William H. “Hal” Hess ’90 has been elected to serve a five-year term on the Vanderbilt University Board of Trust, beginning July 1.
“I am thrilled by Hal’s appointment to the Board of Trust, for him and for Vanderbilt,” said Dean Chris Guthrie. “He is a tireless champion and supporter of the law school and university. His leadership and perspective will benefit the board tremendously.”
Hal is a private investor and the co-founder and executive director of Paradigm Infrastructure Limited, a company focused on the development, ownership, and operation of wireless communications infrastructure in emerging markets. He served as the Executive Vice President of International Operations and President for the Latin America, Europe, Middle East and Africa Operations of American Tower Corp. until 2019. Prior to American Tower Corp., he was a Partner in the Corporate Finance Group at King & Spalding in Atlanta and New York City.
Hal is an active member of the community and fervent supporter of the arts, having served on the boards of the Institute of Contemporary Art, Boston; Make-a-Wish Foundation of Massachusetts and Rhode Island; WBUR (Boston NPR affiliate); American Friends Musées d’Orsay et de l’Orangerie; Montserrat College of Art; Vanderbilt Law School; and The Harpeth Hall School.
Hal and his wife Jodi Hess are among the Law School’s most dedicated philanthropic supporters. They have established endowments that provide both need and merit aid to law students, endowed the Hess Chair in Law, and supported a variety of other Law School priorities, in addition to their annual leadership for the Law School Fund. Hal has also served in a variety of volunteer roles and is the Chair of the Law School’s Campaign Cabinet for the ongoing Dare to Grow Campaign. Hal and Jodi have also supported Vanderbilt Athletics and arts projects and initiatives on campus.
Hal joins five Vanderbilt Law graduates currently serving on the Board of Trust: Adolpho A. Birch III ’91 (Secretary); Ike Lawrence Epstein BA’89, JD’92; Kito K. Huggins BS’96, JD’99; Justin Ishbia ’04; and Kathleen Justice-Moore ’91.
