The Iowa Law School Foundation (ILSF) is proud to announce the election of three new alumni board members: Mark Steffensen (92JD), Lonnie Johnson (91JD), and David Sindt Day (77JD).

“The ILSF Board of Directors is extremely pleased to welcome these three highly distinguished alumni as members. We are delighted that they have agreed to share their diverse talents with us in support of the College of Law, and we anticipate that their contributions will be very valuable. We look forward to welcoming them in person at the upcoming meeting on campus during Homecoming Weekend," shared Maja Eaton, president of the ILSF.

Founded in 1952, the mission of the Iowa Law School Foundation is to protect and improve the quality of legal education at the University of Iowa College of Law. For more than 70 years, it has provided financial support to law students, faculty, and many important legal, educational, and professional programs.

Read more about the recently elected board members.

Mark Steffensen  |  Class of 1992  |  New Rochelle, New York

Mark Steffensen graduated from the University of Iowa with an MBA from the College of Business in 1992 and received his law degree that same year, with Distinction, from the University of Iowa College of Law, where he was a member of the Iowa Law Review.

Mark is senior executive vice president and general counsel of HSBC North America (“HNAH”), HSBC USA and HSBC Bank USA. His practice is primarily transactional, with an emphasis on hedge funds, derivatives, and structured finance. He also serves on the board of directors for Horizons National, an organization advancing educational equity by building long-term partnerships with students, families, communities, and schools to create experiences outside the classroom to inspire the joy of learning, and the Boys and Girls Club of New Rochelle.

Lonnie Johnson  |  Class of 1991  |  Spring, Texas

Lonnie Johnson earned a BS from the University of Nebraska and then received his JD, with distinction, from the University of Iowa College of Law in 1991, where he served on the Iowa Law Review, and was a member of the Phi Delta Phi Legal Fraternity.

Lonnie retired in 2019 after a 32-year long career at Exxon Mobil Corporation. He was recently appointed to resident Biden’s Advisory Commission on Advancing Educational Equity, Excellence, and Economic Opportunity for Black Americans. He currently serves on the board of the Congressional Black Caucus Foundation, the Tugaloo College Research Board, and the board of Silence the Shame, an organization dedicated to removing the stigma associated with mental illness and getting people the help they need.

David Sindt Day  |  Class of 1997  |  Vermillion, South Dakota

David Sindt Day is an Iowa City native and a proud double Hawkeye. He graduated with a BA in History in 1970 and from the University of Iowa College of Law in 1977, where he served as the 1977 class agent for decades. While at the College of Law, Day was on the Iowa Law Review and president of the Moot Court Board. 

After passing the California Bar, he worked at Latham & Watkins in Los Angeles. He later joined the University of South Dakota School of Law where he taught Constitutional Law and was a visiting professor at Iowa Law. He is an award-winning classroom teacher and regularly represents civil litigants, both at trial and on appeal, in the federal and South Dakota courts. His teaching interests include both public and private law with an interest in the constitutional law, employment discrimination and civil procedure areas.

His research interests include constitutional law, plenary powers doctrine, equal protection doctrine, dormant Commerce Clause doctrine and First Amendment law. He co-authored a Constitutional Law casebook through five editions and published 35 scholarly articles in his area of research. 

In addition to the three new board members, two distinguished former alumni board members were elected to Honorary Director status.

• Robert Beach (73JD) - Bob served three terms on the ILSF board, stepping down in June 2023. He served on the Finance Committee and provided thoughtful and important insights into discussions and made personal connections with Iowa Law students, faculty, and alumni. He has been a consistent and generous donor to the ILSF.
• Thomas Gallanis (Faculty) - Professor Gallanis replaced faculty board member Professor Marcella David in 2015 and served on the ILSF board for nearly three terms, stepping down in June 2023. He served on the Finance Committee and most recently on Governance and Nominating. Professor Gallanis gave important contributions to discussion and helped move the board forward throughout his service.

For the full ILSF Board of Directors list, visit Iowa Law School Foundation.