Keith James, ’86, and Timothy Wyman, ’91, Join Albion College Board of Trustees

December 10, 2020

Albion College recently welcomed Keith James, ’86, and Timothy Wyman, ’91, to its Board of Trustees.

“I am proud and excited to welcome Keith and Tim to the Albion Board of Trustees,” said Michael Harrington, ’85, chair of the board. “I have known Keith for years as both a classmate and a friend and I know Tim’s quality and enthusiasm for Albion. The College is headed in new and exciting directions under President Mathew Johnson, and I am thrilled Keith and Tim will help us on that journey.”

James earned his B.A. at Albion in economics and management and was a member of the Gerald R. Ford Institute for Public Service as well as vice chairman of the Student Senate. He is actively involved in the College’s Black Alumni Chapter and formerly served on the Alumni Association Board of Directors.

He earned his law degree at the University of Wisconsin Law School in Madison. Following a successful career in private practice with several preeminent Detroit law firms, he joined Masco Corporation where he served as corporate employment counsel for 14 years. James was selected DBusiness Top Corporate Counsel in 2018. Today, as founder/CEO of Keith James, PLLC of Southfield, Mich., he represents national and internationally based clients. The firm specializes in crisis management, high-profile investigations, human resources advisory and complex litigation services.

For James, Albion was a transformative experience.

“My Albion education made me the leader and the critical thinker I am today,” he said. “Albion is the best educational and life experience that a young person can have. The interaction with professors, the distinguished alumni and excellent student body are all of the reasons why Albion is so highly ranked and respected.”

Wyman also earned his Albion B.A. in economics and management; he later received his law degree from the Detroit College of Law at Michigan State University. As a leader in the investment management field, he was recruited to the Endowment Investment Committee before his invitation to join the board.

For Wyman, who played football for the Britons, Albion was also a life-changing experience. In fact, he met his wife of 28 years, Jen (Darbee) Wyman, ’90, at Albion. Their son Jack, ’18, is a graduate; and Tim’s sister and brother-in-law also met at Albion.

“I found my educational footing and passion my junior year when I took my first economics class,” Wyman said. “That’s when I hit my stride. I was a political science major until I dropped political science in the first semester of my freshman year. And that’s the beauty of a liberal arts education. I was fortunate to be exposed to many different areas, including personal finance. When I was exposed to it, I knew that’s what I was meant to do.”

He went on to become managing partner and certified financial planner for the Center for Financial Planning in Southfield, Mich., earning a spot on Forbes’ Best-In-State Wealth Advisors in both 2018 and 2019. He was also named among the Financial Times 400 Top Financial Advisors in 2019.

The Albion College Board of Trustees consists of up to 33 Board-elected members and includes up to six trustees representing the United Methodist Church, which has been historically related to the College since the College’s founding in 1835, as well as two recent graduates elected to serve staggered, two-year terms.

Term limits for trustees will normally be four terms of three years each (a total of 12 years), subject to positive evaluations.