The university announced the appointment of five new members to its Board of Trustees last week, expanding the board’s membership to 34.

Joining the board, which is responsible for defining and overseeing the planning and goals of the university, are Robert Eck, Jon Hammes, Nancy Hernandez, the Rev. Patrick McGrath and the Rev. Kevin O’Brien.

• Eck is a 1980 graduate of Marquette and the president and chief executive of Anixter International Inc., a global distributor of goods ranging from industrial communication equipment to security locks.
• Hammes is the founder and managing partner of Hammes Co., which specializes in development, financing and management of real estate assets, especially in the health care and sports industries.
• Hernandez graduated from Marquette’s Graduate School of Management in 2002 and founded ABRAZO Multicultural Marketing and Communication. This company is a leading integrated marketing firm and connects companies, institutions and organizations with minority audiences. Gov. Scott Walker appointed Hernandez to the Wisconsin Economic Development Corp. in 2013.
• McGrath is the president of Loyola Academy in Wilmette, Ill., the largest Jesuit school in the U.S. He was announced the eighth president of the academy in 2009. According to his Loyola Academy biography, he also serves on the boards for Loyola Academy, Loyola University Chicago, Marquette University High School and St. Xavier High School in Cincinnati.
• O’Brien has been vice president for mission and ministry at Georgetown University since 2011 and is “eager” to contribute to Marquette in his tenure on the board.

As a first generation college graduate, Hernandez said she hopes to help Marquette work towards the vision of its four pillars.

“As a member of the board, I want to see continued academic excellence as well as opportunities for Marquette and its students and alumni to intersect and change the world around them — starting right here,” Hernandez said in an email.

She also said she is looking forward to working with University President Michael Lovell, who was inaugurated two weeks ago.

“I think President Lovell is a man who cares about people, who wants to see individuals excel, who wants to hold the bar high and who works collaboratively with others to reach a common goal,” Hernandez said. “I would like to see all these things continue to shine during his presidency.”

O’Brien also said he is eager to work with Lovell. O’Brien saw leadership shift at Georgetown in 2001 with the election of John DeGioia, the first layman to be named president of a Jesuit university.

“Marquette now experiences a similar transition, from Jesuit to lay leadership in President Lovell,” O’Brien said in an email. “On the board, I hope to share what we learned in this transition which has been so meaningful for all parts of the university as the Jesuit tradition is expressed in a new way.”

These new members join a board of trustees that also includes notable individuals like Glenn “Doc” Rivers, the current head coach and president of basketball operations for the Los Angeles Clippers, and W. Greg Ryberg, a Republican senator in the South Carolina Legislature.

Hernandez said she is confident this group can provide continued success for Marquette.

“They have picked a great individual to lead this organization,” Hernandez said. “I think that as a team, if we can bring innovation, candor and passion to support President Lovell and the university, then we can help reach any goal.”