ELS26: Results From the 2025 NACUBO-Commonfund Study of Endowments

Kenneth E. Redd is senior director, research and policy analysis for NACUBO. At NACUBO, Redd directs the annual NACUBO-TIAA Study of Endowments, the NACUBO Tuition Discounting Study, and other studies on higher education finance issues.

In addition to his work at NACUBO, Redd also serves on the board of trustees for the Meadville Lombard School of Theology in Chicago, IL, and is a member of the board of directors for the Unitarian Universalist Common Endowment Fund (UUCEF) and the Association for the Study of Higher Education (ASHE).

Redd has a master’s degree in public affairs from the Hubert H. Humphrey School of Public Affairs, University of Minnesota. 

Mark Slayton, CPA, began his career in audit, tax, and business advisory services, spending 14 years with several Rochester, NY firms. During that time, he first connected with SUNY Oswego and the Oswego University Foundation, serving as the Foundation’s audit engagement manager in 1999. In 2000, Mark joined the Oswego University Foundation as Director of Finance, overseeing finances for an organization with under $4 million in assets and a $3 million endowment. Over the past 25 years, his role has grown with the Foundation’s success. Today, he serves as Assistant Vice President for University Advancement Finance and Operations, providing strategic financial oversight and asset management for more than $90 million in assets and an $85 million endowment. Mark works closely with the Foundation’s Board of Directors and its Audit, Finance, and Investment Committees. He also partners with the university’s major gifts team to structure philanthropic commitments that align donor goals with SUNY Oswego’s priorities.

Tim Yates heads Commonfund OCIO and is responsible for managing all aspects of Commonfund OCIO's business, which focuses exclusively on non-profit institutions. In this role, he leads a team of professionals that advise, implement, and monitor custom investment solutions for institutions with total assets under management of more than $15 billion. Yates is a member of the Commonfund OCIO Executive Group and serves on both the Commonfund Asset Allocation and Operating Committees.

Yates joined Commonfund as an associate in the CF Private Equity Associate Program. In 2003, he was a founding member of Commonfund's OCIO platform, where he was responsible for the design, tailoring, and implementation of total portfolio solutions. Additionally, he held several roles with CF Private Equity including having responsibility for custom accounts and serving as a senior member of the firm’s emerging markets private equity portfolio leadership team with a focus on Latin America.

Before joining Commonfund, Yates was an instructor of Spanish and Italian at Fordham Preparatory School in the Bronx, NY. He holds an MBA in finance with a designation in international business from Fordham University and a BA in modern languages from Trinity College. Yates is a member of the investment committee for St. Paul’s Church in Fairfield, CT, the Advisory Board of Girls Who Invest, a member of the Trinity College Board of Fellows, and the Board of Directors of Caroline House—a non-profit in Bridgeport, CT, focused on enabling women and children to reach the fullness of their potential through education in English language and life skills.