Ohio State University Board of Trustees welcomes new appointee

Ohio Governor John Kasich has named Brent R. Porteus of Coshocton County to serve a nine-year term on The Ohio State University Board of Trustees.

Porteus is a managing partner of the family-owned farming and agricultural business, Blair Porteus and Sons.

Robert H. Schottenstein, chair of the university’s Board of Trustees, says Porteus is an important addition to the Board. “As one of the nation’s premier land grant universities, Ohio State is deeply involved in the state’s largest industry – food and agriculture. Brent Porteus will be a tremendous addition to the Board of Trustees, bringing an incomparable mix of business and leadership experience, agricultural expertise and deep knowledge of the university.”

Porteus served as president of the Ohio Farm Bureau Federation from 2008-2011 and prior to that, held many leadership roles within the organization. He also represented the Farm Bureau on trade missions to Cuba and Hong Kong. Since 2011, he has served as a board member of Nationwide Insurance, one of the largest diversified insurance and financial services companies in the world.

Ohio State University President E. Gordon Gee says he looks forward to Porteus’ leadership as a university trustee. “We are truly fortunate that Brent Porteus will be joining our Board of Trustees. As an Ohio State alumnus and agricultural leader, he will bring a critical perspective to our common mission of governing this remarkable institution. I look forward to working with him as we move the University and the state of Ohio forward.”

Porteus has held leadership positions with the Ohio Corn Growers Association, Ohio Corn Marketing Program and the National Corn Growers Association. He earned his BS in agricultural economics from The Ohio State University in 1978.

The Ohio State University Board of Trustees holds its next meeting June 5 - 7, 2013, at the Longaberger Alumni House.

About The Ohio State University

Founded in 1870, The Ohio State University is a world-class public research university and the leading comprehensive teaching and research institution in the state of Ohio. With more than 63,000 students (including 56,000 in Columbus), the Wexner Medical Center, 14 colleges, 80 centers, and 168 majors, the university offers its students tremendous breadth and depth of opportunity in the liberal arts, the sciences, and the professions.