Salem, OR – The Oregon Senate today officially confirmed three additional members of Oregon Tech’s new governing board who were appointed by Governor Kitzhaber last month. Oregon Tech announced in September the initial trustees appointed by the Governor and confirmed by the Senate as part of this historic change in higher education governance in Oregon.
With their official terms beginning immediately, the Trustees will assume governance of Oregon Tech on July 1, 2015 from the State Board of Higher Education, whose structure sunsets on June 30, 2015. University presidents, including Oregon Tech’s Chris Maples, serve as ex-officio members of their respective Boards.
The three members who were confirmed today are:
- Jessica Gomez, Founder, President and CEO, Rogue Valley Microdevices, Inc., Medford, OR
- Paul Stewart, President/CEO, Sky Lakes Medical Center, Klamath Falls, OR
- Fred Ziari, President, IRZ, ezWireless, and
Zeco , Hermiston, OR
Gary Johnston, Owner of 7L Investments LLC from Boise, ID, is scheduled for a confirmation hearing at the earliest opportunity in 2015.
Trustees who were already appointed and confirmed earlier this Fall include:
- Dr. Jeremy Brown, President, Portland Community College, Portland
- Melissa Ceron, Student, Business Management/Accounting, Oregon Tech, Klamath Falls
- Dr. Lisa Graham, CEO, Black Canyon Woodworks (currently serving a partial term on the State Board of Higher Education), Bend
- Dana Henry, Student Support Services, Oregon Tech, Klamath Falls (Non-Faculty Staff member)
- Kathleen Hill, Writer/Consultant and elected Member of the Klamath Tribal Council, Chiloquin
- Kelley Minty Morris, Klamath County Commissioner, Klamath Falls (also confirmed today to a partial term on the State Board of Higher Education)
- Celia Núñez, Agency Training Specialist, State Farm Insurance Company, Wilsonville
- Dr. Dan W. Peterson, Associate Professor of Communication, Oregon Tech, Klamath Falls (Faculty member)
- Dr. Steve Sliwa, Founder and CEO,
Seeq , Portland and Seattle
Each of the public university boards in Oregon includes up to 15 trustees, with 11 members at large, the institution’s president, one faculty member, one non-faculty staff member, and one student. For more information on Oregon Tech Board members, including bios, go to www.oit.edu/trustees.
About Oregon Tech
Founded in Klamath Falls in 1947, Oregon Institute of Technology is the only public 4-year institute of technology in the Pacific Northwest. Oregon Tech provides degree programs in engineering and health technologies, management, communication, and applied sciences that prepare students to be effective participants in their professional, public, and international communities through hands-on learning. Oregon Tech has a full-service, residential campus in Klamath Falls and an urban, industry-focused campus in Wilsonville. Visit www.oit.edu to learn more about Oregon Institute of Technology.
