Three New Trustees Join College of Wooster Board

Two alumni, one parent of current student

WOOSTER, Ohio, March 6, 2013 – Three new members have joined The College of Wooster’s board of trustees. James DeRose, Jr., Leslie Simcox Hudson, and Jeffrey Lee Keefer attended their first meeting of the board on campus last week.

James DeRose, Jr., is founder and chief executive officer of DeRose Partners, LLC, a management consulting firm based in Pleasanton, Cal. Prior to founding the firm, he served in senior executive positions at a number of enterprises, including president and chief executive officer of PDI/Dreamworks, president and chief operating officer of Acclaim Entertainment, and president of Mattel USA. DeRose graduated from The College of Wooster in 1972 with a bachelor’s degree in speech. An All-Ohio Conference running back, he was co-captain of the Fighting Scots football team in his senior year.

Leslie Simcox Hudson is a retired physician who currently serves as an adjunct faculty member and member of the board of regents at the University of Science and Arts of Oklahoma. She is a trustee and past president of the Oklahoma City Museum of Art and a trustee of the Oklahoma City Community Foundation. She earned a doctorate in epidemiology from the University of Oklahoma. Hudson and her husband have two sons, one of whom is currently a student at The College of Wooster.

Jeffrey Lee Keefer retired in 2010 as executive vice president of E.I. DuPont de Nemours & Co., for whom he continues to consult. Keefer joined DuPont after earning a bachelor’s degree in economics from Wooster in 1974 and an M.B.A. from Northwestern University’s Kellogg School of Business in 1976. In his 34-year career with DuPont, he served in numerous positions, including regional marketing manager, director of new ventures, and group vice president for performance materials, culminating in his appointment as executive vice president and chief financial officer in 2006.

The College of Wooster is America’s premier college for mentored undergraduate research. By working one-on-one with a faculty adviser to create an original research project, written work, performance or art exhibit, every Wooster student develops independent judgment, analytical ability, creativity, project-management and time-management skills, and strong written and oral communication skills. Founded in 1866, the college enrolls approximately 2,000 students.