Golden Gate University Board of Trustees

The Board of Trustees at Golden Gate University serves as the governing body responsible for overseeing the university’s strategic direction, financial health, and overall governance. Comprised of experienced professionals and leaders from various fields, the board works to ensure the institution’s mission is upheld, providing guidance on policies, long-term planning, and resource allocation. They play a crucial role in maintaining the university’s academic integrity, financial stability, and accountability, ensuring that the university continues to thrive and meet the educational needs of its students and community.

Melinda A. Dunn, Board Member

Melinda Dunn

Chair of the Board

Chair, Audit & Risk Committee

Melinda Dunn is the Chair of the GGU Board of Trustees and the retired Global CFO and CCO of Sequoia Capital where she worked for 25 years on entrepreneurial and multinational financial services.

Barbara Mendelson, Chair, Board of Trustees

Barbara Mendelson

Immediate Past-Chair

Chair, Finance & Operations & Investment Committee

Barbara Mendelson is the Past-Chair of the Board of Trustees of Golden Gate University. She is an alum of GGU, receiving a BA in Business.

Nancy Tully, Board Member

Nancy Tully

Chair, Advancement Committee and Governance/Nomination Committee

Nancy earned her BA from UC Berkeley and went on to be a teacher and raise a family.

Nicholas B. Dirks

Board of Trustees Member

Nicholas Dirks is an internationally renowned historian and anthropologist who currently serves as President and CEO of the New York Academy of Sciences. He was the 10th Chancellor of the University of California, Berkeley, where he launched key initiatives in data science, arts, and undergraduate education, and strengthened partnerships with global institutions.

Dr. Robert H. Patterson, Board Member

Dr. Robert H. Patterson

Chair, Academic Affairs Committee

Dr. Robert Patterson is the Leader of the Worldwide Tax & Customs Controllership Team at Microsoft Corporation where he oversees a global team. Previously, Robert worked on initiatives related to global and domestic tax compliance and policies with the Big Four accounting firms (PwC and EY), multinational companies Walmart and American Express, and the state of Kansas where he helped draft tax legislation.

Diane C. Yu

Chair, Presidential Review Committee

Diane Yu is the Counselor to Leadership at New York University Abu Dhabi (NYUAD) and the Executive Director of the Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Community Programs, overseeing initiatives like the NYUAD Summer Academy and the Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Scholars Program.

Dr. Randy Burd

Board of Trustees Member

Dr. Randy Burd serves as Vice President of Innovation, ASU Health at Arizona State University and holds the title of Professor in the College of Health Solutions and the John Shufeldt School of Medicine and Medical Engineering.

Tuija Catalano

Tuija Catalano

Board of Trustees Member

Tuija Catalano is a land use attorney and GGU Law alumna with over 20 years of experience advising on real estate development and zoning matters in California and internationally. She brings legal and global insight to GGU’s Board of Trustees.

Dr. Shawn Chen

Board of Trustees Member

Dr. Shawn Chen is Founder and Chairman of the Board of Sias University (Henan, China), a privately-run institution he established in 1998 that combines Western liberal-arts teaching in an English/Chinese bilingual environment.

Michael Johnson

Board of Trustees Member

Michael Johnson is an entrepreneur, lawyer, angel investor, and board member. He founded Clear Law Institute, a compliance training company providing online workplace harassment prevention and ethics training to millions of employees at organizations including Petco, SiriusXM, Citi, Disney, and the NBA.

Max Raskin

Board of Trustees Member

Max Raskin is co-founder and managing director of Uris Acquisitions, a real estate investment firm focused on revitalizing San Francisco. He is also a fellow and adjunct professor at New York University School of Law.

Ralph A. Wolff

Board of Trustees Member

Ralph A. Wolff is President of the World University Consortium and an elected Fellow and board member of the World Academy of Art and Science. He served for 17 years as president of the WASC Senior College and University Commission (1996–2013), where he led WASC to become the “innovative accreditor” with over $4 million in outside grant support, overseeing quality assurance for 170+ universities serving over one million students. He currently serves on the board of the National Accrediting Commission, a startup accreditor for short-term Pell and workforce programs, and consults with institutions on governance, quality assurance, and innovation.