Two unendorsed candidates have joined the alumni-elected trustee ballot, bringing conservative perspectives to the election.
The Board of Trustees consists of 64 members, including eight alumni-elected trustees. Its responsibilities include managing Cornell’s investments, selecting the president and approving the operating budget. Voting for the annual election is open from Feb. 1 through Feb. 28, and Cornell alumni will have the opportunity to elect two new Board of Trustee members.
The 2025 candidates include four candidates endorsed by the Committee on Alumni Trustee Nominations, a committee of alumni representatives across colleges and alumni organizations. The committee endorses who they find to be qualified alumni nominated for election and recommends process improvement and guideline updates for elections.
Endorsed candidates can move on to the ballot with the recommendation of CATN, but unendorsed candidates need to petition at least 400 signatures to make the ballot.
Unendorsed candidate J. Kennerly Davis Jr. ’68 is calling for stricter enforcement of University rules to create a “secure, peaceful campus environment essential for successful academic endeavors,” according to his interview introducing himself to voters.
According to the interview, Davis’ vision of Cornell is one that “opposes the intolerant imposition of abstract reality-distorting, ideology-based doctrines, such as those embodied in neo-Marxian, anti-Western critical theory, decolonization dogmas and social constructionism.” He additionally hoped that Cornell would reject “the discriminatory, divisive, anti-meritocratic, anti-democratic, antisemitic doctrines of DEI [diversity, equity and inclusion].”
Davis specifically elaborated on his concern over what he calls “the disgusting, shameful and unlawful antisemitism on display since October the 7th.”
“Demonstrations, encampments, destruction of University property, disruption of University events, antisemitic death threats — none of these are remotely consistent with the legitimizing purpose of a University,” Davis said.
Hamas-led militants attacked Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, killing more than 1,200 people, and Israel subsequently launched a retaliatory military bombardment with a death toll of nearly 50,000 people. In late October 2023, several threatening messages were posted by a Cornell student on Greekrank forums, directly targeting the Jewish community.
There have been several student demonstrations relating to the war in Gaza, including the vandalism of the A.D. White statue, the shutdown of a career fair in Statler Hall and a two-and-a-half week-long encampment on the Arts Quad.
Unendorsed candidate Cindy Crawford MBA ’90, is concerned about the line between exercising First Amendment rights and political activism at Cornell.
In her interview introducing herself to voters, Crawford stated, “Universities play a crucial role: to foster [the] pursuit of truth without dictating what ‘truth’ is. If they abandon that role for political activism, then they leave a vacuum they were meant to fill.”
When asked where she envisions Cornell in 25 years, Crawford said, “What I hope stays the same and perhaps recovers a bit from recent lows is the reputation of Cornell for kindness and cordiality. … The principles should remain the same, but I hope that the structure for supporting these principles becomes more robust.”
Some alumni have raised concerns over these unendorsed candidates. In an interview with The Sun, Barbara Ebert M.A. ’84 said, “It is worrisome to me that two people of highly conservative backgrounds are attempting to get on the board, particularly as we are about to embark on a campaign to find a new president for the University."
Carl Neuss ’76, a principal at Woodbridge Pacific Group, represents alumni seeking reform in the state of free speech at Cornell.
Neuss told The Sun that the University “really want[s] the Board to be ineffectual in terms of exercising true governance over the administration.”
Neuss also expressed grievances over Cornell’s strict rules for trustee candidates, which he said limits the extent to which candidates and alumni can share their specific opinions. Candidates cannot share their views on specific issues with potential voters and alumni are forbidden from publicly demonstrating support for candidates.
In a written statement to The Sun, Neuss criticized what he perceives as the rigged structure of the alumni-elected trustee election.
“Regrettably, it is clear that the Cornell Trustee Elections are unfair and unfree contests designed to prevent independent, reform-minded alumni from winning seats as new trustees,” Neuss wrote.
When The Sun asked for the University's response to Neuss’s claims, Cornell Media Relations referred to the election guidelines section on the alumni-elected trustees' website.
The majority of candidates on the alumni-elected trustee ballot are endorsed, including Paul Hayre ’91, Joy Higa ’89, Elizabeth Dunn von Keyserling Lynch ’90 D.V.M. ’95 and Karen Stewart ’85. d
Hayre had a successful career building medical devices and has been an active alum serving most recently on the Cornell University Council and as the Vice Chair of the Engineering College Advisory Committee. Higa works in healthcare and public policy, with experience in both private industry and appointed roles in California government.
Lynch is the national programming educator for Pet Partners, a nonprofit that trains therapy animal teams. She is vice chair for the Development Committee for the Cornell University Council. Stewart has had a long career in the financial services sector and has been active in alumni service including involvement with the President's Council of Cornell Women and Cornell Black Alumni Association.
Caroline Kelly '28 is a Sun contributor and can be reached at cck84@cornell.edu.
