University of California Regent Sherry Lansing has been re-appointed to the UC Board of Regents by Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger, effective today.
Lansing has been a regent since 1999 and currently serves as the vice chair of the board, as well as chair of the Committee on Health Services.
Although the appointment process is confidential, Lansing’s advocacy of education, as indicated by her previous experience on the board, contributed to the governor’s decision to extend her term for another 12 years, said Mike Naple, spokesman for the governor’s office. He added that re-appointments are not uncommon.
“She was re-appointed because the governor believed in her abilities,” he said.
Lansing is the founder of the Sherry Lansing Foundation, an organization that focuses on funding cancer research while supporting education, art and culture, according to the foundation’s Web site.
Prior to this, Lansing was the chairman and CEO of Paramount Pictures Motion Picture Group for 12 years, according to the UC Regents’ Web site.
In addition to her corporate positions, she has also served on the Governor’s Committee on Education Excellence and the board of the UCLA Foundation.
Regents Chairman Russell Gould praised Lansing’s leadership on the board, specifically her role in the re-opening of the Martin Luther King Jr. Hospital in Los Angeles through her involvement with the Committee on Health Services.
“We’re thrilled that she has been reappointed,” Gould said in a statement. “The entire UC community will benefit greatly from her continued service.”
While Lansing’s term was extended, fellow Regent Joanne Kozberg has not been re-appointed to the board, though her term also expired this month.
No explicit reason for this decision was given, although Naple said the governor was committed to filling Kozberg’s seat with a qualified applicant. Her replacement has not yet been announced.