UW Foundation Announces New Board Members

The University of Wyoming Foundation recently announced two new board members -- Gaurdia Banister, a nurse executive, and Tom Walsh, a global technology executive.

“It is exciting to welcome Gaurdia and Tom to the UW Foundation board,” says Board Chair Doug Stark. “Their extensive leadership experience and demonstrated commitment to excellence are invaluable assets to the foundation as we continue to advance the University of Wyoming’s mission through private giving.”

“The UW Foundation is very proud of its board members and the depth and breadth of experience they bring to our mission,” says John Stark, president and CEO of the UW Foundation. “Gaurdia and Tom are distinguished UW alumni with impressive records of achievement in health care and technology leadership. Their addition to our board will further strengthen our ability to support UW’s commitment to excellence in teaching, research and service to the state.”

Wyoming native Banister earned her bachelor’s degree in nursing from UW in 1980. Her mother, Barbara, also was a UW alumna. Banister went on to the University of Texas, where she earned a master’s degree in psychiatric and mental health nursing and a minor in nursing administration and a Ph.D. in psychiatric and mental health nursing. She participated in track while at UW.

When she first came to UW, Banister knew that she was good at science, but she did not know she would become a nurse. The faculty in the nursing school, however, provided her with strong mentoring and guidance, and so she ended up excelling in the program. She was awarded the Best Bedside Nurse Award when she graduated.

Throughout her career, Banister has been a transformative leader in nursing education, research and patient care. She retired as executive director of the Institute for Patient Care at Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston, one of the nation’s leading academic medical centers. She oversaw four centers that focus on patient and family learning, clinical and professional development, nursing research and innovation in patient care delivery.

Banister was instrumental in developing the Dedicated Education Unit, a dynamic new interprofessional model of clinical education for nursing students and other clinical disciplines. She also has been involved in efforts to diversify the nursing workforce through the Clinical Leadership Collaborative for Diversity in Nursing, a program that provided financial support, mentorship and professional development for diverse nursing students.

Her achievements include holding the prestigious Connell-Jones Endowed Chair for Nursing and Patient Care Research. A fellow of the American Academy of Nursing, Banister has received numerous accolades, including the American Nurses Association’s Mary Eliza Mahoney Award and the National Black Nurses Association’s Lifetime Achievement Award. Last but not least, Banister was named a Distinguished Alumna of the UW Fay W. Whitney School of Nursing in 2008.

Banister returns to her alma mater regularly. She gave a convocation address in 2008 and a commencement address in 2024. She served on the UW Nursing Advisory Board and has focused her UW philanthropy on nursing, including the Gaurdie and Barbara Shannon Banister Scholarship for Doctor of Nurse Practice Students -- named for her parents. She and her husband, Paul, live in Silver Spring, Md.

“As a proud UW alumna, I am honored to join the UW Foundation board and to contribute to advancing health care education and research at my alma mater,” Banister says. “The university provided me with an excellent foundation for my career in nursing leadership, and I look forward to helping create similar opportunities for future generations.”

Walsh earned a bachelor’s degree in accounting with a concentration in finance from UW in 1987. He also has continued his education at the Tuck School of Business at Dartmouth and the IE Business School in Madrid, Spain.

Throughout his more than 35 years of experience, Walsh has led numerous global technology and data enterprises and has excelled in fast-paced environments that demand change. He has led businesses and teams that operate in North America, Latin America, Europe, Africa and Asia.

Walsh served as CEO to a global financial crime screening and artificial intelligence company and, separately, CEO to a health care data analytics company. He also served as general manager of multiple divisions of global public company entities.

Walsh brings extensive executive experience in the technology sector. He serves on the boards of three technology companies: InRule Technology, a global intelligence automation company providing integrated decisioning and process automation solutions; Atheneum, a custom-built technology and information services platform; and Fastpath Solutions, a software platform that provides identity and access management solutions.

His career includes significant leadership roles, including CEO positions at Regulatory DataCorp Inc. and Kaufman Hall Software and over two decades with Thomson Reuters Tax and Accounting in global leadership positions.

Walsh has maintained strong ties with UW, serving on the College of Business Advisory Board and the Center for Professional Selling Advisory Board. His UW philanthropy supports the College of Business and ethics initiatives, including the Tom and Gayle Walsh Center for Professional Sales Excellence Fund. Additionally, Walsh serves as an adjunct professor teaching an advanced enterprise selling class as part of the Professional Sales Program at UW. He and his wife, Gayle -- also a UW graduate -- live in Fort Collins, Colo., and have two adult children.

“The University of Wyoming played a pivotal role in launching my career in business and technology and in helping me differentiate myself in these highly competitive industries,” Walsh says. “I’m excited to serve on the UW Foundation board and to help ensure that UW continues to provide outstanding classroom and experiential learning opportunities for students while advancing its position as a reliable developer of innovative and action-oriented student talent.”

The UW Foundation has been a dynamic partner with UW for more than 60 years. Its mission is to enhance excellence and distinction at UW by securing private resources, delivering superior stewardship and creating enduring relationships with all who share its pride in Wyoming’s university.

Through the generosity of UW’s many alumni and friends, the UW Foundation raises an average of nearly $53 million a year in private support -- money that goes to students and the faculty, staff and programs that support them. UW unlocks the extraordinary in every person through education, research, innovation, engagement and service.