James Patterson to head OSU Board of Trustees

COLUMBUS – James F. Patterson, a fifth-generation family farmer from Chesterland, was named chair of The Ohio State University Board of Trustees on Friday (5/3). He succeeds David L. Brennan, whose one-year term as chair and nine-year term as trustee ends on May 13.

As chair, Patterson will lead the board of a university with more than 55,000 students on six campuses throughout Ohio and an annual budget exceeding $2.3 billion.

Patterson, owner of Patterson Fruit Farm in Chesterland, is a 1964 graduate of Ohio State’s College of Food, Agricultural and Environmental Sciences. He served as a Geauga County commissioner from 1969 to1982 and as president of the Ohio Farm Bureau Federation from 1985 to 1989. He joined Ohio State’s Board of Trustees in 1994.

He is a past president of the Ohio Fruit Growers Society, former chair of the Farm Credit Bank of Louisville’s board and a former member of the Cleveland Foundation Lake-Geauga advisory committee. He is a member of both the Nationwide Insurance Enterprise and the Nationwide Financial Services boards of directors and serves on both the Geauga Regional Hospital and the University Hospital Health System of Cleveland boards of trustees.

He has held several other leadership roles at Ohio State including chair of the Ohio State University Alumni Advisory Committee and service on the councils of the Ohio Agricultural Research and Development Center and OSU Extension.

Zuheir Sofia, a trustee since 1995, was elected vice-chair. He is chairman of Sofia & Company Inc., a private investment banking company that provides financial and investment services to a broad spectrum of businesses.

Trustees reelected William J. Napier as secretary and James L. Nichols as treasurer.

The board also approved the following appointments of board members to board committees and as representatives to other university-affiliated boards:

·Academic Affairs Committee: Daniel M. Slane, chair; Robert M. Duncan, vice-chair; Dimon R. McFerson; new trustee (to be appointed), and Joseph A. Shultz

·Fiscal Affairs Committee: Zuheir Sofia, chair; Tami Longaberger, vice-chair; Karen L. Hendricks; Jo Ann Davidson; new student trustee (to be appointed)

·Investments Committee: Dimon R. McFerson, chair; Karen L. Hendricks, vice-chair; Zuheir Sofia; John Gerlach, Jr.; William Ingram III

·Agricultural Affairs Committee: new trustee, chair; Fred L. Daily, vice-chair; Jo Ann Davidson; Joseph A. Shultz; new student trustee

·Academic Medical Center Strategic Oversight Committee: Daniel M. Slane, chair; Robert M. Duncan; Zuheir Sofia; Dimon R. McFerson

·Student Leadership Committee: James F. Patterson, chair; Zuheir Sofia, vice-chair; Tami Longaberger; Joseph A. Shultz; new student trustee; four students (three student government leaders and chair of the Council on Student Affairs)

·Government Relations Committee: Jo Ann Davidson, chair; Tami Longaberger, vice-chair; Dimon R. McFerson; new trustee; Joseph A. Shultz; David L. Brennan; Michael F. Colley; William Blair; Stan Aronoff

·Facilities Planning Committee: Robert M. Duncan, chair; Jo Ann Davidson, vice-chair; Zuheir Sofia; Karen L. Hendricks; new student trustee

·Outreach and Engagement Committee: Karen L. Hendricks, chair; Dimon R. McFerson, vice-chair; Daniel M. Slane; new trustee; new student trustee

·Personnel Committee: James F. Patterson, chair; Zuheir Sofia, vice-chair; Tami Longaberger

·Athletics Committee: Tami Longaberger, chair; Robert M. Duncan, vice-chair; Dimon R. McFerson; new trustee; Joseph A. Shultz; faculty representative; Athletic Council chair

·Research Committee: Tami Longaberger, chair; Robert M. Duncan, vice-chair; Karen L. Hendricks; new trustee; new student trustee

·Regional Campus Committee: Karen L. Hendricks, chair, Mansfield Campus Board; Daniel M. Slane, Newark Campus Board; Dimon R. McFerson, Marion Campus Board; Jo Ann Davidson, Lima Campus Board; Joseph A. Shultz

·Arthur G. James Cancer Hospital and Richard J. Solove Research Institute Board : Zuheir Sofia, chair (2003); Daniel M. Slane

·University Hospitals Board: Zuheir Sofia, Daniel Slane

·University Managed Health Care System, Board of Directors: Robert M. Duncan (two-year term exp.2003

·Campus Partners Board: Jo Ann Davidson (two-year term exp. 2003)

·Ohio State University Affiliates Inc.: James F. Patterson (one year), Zuheir Sofia (two years), Tami Longaberger (three years)

·Research Foundation Board of Directors: Karen L. Hendricks (two-year term exp. 2003)

·Science and Technology Campus Board of Directors: Robert M. Duncan (two-year term exp 2003)

·University Foundation Ex Officio Class of Directors: Zuheir Sofia (one year), Tami Longaberger (two years), Daniel M. Slane (three years)

·Wexner Center Foundation Board: Leslie H. Wexner (exp.2005), Jo Ann Davidson (exp. 2003)

The board chair is an ex-officio member of all board committees.