Gould, currently vice chairman of the board and chair of the Committee on Finance, was appointed to the Board of Regents for a 12-year term in 2005 by Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger.
"It has been an honor and privilege to serve this institution as a Regent, and I have accepted the position of chair with a profound sense of respect," Gould said. "As a graduate of the University of California, I hold the system close to my heart. Particularly in these uncertain financial times, I look forward to working with President Yudof and my colleagues on the board to navigate the challenges of the coming months and sustain the University of California as the premier institution of public higher education in the nation."
UC President Mark G. Yudof said, "Chairman Gould's deep background and expertise in finance provides the university with a tremendous resource, not only to guide the board in its challenging decision making but to work closely with the administration to position us strategically for continued success. I greatly look forward to working with him as chair."
The Regents also appointed Regent Sherry Lansing the vice chair of the Board of Regents for the 2009-10 year. Both appointments take effect July 1 and run through June 30, 2010.
The board also made committee assignments for the coming year. The committee chairs include: Fred Ruiz (Compliance and Audit), Bruce Varner (Compensation), Eddie Island (Educational Policy), Monica Lozano (Finance), Leslie Tang Schilling (Grounds and Buildings), Sherry Lansing (Health Services), Paul Wachter (Investments), Joanne Kozberg (Long Range Planning) and Norman Pattiz (Oversight of the DOE Laboratories). Bonnie Reiss was elected to represent UC on the California Postsecondary Education Commission, the state planning and coordinating body for higher education.
Gould, a former director of the state Department of Finance under then-Gov. Pete Wilson, has served as senior vice president of Wachovia Bank, providing leadership in business development and strategic partnerships as senior managing director of Wachovia Portfolio Services, formerly Metropolitan West Securities, which he joined in 1996. While at Metropolitan West, Gould also served as executive vice president of the J. Paul Getty Trust, where he was responsible for the investments of the trust's $5.5 billion in assets. He was director of the state Department of Finance from 1993 to 1996 and, prior to that, served as secretary of the state Health and Welfare Agency from 1991 to 1993. Gould received his bachelor's degree in political science from UC Berkeley.
Lansing, newly appointed vice chair of the Regents, is founder of The Sherry Lansing Foundation and former chairman and chief executive officer of Paramount Pictures Motion Picture Group, a position she held for 12 years. Prior to that, she headed her own production company. Among the many boards that Lansing sits on are The Carter Center, Teach for America, the Lasker Foundation and the Independent Citizens Oversight Committee of the California Institute for Regenerative Medicine. In addition, she founded the EnCorps Teachers Program and is a co-founder of the Stand Up To Cancer initiative and STOP CANCER. Lansing holds a bachelor of science degree from Northwestern University. Lansing was appointed as Regent in March 1999 by then-Gov. Gray Davis.