60 RUKAIYAH ADAMS, M.A., J.D. is the chief investment officer at Meyer Memorial Trust. Her job is to grow and use the endowment in ways that align with the values of Meyer Memorial Trust and ensure its long-term financial strength. Beginning in 2017, her team delivered an annual return, placing Meyer in the top 5% of foundations and endowments — where it remains to this day. At the same time, they increased assets managed by diverse managers by more than three times, to 40% of all assets under management (AUM), and women managers by 10 times, to 25% of AUM. In both performance and diversity, the Meyer endowment is among the best in the world. Before joining Meyer, Adams ran the $6.5 billion capital markets fund at The Standard, a publicly-traded company. At The Standard, she oversaw six trading desks that included several bond strategies, preferred equities, derivatives and other risk mitigation strategies. Adams’ work touches people throughout the state. From 2017 to 2020, she chaired the prestigious Oregon Investment Council, which manages approximately $100 billion of public pension and other assets for the State of Oregon. During her tenure as chair, the Oregon retirement fund delivered some of the best returns in the country. Adams believes competent and equitable stewardship of investment capital is a form of social justice. Adams serves on the boards of directors of Albina Vision Trust, Self Enhancement, Inc. Foundation, Oregon Public Broadcasting and Oregon Health and Science University. Her 2016 Ted talk, “A Homegirl’s Guide to Being Powerful,” about her path to becoming a more thoughtful investor has been viewed over 10,000 times. She is known for connecting the dots between the many ways in which we think about capital and investing and the corresponding impacts on the urban form. Adams holds a bachelor’s degree from Carleton College, a Juris Doctorate from Stanford Law School, and a master’s degree in Business Administration from the Stanford Graduate School of Business. Rukaiyah Adams, M.A., J.D. COMMENCEMENT ADDRESS
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