The Whittier College Board of Trustees has approved the addition of three new members: Vincent Daigneault ’85, Joyce Mullenbach ’77, and James Parks. All of them have previously served the College as trustees.
Whittier, California — The Board of Trustees has expanded to include three esteemed new members with longstanding records of support for Whittier College. Vincent Daigneault ’85, Joyce Mullenbach ’77, and James Parks were elected during the last meeting to full terms through June 30, 2027.
“I’m delighted to see these three familiar faces back in the board room,” said President Kristine Dillon ’73. “Vince, Joyce and Jim are accomplished, dedicated individuals who have been steadfast friends to Whittier. I am confident they will play an instrumental role in guiding the future of our institution and that their combined experience and unwavering commitment to the College will strengthen our mission”.
Vincent J. Daigneault ’85 rejoins the board after serving from 2004 to 2019, including roles as treasurer and on several key committees. He earned his degree in business administration from Whittier College and joined Morgan Stanley in 1988. He is now a senior vice president at the firm. Founding president of the Whittier College Purple & Gold Athletic Group, Daigneault has served on the boards of the Whittier Host Lions Club, Whittier Area Chamber of Commerce and as president of the Whittier Exchange Club. He is a board member of the Brethren Community Foundation and chairs the Whittier Host Lions Memorial Scholarship Fund. He lives in Glendora with his family.
Joyce Mullenbach ’77 previously served on the board from 2019 to 2021. She earned her bachelor’s in business administration from Whittier College and an MBA from Pepperdine University. She retired as the deputy chief of launch systems at the Space & Missile Systems Center, a subordinate unit of the U.S. Air Force, where she oversaw over $5 billion in contracts. Prior to her career with the Air Force, Mullenbach served as executive director of Samaritans International, manager of corporate services for American Honda Motor Company, and vice president of institutional markets for Union Bank, among other leadership roles. A member of the Thalian Society and former Poet Council member, Mullenbach is also a recipient of the 2015 Poet Award for Service to the College. She and her husband reside in Whittier.
James R. "Jim" Parks originally joined the board from 2007 to 2022. He earned his bachelor’s in business administration and an M.B.T. in taxation from the University of Southern California. His career spans business and academia, including terms as an associate professor at California State University, Los Angeles, and member of the board of advisors of USC’s Marshall School of Business. He has served on the boards of institutions including California State University, Northridge, California Council on Economic Education and Autry National Center of the American West, as well as Whittier Trust, a private wealth management company. Currently, he is the executive director of the Los Angeles branch of CBIZ MHM, L.L.C., a business services firm. Parks splits his time between Los Angeles and Williamstown, Massachusetts.
About Whittier College:
Founded by members of the Religious Society of Friends in 1887 and named in honor of the Quaker poet and abolitionist John Greenleaf Whittier, Whittier is a four-year nationally-ranked private liberal arts college that continues to honor its Quaker heritage through a commitment to community, diversity, and finding common ground with people the world over.
