Foundation Spotlight

Lillis Leads UO Foundation in 2008-09

Gwendolyn H. Lillis of Colorado, Chair of The Lillis Foundation, was named as Board Chair of the University of Oregon Foundation Board of Trustees. She has been a member of the Board since 2003 and will serve as Board Chair for one year.

Lillis received a BA in languages (1970) and MBA in finance (1976) from University of Colorado and a Ph.D. in business strategy from Northwestern University in 1983. The Lillis Foundation is a private foundation whose focus is on assisting youth and adults in Colorado to reach their full potential through education, with plans to expand its efforts to Oregon and Washington. She is a former assistant professor of the University of Colorado Business School and served previously as the Chairperson for the University of Northern Colorado Foundation. Lillis is a former member of the Monfort College of Business Dean’s Council at the University of Northern Colorado and former member of the Steering Committee for Educare Colorado. She is a member of the Arnold Bennet Hall Society, serves on the UO Campaign Leadership Committee, and is a member of the Lundquist College of Business Advisory Council. Lillis is a 2001 recipient of the UO Presidential Medal.

As Board Chair, Lillis succeeds Keith Thomson of Portland, OR, retired Vice President of Intel Corporation. Thomson will serve as Immediate Past Board Chair for the 2008-09 fiscal year.

The Board of Trustees oversees the management and administration of the Foundation and its assets, currently more than $600 million. The Board consists of 35 members who donate considerable time and effort in the interest of helping the Foundation and the University grow and prosper. The Foundation, an independent, non-profit corporation, receives, invests and distributes funds from private gifts to the University.

Additional members of the Board leadership for 2008-09 include:

• Board Chair Elect – Dan Hollingshead of Eugene, OR, a 1969 UO graduate and Chairman and CEO of Papé Kenworth and Executive Vice President of The Papé Group, Inc.
  
• Second Board Chair Elect – Norm Brown of New York, NY, a 1968 UO graduate and Senior Managing Director of Brock Capital Group, LLC.
• Treasurer – Steven J. Holwerda of Portland, OR, a 1991 UO graduate and Chief Operating Officer of Ferguson Wellman Capital Management.
  
• Secretary – Jon Anderson of Eugene, OR, President of Random Lengths Publications, Inc.

Three new members have been appointed to three-year terms on the Foundation Board. They are:

• Cheryl Ford – Secretary, Board of Directors of Ramberg Glass Company, Roseburg, OR.
  
• Edward L. Maletis – Chairman of Columbia Distributing Company, Portland, OR. He earned a BS in Finance in 1976 from the University of Oregon.
  
• Michael B. Wilkes – Chief Executive Officer, Delawie Wilkes Rodrigues Barker, San Diego, CA. He earned a BA in Architecture in 1971 from the University of Oregon.

Eleven members have completed their terms of service and have retired from the Foundation Board. They are:

• Ruby L. Brockett
• Robert D. Kraus – Former Chair, Foundation Board (2006-2007), BS ’63 Business Economics
• Dapo A. Popoola – BS ’71 Biology
• Peter W. Powell – BS ’78 Real Estate
  
• Douglas M. Ragen – BA ’64 Economics
  
• William G. Seal – BS ’59 History
  
• Richard D. Stokes, Jr. – BS ’63 History
  
• Ann D. Thompson – BA ’68 Anthropology (Portland State)
  
• Bonnie Towne
  
• Richard C. Williams – BA ’61 Business Administration
  
• Robert F. Wulf – BA ’59 (Stanford University)