Meet Baylor’s new class of Regents

As Baylor’s Board of Regents holds its regular summer meeting this week, seven new Regents are taking their seats at the table for the first time: two serving at-large, one elected by alumni, one from the “B” Association, two student Regents, and one faculty member. Each of the seven is new to the job, but certainly not new to the Baylor family:

• Will Cassara, an Honoris Causa Student Regent, is a junior pre-business major (finance/management) from Keller, Texas. He is an Eagle Scout, a member of the Baylor Investment & Advisory Network, and a leader in Baylor’s residential community.
• Jill Manning, BBA ’84, at-large Regent, is the retired CFO of Efficient Networks Inc. of Dallas. She graduated magna cum laude from Baylor, served two terms on the Hankamer School of Business Advisory Board, was honored as one of Baylor’s Omicron Delta Kappa Outstanding Alumni in 2001, and is active in the Baylor Women’s Council and Baylor Bear Foundation.
• Melissa Purdy Mines, BA ’90, alumni-elected Regent, is vice president of client success at Bulldog Solutions, an Austin marketing agency. The permanent class president for the Class of 1990, she earned an MBA and an MPA in 1996 from the University of Texas. Since graduating, Mines has served as a member of the President’s Leadership Circle and the Baylor Bear Foundation.
• Dr. Alicia D. H. Monroe, at-large Regent, is an academic leader, educator and physician. She is provost and senior vice president for academic and faculty affairs at Baylor College of Medicine in Houston. Monroe holds a bachelor’s degree in biology from Brown and an MD from Indiana University School of Medicine, each of which has honored her with leadership awards.
• Dusty Sanderson, BA ’79, Baylor “B” Association Regent, has owned an oil and gas properties business in Amarillo for more than 35 years. A former student trainer during his time at Baylor, Sanderson now serves as president of the “B” Association, Baylor’s official letterwinners organization.
• Hannah Vecseri, an Honoris Causa Student Regent, is a senior University Scholar from Houston studying political science, Great Texts and finance. She competes for the Baylor moot court and mock trial teams, and also works as a senior analyst for the Baylor Angel Network.
• Dr. Gaynor Yancey, an Honoris Causa Faculty Regent, has taught at Baylor since 1999. Today, she is a professor and director of the Center for Family and Community Ministries in the Garland School of Social Work. Yancey was honored by the BGCT for outstanding lifetime achievement in lay ministry in 2004 and was named one of Baylor’s Master Teachers in 2016.

This year’s class of new Regents includes the first alumni-elected Regent; together, they replace six other Regents who recently concluded their service to the Board.

Including the new Regents listed above, 90% of this year’s Regents — 38 of 42 — are either Baylor alumni, professors or current students, including 11 who have multiple degrees from the university, and most are also Baylor parents. Given how unique the Baylor experience is, it’s good to see so many alumni — so many successful alumni — willing and able to come back and serve their alma mater.

Sic ’em, Baylor Regents!