Villanova University Alumni Association Announces Five New Board Members

Villanova, Pa. (June 17, 2026)- The Villanova University Alumni Association (VUAA) recently announced the election of five new members to its Board of Directors: Yen Leng Chong '24 MS, Brian Digan '80 VSB, Nicole Guerin '88 FCN, Rachel Horton '12 CLAS and Dan Trucil '08, '11 MA. The VUAA Board is composed of 24 members from a range of class years and colleges who represent Villanova's alumni community and offer their valuable perspectives in support of the University's goals.

"Along with our new president, Brian Westbrook '01 VSB, and vice president, Emily Smith Beining '12 COE, I am excited to welcome these five new, very accomplished and dedicated alumni to the Board of Directors," said Sheila Doherty, P'23, '25, Associate Vice President for Alumni Relations. "The commitment, perspective and expertise that these alumni leaders will bring to our University community is an essential part of advancing Villanova's Augustinian Catholic mission."

Founded in 1875, the VUAA seeks to cultivate a lifelong connection to Villanova University-fostering a culture of belonging and returning through impactful engagement opportunities that build community, support ongoing learning and inspire philanthropy.

Yen Leng Chong is from Malaysia and works in sustainability reporting in the energy industry. She graduated from Villanova University in 2024 with a Master of Science in Sustainable Engineering. During her time at Villanova, she received the Outstanding Leadership and Service Award through the Emory Woodard IV Graduate Student Peer Mentorship Program, won the People's Choice Award in the Three Minute Thesis (3MT®) Competition and earned the Crowd Choice Award during Villanova's Institute for Innovation and Entrepreneurship Pitch Day. As part of the DiLoreto Research Team, she helped promote an ethos of sustainable living on and beyond campus while contributing to the development of the University's Sustainability Plan. Since graduating, she has served as an alumni panelist at multiple events organized by the University's Grad Center. She is a lifelong learner who actively pursues personal and professional growth, while finding meaningful ways to serve the Villanova community.

Brian Digan graduated from Villanova School of Business in 1980, and after earning his MBA from the University of Connecticut, he went on to build a 44-year career centered on talent management and global corporate relocation. Now retired, he volunteers with several nonprofit organizations, such as Texans on Mission, that assists areas affected by natural disasters. His work ranges from initial cleanup to the repair and rebuilding of primary homes. Brian served as president of the Dallas-Fort Worth Villanova University Alumni Chapter for several years in the 1990s and early 2000s. He later focused on student recruitment in North Texas, representing Villanova at Texas high school college nights and participating in the Villanova University Alumni Interview Program. He also served on the Villanova University Admissions Advisory Board and received a Goodwill Ambassador Award from the Villanova University Alumni Association in 2015. Brian and his wife, Jodie, have been married for 40 years and have three children and four grandchildren. Their daughter, Erin, is a 2014 VSB graduate, and Brian walked her down the aisle at St. Thomas of Villanova Church at her wedding to Brendan Shea, '14 CLAS.

Nicole Blanche Guerin is global head of Reinsurance Claims at AXIS Capital, where she leads a worldwide team and oversees complex reinsurance claims strategy across multiple lines of business. She earned her Bachelor of Science in Nursing at Villanova in 1988, grounding her career in a commitment to service, leadership and the Augustinian Catholic values that continue to shape her professional journey. A licensed nurse and attorney with more than 30 years of experience in insurance and reinsurance, she is a respected voice in the industry and has been a speaker and facilitator for organizations including the Reinsurance Association of America, the International Association of Claims Professionals, the Self-Insurance Institute of America, the Pennsylvania Bar Association and the Defense Research Institute. A dedicated alumna, Nicole has served as an 1842 Day ambassador, a Reunion Committee volunteer, made welcome calls for Villanova Nursing families and has served on the Fitzpatrick College of Nursing's Board of Consultors for more than 10 years, founding the Distinctive Careers in Nursing podcasts at WXV&U Health Radio in 2024. Her family's ties to Villanova run deep as her father, brother and sister are also alums and her mother was a faculty member for more than 35 years.

Rachel Horton has built her career at the intersection of business education and innovation, creating world-class programs for entrepreneurs and integrating AI into the curriculum to prepare the next generation of global leaders. She began her career at Villanova's Executive MBA program before relocating to New York City to join the Permanent Mission of Japan to the United Nations, where she worked in the political section facilitating high-level security roundtables among senior diplomats and civil society organizations to strengthen international relations. She holds a Master of Arts from Columbia University's Graduate School of Arts and Sciences and an MBA from Columbia Business School. A proud member of the Class of 2012, Rachel studied Mathematics and minored in Japanese, a combination that speaks to the analytical rigor and global curiosity she brings to everything she does. Currently, she is channeling that same creative energy into an upcycled sports fashion brand. She co-led the Villanova Club of NYC with Dan Trucil and remains an enthusiastic presence at Nova Knicks games and Villanova Basketball game watches across the city.

Dan Trucil is presently director of Strategic Communications for AmeriHealth Caritas, a subsidiary of Independence Blue Cross providing health care for underserved communities and the chronically ill. Previously, Dan served as associate director, U.S. Communications, for flu and COVID-19 vaccines at Sanofi, and before that as a media relations advisor and public affairs portfolio lead for the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). He has also worked in advocacy and communications for the American Geriatrics Society and the International AIDS Vaccine Initiative and as a marketing and public relations consultant for major pharmaceutical companies with portfolios in infectious disease and diabetes. Dan earned a Bachelor of Arts in English and Communication and a Master of Arts in Strategic Communication from Villanova as well as a Master of Public Health degree from the State University of New York. He co-led the Villanova Club of NYC, which in 2025 was awarded the VUAA Distinguished Service Award for its philanthropy and community service efforts. Dan cherishes the friendships he formed as a Villanova student, and he is a godparent to seven future Wildcats.