De-Risking Your Campus: Safeguarding Financial Integrity and Reputation

Frank D. Cella Managing Director | Education Industry Leader | Marsh McLennan Frank is a senior executive at Marsh McLennan, leading national strategy for risk and insurance programs serving over 1,500 educational institutions—including K-12 schools, community colleges, research universities, and global study abroad programs. With deep domain expertise across property, casualty, cyber liability, environmental risk, and emerging exposures such as NIL and clinical trials, Frank brings a system-level lens to one of the most complex sectors in the industry. A recognized thought partner to senior university leadership and governing boards, Frank helps institutions confront the full spectrum of risk—operational, reputational, regulatory, and fiduciary. He is particularly adept at identifying and addressing structural coverage gaps that arise across medical centers, research programs, and multi-broker models. His work empowers clients to build long-range solutions, including captive utilization strategies and custom analytics frameworks tailored to evolving threats. Frank is also a trusted advisor navigating the intersection of public policy and education risk. He closely tracks the impact of the political environment and regulatory shifts affecting Title VI, Title IX, DEI, and federal funding. Through this lens, he advocates for risk strategies that safeguard not only institutional stability but also the values of access, inclusion, and academic integrity. Known for his clarity of communication and empathetic leadership, Frank consistently bridges technical expertise with strategic storytelling. His approach is both pragmatic and principled; ensuring clients are protected, prepared, and aligned for the future. With over 40 years of experience in both the domestic and international insurance industry, Frank has spent 29 years with Marsh. He currently sits on the Broker Advisory Board of United Educators and Midwest Employers and is a Board Member of the University Risk Management and Insurance Association (URMIA).

Texas Hemmaplardh is responsible for Mercer’s US Endowment & Foundation Investment Practice, providing a spectrum of research, advice, and solutions to over 900 mission-driven non-profits. Based in New York City, Texas leverages his experience to empower Mercer’s endowment and foundation practice to deliver outcomes-driven and values-aligned investments to Mercer’s US and global client base. Texas joined Mercer in 2018 through its acquisition of Pavilion Advisory Group where he had become a Managing Director working with endowment clients. He joined Jeffrey Slocum & Associates in 1997, holding research and investment consulting roles prior to its combination with Pavilion in 2016. Texas holds a BA in Economics from Yale University and an MBA (with honors) from the University of Chicago’s Booth School of Business. He is a CFA® charterholder, and a member of CFA Society New York. Texas is a founding board member of the Goodwill Easter Seals Minnesota Foundation.

Cori Trautvetter is a Partner and serves as Mercer’s U.S. Endowment and Foundation Commercial Leader and is part of the Endowment and Foundation Leadership Team. She is located in the St. Louis office and is also a member of the firm’s Endowment & Foundation and Values-Aligned Strategic Research Teams. Prior to its acquisition by Mercer in 2018, Cori was a Managing Director at Pavilion Advisory Group Inc. where she provided strategic investment advice to endowments, foundations, defined contribution plans, defined benefits plans, healthcare organizations and Taft-Hartley funds along with heading up the firm’s Endowment and Foundation Practice. Cori joined Pavilion Advisory Group Inc. in 2000. Prior to joining Pavilion Advisory Group Inc., Cori served for five years as an Associate Banker at Illini Bank in Springfield, IL. At Illini Bank, her responsibilities included managing consumer loans for numerous clients.

Cori is a member of the Chartered Alternative Investment Analyst (CAIA®) Association. She earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Finance from Eastern Illinois University. She currently serves on the Eastern Illinois University’s School of Business Advisory Board. Cori is also a Board Member for Youth In Need, a nonprofit child and family services agency and is an Investment Committee Member for the Daughters of Charity – Province of St. Louise.