Tubbs, Frady elected to Cornell College Board
The Cornell College Board of Trustees has elected two new members, Abram Tubbs ’94 and Leslie Grau Frady ’86. They each will serve three-year terms.
Abram Tubbs ’94
Tubbs majored in economics and business at Cornell, holds an MBA from The Tippie College of Business at the University of Iowa, and is a graduate of the Stonier Graduate School of Banking at Georgetown University. He was a two-time Midwest Conference basketball player of the year while at Cornell and is a member of the Cornell College Athletics Hall of Fame.
Tubbs is chairman and CEO of Ohnward Bank & Trust, Marion, Iowa; president and CFO of First Central State Bank, DeWitt, Iowa; and CEO of the parent holding company Ohnward Bancshares, Inc., in Maquoketa, Iowa. He joined the Ohnward Bancshares community banking organization in east central Iowa in 1998 and today helps lead the $1.6 billion three-bank holding company.
He continues a banking tradition that began with his grandfather, Edward, through to his father, Al, and brother Brig.
Tubbs served as a director of the Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago from 2014 to 2019. He has been an active leader with the Iowa Bankers Association and was selected to serve as chair-elect for the organization for the upcoming year. Additionally, Tubbs serves as a member of the Community Bankers Advisory Council for the American Bankers Association in Washington, D.C.
He lives in Anamosa with his wife, Nicole, and children Ava (a Cornell College junior), Ike, and Zeke. He has been deeply involved in numerous community organizations including local health boards, economic development groups, and civic, youth, and faith-based efforts.
Leslie Grau Frady ’86
As the daughter of Gary Grau ’59 and Nancy Porter Grau ’54, Frady was destined to become a Cornellian. She has said that Cornell’s One Course At A Time was foundational for her career, where building agile solutions in three-week increments mirrored her Cornell classes, and that her liberal arts English education built the most important skill of all: the ability to communicate. Leaning into written and presentation skills, she said, were her most important professional assets.
Frady’s career took her through retail banking to institutional retirement 401(K) and pension plan administration at American Express, Wells Fargo, and TIAA. Her roles included a balance of client management with internal product and program builds.
Agile SAFE Program Manager certified and PROSCI Change Management certified, Frady led international, cross-functional teams with a focus on strategic execution through large-scale product builds including product definition, software development, product training, and product marketing. Jumping from financial services, she moved into the medical device industry leading a USDA-approved product launch for Type 1 diabetes.
Recently retired, Frady and her husband, Bob, split their time between Edina, Minnesota, and Orange County, California. The couple blended their families with sons Jake and Drew and daughter Olivia.
Frady also serves on the Cornell College Alumni Board of Directors.
