She succeeds Joel V. Bouwens, who has concluded the two four-year terms chairs may serve but will continue to be a member of the board.  Her tenure began on July 1.

Hope President Dr. James E. Bultman praised both leaders for the high quality of their service to the college.

"Joel Bouwens has been an exceptional chair of the Hope College Board of Trustees for these past eight years," Bultman said.  "His leadership, wise counsel, and generous time commitment have together been an inspiration to me personally and to so many others.  Joel's commitment to the mission of the college and his passion for Hope to be the best it can be in every facet of its operation are exemplary."

"We are fortunate to have a person of Mary Bauman's caliber who is both willing and able to lead the Trustees during this next chapter of the college's life," he said.  "Mary has demonstrated her commitment to Hope as a Trustee and will serve the college well in this new leadership role."

Other transitions on the board include the election of a new vice-chair, the Rev. Dr. William R. Boersma of Holland, to succeed Brian W. Koop of Holland, who had concluded the four years a vice chair may serve.  Dr. David W. Lowry of Holland continues to serve as secretary in addition to chairing the college's presidential search committee.

The board has also elected six new members to four-year terms:  David B. Charnin of Darien, Conn.; Nancy Dirkse DeWitt of Cincinnati, Ohio; Lindsey Dood of Grand Rapids; Lisa C. Granger of Lansing; Monica M. Newendorp of Pella, Iowa; and D. Scott Van Oostendorp of Zeeland.  In addition, the board re-elected Bauman, Thomas H. Claus of East Grand Rapids and A. Paul Schaap of GrossePointePark to additional four-year terms.

Trustees concluding service on the board are Sandra K. Church of Holland; Brian W. Koop; Stephen M. Norden of Powell, Ohio; Richard L. Postma of Grand Rapids; and Carol Sytsma of Newcastle, Wash.

Mary °Bauman, an attorney who is diversity partner with Miller Johnson in Grand Rapids, is the first woman to chair the board.  She has been a member of the board since 2007 and has been active in the life of the college in multiple ways through the years, including as a member of the college's 1998 presidential search committee and as the mother of two students.  She is a 1980 graduate and the daughter of two alumni, Robert and Mary Van Dis.

Bauman majored in political science and minored in business administration and communication.  After graduation she spent two years as a producer and reporter with WOOD TV-8 and a year with WGVU-TV as director of corporate giving before enrolling at Thomas M. Cooley LawS chool. She has been with Miller Johnson since graduating with her juris doctor degree summa cum laude in 1986.

Her law practice is focused on employee benefits and executive compensation, with her primary concentration being on health and welfare benefits.  Her involvement with Miller Johnson includes chairing the firm's Health Care Reform Team and Diversity Council.  Among other honors, she is listed in "Best Lawyers in America" for employee benefits law and has been named a Michigan "Super Lawyer," and received a 2011 Legacy Award for professional and personal contribution in promoting diversity in the community.         

In addition to her work as a legal professional, Bauman has been active in community organizations and the Reformed Church in America (RCA).  Among others, she has also served on the boards of the Forest Hills Educational Foundation, Arbor Circle Corporation, HHS Health Options and Western Theological Seminary; on the RCA's Board of Benefit Services; as an elder at her church, Hope Reformed in Grand Rapids; and is currently a member of the West Michigan Advisory Council for Inforum, a professional women's alliance.

Her husband, Ken Bauman, is a 1979 Hope graduate.  They have two sons, Ken, a 2010 Hope graduate who is pursuing a law degree at Michigan State University; and Kevin, a Hope sophomore.

° David Charnin,  a 1996 Hope graduate, is senior vice president and deputy general counsel of York Capital Management, a registered investment advisor headquartered in New York, N.Y., managing more than $16 billion worth of assets on behalf of institutions, endowments, foundations, fund of funds and high-net-worth individuals.  He and his wife, Rochelle, who is a 1997 Hope graduate, have been active in the life of the college, including serving as Class Representatives for the Class of 1996 and helping to organize "Jumpstart Your Future," a campus event for young alumni.  They have two children, Catherine and Christina.

° Nancy Dirkse DeWitt, a 1981 Hope graduate, is a senior human resources manager with General Electric Aviation.  Previously Nancy served as senior labor and employment counsel for GE Aviation and GE Healthcare.  She has more than 25 years of experience in human resource related fields, representing management in collective bargaining negotiations, arbitrations and employment disputes. She was a member of the college's Alumni Association Board of Directors from 1999 to 2004, and was also a Class Representative.  She and her husband, Scott, who is also a member of the college's Class of 1981, have two children, Jason and Seth.

° Lindsey Dood, a 1987 Hope graduate and a 1995 graduate of the Chicago-Kent College of Law, is executive vice president and chief financial officer with Metron Integrated Health Systems in Grand Rapids and was previously with Ernst & Young, LLP in Grand Rapids and Chicago.   His community involvements include serving on the Wedgwood Christian Services and Metro Health Hospital Foundation boards and he is active in various roles at Thornapple Community Church, RCA.  His involvement in the life of the college has included being a Class Representative and serving on the H-Club Board of Directors, which he chaired for a year.  He and his wife, Marjie, have three children, John, Christine and Anna.

° Lisa Granger, a 1989 Hope graduate, has a professional background in interior design and is involved in community service.  Following graduation, she worked first with Partner's Interiors and then also established her own firm, Lisa Granger Interiors.  Since the birth of her first daughter in 1995, she has primarily focused on family and community involvement, including working on building and design projects at her church and volunteering in her children's school.  She and her husband, Keith, who is also a member of the college's Class of 1989, have three children, Jessica, Lydia and Preston.

° Monica Newendorp is a lifelong Pella resident.  She graduated from Central College in Pella in 1985 and taught kindergarten and second grade in the Knoxville Community School District before "retiring" to raise three sons with husband Vince.  Eldest son Brett is a 2010 Hope graduate, C.J. is a Hope senior, and Kyle will begin his college experience this fall at Northwestern College in Orange City, Iowa.  During her "stay at home" years, Newendorp has been active in various civic organizations and church ministries.  Her most recent passion has been to develop a mentoring ministry at Third Reformed Church in Pella, where she also serves as an elder.  Monica and Vince are past members of the college's Parents' Council, serving as co-chairs in 2009-10.   They note that they have thoroughly enjoyed getting to know the greater Hope College community over the last five years.
 
° Scott Van Oostendorp, a 1975 Hope graduate, went on to get his M.Div. degree from Trinity Evangelical Divinity School in Chicago.  He spent his first seven years as an associate pastor at Hudsonville Reformed Church.  In 1985 he came to First Reformed Church in Zeeland, where he has served in a variety of ministries and currently holds the position of pastor for spiritual formation, which includes preaching and adult discipleship.  Van Oostendorp is also on the board of Geneva Camp and Retreat Center and has served as president of the Zeeland Classis and on numerous task teams for the Classis.  He and his wife, Cyndy, have two adult children, both of whom are Hope graduates:  Jamee, a member of the Class of 2006, is a special education teacher with the Grand Rapids Public Schools; and Kylee, a member of the Class of 2009, works for Macatawa Bank in Holland.

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