Our Founding Board
Since our founding in 1998 by James McCarthy, Arthur Rock, and John Walton, the BASIC Fund Board of Directors has worked tirelessly to aid our strategic and fundraising objectives.
Thanks to our Board, which covers our general administrative expenses, 100% of donations to the BASIC Fund go directly to scholarships.
Pictured: founding members of the BASIC Fund Board of Directors at St. Peter's School, San Francisco. Clockwise from top left: Roger Walther; James H. Herbert, II; James P. Conn; John Walton; Arthur Rock; James A. McCarthy.
Our Founders
James A. McCarthy (dec'd)
Founder & Chairman Emeritus
Managing Director, Retired
Merrill Lynch
James A. McCarthy (dec'd)
Founder & Chairman Emeritus
Managing Director, Retired
Merrill Lynch
Arthur Rock
Founder & President Emeritus
Principal, Arthur Rock & Co.
Arthur Rock
Founder & President Emeritus
Principal, Arthur Rock & Co.
Board Leadership
James H. Herbert, II
Chairman, BASIC Fund
Founder of First Republic Bank
Brian Griggs
President, BASIC Fund
President, Griggs
Resource Group
John Couch
Vice President, BASIC Fund
Managing Director
Goldman, Sachs & Co.
Jeremy Peters
Treasurer, BASIC Fund
Partner, KPMG LLP
Janisha Sabnani
Secretary, BASIC Fund
Executive Vice President & General Counsel
Heritage Bank
Board of Directors
Laurel Browman
General Manager
Browman Family Vineyards
Mary Del Santo
Vice President - Investor Relations, Retired
Ticketmaster
Jono Grayson
Talent Leader
Reddit, Inc.
Jurgen Huck (Jay)
Equity Analyst
Egerton Capital
John C. Kern, Jr. (Jay)
Chairman, General Partner
Kern Capital, LLC
John E. Kerrigan, Jr.
Chief Investment Officer
Santa Clara University
Ted Kruttschnitt
Managing Partner & Owner
THK Private Equities, LLC
Ronnie Lott
Managing Member
Lott Investments
Michael McCarthy
Executive Vice President & CIO
Franklin Equity Group
Jamie O’Hara
President
TSG Consumer Partners
Sally Johnston O’Neal
Financial Services Professional
Retired
Tim Ranzetta
Principal
Innovate Foundation
William T. Ring
Regional Director, Retired
The Capital Group Companies
Martin Romo
Chair and Chief Investment Officer
The Capital Group Companies
Eric A. Schwartz
Principal
The Sherman Clay Group
Martin Romo speaks at the 2025 BASIC Fund
Transforming Lives Luncheon
Directors Emeritus
June McCarthy
Founder & Director
The BASIC Fund
James P. Conn
Director
Chief Investment Officer, Retired
Transamerica Co.
R. Stephen Doyle
Director
Chairman, Retired
Montgomery Asset Management
J. William Morris III
Area Managing Partner, Retired
KPMG LLP
Richard J. Bertero
Director
Founding Director, Retired
RREEF
Michael W. Wilsey
Chief Executive Officer
Wilsey Bennett Inc.
Edward McDermott
Managing Partner
Spring Tide Partners
Steven S. Klein
President
Bridge Partners
John Watson
Chairman & CEO, Retired
Chevron Corporation
Jeffrey G. Edwards
Managing General Partner
JGE Capital Management
In Memoriam
Kenneth T. Derr, 1936 - 2024
Director, 2004 - 2024
Chairman, 2016 - 2019
Robert G. Barrett, 1944 - 2024
Director, 2000 - 2024
Richard C. Barker, 1935 - 2025
Director, 2003 - 2025
Director Emeritus, 2025
Chairman, 2019 – 2022
