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Cowles, Stone end 6-year terms
Gregoire appoints Sims, Durkan to WSU Board of Regents
Wednesday, Dec. 14, 2011
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| Sims |
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| Durkan |
Sims served as deputy secretary of HUD Feb. 2009-June 2011. As the second most senior official, Sims managed day-to-day operations, including a nearly $40 billion annual operating budget and 8,500 employees. Prior to joining HUD, Sims served as King County Executive beginning in 1996.
Durkan is an attorney with Hills Clark Martin & Peterson (HCMP) Law Offices and specializes in real estate, land use and environmental law. She graduated from WSU in 1978 and served on the WSU Foundation board of trustees.
Increased importance
"The role of the Board of Regents is more important now than ever before as the state continues to recover from the national recession,” Gregoire said. "Members must be dedicated to improving our higher education system and bring innovation and new ideas to the table. I’m confident both Ron and Ryan will serve the university and students well.”
"We greatly appreciate the governor’s careful consideration in adding new members to our Board of Regents,” said WSU President Elson S. Floyd. "A strong board featuring diverse viewpoints is a great asset in our university’s decision-making process, and I am certain that Ron and Ryan will prove to be excellent additions.”
The board of regents is the university’s governing body whose broad responsibilities are to supervise, coordinate, manage and regulate the WSU system, as provided by state statute.
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Contributing to the future
"I am honored to be appointed by Gov. Gregoire to the Board of Regents of Washington State University,” Sims said. "I look forward to making a contribution to the amazing work that the university is already doing to prepare graduates for the 21st century economy.”
"This is a time of great excitement for Washington State University,” Durkan said. "While there are also significant challenges ahead, I am optimistic about the future of WSU. It will be a great privilege to work with Dr. Floyd and the Board of Regents in the service of my alma mater.
"Washington State is such a special place, because it creates a unique sense of community and pride," she said. "I will be honored to serve the Cougar nation.”
Replacing Cowles and Stone
The new regents have been appointed to six-year terms. They succeed Elizabeth A. Cowles of Spokane and W. Rafael Stone of Seattle, both of whom have served on the board since 2000.
"Betsy Cowles and Rafael Stone have provided truly remarkable service to our university during their time as regents. I know that I and their fellow regents have greatly valued their input on the many issues that have faced WSU over the years,” Floyd said. "On behalf of the university, I offer them my most sincere thanks for contributing their time and effort to our university.”
Contact:
James Tinney, Exec Director, Internal Communications, 509-335-8055, jltinney@wsu.edu
Governor's Communications Office, 360-902-4136
James Tinney, Exec Director, Internal Communications, 509-335-8055, jltinney@wsu.edu
Governor's Communications Office, 360-902-4136
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