Phillips Academy has added two new alumni trustees to its board, marking the school's second governance change in as many weeks. Board President Eric Zinterhofer announced Thursday that Dr. Ruben J. Alvero and Christine Okike will each serve four-year terms through 2030.

Alvero spent 27 years in the U.S. military, rising to colonel and serving at the National Naval Medical Center and Walter Reed before becoming a professor of obstetrics and gynecology at Stanford, where he taught until retiring from full-time clinical practice in 2024. His honors include the Army Meritorious Service Medal with four oak leaf clusters and three National Faculty Awards for teaching excellence. He's stayed connected to Andover through the Alumni Council and as a class secretary.

Okike is a corporate restructuring partner at Kirkland & Ellis in New York. At Andover, she played varsity basketball, volleyball and tennis and served as a student ambassador. Beyond her firm work, she represents immigrants and survivors of trafficking and sexual abuse pro bono, sits on boards including Legal Outreach and Her Justice, and has volunteered teaching in New York City public schools.

The appointments come right after the board unanimously selected James F. Ventre as Andover's 17th head of school, a Methuen native and longtime administrator who starts his tenure in July 2027. Zinterhofer himself just took over as board president, succeeding Amy Falls — the first woman to hold the role in the school's history.

"Jim's tenure will come at a crucial moment in Andover's history," Zinterhofer said. "Jim will have the opportunity to reimagine and shape an even stronger legacy of excellence across teaching and learning."

Founded in 1778, Phillips Academy is approaching its 250th anniversary in 2028.