COLUMBUS - George A. Skestos of BEXLEY, founder of the Columbus-based building firm Homewood Corp., was named chair of The Ohio State University Board of Trustees on Friday (5/5). He succeeds Michael Colley, whose one-year term as chair and nine-year term as trustee ends on May 13.

As chair, Skestos will lead the board of a university with an annual budget of $1.9 billion and an enrollment of nearly 55,000 students on six campuses throughout Ohio.

Skestos, who joined the board in 1992, also serves on the boards of Huntington National Bank, Central Benefits Insurance Company and Midland Financial Corporation. His own company, Homewood Corp., is a multi-faceted firm that has constructed more than 10,000 multi-family unites and 12,000 single-family homes. He is also founder of the Price of Peace Foundation, which assists the homeless and underprivileged, and the Salem Foundation, which provides scholarships for young men studying to become pastors. He has degrees in law, business, and arts and sciences from the University of Michigan.

David L. Brennan of AKRON, a trustee since 1993, was elected vice chair. Brennan is chair of Brennan Industrial Group, Inc., and The Brenlin Group, Inc., both private holding companies of industrial and manufacturing entities. He is a founder of the Amer Cunningham Brennan law firm. A leader in state and national Republican activities, he is chair of the Ohio Republican Party Major Gift Committee.

The trustees re-elected William J. Napier as secretary and James L. Nichols as treasurer.

Committee appointments

The board also approved the appointment of members to various committees and as representatives to other university-affiliated boards:

· Educational Affairs: Tamala Longaberger, chair; Zuheir Sofia, vice chair; David L. Brennan and new trustee (yet to be appointed)

· Fiscal Affairs: Brennan, chair; James F. Patterson, vice chair; Sofia, Longaberger and new trustee

· Student Affairs: Robert M. Duncan, chair; Karen L. Hendricks, vice chair; new trustee and Jaclyn M. Nowakowski

· Agricultural Affairs: New trustee, chair; Fred L. Dailey, vice chair, ex officio; Patterson

· Investments: Sofia, chair; Hendricks, vice chair; Brennan, John Gerlach, Jr. (Foundation Board) and Frank Wobst (Foundation Board)

· Affiliated Entities: Duncan, chair; Sofia, vice chair; new trustee and Nowakowski

· University Hospitals Board: Skestos and Sofia

· The Arthur G. James Cancer Hospital and Richard J, Solove Research Institute Board: Sofia, chair, and Patterson

· University Managed Health Care System, Inc., Board of Directors: Duncan

· Personnel: Skestos, chair; Brennan, vice chair; Patterson

· University Foundation Ex Officio Class of Directors: Sofia (one year), Patterson (two years) and Longaberger (three years)

· Ohio State University Affiliates, Inc.: Skestos (one year), Brennan (two years) and Patterson (three years)

· Wexner Center Foundation Board: Leslie H. Wexner (2002) and Sofia

· Research Foundation Board of Directors: Daniel M. Slane

· Science and Technology Campus Board of Directors: Skestos

· Regional Campus Boards: Slane (Lima), Patterson (Mansfield), new trustee (Marion), Newark (Hendricks)

· Outreach and Engagement Committee: Patterson, chair; Duncan, vice chair; Slane and Nowakowski

· Planning: Slane, chair; Hendricks, vice chair; Duncan, new trustee and new student trustee

· Government Relations: Brennan, chair; Slane, vice chair; Patterson, Duncan, Michael F. Colley (ex officio) and William P. Blair (ex officio)

· Ad Hoc Committee on Capital Formation for Emerging Businesses: Sofia, Longaberger and Hendricks

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