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10-13-08

Media Release

OSU Foundation Announces Four New Trustees

CORVALLIS, Ore. – Ed Jennings, Patrick Mendenhall, John Porter and Eric Schoenstein have joined the Board of Trustees at the OSU Foundation, the nonprofit organization that raises private funds for Oregon State University.

As volunteer leaders, they will serve three-year terms, joining 45 existing trustees in implementing The Campaign for OSU, the university’s first campus-wide fundraising campaign.

“We are so fortunate to have these four business leaders join our board,” said Mike Goodwin, the OSU Foundation’s president and CEO. "They will provide great guidance and input as we enter the final two years of this historic campaign."

Jennings of South San Francisco, Calif. has had more than 30 years experience in the pharmaceutical and biotechnology industries. He has held top positions at Bristol Myers, Genentech, Pain Therapeutics, and Angiogenix, Inc. Jennings is a member on the board of directors of Monogram Biosciences and TRF Pharma. He is the parent of an OSU graduate; his daughter Notocha Jennings Coe earned her degree in liberal studies from OSU in 1990.

Mendenhall of Houston, Texas, is a managing director and market area manager for UBS Financial Services Inc., one of the largest wealth management firms in the world. Mendenhall graduated from OSU in 1981 with a degree in business administration.

Porter of Tualatin, Ore., is the president and CEO of AAA Oregon/Idaho. He is a 1983 OSU accounting graduate, who also holds a master's in taxation from Portland State University and an M.B.A from Washington State University. He will act as the liaison between the foundation board and the OSU Alumni Association Board of Directors.

Schoenstein of Portland, Ore., is a principal and director of business analysis with Jensen Investment Management, an independent, employee-owned investment management firm. He earned a degree in business administration from OSU in 1988. He is also a past president of the OSU Alumni Association Board of Directors.

In addition, six trustees are returning from sabbatical to serve another term on the board: Celia Austin of Newberg, Ruth Beyer of Lake Oswego, Cynthia Douglass Campbell of Portland, Karen Harding of Lake Oswego, Ken Griggs of Lake Oswego and Elise McClure of Seattle, Wash.

The OSU Foundation trustees help oversee The Campaign for OSU, which has a goal of $625 million to provide opportunities for students, strengthen the Oregon economy and conduct research that changes the world. Recently the campaign surpassed the $450 million mark including nearly $72 million toward a $100 million goal for scholarships and fellowship support.

About the OSU Foundation: The OSU Foundation is the nonprofit organization chartered to raise and administer private funds in support of Oregon State University education, research and outreach. The foundation has assets of nearly $570 million, and OSU has an endowment of approximately $430 million that provides direct support for the university and the people it serves.