Alumni Trustee Candidates

Trustee Candidates 2026
Nominations for Alumni Association

Bob Fryklund ’80

Bob majored in geology at Hamilton and was a member of the Delta Upsilon (DU) fraternity. He and his wife, Louise, reside in Houston as well as Aspen, Colo. Bob is vice president and chief strategist for the Upstream Energy Group at S&P Global Commodity Insights. He advises boards, CEOs, and management teams on strategic direction and has been involved in many of the industry’s pivotal projects, including a $70 billion arbitration; the oil export approval in the U.S.; and the restructuring of several of the industries’ major operators. Previously, Bob served as a senior executive at ConocoPhillips. He has given back to the industry by sitting on four professional boards and is chair of the supply and demand committee of the Independent Petroleum Association of America. 

Bob is a member of Hamilton’s Joel Bristol Associates; has volunteered as a panelist for virtual events with the Career Center (Connect to Careers in Energy) and the Alumni Office; and was a guest lecturer in several classes, including Financial Economics and others in geology. He and his wife established the Donald B. Potter Scholarship in honor of his former professor, mentor, and friend Don Potter P’73. Bob has a deep appreciation for faculty and student collaboration.

Heather Hage ’02

A psychology major at Hamilton, Heather received her law degree from Albany Law School. As president and CEO of the Griffiss Institute (GI), she leads GI’s enterprise strategy and operational stewardship, advancing its mission to elevate talent, empower innovation, and enable experience across the national security and advanced technology ecosystem. Under her leadership, GI stewards the Air Force Research Laboratory Information Directorate (Rome Lab) workforce and incubator operations at the Innovare Advancement Center in Rome, N.Y., ensuring operational continuity, strategic alignment, and long-term impact for American innovation to secure the nation. Previously, Heather served the State University of New York for 17 years. At SUNY Research Foundation, she led system-wide innovation and partnerships for the SUNY system’s 64-campus enterprise, with management responsibility to empower faculty, staff, and students to engage in SUNY’s mission to learn, to search, and to serve.

In 2025, Heather served her alma mater as the Levitt Center’s community partner and scholar-in-residence. She lives in New Hartford with her husband, Michael Frame, and three children.

Valarie Hing ’90

A native of Guyana, Valarie moved with her family at age 14 to Brooklyn, N.Y., where she completed her high school education. At Hamilton, she majored in math and government, and was a member of the Black and Latine Student Union. Valarie earned her law degree from Stanford University and has been a member of Stanford Law School’s board of visitors. A partner at Curtis, Mallet-Prevost, Colt & Mosle LLP, she specializes in finance and capital markets as well as mergers and acquisitions, and is a member of the firm’s executive committee. She also has an active pro bono practice and serves on the boards of Brooklyn Legal Services Corp A, an income-based legal services provider, and Harlem Academy, a K-8 independent school serving Harlem and surrounding communities. 

At Hamilton, Valarie has participated in Multicultural Alumni Relations Committee (MARC) events in New York City and Washington, D.C., and was on the Class of 1990 25th reunion committee. She lives in Brooklyn with her partner, Ari Raisa. For the next year, Valarie will be on assignment in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.

In accordance with the Constitution of the Hamilton Alumni Association, alumni may submit additional nominations for alumni trustee and Alumni Association president by petition. Please contact Jacke Jones, secretary of the Alumni Association, at jrjones@hamilton.edu for information about the requirements. Petitions must be submitted by March 14, 2026.