Four alumni were recently named emeritus trustees of the Board of Trustees. The distinction acknowledges that the alumni are retired from their voting positions on the Board but that they are still invited to attend future Board meetings and give their input. “All four people have all been wonderful trustees,” Peter Meinig ’61, Chairman of the Board of Trustees, said. “They’ve been providing outstanding advice to leadership … and are very deserving of the honor of being emeritus trustee.” The alumni named as emeritus trustees are C. Morton Bishop III ’74; Franci J. Blassberg ’75, J.D. ’77; Dwight L. Bush Sr. ’79; and Martin Y. Tang ’70.In addition to the distinction of being emeritus trustees, all four have been named presidential councillors, a position independent of the trusteeship but one that Meinig says represents being “some of Cornell’s closest friends.” Also named a presidential councillor was David R. Atkinson ’60, who has served two terms on the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences Advisory Council. The role of a presidential councillor is the highest honor the Board can give out; councillors meet with President David Skorton annually to offer advice and confer on the state of the University. Bishop serves as president of Pendleton Woolen Mills, one of the nation’s largest textile manufacturers, and also serves on the Undergraduate Business Advisory Council. Blassberg is a partner at the New York City based Debevoise & Plimpton law firm, and was named by The National Law Journal as one of the top 50 most influential women lawyers in America. Bush currently serves as president of the Urban Trust Bank, which focuses on providing financial services to diverse, urban communities. Tang served as a second lieutenant in the U.S. army after earning an electrical engineering degree from Cornell. He currently serves as Chairman of Spencer Stuart Asia, a consulting firm in Hong Kong. Consisting of 64 members, the Board of Trustees meets four times annually, and is responsible for voting in proposals for changes in University policy, structure, and programming. Members are usually considered for emeritus status after serving at least two four-year terms on the Board. In addition to alumni, voting members of the Board also include Gov. David Paterson (D-N.Y.), Skorton, New York State Speaker of the Assembly Sheldon Silver, and President of the State Senate Malcolm Smith.
Original Author: Brendan Doyle