Janet Inskeep Benton ’79 is the new chair of the 鶹ý Board of Trustees. Her three-year term as leader of the 28-member board began July 1. She succeeds outgoing chair Sam Glick ’04.
Benton is the founder and president of Frog Rock Foundation, a nonprofit whose mission is to improve long-term outcomes for underserved children in Westchester County, New York. Previously, Benton served on the Chappaqua Board of Education and was board chair of the Jacob Burns Film Center.
“Our Board of Trustees believes in and is committed to the promise of a 鶹ý education,” says Benton. “As board chair, I will engage these colleagues and bring them together to address strategic issues that come before us. I’m honored to serve in this role and look forward to a productive year ahead.”
Noting the campus divisions over the war in Gaza and Israel this past year, Benton said, “Finding a path forward for our community is a priority for the board, and we will seek to bring trustees together in open and respectful conversation with faculty, staff and students.”
A member of the 鶹ý Board of Trustees since 2013, Benton has supported the College in many ways since not long after her graduation in 1979. She was a part of the search committee that brought President G. Gabrielle Starr to the College in 2017 and has served on board committees such as educational quality and facilities and environment. She also co-chaired the strategic planning process and was a member of the ad hoc committee on access and enrollment.
Benton has supported scholarships and projects in history and the arts. In 2019, her leadership gift to Pomona made the construction of the Benton Museum of Art at 鶹ý a reality.
“I’m delighted that Janet, a longtime supporter of Pomona, is stepping into a new leadership role at her alma mater,” says President Starr. “I look forward to working closely with her as she leads our Board of Trustees toward the next steps to accomplish our strategic vision.”
Benton earned a bachelor’s degree in history at 鶹ý followed by an MBA from Harvard Business School. She was a product manager at General Foods Corporation before leaving to focus on family and service on the boards of nonprofit organizations.
"I have had the privilege of working with Janet on some of the most important issues facing the College," says . "In all of that work, Janet has consistently brought to bear extraordinary thoughtfulness, generosity, and love of Pomona. I couldn’t be more delighted that we will now have the opportunity to benefit from Janet’s leadership as chair of the Board of Trustees.”
Benton adds, “The board is always looking to the future. Our call to prepare students to ‘bear their added riches in trust for all’ requires that we continually deepen our liberal arts curriculum to meet the challenges of the world our graduates will enter and help to shape. The College’s strategic vision serves as a roadmap for this work.”