Three new members have joined the York College board of trustees, according to Dr. Wayne White, board chair from Dallas, Texas. YC alumni, Dr. C. Shawn Bengtson ’80 of Bellevue, Neb., Dr. Scott Abraham ’99 of Kansas City, Kan., and Dr. Aaron Fletcher ’02 of Woodland Park, Colo., became the college’s newest trustees this summer.

“Each of these three has demonstrated their loyalty for the college and its mission,” White said.  “They are vocal about good memories of their personal York experiences; they have been consistently generous in their financial support, and they all represent the college in an exemplary way professionally and spiritually.  I am thankful for the talents and experiences these three alumni bring to the board.”

 

Bengtson is vice president, investment with Woodmen of the World Life Insurance Society. She holds a Ph.D. in business with an interdepartmental focus in finance, investments and banking from the University of Nebraska – Lincoln. She has worked in the insurance industry since 1982 and has also served in faculty and administrative roles in higher education with Creighton University, College of Saint Mary and Bellevue University, all in the Omaha area. Bengtson was one of the original members of the York College President’s Council when it began in 2009 and served as council chair from 2015-2019. Bengtson was a member of the acappella chorus and East Hill Minstrels during her student days at York College.

 

Abraham, who resides with his wife Beth, two sons and a daughter in Bucyrus, Kansas, is an orthopedic surgeon with Apex Orthopedics and Sports Medicine in the Overland Park area. He was among the first students to receive a bachelor’s degree in the sciences from York College when four-year programs were added in the 1990s. He earned his medical degree from the University of Kansas-Wichita and completed his residency at the University of Tennessee-Campbell Clinic in Memphis. While a YC student, Abraham played four years of varsity Panther basketball.


Fletcher serves as managing director of Bios Partners, a life sciences venture firm based in Fort Worth, Texas. He is the founder and president of Bios Research, a financial services firm that provides healthcare industry research focused on the biotech and med-tech sub-sectors. Fletcher is also a visiting professor at Dallas Baptist University. He earned his Ph.D. in biochemistry from Colorado State University after he completed his bachelor’s degree at York College. Fletcher was a distance runner for the track and cross country teams throughout his undergraduate years. Aaron and his wife, Holly (’03), have two daughters.


“These new members strengthen our board and its position to support York College on so many levels,” White added.  “We are indeed fortunate to have the degrees of expertise and varied perspectives that they bring to the table.  I am excited about what their additions mean to the future of York College.”

Shawn Bengtson

Dr. C. Shawn Bengtson

Scott Abraham

Dr. Scott Abraham

Aaron Fletcher

Dr. Aaron Fletcher