The GW Board of Trustees gained some big names last week.
Actress Kerry Washington and former Acting Naval Secretary B.J. Penn were among the nine board members elected last week.
“We welcome nine new trustee members to the university and are thrilled to grow our board with such a renowned group of people,” says board chairman W. Russell Ramsey, B.B.A. ’81. “We look forward to working with the new members and know that they are an asset to the GW community.”
Ms. Washington, B.A. ’98, best known for her roles in The Last King of Scotland, Ray and the Fantastic Four films, has been nominated for numerous awards for her performances in movies, theater and television. Ms. Washington was a recipient of the GW Alumni Achievement Award in 2008.
“The university is so important to me and to who I am as a professional and to how I do what I do,” says Ms. Washington. “I hold my time here as a student in a very important place in my heart, and I’m thrilled to remain a part of the GW family in whatever way I can.”
She said she is glad to be a part of a group that cares deeply about the university.
“You can feel the level of commitment and integrity on the board,” she says.
Mr. Penn, M.S. ’80, is the owner of Genesis IV, an executive consulting firm serving both the private and public sector. He previously served as acting secretary of the Navy and assistant secretary of the Navy and was responsible for formulating policies, plans and procedures of the Navy and Marine Corps facilities.
Other new board members include:
Christopher Bright, M.Phil ’03 and Ph.D. ’06, currently serves as an advisor to Rep. Darrell Issa (R-Calif.) on national security matters pending before the Oversight and Government Reform Committee in the U.S. House of Representatives. Before coming to Capitol Hill, he served as assistant secretary of commerce and trade in Virginia. He is a specialist on American foreign policy.
Stuart Kassan, M.D. ’72, is a clinical professor of medicine at the University of Colorado Denver School of Medicine and chief medical officer of the Infusion Center of Denver and RV Infusion Partners. He is a member of the Dean’s Council and has served as president of the Medical Alumni Association of the GW School of Medicine. He’s also a member of the board of directors of the GW Alumni Association.
J. Richard Knop, J.D. ’69, is co-founder of the Windsor Group, LLC, providing merger and acquisition support for the government and defense contract industry. Mr. Knop is also co-founder of Fed Cap Partners, LLC, a private equity fund. He previously served as the president of GW’s Law School Board of Advisors and Government Contracts Advisory Board.
Peter Kovler serves as chairman of the board at the Center for National Policy, a nonprofit, nonpartisan public policy organization dedicated to engaging government leaders with global security policy solutions. Mr. Kovler is director of the Marjorie Kovler Philanthropic Foundation and chairman of the board of the Blum-Kovler Foundation.
Deborah Ratner Salzberg, B.A. ’75, is president of Forest City Washington, a national real estate firm specializing in property development, management, ownership and acquisition. Prior to joining Forest City, she was a trial attorney in the civil division of the U.S. Department of Justice.
George W. Wellde Jr., M.B.A. ’76, currently is a member of Fortress Investment Group’s board of directors. He served as vice chairman of the Securities Division at Goldman Sachs & Co. from 2005 until his retirement in 2008. Mr. Wellde also serves on the GW School of Business Board of Advisors at GW.
Ellen Zane, B.A. ’73, is president and chief executive office of Tufts Medical Center and the Floating Hospital for Children. She is also an assistant professor in the Department of Medicine, Division of Clinical Care Research at Tufts University School of Medicine.