Twelve New Members Join UC Merced Foundation Board

Twelve new trustees have been appointed to the University of California, Merced, Foundation Board of Trustees.

The purpose of the 62-member board is to assist in the promotion and financial support of the university’s mission of teaching, research and public service. Among their roles as trustees, members raise and increase philanthropic support, advocate for the university and manage a portion of the university’s endowment.

With this new group of trustees, the board continues to represent a mix of individual talents and professional backgrounds, as well as genders, ethnicities and geographical locations.

“We are delighted to add a dozen new trustees with unique perspectives and talents that will benefit UC Merced’s continued growth and development,” Vice Chancellor for Development and Alumni Relations Kyle Hoffman said. “Our newest trustees exude an enthusiasm for our young campus that is palpable.

“Each was chosen for his or her unique experience and qualifications, and their guidance will prove to be invaluable to the university.”

The following individuals joined the board:

• Carol Bright-Tougas, from Stanislaus County, serves as vice president, chief financial officer and secretary of the Calvin E. Bright Foundation.
• John Garamendi Jr., from Calaveras County, is president and CEO of Professional Evaluation Group. Garamendi served as UC Merced’s vice chancellor for University Relations from 2005 to 2010.
• John Loll, from the San Francisco Bay Area, is CFO for Dodge and Cox Investment Managers.
• Raymond O’Connor, from Alameda County, serves as president and CEO of Topcon Positioning Systems Inc.
• Grey Roberts, from Merced, is a certified public accountant for Grey B. Roberts and Company.
• Lisa Joy Rosner, from the Silicon Valley, is chief marketing officer for Neustar.
• Ram Saini, from Turlock, is the vice president of Technical Services for Preserve International.
• Lynn Seppala, from the Tri-Valley region, is an optical engineer at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory.
• Gregory Stangl, from the San Francisco Bay Area, serves as CEO of Phoenix Energy.
• Roger Sturdevant, from the San Joaquin Valley, serves as an executive vice president of Agribusiness Division at Bank of the West.
• Dr. Peter Swann, from the San Francisco Bay Area, is the vice president and associate medical director for WorkCare Inc.
• Dr. Lesley Xiong, from Merced, is a family medicine physician with Golden Valley Health Center.

The new trustees, who serve in a volunteer capacity, began their three-year terms July 1.

Despite being in the early phases of their board service, the newest members are already investing their time and talents in the campus. They are serving on committees and participating in an orientation process that concludes at their first full board meeting on Oct. 21. 

Since its inception in 1998, the UC Merced Foundation has been instrumental in raising more than $100.8 million in private support for the campus.

One of the board’s current funding initiatives is The Chairman’s Challenge. The goal of the challenge, introduced by Chairman Lee Kolligian, is to raise $500,000 from board members to fund an endowed chair at UC Merced that will qualify for a $500,000 match from the UC Office of the President. The initiative ends June 30, 2016, and the board has already raised more than $420,000.