Manhattanville University in Purchase recently announced the appointment of three board members: Grace Butler, Karina Frayter and Peter Lorenz. Michael Dunn, chair of the Manhattanville Board of Trustees, praised the new members, saying they bring a wealth of experience in business, branding and educational leadership to Manhattanville’s already robust board.
President Frank D. Sánchez, Ph.D., in welcoming the new board members, said,”I am always impressed by the passion and dedication of the Manhattanville Board of Trustees members. With their wealth of personal and professional experiences, the newest members will be invaluable in helping to guide Manhattanville to the next level. I am grateful for them dedicating their time and knowledge while helping us fulfill our mission to educate ethical and socially responsible leaders in a global community.” The new board members began their terms in May, joining the existing Board of Trustees in shaping Manhattanville’s mission, guiding the university’s institutional goals and overseeing university leadership.
Manhattanville announced its new university status in April, a recognition of the breadth and depth of its academic offerings. This is the latest evolution of the nearly 200-year-old institution. The university was recently awarded two grants from the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) to enhance Sport Studies and humanities programs. New York state recently awarded nearly $1 million to the Manhattanville School of Education for teacher preparation programs, and Manhattanville was recently approved to award the federal TEACH Grant, providing up to $4,000 yearly for education students. This fall semester, Manhattanville is introducing two new majors: a Bachelor of Science in education and a degree in Cybersecurity. Additionally, the university will offer new majors, including Social and Criminal Justice, Global Justice and Human Rights, and a new online B.S. in Imaging Leadership for radiologic technicians.
After graduating from Manhattanville in 1964, where she majored in French, Butler entered the Society of the Sacred Heart and earned a master’s degree in religion there in 1967. She taught at the Convent of the Heart in New York City from 1968-1971, made her final vows in Rome in 1972, and worked in Washington, D.C. until 1984, including a term as president of the Board of Education for the Catholic schools of the Archdiocese of Washington. During this time, she focused on teaching religion and French. Butler also earned a master’s degree in psychology from Catholic University and a master’s degree in educational leadership from the University of Notre Dame. From 1984 to 2013, she worked at Stuart Country Day School of the Sacred Heart in Princeton, New Jersey. In 2013, she obtained TESOL certification at Westchester Community College, where she then served as an adjunct faculty member, teaching ESL from 2014 to 2019. Butler resides in Bedford, New York. Frayter is a strategic communications executive with extensive experience protecting and advancing company brands. Most recently, she was vice president of public relations at XPO, a freight transportation services provider, where she led external communications and stakeholder engagement. Previously, she led corporate and financial communications at Macy’s Inc. and was a senior managing director at R.F. |Binder, advising companies and nonprofits globally. Frayter began her career in journalism, covering business news for outlets, including CNN and CNBC. Her expertise includes navigating high-profile situations like shareholder activism and management changes.
Lorenz is the CEO of Albuquerque, New Mexico-based Unirac Inc., a leading manufacturer of mounting structures for rooftop and ground-based solar energy systems. A native of Germany, Lorenz has 26 years of executive experience in the solar and energy sectors in the U.S. and Europe. He first came to the U.S. at 17 to study at Carrollton Central High School. He earned a dual B.A. in European business administration from Germany’s Reutlingen University and Middlesex in London. His career began in 1996 as a finance manager for Royal Dutch Shell in London. There, Lorenz had his first foray into solar energy after Shell announced a new $500 million investment in renewable technology, constructing what was at that time the world’s largest solar module manufacturing plant. After earning an MBA from Harvard in 2001, he joined McKinsey & Co. in Houston, Texas, consulting for the electric power and renewable energy industries. In 2011, he became CEO of Unirac. Lorenz is a founding board member of Solare Collegiate Charter School, a middle school in the South Valley of Albuquerque, and board chair-elect of the Greater Albuquerque Chamber of Commerce, where he has focused much of his energy on supporting improvements in K-12 and college education. Lorenz lives in Los Ranchos, New Mexico, with his wife, Dawn, and their two children.
