Three alumni and a student representative joined the board immediately after its meeting in May.
Susquehanna University has announced the election of three new members to its Board of Trustees. The newest trustees — all Susquehanna alumni — were elected to four-year terms beginning May 10. A student representative also joins the board to serve a two-year term.
“Susquehanna University’s leaders are committed to providing our students with an innovative education that prepares them for productive, creative and reflective lives of achievement, leadership and service,” said University President Jonathan Green. “Our Board of Trustees is integral to the university achieving these goals.”
The Rev. Karen Ward ’11 joins Susquehanna’s Board of Trustees via the Upper Susquehanna Synod of the Evangelical Lutheran Church of America. She resides in Selinsgrove and serves as pastor at Trinity Lutheran Church in McAlisterville.
She graduated 2011 from Susquehanna with a Bachelor of Arts in religious studies and later from Luther Seminary, St. Paul, Minnesota. During her time in seminary, Ward participated in service-learning missions to Costa Rica, Nicaragua, Liberia and the Philippines and volunteered in New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina.
Susan Mays ’04 Yu is a partner and member of the investment committee at AIM13, a private investment management firm in New York City, where she has worked since 2008. Before joining AIM13, she was an associate at Goldman Sachs from 2004 to 2008. She serves on the New York advisory board for Best Buddies International.
She earned a Bachelor of Science in business administration from Susquehanna in 2004. Prior to her election to Susquehanna’s Board of Trustees, she served on its investment committee.
Kyle Robertson ’11 is the senior global impact manager for the Hain Celestial Group, a leading health and wellness company with food and beverage products marketed and sold in over 75 countries. Based out of London, Robertson is responsible for the measurement, reporting and compliance of Hain’s global impact strategy, as well as the management of climate-related risks.
Prior to his current role with Hain Celestial Group, Robertson worked for J.P. Morgan Asset & Wealth Management from 2011–2022.
Robertson earned a Bachelor of Science in business administration – finance and Bachelor of Arts in music – clarinet in 2011 from Susquehanna. Followed by a Master of Science in global strategy & sustainability from the University of Edinburgh in 2023.
Robertson is an active member of the Alumni Board and has served in various leadership roles, including president.
Frank Fiannaca ’28, of Haddonfield, New Jersey, was elected the new student representative. Nominated in their second year at Susquehanna, representatives serve their junior year as a nonvoting member and then, as a senior, they become a full voting member and help the incoming junior representative become acquainted with operations.
Fiannaca is a management major with a minor in professional sales. He is a member of the men’s lacrosse team and works as a student alumni ambassador with Susquehanna’s Advancement Office. His campus leadership and service roles include membership in the Professional Sales Club, the Student Athlete Advisory Committee and in Morgan’s Message, an organization with a mission to promote the mental health of student-athletes.
Fiannaca joins senior board representative Kiara De Silva ’27, who assumed a position on the board in 2025. De Silva is a double major in biochemistry and finance double major from Mississauga, Ontario. De Silva was recently awarded the Baylor Leadership Award, which is given annually to a student who best exemplifies strong leadership qualities and is dedicated to both academic and extracurricular activities.
