The newest face at the Board of Trustees meetings will be that of Karen Francis '84, a businesswoman and diehard San Francisco '49ers fan whose college activities included founding what is now known as Epsilon Kappa Theta sorority.
"I'm very excited to do it at this point in my life because my Dartmouth experiences are still very close to me," Francis said of her recent election as a Charter Trustee. Being the youngest member of the Board will give her "a perspective a little closer to the student perspective."
One of her personal goals is to spend time and connect with students when on campus. Francis in fact has owned a condominium in Hanover ever since she was one year out of college, giving her a way to stay connected with the community.
College days
Francis's four years at the College were significantly shaped by her founding of Kappa Alpha Theta sorority in 1982.
"The opportunity to start a sorority doesn't happen all that often," Francis said. "It enabled me to build leadership skills, and I can truly say that leadership experience was key in getting me my first job at Procter & Gamble."
Kappa Alpha Theta did not have a house during Francis's years and actually used the basement in the College President's house for a meeting space. As a result, Francis explained, the sisters had a good rapport with the President and his wife. While she never got to live in a sorority house, Francis said she is glad Theta has one today.
While growing up in Audubon, New Jersey, Francis recalled the strong community and the opportunities to study abroad allured her to the College. While at Dartmouth, she participated in the French Foreign Study Program in Toulouse, France.
As a testament to the power of the Dartmouth experience, Francis said she remains best of friends with her freshman year roommate.
"As I look back, I still would not trade my experience for anything. The Dartmouth experience is a unique gift and stays with you," she said.
Francis is an avid sports fan and enjoys both golfing and skiing, the latter of which she learned at the College. When not teeing off or hitting the slopes, Francis is a San Francisco '49ers fanatic. As an example of her devotion, Francis bought season tickets and managed to attend every home game while working in Nashville, Tenn.
Life after graduation
Her election to the Board of Trustees is not the only recent change in Francis's life. She is moving to San Francisco to "jump into the Internet space," and thus leaving her position as General Manger of the Oldsmobile division at General Motors.
In her new position she will become the Managing Director and Chief Marketing Officer for Internet Capital Group, an Internet company that invests in business-to-business e-commerce companies.
"I'm on the leading edge of the transformation of business through e-commerce," Francis said. "It's an exciting time for me personally in my career and an exciting time in general to see the changes that technology is bringing to all of our lives."
Francis had been working in the Oldsmobile division for the previous 18 months and prior to that as a brand manager and regional sales manager for Chevrolet.
Francis has been in the business arena for most of her life. After graduation, Francis went to Procter & Gamble for a brand management program where she marketed Crest toothpaste.
After obtaining her Masters in Business Administration from Harvard University in 1989, she moved to San Francisco to work at Bain and Co. management consultants for three years.
Francis next described marketing and manufacturing school and art supplies for eight year-olds as "very entertaining" in her subsequent job at Empire Berol in Nashville.
From Empire Berol, the Chair of the Board of GM recruited Francis to help bring brand management to the corporation where she went on to work for the next four years.
Having this business background, Francis said, represents a different perspective from other Trustees who have academic or legal histories.
A new role
While the thought of someday becoming a Trustee did not occur to Francis while she was enrolled at the College, the notion did cross her mind through her active role in Dartmouth alumni events.
As a Trustee, Francis said her vision is to make the Dartmouth experience a wonderful one for the entire community.
"The magnitude of the responsibility is a wonderful opportunity to contribute to Dartmouth and to the academic, social and entire community experience," she said.
Francis's thoughts on the Trustees' Student Life Initiative decision were that the report demonstrated everyone's priority is to make the Dartmouth experience better and that it appears the working relationship between the student body and the administration is one in which each side is listening to the other.
