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Edward W. Ahart ’69, managing partner and chairman of the law firm of Schenck, Price, Smith & King LLP, Florham Park, N.J., has been elected chair of Lafayette’s Board of Trustees.
In addition, two alumni have been elected to the Board and will begin five-year terms July 1. They are Judson C. (Jud) Linville ’79, president and CEO of Consumer Services for American Express, New York City,and Paul F. McCurdy ’82, a partner in the law firm of Kelley Drye & Warren LLP, Stamford, Conn., where he is chair of the broker-dealer practice group and a member of the executive committee. McCurdy is president of the Lafayette Alumni Association.
A trustee since 1992, Ahart has served as secretary of the Board and a member of the Steering Committee since 2007. He will begin his term as chair July 1, succeeding Alan R. Griffith ’64. The College awarded Ahart an honorary Doctor of Laws degree at the 175th Commencement May 22.
Griffith, a trustee since 1994, is the retired vice chairman of The Bank of New York. He is stepping down as chair after nine years in the position and will remain a member of the Board. He was recognized by President Daniel H. Weiss at Commencement.
Nancy Brennan Lund ’74, who is retiring as the Board’s vice chair and has been elected to emerita status, also was recognized for her service by Griffith at Commencement. Lund is senior vice president, marketing, Altria Client Services, Inc., Richmond, Va. Stephen D. Pryor ’71, a member of the Board since 2003, will succeed Lund as vice chair. He is president of ExxonMobil Chemical Co., Houston, Texas. Nancy J. Kuenstner ’75, a trustee since 2000, will succeed Ahart as secretary. She is the retired president of Law Debenture Trust Co. of New York, New York City.
Also leaving the board is Pamela Gaary Holran ’88, who is concluding a five-year term as alumni trustee.
Linville is responsible for the consumer card, Membership Rewards, and consumer travel businesses in American Express’ largest market and for the prepaid card and travelers cheque businesses globally. During his 20-year career there, he has held a variety of roles including president of the U.S. Consumer Card Services Group and American Express Interactive.
Linville received an A.B. in psychology from Lafayette in 1979 and holds a Ph.D. in psychology from MCP Hahnemann University. He resides in Princeton, N.J., with his wife, Cynthia Oaks Linville ’80, and three children, including Cameron Linville ’13. Linville serves on the board of visitors of the Fuqua School of Business, Duke University, and on the board of directors of Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts.
A member of the College’s Marquis Parents Council, Linville has also served on the Lafayette Leadership Council. A member of the Marquis Circle, he received the George Washington Kidd Class of 1836 Award in 2009 for distinction in his career.
McCurdy’s practice focuses on counseling firms and individuals in regulatory enforcement, compliance, litigation, and corporate matters. He serves as an arbitrator for the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) and is a guest commentator and panelist for various securities industry publications. He is ranked nationally in the Financial Services – Broker Dealer Regulation arena by Chambers USA: America’s Leading Lawyers for Business 2009 and 2010.
McCurdy’s two-year term as Alumni Association president ends this summer. He has also served on the Lafayette Leadership Council, as a class fund manager, and has hosted Lafayette students as an internship and externship mentor. A member of the Marquis Circle, he and his wife, Jessica, established the McCurdy Family Scholarship Fund in 2008 to provide financial aid to students from Connecticut or New York who major in English or government and law with preference to inner city residents.
He received an A.B. in government and law from Lafayette in 1982 and received his J.D. from Albany Law School of Union University in 1985. He resides in New Canaan, Conn., with and his two children.
His community activities include having served on the development committee of the Joe Torre Safe-@-Home Foundation, as a commissioner of the Parks and Recreation Department for the Town of New Canaan, Conn., and as a member of the Board of Directors of the Stamford Symphony Orchestra, the New Canaan YMCA, and the Stamford YMCA. He serves as Rear Commodore of Saugatuck Harbor Yacht Club in Westport, Conn.