Board welcomes three new members, including youngest ever trustee
NEW ORLEANS – Veteran businessman and New Orleans native, Frank J. Mason, will retire from Dillard University’s board of trustees in June after 25 years of service. A 1971 graduate of Dillard, Mason began his career in the financial sector, then found additional success as a businessman. The board will welcome three new members, all Dillard alumni: Michael Griffin ‘94, Alfred Lee ‘80 and Chelsea Bosley Robinson ‘17.
“Trustee Mason was a force on the board for the past 25 years. Dillard University will be eternally grateful for Trustee Mason’s service,” said Michael D. Jones, chair of the board. “We are excited about our new members. They all bring diverse experiences and expertise that will be beneficial for Dillard,” Jones added. “Dillard is in very good hands with strong leadership at the board and administrative levels.”
Upon earning his bachelor’s degree in economics and business administration, Mason entered the financial sector with the Federal Reserve Bank of New York as a bank examiner and moved on to become vice president of the foreign department. He went on to Citibank where he served as a senior vice president leading the bank’s foreign lending and commercial lending efforts. In 1989, Mason became a franchisee of the McDonald’s Corporation by forming Franglo, Ltd. and having operated 10 restaurants. Having served on Dillard’s board of trustees since 1997, Mason has been vice-chairman and chairman of the Governance and Building Grounds committees. He also serves on the boards of the YMCA of Pennsylvania and the United Negro College Fund. In 2007, Mason was awarded a Doctor of Humane Letters from his alma mater. Mason earned his Master of Business Administration in international business from Rutgers University. 
Griffin is the president and CEO of both Ascension DePaul Services of New Orleans and Marillac Community Health Centers. He served as the board chair of a local coalition of safety-net providers and testified before the U.S. congressional Energy and Commerce Committee to draw over $200 million for health care recovery after Hurricane Katrina. Griffin also served on the healthcare transition teams for Governor John Bel Edwards, Mayor LaToya Cantrell and Mayor Mitchell J. Landrieu. Griffin’s board appointments include United HealthCare’s national advisory board, 504 HealthNet where he is a former board chair, the Louisiana Primary Care Association and the Urban League of Louisiana. The New Orleans native earned his Master of Science in public health from Meharry Medical College and his Doctor of Science in healthcare leadership from the University of Alabama at Birmingham. A U.S. Army veteran, Griffin served in Iraq during Operation Desert Shield/Desert Storm. Griffin holds an honorary Doctor of Humane Letters from the University of Our Lady of Holy Cross.
A summa cum laude graduate of Dillard, Lee is the chief ethics and compliance officer for the Colgate-Palmolive Company in New York. Having been with Colgate-Palmolive since 1990, Lee began as a plant finance manager, advanced through the ranks providing global financial oversight in a number of progressively responsible positions. In 2016, he was elected as a corporate officer. Among Lee’s recognitions are Colgate-Palmolive’s Chairman’s You Can Make A Difference Award, Harlem YMCA’s Corporate Black Achiever in Industry award and Jack & Jill of America, Inc.’s Outstanding Community Service Award. He is a member of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants, the California Society of Certified Public Accountants and the National Association of Black Accountants. Lee is a native of Fort Lauderdale, Florida.
Robinson is a corporate tax attorney based in Houston. A native of Plaquemine, Louisiana, she is the youngest trustee in Dillard’s history. As a student, Robinson reigned as the 81st Miss Dillard University. Upon graduation, she moved on to the Thurgood Marshall School of Law at Texas Southern University (TSU) where she earned her J.D. Robinson was a member of the Student Bar Association and the Thurgood Marshall Law Review. Among her accomplishments was Robinson’s helping to organize the 2020 Democratic Presidential Debate which was hosted by ABC News and held at TSU.
