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OREGON SENATE CONFIRMS THREE NEW APPOINTMENTS TO OHSU BOARD OF DIRECTORS, BOARD ELECTS NEW OFFICERS

PORTLAND, Ore.--The Oregon Senate has confirmed Gov. Ted Kulongoski's three new appointments to the Oregon Health & Science University Board of Directors. In addition the board has elected a new chairman, Keith Thomson, and a new vice chairman, C. Scott Gibson.

The board's newest members are:
Charles Wilhoite, a principal and director in the Portland office of Willamette Management Associates, a firm specializing in financial consulting, economic analysis and business valuation services. His practice areas focus on business valuations, gift and estate tax planning, economic damages estimation, financial consulting, intellectual property appraisal and dispute resolution services, with a heavy emphasis on the health care industry. Prior to joining Willamette he was with the accounting and consulting firm KPMG.

Meredith Wilson, a civic leader and community volunteer from North Powder in eastern Oregon. A rancher and co-owner of Wilson Cattle Co., she has been involved with various nonprofit and community organizations, including PEO International Education Fund, which promotes educational opportunities for women, and the Northeast Oregon Area Health Education Center, which is one of four such centers OHSU operates in partnership with Oregon communities to improve the education, training and distribution of health care professionals in Oregon.

Kathryn Smith, R.N., a graduate student in the psychiatric and mental health nursing program in the OHSU School of Nursing. A licensed professional counselor, she has a master's degree in counseling psychology and a graduate certificate in gerontology. Upon completion of a three-year degree program at the School of Nursing she intends to pursue a career in academic health care.

OHSU's president, Peter Kohler, M.D., welcomed the new board members, and he praised and thanked the board's three outgoing members -- Patricia Smith, Michael Thorne and Annette Matthews, M.D. -- as well as Fredrick Buckman, who stepped down in November with the appointment of Portland attorney Henry Hewitt to the board.

Keith Thomson, the board's new chairman, is a retired vice president of Intel Corp. He joined the board in 2001 following OHSU's merger with Oregon Graduate Institute of Science and Technology (now OHSU's OGI School of Science & Engineering). Thomson began his career with Intel in 1969, one year after the company was founded, and he was responsible for selecting Oregon as an Intel site. He serves on several civic and corporate boards and committees, and he is a trustee of the OHSU Foundation.

C. Scott Gibson, the board's new vice chairman, is chairman of Gibson Enterprises. He too joined the OHSU board following the merger with Oregon Graduate Institute, where he served as chairman of OGI's board of directors. Gibson began his career with Intel and later co-founded Sequent Computer Systems. During his tenure at Sequent, the company's annual revenue grew to more than $250 million. Gibson also serves as a director for several high-tech companies and nonprofit organizations' boards, including the OHSU Foundation's board.

The OHSU Board of Directors has 10 members. Mandated positions on the board include the president of OHSU, a member of the Oregon State Board of Higher Education and an OHSU student. The other seven members serve at the governor of Oregon's discretion and must be confirmed by the Oregon Senate. The university president serves on the board throughout his or her presidency, the student board member serves a two-year term, and each of the other members is appointed for a four-year term.

Ongoing members of the board are:
Former U.S. Sen. Mark Hatfield, who was appointed in November 2003 to a second term on the board. During the last half of the 20th century, Hatfield distinguished himself as a powerful advocate for health, education, research and social programs. He served as Oregon's governor for eight years and as a U.S. senator for more than 30 years, retiring from the Senate in 1997. He is chairman of Funding First, an initiative encouraging financial backing of biomedical research, and is the Herbert Hoover Distinguished Professor at George Fox University.

Mary Decker, a retired college administrator. Her career in student services in higher education began in 1962. She held positions at Stanford University, Scripps College, the University of California at San Diego, and the San Diego Community College District before retiring in 1988 as executive dean of student services. A Portland native, she relocated to the Oregon coast, where she has served a seven-year term on OHSU's Oregon Pacific Area Health Education Center board of directors and is a member of Oregon's Statewide AHEC Advisory Committee.

Thomas Imeson, a principal with the consulting firm Goldschmidt Imeson Carter. Past president of the Oregon State Board of Higher Education, Imeson served as Oregon Gov. Neil Goldschmidt's chief of staff from 1987 to 1990. He was vice president of PacifiCorp for 10 years, and before that he worked for 16 years for Sen. Hatfield. In 1994 and 1995 Imeson ran Gov. John Kitzhaber's transition team and then served as the governor's interim chief of staff. Although his term on OHSU's board has officially expired, he will continue to serve until replaced by the governor and the Senate.

Henry Hewitt, a leading Portland attorney who joined the board in November 2003. He is chair of Stoel Rives LLP, a business law firm with operations throughout the western United States. His practice emphasizes general business advice, acquisitions, financings and strategic planning. He also serves as a principal legal adviser to the boards of directors of Tektronix, PacifiCorp and Electro Scientific Industries, among others, and he's on the board of trustees of Willamette University.