Boston-based student loan packager The First Marblehead Corp. has appointed two new independent directors, Nancy Y. Bekavac and Thomas P. Eddy.

The board of directors also elected Daniel Meyers, the company’s chief executive officer and president, to serve as chairman of the board.

Peter B. Tarr, the previous chairman of the board, has resigned as a director and executive officer of the company.

Bekavac has an extensive background in higher education. After graduating from Yale Law School, she went on to clerk for the U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia, and then served as a partner at the firm of Munger, Tolles & Olson. She served as counselor to the president at Dartmouth College prior to serving as the president of Scripps College for 17 years.

Eddy, a venture capitalist, began his investment banking career at Morgan Stanley and then served as a managing director at Robertson Stephens & Co. Eddy also served as chief operating officer and senior principal for Atlas Venture.

"We are very pleased to have added directors of the caliber of Nancy and Tom. Nancy brings a wealth of experience and insight about educational institutions and the challenges they face, and Tom has a long history as a strategic financial advisor to growing companies," said Meyers.

Tarr will continue to serve as the chairman of the board of Union Federal Savings Bank, a wholly owned subsidiary of the company, and will remain an employee of the company.

"We are grateful for Peter’s leadership over the past four years as chairman, and look forward to his ongoing contributions as he focuses on strategic projects," said William R. Berkley, the company’s lead director.