Cranbrook Educational Community in Bloomfield Hills Names Four New Board of Trustee Members

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Photos courtesy of Hour Magazine, Cranbrook, Cadillac

From Left: Lee Brayton Ghesquiere, Christopher Ilitch, Nancy Tellem, Deborah Wahl

Cranbrook Educational Community in Bloomfield Hills has appointed Lee Brayton Ghesquiere, Christopher Ilitch, Nancy Tellem, and Deborah Wahl as new trustees. The board consists of representatives from the Cranbrook Academy of Art, Cranbrook Schools, Cranbrook Institute of Science, and the Cranbrook Educational Community at-large.

The Schools Board of Governors elected Ghesquiere and Wahl to serve on the board, while the Academy of Art Board of Governors elected Tellem, and the Cranbrook Educational Community Board of Trustees elected Ilitch to serve as an at-large trustee.

“Cranbrook is honored to welcome these new members to our board,” says Bruce D. Peterson, board of trustees chair for Cranbrook Educational Community. “They bring a wealth of leadership experience and will be invaluable in helping Cranbrook to strive for excellence.”

Ghesquiere is the president of Mercedes-Benz of Novi. He formerly served as president of the Cranbrook schools’ Athletic Booster Club, coached boys lacrosse, was a participant in the schools’ Board of Governors Development Committee, and a key donor and fundraiser for Cranbrook’s Boys Middle School. Ghesquiere was a former president of Walloon Country Club in northern Michigan. He is a Cranbrook Schools alumnus and earned his degree in economics and management from Albion College.

Ilitch is president and CEO of Ilitch Holdings Inc. in Detroit, which owns the Detroit Tigers, Detroit Red Wings, Little Caesars Pizza, Fox Theatre, Olympia Development of Michigan, and other entities. He serves on the board, executive committee, and nominating committee for Business Leaders for Michigan, the Downtown Detroit Partnership’s board and executive committee, and is also a member of the board of directors for the Detroit Economic Club. He is a Cranbrook Schools alumnus and earned his bachelor’s degree in business administration from the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor.

Tellem is executive chairman and chief media officer of Interlude/Eko. She is a former president of Xbox Entertainment Studios and CBS Network Television Entertainment Group. In 2006, Tellem was inducted into the Broadcasting and Cable Hall of Fame. She holds board and advisory positions at numerous digital and media-related companies, including Eko, Kew Media Group, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, [212]Media, League Apps, and Seeds of Peace. Tellem earned her bachelor’s degree from the University of California Berkeley and her juris doctorate degree from the University of California, Hastings College of Law.

Wahl is global chief marketing officer of Cadillac. Prior to joining Cadillac, Wahl held senior leadership positions at numerous companies, including senior vice president and chief marketing officer for McDonald’s; senior vice president and chief marketing officer of Pulte Group; vice president and chief marketing officer of Chrysler; and vice president of marketing for Lexus. She also serves on the boards of Groupon and Mediaocean and served as the vice-chair of the Association of National Advertisers. Wahl is a Cranbrook Schools alumna and earned her bachelor’s degree in economics from Wellesley College and her Master of Business Administration from The Wharton School, as well as a master’s degree from the University of Pennsylvania’s Lauder Institute.