Sofia becomes new chairman of OSU Board of Trustees

COLUMBUS – Zuheir Sofia, chairman of Sofia & Company Inc., a private company that provides financial and investment advisory services, becomes the new chairman of The Ohio State University’s Board of Trustees May 2. Sofia, who has been a member of the board since 1995, currently is vice chairman of the Board of Trustees and is chairman of its Fiscal Affairs Committee.

Sofia also is president of The Stanbery Group, LLC, a registered investment adviser, and is co-managing partner with A. Michael Lipper of L&S Partners I, LLC, a private fund investing in the securities of financial services and diversified equity mutual funds. Previously, Sofia served as president and chief operating officer and director of Huntington Bancshares Inc.

President Karen Holbrook says the university will benefit greatly from Sofia’s professional investment and business expertise and his long-time leadership for the Ohio State University Medical Center. He is chairman of the board of The Arthur G. James Cancer Hospital and Richard J. Solove Research Institute and serves on the boards of University Hospitals and The Ohio State University Foundation. Also, Sofia has taken an active role in the Colleges of the Arts and Sciences and serves on its advisory board.

“Mr. Sofia is highly-regarded personally and professionally at the local, state and national levels,” Holbrook said. “He has proven to be a tremendous asset to the university through his long-term guidance as a trustee and he has made significant contributions to numerous areas at Ohio State.”

Sofia says he is looking forward to his year as board chairman. “It will be an honor to serve as chairman of the Board of Trustees of this great institution. I am committed to Ohio State’s goal of achieving academic excellence as set forth in the university’s Academic Plan. Ohio State is already a great university and is on its way to becoming one of the nation’s premier teaching and research institutions,” he said.

Sofia’s many business, civic, educational and professional affiliations include serving as a director of Lancaster Colony Corp. He was appointed by Gov. Bob Taft to serve a second term on the Ohio Banking Commission. Sofia also serves on the Western Kentucky University Board of Advisers, Foundation Board and in 1998 was elected to Western’s Hall of Distinguished Alumni. He is a member of the Chief Executives Organization and World Presidents’ Organization. Sofia was founder, past president and chairman of the honorary trustees of the Columbus Council on World Affairs. He also served as chairman of the Columbus Chapter of Young Presidents’ Organization, on the board of trustees for the Columbus School for Girls and is an honorary trustee for life and past chairman of the board of trustees of the Columbus Symphony Orchestra.

Sofia earned a Master of Arts degree in economics from Washington University and a Bachelor of Science degree in economics and business administration from Western Kentucky University. He is also a graduate of The Stonier Graduate School of Banking at Rutgers University.
Sofia and his wife, Susan, have three children: Sarah, Zachary and Joseph.

Tami Longaberger elected vice-chair

Tami Longaberger, of Dresden, a trustee since 1996, was elected vice-chair of the Board. Longaberger, president and CEO of The Longaberger Co., of Newark, Ohio, received a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration degree from The Ohio State University in 1984. The Longaberger Co. is recognized as one of the 500 largest privately held companies in the U.S. by Forbes Magazine and is the premier maker of hand-crafted baskets in the United States.

Longaberger serves on the Board of Directors of The John Glenn Institute for Public Service and Public Policy and is a member of the Battelle for Kids Board, which is encouraging educational reform (K-12) in Ohio. Longaberger also serves on the Board of Directors of the National Audubon Society and was appointed to serve on the Board of Trustees of the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars in December 2002 by President George W. Bush.