George Mason University Korea has welcomed four new members to its U.S. Advisory Board, expanding the group of university, business, and community leaders who provide strategic guidance and strengthen connections between Mason Korea and the university’s U.S. campuses.
The new members are Sumeet Shrivastava, MBA ’94, rector of the George Mason University Board of Visitors; Jenny E. Herrera, BS ’95, chair of the George Mason University Foundation Board of Trustees; Lisa Donnan, chair of the College of Engineering and Computing Advisory Board and a director on the George Mason University Research Foundation Board; and Michael P. Gallagher, MBA ’94, a trustee of the George Mason University Foundation.
Their appointments expand the U.S. Advisory Board to twelve members and bring additional expertise in university governance, business, technology, national security, finance, and industry engagement.
“Mason Korea is entering an important new phase of growth, innovation, and global impact,” said Joshua Park, Campus Dean of Mason Korea. “Each of these four leaders has already given generously to George Mason, and each brings something this campus needs at exactly this moment. This board will help us expand opportunities for students, deepen partnerships across Korea and the United States, and prepare graduates for leadership in a rapidly changing world.”
The expanded board comes as Mason Korea continues to strengthen its presence on both sides of the Pacific. The campus recently recorded 12.2% enrollment growth, exceeding the university’s 1.5% goal, and is preparing to establish a representative office on the Fairfax Campus to further facilitate collaboration and engagement between Songdo and Northern Virginia.
The U.S. Advisory Board advises campus leadership on areas including academic excellence, student success, industry engagement, research partnerships, and long-term growth. Members also serve as ambassadors for Mason Korea in the United States, helping build relationships across the university, industry, government, and the Korean American community.
Their expertise will also support Mason Korea’s growing research and innovation activities, including the Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurship (CIE) and its developing C5I initiatives.
CIE connects students and faculty with entrepreneurs and industry partners while supporting entrepreneurship education, mentoring, startup competitions, and opportunities for companies seeking to enter Korean and U.S. markets. Mason Korea’s C5I initiatives are focused on building collaboration in areas such as artificial intelligence, cybersecurity, defense information systems, and applied research, with an emphasis on strengthening public-private and U.S.-Korea partnerships.
New members bring deep ties to George Mason
The four new members bring extensive leadership experience as well as longstanding connections to George Mason.
Sumeet Shrivastava, MBA ’94, is rector of the George Mason University Board of Visitors and president and CEO of Unissant. A longtime university leader and alumnus, Shrivastava previously chaired the George Mason University Foundation Board of Trustees and served as president of the George Mason University Alumni Association. He has also played a role in advancing entrepreneurship at the university, including helping to launch the Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurship.
Jenny E. Herrera, BS ’95, chairs the George Mason University Foundation Board of Trustees. A partner and not-for-profit advisory industry leader at Citrin Cooperman. With more than 30 years of public accounting and advisory experience, she has served as president of the Greater Washington Society of CPAs and on the AICPA Governing Council. Herrera served as Chair of the Accounting Advisory Council/Costello College of Business and was named George Mason’s School of Business Alumna of the Year in 2019.
Lisa Donnan serves as chair of the College of Engineering and Computing Advisory Board and as a director on the George Mason University Research Foundation Board. Founder of The Donnan Group, she is an internationally recognized national security executive and dual-use technology expert. She has also contributed to the development of George Mason’s cybersecurity engineering programs and brings extensive experience at the intersection of technology, national security, and industry.
Michael P. Gallagher, MBA ’94, is a trustee of the George Mason University Foundation and an accomplished entrepreneur and business leader. A George Mason alumnus, Gallagher brings decades of experience in entrepreneurship, organizational leadership, and business development to the board. In 2002 he founded the Stevie® Awards, which over more than two decades have grown into one of the world’s most prestigious business awards programs, recognizing workplace excellence among organizations and working professionals. He is also the co-founder of two software startups.
Together, the new and continuing members will work with Mason Korea leadership to identify opportunities for student and alumni engagement, research collaboration, industry partnerships, and greater connectivity across George Mason’s campuses.
The U.S. Advisory Board also includes former Virginia state senator Chap Petersen; Tracy Taeeun Comstock, president of the U.S.-Korea Alliance Foundation; Go Eun (Elaine) Kang, president and founding member of the American Korean Businessmen’s Friendship Forum; Hyun Lee, executive director of public relations for the Organization of Korean American Women; So Jung Lim, Fairfax City Council member; Sang K. Park, partner at Moon, Park & Associates; and Harold Pyon, deputy commissioner of the Virginia Department of Labor and Industry.
As Mason Korea enters its second decade, the expanded board will help the campus deepen its connections across George Mason and build new opportunities linking students, faculty, research, and industry in Korea and the United States.