The Board of Trustees at Mitchell Hamline School of Law is welcoming four incoming members. They joined the board July 1.
Gregory L. Buck ’87 is president of Productivity Inc. in Plymouth, Minn., the leading distributor of machine tools and tooling accessories in the Midwest. Buck has been with Productivity since 1981, starting as controller. He has been a member of the St. Olaf Board of Regents since 2011. Buck has a B.A. from St. Olaf College, an MBA from Columbia University, and a J.D. from William Mitchell College of Law.
Nicole James Gilchrist ’03 is the board’s incoming treasurer. Gilchrist held a trustee position while serving as co-president of Mitchell Hamline’s Alumni Board Association from 2015 to 2016. Gilchrist is senior counsel at Thrivent Financial. Previously she was vice president and group counsel at Ameriprise Financial. She’s also actively engaged in industry associations, task forces, and committees. Gilchrist graduated with a B.A. in Political Science and Communications from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, and she earned a J.D. from William Mitchell College of Law in 2003.
Clifford M. Greene, founder of Greene Espel in Minneapolis, represents business clients in commercial and employment litigation and manufacturers in national product liability actions. Greene has taught federal jurisdiction as a Distinguished Practitioner in Residence at Mitchell Hamline. In 2013, Greene received the Sidney Barrows Lifetime Commitment Award, presented by the Minnesota Cardozo Society to an attorney or judge who exemplifies excellence in their practice, community service, and lifelong learning. He has a B.A. from Harvard College and a J.D. from Cornell Law School.
The Hon. Steven E. Rau ’83 is a federal magistrate judge for the District of Minnesota. Rau received his undergraduate degree from Carleton College, and he earned his law degree from William Mitchell College of Law in 1983. Before his appointment as a U.S. magistrate judge in 2011, Rau was a partner at Flynn Gaskins & Bennett, and he previously worked with Lindquist & Vennum. He also served as a law clerk to Minnesota Supreme Court Chief Justice Douglas K. Amdahl. He’s been active with the Minnesota Chapter of the Federal Bar Association.
The incoming members replace four outgoing trustees.
Lynn M. Anderson ’80 and Stephen R. Lewis Jr. are stepping down after serving on the board since 2007.
John Buck, a trustee since 2012, and Will Stute ’97, who joined in 2011, both left the board in December 2015.