Kevin Clayton '84 '13P appointed Interim President

As reported today to the Lehigh University community by Brad Eric Scheler ’74, ’05P, ’08P, ’09PG, Chair of the Lehigh University Board of Trustees, Kevin Clayton, ’84, ’13P, has been appointed by the Board to serve as Interim President of the University effective August 1, 2014. Mr. Clayton is a Vice Chair of the Board of Trustees and co-chair of the Presidential Search Committee.

Mr. Clayton is a principal and director of the global investment management firm Oaktree Capital Management, L.P., where he has had a distinguished 19-year career since the firm’s founding in 1995. Mr. Clayton has announced that he will retire from Oaktree.

Mr. Scheler commented that “as we continue to make great progress in connection with the search for and selection of the 14th President of Lehigh University, I am pleased and delighted that Kevin has agreed to serve as Interim President. Having had the honor and privilege of working alongside Kevin on the Board of Trustees over the past several years, I am certain that Lehigh will benefit from his deep knowledge of and love for the University.”

Scheler continued saying that “Kevin has a profound commitment to our students and to our mission of teaching, research and service. Drawing on his experience as a student, as an alumnus, as a Lehigh parent and his 14 years of service as a trustee, Kevin will bring to the Interim Presidency a keen and deep understanding of and appreciation for all that is Lehigh. The University has benefitted greatly from Kevin’s knowledge, his leadership, his passion and his generosity. Kevin’s passion for Lehigh is inspiring and his support of the University has been exemplary. At this key time of transition, Lehigh could not ask for a better person to serve as Interim President.”

Clayton said that he is pleased to be provided with this further opportunity to be of service to the University. “Lehigh has been a part of my life for as long as I can remember, and I am deeply honored by this opportunity to serve and I humbly accept this appointment,” Mr. Clayton said. “I am very proud to count myself as a member of the Lehigh family, and I will work diligently in my role as Interim President to ensure that the momentum and forward progress that is ours will continue. As we all know, Lehigh is a special place, and I am excited and committed to helping Lehigh fulfill its mission.”

Clayton commented that he is looking forward to working with students, faculty, staff and with the University’s senior leadership. “I know the senior team well and I have the utmost confidence in their commitment and in their abilities. I look forward to working with them and with all in the Lehigh Community.”

A graduate of the College of Arts and Sciences, Clayton earned a B.A. in Government from Lehigh in 1984 and an M.B.A. degree from St. Joseph’s University in 1988. Clayton embarked on his lifelong service to Lehigh during his undergraduate years serving as a four-year class president and as a member of the Newman Association and Alpha Tau Omega. Clayton was elected to Omicron Delta Kappa, the national leadership honor society. Clayton has served as a member of the Board of Trustees during the period from 1993 to 1999 and again since 2005. As a member of the Board, Clayton has been an active member of the Finance Committee; Endowment Fund Investment Committee; the Campus Planning and Operations Committee (former Chair); the Student Affairs Committee, and the Advancement Committee (Chair) of the Board. Clayton has also served on the Dean’s Advisory Council for the College of Business and Economics.

Clayton and his family have long-standing ties to and a profound love for Lehigh. They have supported the University in numerous ways over many years. His late father, William Clayton ’51, was a Lehigh trustee for more than 20 years and was a member of the Executive Committee of the Board. Kevin and his wife Lisa, daughter of James and Lorraine Egizio of Center Valley, PA, have continued and built on the tradition of financial support of Lehigh by the Clayton family.

In honor of Kevin’s parents, Lisa and Kevin established the William L. and Carol L. Clayton Endowed Scholarship Fund in 2003. In 2008, they established the Lisa A. and Kevin L. Clayton ’84 Endowed Scholarship Fund to support students enrolled in South Mountain College, a residential academic program that focuses on interdisciplinary learning. Their contributions also include supporting the Annual Fund, the Athletics Partnership Program, and the Dean’s Strategic Initiative.

Longtime members of the Asa Packer Society and the Tower Society, Lisa and Kevin were honored at Lehigh’s 2012 Founder’s Day ceremony. Their names are engraved on Leadership Plaza, outside of the Alumni Memorial Building, in recognition of their philanthropy and commitment to Lehigh, joining Clayton’s parents, who are also recognized on Leadership Plaza. Continuing their commitment to and support of Lehigh, during the academic year just completed, with a further and substantial gift, Lisa and Kevin established and funded the Kevin L. Clayton ’84 ’13P and Lisa A. Clayton ’13P Deanship for the College of Business and Economics.

Clayton recently completed service as a member of the Executive Committee of the Board of Trustees at Blair Academy where he chaired the Endowment Fund Investment Committee.

Clayton began his business career with Chrysler Corporation, holding a variety of management positions in the U.S. Automotive Sales and Marketing Division. In 1990, he moved to Trust Company of the West, rising to senior vice president. He then joined Oaktree in 1995, where he founded the Marketing and Client Relations department. He is presently a Principal and Director of the firm, as well as Supervising Principal of OCM Investments, LLC, Oaktree’s registered broker-dealer entity.

The Claytons reside in Far Hills, N.J., and have three children: Jessica, Patrick ’13 and Grace.