Dear Colleagues,
As we accelerate progress toward strategic goals here at the University of Miami, we are delighted to announce a new direction in the Office of the Board of Trustees.
Frances Marine Davis, who has been responsible for presidential communications, has been promoted to Secretary of the Board and Associate Vice President for Strategic Communication. An attorney by training, Frances has established productive relationships with members of the senior administration during the unprecedented challenges of the past two years, and has served in relevant roles throughout her career.
We have had the opportunity to work closely with Frances and consider her to be a great fit for the Board Secretary role. She has been a key member of the University’s communications team and has become a trusted advisor in the Office of the President. In her new position, Frances will report jointly to the Board of Trustees and to the University’s Chief of Staff and Senior Vice President for Public Affairs Rudy Fernandez.
A collaborative and a highly effective leader, Frances has more than two decades of experience in both the public and private sectors. A Miami native, she joined UM from Middle Georgia State University in Macon, where she oversaw both presidential communications and legal affairs as the institution grew from a consolidated college into a state university.
Earlier in her career, Frances served as communications director at the Florida Department of Education, and as a speechwriter for then-Governor Jeb Bush. She also held positions as Florida public affairs director for FEMA and as senior policy advisor for public affairs at the U.S. Department of State. Following government service, Frances was director of public and media relations at global law firm Morgan Lewis. After teaching several courses as adjunct faculty, she transitioned to higher education administration as director of communications at Georgia State University in Atlanta. Frances earned her Juris Doctor at the Catholic University of America in Washington, D.C. and her Bachelor of Arts in Social Science at Florida State University. She is a member of the Pennsylvania Bar
Association and the State Bar of Georgia.
Leslie Dellinger Aceituno, a double ’Cane who has served as Secretary to the Board for the past several years, will remain part of the team as executive director. Please join us in thanking Leslie and the entire Board Office team for their hard work and longstanding commitment to the University and congratulating Frances on her new role.
We look forward to an effective transition in 2022 that elevates the operations of the Board Office in support of the University of Miami’s transformative mission and our upcoming centennial.
With our best wishes for the holidays,
Julio Frenk
President
Laurie Silvers
Chair, Board of Trustees |
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