Blum has served as the board's chair for the past year-and-a-half. He previously served as vice chair in 2004-05.
The board also made committee assignments for the coming year. The committee chairs include: Fred Ruiz (audit); Bruce D. Varner (compensation); Eddie Island (educational policy); Russell S. Gould (finance); Leslie Tang Schilling (grounds and buildings); Sherry L. Lansing (health services); Paul D. Wachter (investments); Joanne Corday Kozberg (long range planning); and Norman J. Pattiz (laboratory oversight). Varner was also selected to represent UC on the California Postsecondary Education Commission, the state planning and coordinating body for higher education.
Blum, appointed to a 12-year term on the UC Regents by then-Gov. Gray Davis in 2002, is chairman and CEO of Blum Capital Partners LP. He is also co-founder and co-chairman of TPG Capital LP Asia, a pioneer in private equity in Asia. He recently received an honorary doctorate from the University of San Francisco for his philanthropic work in developing countries and was honored as "Global Citizen of the Year" by UC Berkeley's International House. He is also a director on numerous corporate and nonprofit boards.
His many philanthropic interests are primarily focused on global poverty and education. He is founder and chairman of the American Himalayan Foundation, which supports 170 health care, educational, environmental and cultural preservation projects throughout the Himalayan region. In 2006, the Blum Center for Developing Economies, which foster student interest in the developing world and in working on projects abroad, was established at UC Berkeley with a grant he provided. He previously founded the Global Economy and Development Center at the Brookings Institution, and is also a trustee of the Carter Center. Blum earned his bachelor of arts and MBA degrees from UC Berkeley.
Gould, appointed to the board in 2005 by Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger, is senior vice president of Wachovia Bank and provides leadership as senior managing director of Wachovia Portfolio Services. He previously served as director of the state Department of Finance from 1993 to 1996 and secretary of the Health and Welfare Agency from 1991 to 1993. He was also executive vice president of the J. Paul Getty Trust, where he was responsible for investing approximately $5.5 billion in assets. Gould received his bachelor's degree in political science from UC Berkeley.
For more information about the UC Regents: www.universityofcalifornia.edu/regents