HWS News
12 June 2026 • Alums HWS Board of Trustees Elects New Members
Six new trustees will bring diverse perspectives and ideas to the HWS Board.
The Hobart and William Smith Board of Trustees unanimously elected new members who will begin terms of service in July 2026.
The new trustees include: Mark “Skip” A. Darden III ’87, P’17, principal and partner at the Law Offices of Addison-Darden, PC in Columbia, Maryland; Roxanne Jackson ’81, an insurance strategist and owner of the RJ Agency in Fort Lauderdale, Florida; Mary Kathryn Pastore Cryan P’15, P’16, who graduated from Wells College in 1984 and is a former corporate accounting executive and literacy expert; and Melanie Jones Parker, who graduated from Wells College in Class of 2006 and is a model risk management data scientist with SentiLink.
Darden and Jackson are the immediate past presidents of the Alumni and Alumnae Associations, respectively. Their appointments reflect a decades-long tradition of Association leaders who bring their experience as highly engaged volunteers to a four-year term on the Board of Trustees.
Cryan and Parker are joining the Board for a four-year term as part of the legacy agreement with Wells College, reflecting Hobart and William Smith’s commitment to honoring the history, values and enduring contributions of Wells College and its alumni.
The Board also elected Kayleigh McPhail ’28 and Delainy Williams ’28 as student trustees. McPhail and Williams will begin two-year terms at the Board’s Fall 2026 meeting. During their first year as trustees, McPhail and Williams will attend Board meetings with the guidance of second-year student trustees Cori Bohan ’27 and Rupert Ramsay ’27. They will become full voting Board members during their senior year. The HWS Board has elected student trustees with full voting rights for nearly six decades.
“New trustees bring diverse perspectives and ideas to Hobart and William Smith,” says Joseph C, Stein III ’86, chair of the Hobart and William Smith Board of Trustees. “Their expertise will enable us to continue to build on the institutional momentum created by record-breaking Fall 2026 enrollment; the significant philanthropic support that fueled the establishment of the Melly Institute and construction of the Fish Center for the Sciences; and the continued academic, professional and community service successes of our students, faculty, staff and alumni.”
Mary Kathryn Pastore Cryan, Wells College ’84, P’15, P16
Cryan brings a wealth of experience in fundraising, educational services and donor cultivation to Hobart and William Smith. After earning her Bachelor of Arts in mathematics and a minor in Italian from Wells College, she added a Master of Science in management from Boston University-Metropolitan College London. Following a career in corporate accounting in New York and London with Dun & Bradstreet/IMS International, she shifted her professional focus to teaching English as a Second Language. She currently serves on Boston University’s MET Dean’s Advisory Board, was a member of the Wells College Board of Trustees from 2020 to 2024 and was the national chair of the Wells Annual Fund. She served on the Friends of the Bronxville Public Library Board and the Wells College Alumnae/i Association Board. Cryan joins the HWS Board with the added perspective of being the parent of two William Smith graduates – Jeanine Cryan ’15 and Annabel Cryan ’16.
Mark “Skip” A. Darden III ’87, P’17
Darden is a Principal, Partner and Attorney at the Law Offices of Addison-Darden, P.C. in Columbia, Maryland. As a strong proponent for justice, Darden has handled civil and criminal matters for clients in circuit and district courts throughout Maryland. He is also the chief athletics officer for The NIL 360 Group, founded by Ludwig Gaines ’88, J.D. and Dr. Gregory J. Vincent ’83, J.D., Ed.D. The group helps student-athletes and their families stay informed about legislative changes and understand contract terms crucial for maximizing NIL benefits. He graduated from Hobart with a degree in political science and third world studies and earned his J.D. from Howard University. Darden is the immediate past president of the Hobart Alumni Association, past president of the Afro Latino Alumni Association (which he co-founded), and is the recipient of the Michael E. Rawlins Distinguished Alumni Award in 2024.
Roxanne Jackson ’81
Following a successful 20-year career with Allstate Insurance as a human resources division manager and sales consultant, in 2007 Jackson founded the RJ Agency in Davie, Florida and became a GEICO insurance agency owner in 2008. Jackson has served on the board of Legacy Creators, a non-profit with a mission to improve the rate of retention, graduation and employment for high school and college students from underserved communities. With Legacy Creators Founder & CEO Horace D. Allen ’85, she hosted an ALAA mentorship program for 10 HWS students in Florida. She is the immediate past president of the William Smith Alumnae Association and has been actively involved with HWS’ Afro Latino Alumni Association. Jackson earned a bachelor’s degree in economics from William Smith, is a career services and admissions volunteer and received an Alumnae Citation Award in 2021.
Melanie Jones Parker, Wells College ’06
Parker is a Model Risk Management Data Scientist at SentiLink. She holds a bachelor’s degree, summa cum laude and Phi Beta Kappa, in physics with minors in mathematics and computer science from Wells College; and a master’s and a Ph.D. in geology and geophysics from Yale University, where she was honored as a Henry Gardiner Ferguson Fellow. Her professional career is defined by using data to inform decision-making through advanced analytics, risk assessment and probabilistic modeling. Prior to joining SentiLink, Parker was a data scientist at Corning Life Sciences and iRobot and an agriculture risk modeling scientist at AIR Worldwide, where she led the development of the company’s U.S. and Canada Crop Hail Models. These models are used by insurance and reinsurance firms to manage multi-billion dollar risk portfolios. Parker served as vice chair of the Wells College Friends and Recent Graduates Organization (FARGO) board and vice president of the board of Living Root Dragon Boat in Boston, Massachusetts.
Kayleigh McPhail ’28
McPhail is an international relations major and politics minor from Richmond, Virginia. As a member of the HWS Student Government Executive Board, she works with administrators to shape campus policy and serves on the committee on standards and the head of the Folk Fest marketing committee. Kayleigh is an orientation mentor for incoming first year students and was recently inducted into the Laurel Society, which celebrates sophomore and junior students who demonstrate commitment to the HWS community through their academic accomplishments and leadership. She plans to focus her service as a student trustee on improving collaboration and information sharing among student clubs and organizations.
Delainy Williams ’28
Williams is a native of Portland, Oregon and a politics major with planned minors in Spanish and business, management and entrepreneurship. She works with local schools and youth programs as the site coordinator for HWS Tutor Corps, which connects HWS tutors and mentors with students throughout Geneva, New York. Williams is a member of the Laurel Society and a Student-Athlete Advisory Council liaison, where she collaborates with the administration to improve the student-athlete experience on campus. She is captain of the William Smith volleyball team and the first setter in program history to surpass 1,000 assists. She has been selected for All-American and the AVCA All-Region First Team honors twice; Liberty League Rookie of the Year and First Team; AVCA Region III Freshman of the Year; the Stephanie Christie ’82 Award; and Most Valuable Player. Delainy’s agenda as a student trustee will emphasize campus accessibility and expanded food options for students.
Read more about the student trustees here.
