Corporate Social Responsibility Press Release
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11.13.2008 - 04:00pm ET
News from:
The Aspen Institute
Robert K. Steel Elected Chairman of Aspen Institute Board of Trustees
William E. Mayer Concludes Eight-Year Tenure as Chairman
(CSRwire) Washington, DC -- November 13, 2008 -- The Aspen Institute Board of
Trustees proudly announces the return of Robert K. Steel as its chairman.
Steel, a member of the Institute's Board of Trustees and of its Executive
Committee, resumes the role after holding it briefly in 2006, when his
appointment as Under Secretary of the Treasury for Domestic Finance forced
him to postpone his service. He replaces William E. Mayer, who finishes his
third term as the Institute's chairman, first serving in this capacity in
2000.
"We are delighted to have Bob Steel assume this important role," said
outgoing chairman Bill Mayer. "He has a clear understanding of the mission
of the Institute and a proven track record of strong leadership. The
Institute will be in good hands with Bob Steel at its helm."
"I am honored by this important opportunity," said Steel. "I look forward
to working with Institute President and CEO Walter Isaacson and the Board
of Trustees to continue to build on the good work and forward momentum
that has characterized the Institute under Bill Mayer's direction."
Mayer has led the Aspen Institute as its chairman during an especially
dynamic and productive time in the organization's near six-decade history.
Over the course of his tenure, the Institute has grown programmatically,
increased its donor base exponentially, and reinvigorated its reputation
as a convening power for leaders of all kinds. In particular, Mayer is
credited with bringing Walter Isaacson to the organization and together
they have expanded the scope of the Institute's work into such diverse
areas as health and bioscience, homeland security, and the promotion of
economic stability in the Middle East. The Institute has also revitalized
its more than 50-year-old seminars program and seen substantial growth in
its young leaders fellowships across the globe. During these years, the
Institute has also greatly increased its public profile, in large part
through ambitious public events such as a four-day convening on Tibetan
culture; public symposia on the environment and health; and the weeklong
Aspen Ideas Festival, an event drawing more than 2,000 people to the
Institute's Aspen Meadows campus. Both the Institute's Aspen Meadows and
Wye River campuses were upgraded under Mayer's watch, including the
opening of the state-of-the-art, LEED-certified Doerr-Hosier Center in
Aspen in early 2007.
Said Mayer, "It has been a great privilege for me to have served this
organization for the past eight years. My partnership with Walter Isaacson
and the rest of the Board has been one of the highlights of my career.
Together we have achieved some wonderful things, and I know Bob Steel is
up to the challenge of continuing on this path."
"I have been extremely fortunate to have had such a wonderful partner in
Bill Mayer," said Walter Isaacson, President and CEO of the Aspen
Institute. "The Aspen Institute has thrived these past years because of
his guidance and good judgment. I am eager to work with Bob Steel to carry
the traditions of this great organization forward into the future."
Formerly the Under Secretary of the Treasury for Domestic Finance, Steel
served as a key advisor to Secretary Hank M. Paulson, Jr., and guided the
department's initial response to this year's financial crisis. One of his
most notable accomplishments was his role in helping to engineer JPMorgan
Chase & Co.'s purchase of Bear Stearns. On July 9, 2008, Steel stepped
down as Under Secretary to become CEO and president of Wachovia
Corporation. Before being appointed Under Secretary, Steel served as vice
chairman of Goldman Sachs and as a senior fellow at the Center for
Business and Government at the John F. Kennedy School of Government at
Harvard University. Steel graduated from Duke University with a BA in
History and Political Science in 1973. He has been a trustee of the
Institute since 2004.
The Aspen Institute mission is twofold: to foster values-based
leadership, encouraging individuals to reflect on the ideals and ideas
that define a good society, and to provide a neutral and balanced venue
for discussing and acting on critical issues. The Aspen Institute does
this primarily in four ways: seminars, young-leader fellowships around the
globe, policy programs and public conferences and events. The Institute is
based in Washington, DC, Aspen, Colorado, and on the Wye River on
Maryland's Eastern Shore and has an international network of partners. For
more information, visit www.aspeninstitute.org.
For more information please contact:
James Spiegelman, VP for Communications and Public Affairs
The Aspen Institute
202-736-3849
301-346-3860
www.aspeninstitute.org
News Categories:
Employment & Appointments and Corporate Governance
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