Three new members named to the Sweet Briar Board of Directors

Posted on June 13, 2018 by Amy Ostroth


Library


During its meeting in April, the Sweet Briar Board of Directors added three new members: Sally Mott Freeman ’76, Fred “Buzzy” Griffin and Keenan Kelsey ’66.


Sally Mott Freeman Sally Mott Freeman


Sally Mott Freeman, author of the current bestselling book “The Jersey Brothers,” is an accomplished speechwriter, public relations executive and nonprofit leader of more than 30 years. Her book is a critically acclaimed Smithsonian top history book of 2017 and an Amazon Best Book of 2017 in both the History and Memoir categories.

After penning speeches for an FCC commissioner and later its chairman, Mott became FCC’s spokesperson and news media division chief following the court-ordered breakup of AT&T. She was also a vice president for telecommunications at FleishmanHillard, a global public relations firm, as well as communications vice president for two technology trade associations. After four terms as chair of The Writer’s Center, the premier independent literary center in the Mid-Atlantic, Mott is now Board Chair Emerita. She also has served on the boards of Washington Shakespeare Company, American Diabetes Association, The Washington Tennis Foundation, Saving Sweet Briar Inc., St. Anne’s-Belfield School and the Sweet Briar College Alumnae Alliance. She is a member of the Monticello Cabinet.

Mott graduated from Charlottesville’s St. Anne’s-Belfield School, which honored her with its 2017 Distinguished Alumna Award, and from Sweet Briar College (English literature), which honored her with its 2016 Distinguished Alumna Award.


Buzzy Griffin
Buzzy Griffin, former chairman of Space Center Houston, is a successful real estate developer from Houston, Texas. He met his wife, Betsy Pearson Griffin ’62, at Sweet Briar College. He earned a bachelor’s degree from Washington & Lee University and went on to earn an MBA from the University of Texas. Thereafter, he was hired by the Friendswood Development Company, a subsidiary of Exxon, where he began his career in real estate. He played a key role in the purchase, planning and development of Kingwood, Woodlake, Greenspoint, Copperfield, Clear Lake City and other substantial projects throughout the greater Houston area. In 1980, Griffin left Exxon to form Griffin Partners, a full-service real estate development company. Through the years, the company and its related affiliates have built or acquired projects encompassing approximately 11.2 million square feet of space with an aggregate value of $2 billion.

Griffin continues to serve on the board of directors for Space Center Houston as well as Houston Grand Opera, Central Houston and the Bay Area Economic Partnership.


Kelsey Keenan
Keenan Kelsey was a Sweet Briar legacy student, daughter of Howell Lykes Colton ’38. Although officially retired as a Presbyterian pastor, she was named pastor emerita at Noe Valley Ministry in San Francisco, Calif., and continues to preach and teach as needed. She is a strong advocate of single-sex education — having graduated from both Sweet Briar College and Emma Willard School — women’s empowerment and the liberal arts. Before ordination, she worked for a forestry magazine, as a Head Start teacher, a team member for the first Earth Day, an environmental educator and, for more than a decade, as the owner and manager of a bird shop in San Francisco.

An active volunteer, Kelsey has served on the board of Peoples Gas and currently serves on the Board of the Lark Theater. Kelsey has been a resident of Larkspur, Calif., for 20 years and enjoys having her two children and three grandchildren nearby.