Press Releases

GIA Board Welcomes Two New Governors

Lisa Locklear named board chair; four governors retire.

Published

2 years ago

November 15, 2022

Press Releases

The GIA Board of Governors met in November 2022 at the GIA World Headquarters in Carlsbad, CA. Pictured from left, seated: Barbara A. Sawrey, Ph.D, Tammy Storino, Stephen F. Kahler, Lisa A. Locklear, Dione D. Kenyon, Thomas H. Insley, Barbara Lee Dutrow, Ph.D, Elliot Tannenbaum. Pictured from left, standing: Susan M. Jacques, Dave Bindra, Lawrence Ma, Lake Dai, Kiko Harvey, John W. Valley, Ph.D, Jeffrey E. Post, Ph.D, Samantha F. Ravich, Ph.D, Robert Andrew ‘Andy’ Johnson, Thomas Moses, Marcus ter Haar. Not pictured: Russell Mehta.

(PRESS RELEASE) CARLSBAD, CA — At their recent Board meeting at the Institute’s California headquarters, the GIA (Gemological Institute of America) Board of Governors welcomed two new Governors, new Chair and Vice Chair of the Board, and said goodbye to four departing members.

The newly-appointed Governors, Lake Dai, a technology expert and adjunct professor of applied artificial intelligence at Carnegie Mellon University, and Russell Mehta, managing director of Rosy Blue (India) Pvt. Ltd., bring valuable technology and industry expertise to the Board. Lisa Locklear, senior vice president and chief financial officer at Avanir Pharmaceuticals and a Governor since 2012, began her service as Board Chair at the conclusion of the November meeting. Stephen Kahler, senior advisor of strategic planning and business development for Everidge and a Governor since 2016, is the new Vice-Chair of the Board.

Dai is a seasoned technology venture investor and senior executive with 20 years of operating experience leading product, engineering and business units at Alibaba, Yahoo!, and several tech startups. Mehta, with 38 years of experience in the diamond industry, helped to transform Rosy Blue from a family diamond business to a company now represented in more than 14 countries.

The GIA Board of Governors provides strategic direction to the Institute and acts as a steward of the public interest. The 16 Governors include gem and jewelry industry leaders, distinguished academics in relevant scientific fields and experts in technology, business, finance, consumer brands, retail and risk management.

The four Governors retiring from the Board are previous Chair Dione Kenyon, past president and CEO of the Jewelers Board of Trade; previous Vice-Chair Thomas Insley, chief financial officer of Dermata Therapeutics; Barbara Sawrey, dean emerita and distinguished professor emerita at the University of California San Diego; and Elliot Tannenbaum, senior principal of Leo Schachter Diamond Group.

“Lake and Russell bring a wealth of expertise and experience that will complement and diversify the Board’s strengths,” said Board Chair Locklear. “The four departing Governors have been exceptional Board members and made significant contributions to governing the Institute during their more than 40 years of combined service to GIA.”

“With the GIA Executive Team, I look forward to the strategic guidance and unique perspective of the Board as we work to extend GIA’s consumer protection mission through our focused strategic initiatives,” said Susan Jacques, GIA president and CEO. Jacques and Tom Moses, GIA executive vice president and chief laboratory and research officer, are both members of the Board of Governors.

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After 89 years of serving the Albany community, Harold Finkle Your Jeweler faced a pivotal decision. For third-generation owner Justin Finkle, the demanding hours of running a small business were taking precious time away from his young family. "After 23 years, I decided this was the time for me," Finkle explains. But closing a business with nearly nine decades of inventory and customer relationships isn't something easily managed alone. Wilkerson's comprehensive approach transformed this challenging transition into a remarkable success story. Their strategic planning handled everything from advertising and social media to inventory management and staffing — elements that would overwhelm most jewelers attempting to navigate a closing sale independently. The results speak volumes. "Wilkerson gave us three different tiers of potential goals," Finkle notes. "We've reached that third tier, that highest goal already, and we still have two weeks left of the sale." The partnership didn't just meet financial objectives—it exceeded them ahead of schedule.