Governor appoints two new trustees, one student representative

December 6, 2011 | News, UToday
By Meghan Cunningham



Thieman

Three new members have joined The University of Toledo Board of Trustees.

Juan Jose Perez of Columbus and Gary P. Thieman of Toledo were appointed by Ohio Gov. John Kasich and attended their first regular meeting of the board last week.

Perez, an attorney who opened his own law firm in Columbus in 1997, now known as Perez & Morris LLC, will serve through July 1, 2020, and replaces C. William Fall and Baldemar Velasquez, who completed their terms in June. Under the terms of the merger between UT and the Medical University of Ohio, one person will be appointed to replace two retiring trustees each year to gradually reduce the board to nine members.

Thieman, Medical Mutual of Ohio’s senior vice president of sales and customer relations for commercial business and senior vice president for the company’s northwestern Ohio region, will complete the term of Joseph High, who resigned to seek a professional opportunity out of state. His term ends July 1, 2017.

Joshua Robert Beekman of Castalia, Ohio, was appointed a student member of the board to serve through July 1, 2013. Beekman is a psychology/pre-med student involved in Student Government and the Resident Student Association; he also is a tour guide and student orientation leader at the University.

Perez

Both Perez and Thieman are UT alumni. Perez received his juris doctor in 1985, and Thieman received his bachelor’s degree in business administration in 1971.

UT President Lloyd Jacobs said he looks forward to working with the new trustees to advance the University’s mission of improving the human condition.

During the Nov. 28 meeting, the board:

• Approved the Northwest Ohio Advanced Manufacturing Resource Center for manufacturing testing and training technicians in new and emerging technologies. UT is partnering with Northwest State Community College, the Ohio Department of Development and Lucas County to construct the center on the UT Scott Park Campus of Energy and Innovation.

• Passed the conversion of the Dana Conference Center to the UTMC Dana Cancer Center.

• Ratified a lecturer faculty workload policy that sets the standard teaching load at 24 to 30 credit hours per nine-month year or its equivalent, effective January 2012.

• Heard a report on the new Office of the Student Experience and its efforts to remove the “hassle factor” for students and to address their needs more promptly.

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