Four former presidents of the Emory Alumni Board (EAB) serve integral roles in support of 2O36. As members of the Campaign Leadership Council, they bring their expertise, thought leadership, and unique insight into what makes Emory and its network of 158,000 alumni tick. Discover more about these four leaders and their vision for the university as we embark on a movement to shape the future.
Crystal Edmonson 95C
Broadcast Editor | Atlanta Business Chronicle | Atlanta, Georgia
Crystal Edmonson was a focused teenager—certain she wanted to be a journalist. That’s why, when her parents told her she was going to Emory University, she wasn’t so keen on the idea because at the time, Emory didn’t have a journalism program.
“I was adamant my first semester that I was going to transfer,” Edmonson said, “but within a few months, Emory won me over.”
Whether it was through her involvement with student organizations such as the Black Student Alliance and Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc., or interactions with renowned professors and researchers, Emory’s commitment to community, service, and academic excellence left an impression that fuels her commitment today.
"I found that at Emory, faculty cared not just about how I was doing academically but about how I was doing socially and emotionally,” she said. “That makes a difference. It made me want to stay connected. It made me want to serve, support, and be part of a university that cares that much.”
Edmonson was elected as a member of Emory’s Board of Trustees in 2016 after serving on the Emory Alumni Board years earlier. As EAB president in 2008, she helped the university kick off its largest fundraising campaign to date. Thirteen years later, Edmonson is helping to shepherd another historic campaign as 2O36 enters its community phase.
Over time, “you have an opportunity to see the impact that Emory truly makes in Atlanta and beyond,” said Edmonson, adding that through her job as broadcast editor at Atlanta Business Chronicle she’s been able to witness “the work Emory is doing and how it effects so many parts of our lives.”
Emory was a part of Edmonson’s life even before she enrolled. Her sister, Tammy Edmonson Lewis, graduated from Emory College of Arts and Sciences in 1988. Her parents are former employees of Crawford Long Hospital (now Emory University Hospital Midtown).
"A lot of us are who we are because of Emory." As an alumna, she encourages others "to give something back to Emory in a way that supports their passions," be it scholarships, endowed professorships, or research funding. Giving back, "that’s what’s important."
Ashley Grice 97PH 03MBA
CEO and Managing Director | BCG BrightHouse Consulting | Atlanta, Georgia
Ashley Grice works with purpose. As the CEO of BCG BrightHouse, she gets out of bed in the morning to help companies around the world discover their why and then assists them in strategically embedding purpose across their organizations to engage employees and capture value.
“Emory is in its nature an incredibly purposeful institution,” Grice said. Over the years she has engaged with Emory, Grice has explored Emory’s Methodist ethos and its evolution into a research institution of excellence. 2O36, Grice said, is an opportunity for the university to step into the spotlight.
“Consider Emory’s critical role in the fight against HIV/AIDS, its leadership in the treatment of Ebola in the United States, and its contribution to breakthrough treatments for COVID-19—it’s not an accident that Emory has massively disrupted the landscape of health care three times,” said Grice. “We need to talk about it in a way that leaves no question regarding the value Emory brings to the table on a global scale.”
Grice came to Emory University to pursue her master’s degree in public health after graduating with her bachelor’s degree in English literature from Princeton University. As a Michigan native, she was drawn to the South by Emory’s reputation, leaving harsh winters behind for good when she stayed in Atlanta to pursue her MBA at Goizueta Business School.
“Emory and being a part of the Atlanta community opened my eyes. I met and befriended people who had very open hearts across a lot of different backgrounds and cultures,” Grice said. “I grew up in a fairly small town in the 1980s and being in Atlanta changed me. I started to understand how I fit into the world at Emory.”
Grice is still very much a part of the Emory community to this day. She continues to engage with alumni programming, represents Emory at Rotary, and is involved with Leadership Atlanta, where she’s been able to translate life-changing experiences she’s had championing diversity, equity, and inclusion in her workplace.
Emory remains a pillar in Grice’s life.
“2O36 is about the work it’s going to take to envision an improved tomorrow,” she said. “When you invest in disruptive programs, it benefits everyone. It benefits the communities in which we live, helps us conquer the complexities that can thwart innovative solutions, and generates hope for a more sustainable world that we can accomplish together."
Jonathan Butler 96C
Diversity, Inclusion & Equity Manager | City of San Antonio | San Antonio, Texas
Just days before the launch of 2O36, Jonathan Butler’s schedule was already filling up with events where he’ll speak in detail about how the campaign seeks to change the future of Emory and the broader community.
“There are students who may come from families where the financial burden to attend Emory is really high, or they may be first-generation college students and may be coming from places far from Atlanta,” Butler said. “What we want for these students is that they receive emotional and financial support. That’s one of the reasons I’m lending my voice and strenuously supporting the campaign—to ensure students of all backgrounds are able to attend Emory, thrive, and prosper.”
Butler grew up in southwest Atlanta. The idea of Emory as a destination after high school was always on his mind, but it wasn’t until he participated in a summer program at the university that he confirmed his decision to enroll. Since then, Emory has been in his blood.
“What I feel I got from Emory and what I appreciate now is that Emory gave me the opportunity to grow and develop as a person, as a leader, as a scholar, and as someone who was outspoken and a student advocate. That’s where I learned how to do the grassroots work in diversity, equity, and inclusion that I continue to do today.”
Butler didn’t envision a lifelong relationship with Emory. When he graduated in 1996, he thought he’d be involved with the Caucus of Emory Black Alumni—at most. But, his willingness and heart for service persuaded him to get involved with the Emory Alumni Board, eventually becoming president in 2018. His time on the Campaign Leadership Council has been one of finding ways to ensure this campaign focuses on access to resources that lead to the vitality of Emory students. One of three core areas for 2O36, Student Flourishing—along with Faculty Eminence and Research Excellence—does just that.
“My vision is that we have a really thriving culture for faculty, students, staff, administrators, and community to feel connected to Emory,” said Butler. “They feel like it’s a community of belonging.”
Steve Greenfield 04MBA
CEO and Founder | Automotive Ventures | Atlanta, Georgia
In 2001, Steve Greenfield made his way from Toronto to Atlanta knowing boundless opportunity awaited him on the other side of the 950-mile trek.
"I had a new job in Atlanta, and I had this thought when I got here that if ever there was a time to pursue my MBA, now was the time,” he said. “Emory’s reputation was simply unparalleled in the area. It was a no-brainer.”
Greenfield thrived in the rigorous program—energized by the faculty and students in the Goizueta Business School. He found his footing as a well-rounded manager, and Emory has been a significant part of his life ever since. He was a member of the Goizueta Alumni Board for nine years, two of which he served as president. He also serves on the Emory Alumni Board and is a former president. Greenfield said his time as a member of the Campaign Leadership Council has been an honor, but it’s also given him an opportunity to envision Emory’s future from a particular vantage point.
“The fact that there’s four alumni who are former presidents of the EAB on this council provides a unique perspective on this campaign. We’ve played the role of being a conduit to 158,000 alumni around the world. We are intimately connected with how Emory is run but also have empathy and connectivity with fellow alumni.”
It’s that connectivity that Greenfield said is at the heart of 2O36. During his time on the council, he is continually looking for ways to better engage alumni by understanding what it is they value.
“The challenge for us is to understand alumni very well and meet them where they want to be met,” he said. “We have to help them believe in this cause.”
Ultimately, Greenfield said that alumni want to know that they are making Emory better and through that act, benefiting all of humanity.
“This campaign is about ensuring Emory is making its mark on the world and making humanity better,” he said. “I think all the alums would say we want to be proud of what Emory’s become since we graduated.”
Building on Emory's commitment to serve humanity The future starts here
2O36 inspires investment in people for the benefit of people, bringing the Emory community together to build on our mission to serve humanity through knowledge. We know that Emory will transform the world to come—contributing to boundary-pushing advancements that will spark change, inspire wonder, and catalyze action.
With an eye on Emory’s bicentennial, 2O36 will spearhead a movement to radically rethink and reshape the future. Together, we can bring to life an open and promising future.