John Murchison III ’88 and Jean Wilson ’81 elected to Board of Trustees

Bates College today announced the election of John Murchison III ’88 and Jean Wilson ’81 to the Board of Trustees. Murchison is vice president for miniseries at HBO in Los Angeles. Wilson is senior vice president of information services at L.L.Bean in Freeport, Maine.

Over his career, Murchison has worked with some of the biggest names in Hollywood and overseen the development and production of miniseries that have won Emmys and Golden Globes. These include Band of Brothers, Generation Kill, The Corner and John Adams, which alone was nominated for 23 Emmy awards.

Murchison joined HBO in 1995 and has held a variety of roles developing films and miniseries. Prior to HBO, Murchison worked at filmmaker Spike Lee’s production company, 40 Acres and a Mule, where he worked on films such as Malcolm X, Crooklyn and Clockers. In 2001, Murchison was featured in the Hollywood Reporter’s “Next Generation” list of Hollywood’s 35 most promising executives, and in 2008 he was named by CableFAX Magazine as one of the “Most Influential Minorities in Cable.”

Murchison graduated from Bates in 1988 with a degree in history. In 1991, he earned a master of science degree from the S.I. Newhouse School of Communications at Syracuse University. At Bates, Murchison was active in the Afro American Society among other activities. Since graduation he has stayed connected to the college through alumni events and has helped facilitate alumni engagement in Los Angeles. He and his wife, Vanessa, president of Fox Animation, have hosted receptions for new Bates students at their home.

Wilson has worked at L.L.Bean for 18 years, and in her current role she oversees the company’s information services, systems and technology, including software development, infrastructure and information security. Prior to L.L.Bean, Wilson worked at UNUM Life Insurance Company for 11 years where she held a variety of leadership positions in information technology and risk management.

Wilson graduated summa cum laude from Bates in 1981 with a degree in mathematics. She earned a master of science in statistics from New York University in 1986. At Bates, Wilson received the Percy D. Wilkins Mathematics Award and was selected to Phi Beta Kappa and the Bates Key, which is now part of the College Key. Wilson was a member of the Modern Dance Company, and she continued to support dance at Bates as a past member of the Bates Dance Festival Advisory Council.

Wilson is a founding member and current chair of the ConnectME Authority, which works to expand broadband access in Maine’s rural and unserved areas. Wilson and her husband, John Roberts, live in Falmouth, Maine. Two of their children have graduated from Bates.