Mary Frances Monroe ’76 Invests Her Expertise At Beaumont

Most who know Beaumont know you can find St. Angela Merici and Sr. Dorothy Kazel in our classrooms and curriculum. What may be a surprise is that they are present in our investment strategy as well.

Mary Frances Monroe ’76, Director at the Institute of International Finance in Washington, D.C., and a member of Beaumont’s Finance and Investment Committees and Board of Directors, explains how the direct link between Beaumont’s mission and values and the incorporation of environmental, social, and governance (ESG) considerations has inspired Beaumont’s investment activities. “In Beaumont’s Investment Policy Statement (IPS), we reference St. Angela Merici, who inspired people to support the disenfranchised to promote the goals of a better society. Incorporating ESG considerations into our investment activities is carrying on the work of St. Angela for a better society – for a more sustainable, healthier, and more inclusive physical and social environment. It also honors the memory of Sr. Dorothy Kazel, – who I had the privilege to know during my time at Beaumont – a champion of human rights and an advocate for the poor and oppressed in El Salvador.”

In early 2020, the Committee began the process of updating the financial policy that informs Beaumont’s Endowment to include ESG considerations, an area that has been growing and influencing the investing world for some time. With the input and guidance of Margie Pigott Flynn ’77, a pioneer in the corporate responsibility and sustainability field for 30 years, and now a senior partner of Environmental Resource Management and Co-Founder of BrownFlynn, she provided the foundation the Committee used to pursue this important initiative, including surveying a diverse group of Beaumont alums who helped focus attention on social issues at the heart of our mission. The result was a robust contribution that informed the IPS.

“For Beaumont, ESG investing reflects Beaumont’s mission and values. It also, very importantly, reflects good business sense and a long-term perspective,” advises Mary Frances. “Beaumont has long had a set of guidelines for Catholic Values and Socially Responsible Investment in its Investment Policy Statement, which guides our Endowment and is updated regularly. By adding ESG to the policy, we are bringing a needed update to our policy and a broader perspective true to our guiding principles.”

Mentor to Students
In addition to work on our investment policy, Mary Frances has shared her talents with our students: advising Academic Scholars who are developing an Environmental Policy for Beaumont, and teaching an investment segment of the financial literacy class to Beaumont sophomores, with a focus on ESG investing.

Beaumont students, including, Kate Auletta ’22 benefit from Ms. Monroe’s mentorship. “Last year, Evie Brogan ’21 and I created an Environmental Policy High-Level Plan with the guidance of Ms. Monroe for Beaumont including incorporating student feedback. Our Environmental Policy addressed the core mission and Ursuline values of Beaumont, in addition to concrete goals for Beaumont to become more sustainable.” Kate has found a passion for environmental sustainability and plans to pursue a degree in law. This past summer, Kate participated in Georgetown University Law School Pre-College Program “How To Think Like An Attorney.”

Mary Frances lives the philosophy she espouses and offers this advice for Beaumont students. “Find your own true north and embrace it, even if it is unpopular. Live a sustainable and inclusive life and keep an open mind to the other – the other person, the other idea, the other way forward. Learn from your mistakes (and the mistakes of others) but don’t dwell on them – move forward.”

A Call to Alumnae
Beaumont has benefited greatly from Mary Frances’ contributions, and when asked what she would say to her fellow alumnae considering contributing to their alma mater? “Do it! Your talents and time are valuable and will be much appreciated. There are many ways to get involved. The entire Beaumont community will benefit from your contributions.

About Mary Frances Monroe
Mary Frances graduated from Beaumont in 1976, received an economics degree from the University of Notre Dame and a law degree from Georgetown, and an MBA in finance from George Washington University. She practiced law for several years before joining the Federal Reserve staff in Washington, D.C., where she held roles in enforcement, supervision and international policy. After the Fed, she moved to Bermuda as Head of Policy, Research and International Affairs at the Bermuda Monetary Authority. Today she is a Director at the Institute of International Finance in Washington, D.C

Original article from: https://www.beaumontschool.org/news/2021/11/22/beaumont-news-summerfall-2021-mary-frances-monroe-76-invests-her-expertise-at-beaumont