Lincoln Institute Welcomes New Board Members

The Lincoln Institute of Land Policy is delighted to announce the addition of two new board members: preacher, activist, and author Rev. Otis Moss III and digital transformation leader Charla Griffy-Brown.

“I am excited that these two world-class leaders are now contributing their valuable expertise to the institute,” said Kathryn J. Lincoln, chair of the board for the Lincoln Institute. “Rev. Otis Moss III’s decades of experience in civil and human rights advocacy will help inform the Lincoln Institute’s efforts to build thriving communities. Charla Griffy-Brown, a leading expert in technology across academia, industry, and government, will be an integral resource as we continue to expand our global reach.”

Rev. Otis Moss III, DMin, is senior pastor of Trinity United Church of Christ in Chicago and an activist and author. Over the last two decades, Moss has practiced and preached a Black theology that unapologetically calls attention to the problems of mass incarceration, environmental justice, and economic inequality. A third-generation warrior for civil and human rights, Moss is committed to preaching a prophetic message of love and justice, which he believes are inseparable companions that form the foundation of the gospel of Jesus Christ. These touchstones are taken up in his latest book project, Dancing in the Darkness: Spiritual Lessons for Thriving in Turbulent Times, released in November 2022. A native of Cleveland, Moss is an honors graduate of Morehouse College; he earned a Master of Divinity from Yale Divinity School and a Doctor of Ministry from Chicago Theological Seminary. Moss has a passion for preaching and exercises his homiletical muscle as a professor of homiletics at McAfee School of Theology at Mercer University. In this role, Moss helps up-and-coming preachers build and strengthen their own preaching ministries. The work and legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., and the pastoral ministry of his father, Otis Moss Jr., of Cleveland, are fundamental to his spiritual formation.

Charla Griffy-Brown, PhD, is a globally recognized leader in digital transformation, technological innovation, and global leadership. As the director general and dean of the Thunderbird School of Global Management at Arizona State University, she spearheads strategic initiatives that leverage cutting-edge technology to drive sustainable and inclusive prosperity worldwide. Griffy-Brown is a former Fulbright Scholar with deep international roots, whose leadership bridges academia, industry, and government. She has advised Fortune 100 companies on technology strategy and risk, served as a consultant to the United Nations, and sat on the boards of companies where she advances digital governance, risk, and cybersecurity oversight. Her extensive board experience also includes nonprofit leadership in Asia and the US, with a longstanding commitment to economic empowerment and ethical technology. Her research on digital innovation and technology ethics has been published widely and recognized internationally. Griffy-Brown earned her BA from Harvard University and her PhD from Griffith University in Queensland, Australia. She has extensive global experience at Tokyo Institute of Technology, Tsinghua University in Beijing, and Jyväskylä University in Finland, and has spent time in India and Indonesia. A visionary leader with a global outlook, Griffy-Brown is deeply committed to preparing the next generation of purpose-driven, tech-savvy global leaders who can navigate complexity and catalyze positive change.

The board of directors oversees the institute’s policies, work program, budget, and investments. In addition to the newly appointed members, the members of the board of directors include Carolina Barco, former ambassador to the US from Colombia; Thomas M. Becker, former president of the Chautauqua Institution; Raphael Bostic, president and CEO of the Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta; Peter Culp, managing partner at Culp & Kelly LLP; Nancy Gibbs, professor of practice and Lombard director at the Shorenstein Center on Media, Politics, and Public Policy at the Harvard Kennedy School of Government; Tzuchin Lin, professor in the Department of Land Economics at National Chengchi University; Bruce C. Lincoln, president of Innervizion Surf Company; John G. Lincoln III, former senior engineer at CH2M-Hill; Kathryn Jo Lincoln, board chair of the Lincoln Institute of Land Policy; George W. McCarthy, president and CEO of the Lincoln Institute of Land Policy; Thomas Nechyba, professor of economics and public policy studies at Duke University; Kevyn D. Orr, partner with Jones Day; Timothy Renjilian, senior managing director for FTI Consulting; Karen Schaeffer, managing member and cofounder of Schaeffer Financial; and Scott Smith, former CEO of the Valley Metro Regional Public Transportation Authority and former mayor of Mesa, Arizona.

Image:Rev. Otis Moss III, left, and Charla Griffy-Brown, right. Credit: Courtesy photos.