Jennings Named to WSU Board of Regents

PULLMAN, Wash. — Laura Jennings of Shoreline has been appointed to serve on the Board of Regents of Washington State University by Gov. Christine Gregoire.

Jennings currently consults for start-up companies in the Seattle area. She spent 12 years as an executive at Microsoft Corp., serving as vice president of worldwide strategic planning, vice president of MSN and in various other capacities.

“I am delighted that Laura Jennings has been appointed to our Board of Regents,” said WSU President V. Lane Rawlins. “I have met Laura only a few times, but in those meetings have been impressed with her intelligence, good common sense and commitment to higher education. She has a wonderful reputation that appears to be well deserved.”

“WSU is a gem for all of the citizens of Washington state.  I look forward to furthering the mission of the school and its contribution to the economic health of our state during my term as regent,” Jennings said.

After leaving Microsoft, Jennings spent three years as a senior partner with Atlas Venture, an international venture capital firm, where she supervised investments in software start-up companies. She currently serves on the boards of Laird Norton Tyee, SimplyFun LLC, Children’s Hospital and Regional Medical Center in Seattle and the YWCA of Seattle-King County and Snohomish County.

She received a bachelor’s degree in business from the University of Illinois in 1983 and a master’s degree in management from the Kellogg School at Northwestern University in 1988.

Jennings’ term runs through September 30, 2009. She replaces John Fabian, who resigned from the board earlier this year.