Four new trustees named at Loyola University Maryland
Loyola University Maryland named four new trustees to the University’s Board. Daelin Cook, ’23, Gail Cunningham, M.D., Rev. Michael McFarland, S.J., and Jeff Nattans, ’89, begin their service on the Board effective Oct. 15, 2024.
“I am excited to welcome the new trustees to the Board and am grateful for their partnership as we continue on the trajectory set out by our strategic plan, Together We Rise,” said Terrence M. Sawyer, J.D., president of Loyola. “The diverse backgrounds and unique perspectives of the new trustees will help shepherd the University through a pivotal time that will ultimately lead to Loyola emerging as a stronger, more inclusive institution and a preeminent university for student success.”
Daelin Cook, ’23
Daelin Cook, ’23, graduated with a B.S. with an interdisciplinary concentration in biology and psychology and a minor in business and is currently pursuing a master’s in nursing at The Johns Hopkins University.
As a student at Loyola, Daelin served as a Multicultural Awareness Program Navigator for ALANA (African, Latinx, Asian, Native American) Services, a Loyola Evergreen, and as the public relations officer for the Black Student Association E-Board. He was also a member of the Green and Grey society, participating in creating the Intentional Living Community known as Black and Grey for students of color.
Gail Cunningham, M.D.
Gail Cunningham, M.D., is the senior vice president of medical affairs and the chief medical officer at the University of Maryland St. Joseph Medical Center (UM SJMC). Since assuming this role in 2012, Cunningham has sought to prioritize patient safety, quality, performance improvement, and a rigorous peer review process, resulting in numerous accolades from The Joint Commission. Under Cunningham’s leadership, UM SJMC went from being the No. 12 ranked hospital in Maryland in 2012 to the No. 3 hospital in the state and the top-ranked community hospital, according to U.S. News & World Report.
Cunningham has traveled to Tanzania to support the Village Wellness project, served on two missions to Haiti, and made a pilgrimage to Lourdes to support the Knights of Malta in their mission to support the infirmed.
Rev. Michael McFarland, S.J.
Rev. Michael McFarland, S.J., entered the Society of Jesus in 1975 and was ordained a priest in 1984. He is a member of the USA East Province of the Jesuits and serves as treasurer for the Northeast Province. Fr. McFarland served as the 31st president of the College of the Holy Cross in Worcester, Massachusetts, from July 2000 to January 2012, and as president of the Gregorian University Foundation from January 2020 through July 2024.
Today, Fr. McFarland serves as the superior of the Campion Center in Weston, Massachusetts, a private residence and health care center serving approximately 70 Jesuits from the USA East Province.
Jeff Nattans, ’89
Jeff Nattans, ’89, is returning to the Board of Trustees after serving one term from 2019-23. He is a partner of Black Diamond Financial, an investment advising firm with a unique focus on preserving and enhancing wealth. Nattans, who is a certified public accountant and has an MBA from Harvard Graduate School of Business Administration, previously served as executive vice president for Sagamore Ventures, senior vice president of strategy, mergers and acquisitions, and corporate development for Franklin Templeton after the firm’s successful acquisition of Legg Mason, head of mergers and acquisitions at Legg Mason, and as a vice president in the Investment Banking Division at Goldman Sachs.
A former Loyola Greyhounds men's soccer and basketball player, Nattans is a member of the Loyola Athletic Hall of Fame and played professional soccer for the Maryland Bays from 1990-93. He currently serves as the chair of the Board of Trustees at Calvert Hall College High School and on the Board of Trustees for Catholic Charities of Baltimore. Jeff, who is married to Karen, ‘91, was previously the chair of the Board of Sponsors for the Sellinger School of Business and Management. Their son, Spencer, ’23, graduated from Loyola and was a member of the 2021 Patriot League Champion Greyhounds men's soccer team.