Spelman Board of Trustees Welcomes New Members, Mourns the Loss of Life Trustee Bob Holland Jr.

Spelman College recently announced Allegra Lawrence-Hardy C’93, and Frank Baker as the newest members of the Spelman College Board of Trustees.

Lawrence-Hardy is a founding partner at the Lawrence Bundy law firm. An award-winning litigator, Lawrence-Hardy has successfully defended Fortune 100 companies throughout the United States and abroad in numerous trials, arbitrations, and other forms of alternative dispute resolution.

She grew up on Spelman’s campus and recounts memories of spending time with her grandmother, who was the College registrar. Her mother, Andrea Lawrence, Ph.D., is a former Computer and Information Sciences Department chair and continues to serve as a faculty member.

Baker is the founder and managing partner of Siris, a leading private equity firm. With expertise and recognition in the areas of finance, technology and entrepreneurship, his appointment to the Board aligns with the College’s plans for the continued strengthening of endowment investments and ongoing digital transformation.

In recent years, Baker has helped clear balances for graduating Spelman students affected by the COVID-19 pandemic, established scholarships, and made a significant gift to support the Mary Schmidt Campbell, Ph.D. Center for Innovation & the Arts.

The College also celebrates the legacy of Life Trustee Robert Holland Jr., who served Spelman from 1979 – 2003. While on the Board, Holland served as chair, vice chair and chair emeritus.

A trailblazer, Holland was well-respected in the corporate sector and made the time to support and advocate for other Black executives. In addition to his many professional accomplishments, Holland’s dedication to making a difference in the lives of underserved youth earned him a reputation as an executive with a deep commitment to social causes.

Read more on Spelman.edu.

On Tuesday, May 17, 2022, the Spelman community hosted a grand farewell featuring expressions of gratitude and love in honor of Mary Schmidt Campbell, Ph.D., the College's 10th President. Dr. Campbell will retire on June 30.

During Dr. Campbell’s tenure as the 10th president of Spelman, she has led the college through transformative change and the unprecedented global COVID-19 pandemic.

Since Dr. Campbell joined the Spelman community, major investments have been made in academic programs, technology infrastructure and the renewal of critical facilities on campus to provide students with enhanced learning opportunities and the best environment to support their growth. The college continues to be ranked by U.S. News and World Report as No. 1 among historically Black colleges and universities, No. 54 among national liberal arts colleges, and No. 4 among top performers in social mobility, and, according to the National Science Foundation, it has maintained a reputation as the nation’s leading producer of Black women scientists.

The community is encouraged to visit Dr. Campbell's tribute page to share memories, thoughts and well wishes honoring her tenure.

Bailey Rogers, C'2023, an economics major, management and organization minor, will enjoy a 10-week, $10,000 paid internship in New York at Richard Bernstein Advisors.

In her role, Rogers will rotate among each of RBA’s departments to gain exposure to all the aspects of the asset management industry.

The Greenville, South Carolina native is a member of the "Sweet" Mu Pi chapter of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority Inc., and the internal co-chair of Sisters Keeping it Real Through Service (SKIRTS). She is also a member of the Future Business Leaders at Spelman, The National Society of Collegiate Scholars, and the Omicron Delta Epsilon Honor Society.

“Spelman has pushed me to be the best version of myself, and to excel in everything that I do," said Rogers.

Suneye Rae Holmes, C’2004, recently appeared on NPR’s The Indicator from Planet Money, to discuss President Biden’s proposed budget, which calls for $6 trillion in government spending for the next fiscal year, and would lead to trillion-dollar deficits over the next decade.

"Taxes are going to have to increase at some point. We're making choices right now that are going to have to be paid for in the long run," said Holmes, an economics instructor at Spelman. "But, this is an about-face from the last several years as we're coming out of that major tax legislation from 2017 when taxes were cut from the top down."

After earning a bachelor’s in economics, Holmes then earned a master’s in applied economics from the Johns Hopkins University, with a concentration in health economics. Holmes has private sector work experience on Wall Street as well as in the public sector. She worked as a government statistician for many years before turning to academics.