From Jazz Fest to JP Morgan: Jon Warkentin (B ’07) takes the reins as new Tulane Alumni president

As Jon Warkentin (B ’07) steps into his new role as Tulane Alumni president, he brings with him a deep sense of purpose, a strong belief in paying it forward — and two decades of joyful returns to New Orleans for Jazz Fest.

Warkentin grew up in Denver and was drawn to Tulane by the city’s vibrant culture, the university’s Latin American focus and a sense of adventure. “I committed to Tulane before ever visiting,” he says. “But when my mom and I walked the campus, I fell in love.”

He initially envisioned a path in Latin American Studies, having volunteered in the Dominican Republic. But the A. B. Freeman School of Business kept calling to him, and he soon found himself deeply involved — helping to start a fraternity (Phi Gamma Delta), serving as captain of the lacrosse team and building lifelong friendships.

Then Hurricane Katrina hit. Warkentin was studying abroad in São Paulo at the time. “My mom asked if I wanted to transfer. I didn’t know what to expect, but I knew that if the university was going to reopen, I wanted to be there for it.”

“I committed to Tulane before ever visiting,” he says. “But when my mom and I walked the campus, I fell in love.” — Tulane Alumni President Jon Warkentin (B ’07)

That post-Katrina semester proved pivotal. Through Career Services, Warkentin landed an internship at Lockheed Martin Space Systems, helping to conduct a statistical analysis of post-storm mental health among its more than 2,000 employees. “It changed how I see the world — and reminded me how much Tulane gives you opportunities that matter.”

The emphasis on connection, opportunity and impact that he learned that semester has never left him. As he takes the reins as Tulane Alumni president, those values are at the heart of his vision for the role.

Now a managing director at JP Morgan, Warkentin sees alumni affinity as a powerful tool for personal and professional growth. He notes that Career Services helped him get his internship at Lockheed Martin and a fellow alum connected him with his first analyst position at JPMorgan in New York, which launched an 18-year career at the firm. 

It’s one reason why Warkentin advocated so strongly for this summer’s Tulane Alumni board meeting to take place in New York, where many Tulane students are interning. “We want to meet them, mentor them and connect them to alumni. Building that bridge is key to lifelong engagement, and, eventually, to philanthropy too.”

“There are other great universities, but they often feel separate from their cities. Tulane and New Orleans are woven together. When you go there, you want to do whatever you can to lift it up.” — Tulane Alumni President Jon Warkentin (B ’07)

Warkentin joined the Tulane Alumni board in 2016 and served on his 10th and 15th Reunion Committees. On the board, he played a lead role in launching initiatives like a Tulane Alumni WaveStarter fund, which gives vetted WaveStarters their first contribution, and the popular Clubs Challenge on Give Green. He’s known for bringing big ideas — and equally big spirit — to his Tulane connection, whether leaning into mentorship pipelines or co-hosting the largest Tulane crawfish boil outside New Orleans.

And for Warkentin, Tulane is a family affair. He met his wife, Teresa Bruno Warkentin (B ’07) at Tulane just before Katrina. Together they moved to New York and quickly connected with the Tulane Club of New York. They now live in Warkentin’s native Denver with their daughter Geneviève and their rescue dog, Ziggy Starpup as Teresa works toward her PhD at the University of Colorado.

For Warkentin, Tulane’s strength lies in the powerful way it connects people and its deep ties with New Orleans. “Whether you’re hiring a student, mentoring an alum or just sharing your favorite restaurant list, you know it helps. Because you know what New Orleans means. You know what Tulane gave you.”

He adds: “There are other great universities, but they often feel separate from their cities. Tulane and New Orleans are woven together. When you go there, you want to do whatever you can to lift it up.”

The Tulane Alumni Association Board also welcomes:

• Clubs Representative Stephanie C. Antin (NC ’89) is a social media strategist and communication specialist and the founder of almostfreefamilytravel.com. A former executive producer for San Diego CBS affiliate KFMB and a former broadcast content producer for stations in Baltimore and Charleston, South Carolina, she has been recognized for her work with 10 Emmy Awards. An active Tulane volunteer for many years, Antin has served as president of the Tulane Club of San Diego, an admission volunteer and a Give Green Ambassador.
   
• School of Architecture and Built Environment Representative Namrata Gupta (A ’97) is the COO of Face Haus, a U.S.-based skincare consumer goods and services company. In addition, she has managed a business development consultancy focused on SME businesses at the intersection of beauty, spa, wellness and hospitality. Her assignments have taken her to the U.K. and Europe, Middle East, Southeast Asia and back to the States in the last 15 years. She’s excited for this opportunity to work across disciplines for the greater good. As a Master of Architecture graduate, Namrata was the 1997 recipient of the school’s Outstanding Thesis Award for her thesis, “Colonial Structures & Postcolonial Modes.”
   
• Clubs Representative Arjuna Sastry Pandit (E ’02) is an account executive with NVIDIA, where he helps companies build and deploy systems for AI. A current member of the Tulane Fund Advisory Board, he previously served on his 15th Reunion Committee and as co-chair of his 20th reunion. Pandit is passionate about Tulane’s deep connection with New Orleans and its role as a driver of progress for the city. 
   
• Clubs Representative Karianne Paul (B *96) is a principal at BrightMuse where she is a management and IT consultant to top-tier global organizations. She has served as the club president for the Tulane Club of London for the past several years, helping to strengthen Tulane’s presence and the alumni network throughout the United Kingdom. After completing her MBA at the A. B. Freeman School of Business, Paul went on to receive her MPA from Harvard University.
   
• Law School Representative Clare K. Pierce (L ’99) is the founder of MindKrewe Strategies, a New Orleans-based consultancy launching this fall that delivers bold thinking and practical solutions in legal, compliance and regulatory strategy. Prior to founding MindKrewe, Pierce spent nearly 15 years with BMO Bank, where she held senior leadership roles across the Capital Markets and Wealth Management divisions, leading legal, compliance and fiduciary teams and building enterprise-wide risk management programs. A proud member of the Krewe of Cleopatra, the Tulane Club of New Orleans and the Greenie Gals Booster Club, Pierce is also a loyal Tulane Green Wave Football season ticket holder. She is an active volunteer known for her impactful work mentoring students and connecting them with the alumni network and recently co-chaired her 25th Law School Reunion. As a Tulane Law student, she served on the Tulane Law Review, was elected president of the Public Interest Law Foundation, and was inducted into the Order of the Coif.
   
• Clubs Representative Theodore “Ted” Reese (E ’92) is vice president of Cadence-Properties, Inc, a commercial estate firm and past president/CEO of his family’s almost 50-year-old business Cadence Environmental Energy Inc. (prior to being acquired last year). A Tulane parent three times over, he has been involved with Tulane Clubs in Houston; The Woodlands, Texas; and Charlotte, North Carolina. Regarding Tulane as an exceptional academic institution in one of the most unique cities in the world, Reese is excited to amplify his engagement through his new role.
   
• Clubs Representative Jordan Stevenson (SLA ’16) is a securities and white-collar litigation and investigations associate at Fenwick & West LLP. Before going on to Vanderbilt University for her juris doctorate, she was a captain of Tulane Cheerleading, a member of the Homecoming Court and a member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority. An active member of the San Francisco Alumni Club, BANTU and the Tulane Cheerleading Alumni, Stevenson is committed to ensuring that the alumni community is accessible and welcoming to all. 
   
• Newcomb-Tulane College Representative Stephanie Ann Quintero Wall (B ’12, *12) is a senior manager at Deloitte Tax LLP who received the Robert V. Tessaro Young Alumni Volunteer Award in 2021. She has served as co-president of the Tulane Club of New York, as chair of her 10th Reunion Committee and as a member of her 5th Reunion Committee. Wall prioritizes her Tulane connections and has been actively involved with Tulane Alumni Clubs in New York, New England and Colorado.
   

In addition to these exciting new additions to the Tulane Alumni Association Board, former Tulane Alumni President Erica Washington (PHTM *09) will be taking on the role of alumni representative to the Board of Tulane. 

Alumni are encouraged to nominate their peers for these important roles. You can nominate worthy candidates here. With nominations due by October 15, the time is now to submit candidates for consideration.