Lessons from Leaders Speaker Series: JoAnn Wellner

4 p.m., Indian Wells Theater

Open to the public, no RSVP required.

Parking will be enforced at $6 per vehicle. Purchase parking permit at drive-up kiosk.

JoAnn Wellner Attorney and Philanthropist

With an early career in bankingJoAnn Wellner found her lifelong career after serving as a volunteer attorney at The Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC), an environmental law firm. In early 1972 she became a staff attorney in the Corporate Law Department of TIAA-CREF (Teachers Insurance and Annuity Association-College Retirement Equity Fund), the largest private pension fund in the United States and the predominant pension program designed for and used by American colleges and Universities. In that role she was responsible for cutting edge Title VII (of the Civil Rights Act of 1974) litigation in Federal Courts, working as liaison attorney with outside counsel. She served as the leader in Washington to maintain TIAA-CREF's Tax Exempt status during the Tax Reform Act of 1986 and ultimately served as Vice-President for External Affairs and Executive Officer of TIAA-CREF. Since 1988, she has been a principal of Merit Operating Corporation, a management firm handling her family’s extensive estate portfolio. In addition to her professional work, she has made a commitment to service, serving on boards in education and the arts. She is a Trustee Emerita of Tufts University, where she earned her undergraduate degree, and a member of the Advisory Board of Tufts University School of Medicine. She also is the Founding and continuing Chair of the Friends of the Tufts Libraries. She is the Treasurer of the Board of The Pastel Society of America, headquartered in New York City. Locally, she serves a member of the Board of the Waring International Piano Competition. She is a graduate of Fordham University School of Law, and remains a member of the Bar of the State of New York and a retired member of The Association of the Bar of the City of New York.

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