Winston S. Churchill Senior Fellow

William R. Gruver

William R. Gruver is a Senior Fellow at the Open Discourse Coalition and a Professor Emeritus at Bucknell University, where he held the Howard I. Scott Chair and was a Professor of Management Practice. While at Bucknell he received the most prestigious teaching recognition (the Lindback Award) and the ECAC Award for contributions to NCAA athletics. His scholarship has been published by (among others) The Association of Governing Boards (AGB), Cornell University’s Johnson School, Directorship Magazine, Economic and Business History Society, Financial History Magazine, The Financial Times, Finanz und Wirtschaft, the Holocaust Centre (Beth Shalom), Humanities and Social Sciences Review, International Journal of Arts and Sciences, Journal of Applied Business and Economics, The Los Angeles Times, The New Republic, The New York Times, The Patriot-News, Physician Executive, Public Radio International, Real Clear Markets, Real Clear Policy and Stanford University. 

Before joining the Bucknell faculty, Bill was a general partner at Goldman Sachs, where he was the Chief Operating Officer of the firm’s largest division. In that role, he oversaw the institutional sales and trading of equity securities, as well as the private wealth management capabilities of the firm. In addition to his focus on the bottom line, through his leadership the division expanded geographically - in Asia (Singapore) and Europe (Frankfurt) - and diversified by appointing the first woman to lead a regional office, by opening an emergency daycare center at its home office and by initiating recruiting at Historically Black Colleges and Universities. 

Bill holds an MBA from Columbia University and an A.B. (with distinction) from Dartmouth College. He currently serves on the board of Lee Health Foundation, which supports one of the largest public safety net health care systems in the USA. Additionally, Bill is a national arbitrator of the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority. 

His past board seats were with: 

• Geisinger Health, a $7 Billion integrated healthcare system in Pennsylvania, where he chaired the audit and investment committees (2005-2020) 

• Green Thumb Industries, a $3 Billion integrated cannabis company operating in 15 American states and listed in Canada, where he chaired the Audit Committee (2019- 2022) 

• Private Client Bank, AG, a traditional private bank headquartered in Switzerland, where he held a seat on the governing board (2016-2021) 

• Indivumed GMBH, a German Biotech firm, Co-Chair, Advisory Board (2014-2016) 

• Hirtle Callaghan & Co., a Philadelphia based investment advisor (2009-2015) 

• The Street, Inc., a publicly held web publisher of financial information, where he chaired the compensation and M+A committees (2003-2013) 

• Diversified Information Technologies, (a privately held data and information management firm sold in 2013.) 

• Berea College (1994 – 2006), member of executive committee and chair of audit committee. Honorary Trustee (2023-) 

• Cornell University Park Leadership Program (1997-2002) 

• Woodbridge Developmental Center (a NJ hospital, Chair of the Board - 1986 to 1988) 

• His other past not for profit responsibilities include: serving as a supply officer and qualified officer of the deck on a nuclear submarine in the US Navy during the Vietnam War, three terms as Mayor of Eagles Mere, Pennsylvania, president of the Eagles Mere Foundation, the Eagles Mere Historic Village (founder and secretary), Eagles Mere Community Church (trustee), founder of Bucknell Harvest (a volunteer group that now runs a soup kitchen), founding faculty member of Bucknell’s Institute for Leadership in Technology and Management, and board of the Lymphoma Foundation 

To read Bill's latest piece: “I'm a Columbia University alumnus. Firing the president is a good start”

Other recently published pieces.

 Alumni Fellow

Edward M. Robinson ’86

As Alumni Fellow, Ed contributes personal insights, professional expertise, and a graduate’s perspective to produce content and build awareness of Open Discourse Coalition (ODC) within Bucknell’s stakeholder community and beyond. He is also the CEO of Ten Talents, LLC, an advisory firm based on the Parable of the Talents (excellence and stewardship) that provides a range of custom consulting services to corporate, education and nonprofit leaders, entrepreneurs, family offices, and foundations.

Ed has held professional positions in philanthropy, real estate, executive search, public policy, and higher education. The higher education roles include senior development and alumni relations capacities for Georgetown University, Harvard Law School, and the University of Virginia’s Darden Graduate School of Business Administration.

The quintessential servant leader at Bucknell, Ed has been class and student body president, a member of the University’s board of trustees and board of directors of its general alumni association, and the founding chairperson of the Bucknell Black Alumni Association. In 2001 he received Bucknell’s first “Young Alumni Award”, an honor bestowed upon a member of the alumni community whose professional accomplishments, service to alma mater, and/or selfless and caring work to benefit society are distinctive.

More recently, in recognition of his contributions to the success of his undergraduate fraternity—Phi Gamma Delta—and specifically Bucknell’s chapter, Ed received the Francis Marvin Durrance Award presented to the most outstanding graduate advisor or “Purple Legionnaire” in the United States and Canada judged on the basis of personality, leadership, rapport with the chapter and fraternity service.

Ed and his family reside in the Washington, DC metropolitan area where he has been an active volunteer/donor advocate for countless organizations and served on several nonprofit boards, including his church’s lay leadership. In addition, Ed was a high school football referee for 25+ years and officiated several Virginia state championship games.

Ed received a B.A. in English from Bucknell University in 1986.

To read Ed's piece "Why I Joined Open Discourse Coalition"

Fred Keller, Fellow

Fred was elected to the 116th Congress in 2019 in a special election and reelected in 2020. A Republican, Fred was a member of the House Oversight and Reform Committee, the House Education and Labor Committee, and the House Energy Action Team. Fred represented Pennsylvania’s 12th Congressional District, which was the largest congressional district in the Commonwealth, spanning 15 counties across central and northeast Pennsylvania, including Union Co., home to Bucknell. New legislative maps broke up his district, and Fred did not run for reelection in 2022.

Prior to serving as a Congressman, Fred was a Pennsylvania state representative from 2010-2019. He was appointed to the board of trustees of the Pennsylvania Public School Employees' Retirement System in 2019. Before entering public office, Fred had a 25-year career at Conestoga Wood Specialties and started his own successful small business managing properties and serving as a general contractor.

Fred is a graduate of Shikellamy High School in Sunbury and Don Paul Shearer Real Estate School in Wormleysburg.

Kendy Alvarez ’06, Fellow

The Honorable Kendy Alvarez serves as the Mayor for the Borough of Lewisburg. A proud alumna of Bucknell University, Kendy graduated in 2006 where she majored in English. Her commitment to Bucknell continues in collaborations with the Office of Civic Engagement, President Emeritus of the Black Alumni Association, and season ticket holder for the Bucknell Men's Basketball team. 

Mayor Alvarez is a community builder who connects people, organizations, and systems throughout the Greater Susquehanna River Valley. Her commitment to community and economic development is reflected in her board participation with Lewisburg Downtown Partnership and Lewisburg Neighborhoods as well as a volunteer with CommUnity Zone, Union-Snyder Hunger Coalition, Penn State Extension Ag Council, Evangelical Community Hospital Patient and Family Advisory Council, and the PA Outdoor Recreation Engagement Coalition. She supports the entrepreneurial ecosystem as an organizer with 1 Million Cups Susquehanna.  Her overall love of the region can be heard on the podcast “The 570h” where she joins friends to discuss living, working and playing in the 570.

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