position investedwith the authority to set an agenda, and more anoffice charged with ensuring the board got itstasks done.

"The president is charged with helping toorganize the work of the board....She is thelynchpin in making sure that work goes forward,"Kuehl said