04-13-95 Zuheir Sofia Is New Trustee

COLUMBUS BANKER TO JOIN OHIO STATE BOARD OF TRUSTEES

     COLUMBUS -- Zuheir Sofia, the newest appointee to The Ohio
State University Board of Trustees, believes the university is a
"tremendous resource" to the state of Ohio and city of Columbus,
and said he plans to work with fellow trustees to further improve
the quality of academic programs and bolster the level of funding
for the university.

     Sofia is president, chief operating officer, treasurer and a
member of the board of directors of Huntington Bancshares Inc.,
an $18-billion multi-bank holding company headquartered in
Columbus and operating subsidiaries in 13 states.

     Gov. George V. Voinovich recently appointed Sofia to a nine-
year term as a trustee of Ohio State, beginning May 14.  He
replaces John W. Kessler of Columbus, whose term expires May 13.

     "Funding for higher education is extremely important," Sofia
said.  "The competition for the dollar is going to be increasing,
not decreasing.  We have to work -- as the governor says --
harder and smarter and do more with less."

     He added that "because of the growth in technology and the
increasing demand for excellence in higher education, the
financial resources needed to excel will be enormous."

     That, he said, will require creative fund raising, making
smart choices, exploring viable alternatives, and finding ways to
get the highest return for each dollar spent.

     Sofia said he looks forward to working with the other
trustees to present Ohio State's needs and priorities in the best
possible way to all interested parties.  He lauded the governor
for his dedication to education.  "The future of America lies in
education," Sofia said.  "Jobs, economic development, and a
better quality of life are all dependent upon what we do in
education."

     The new trustee praised President E. Gordon Gee for his
leadership in striving for excellence in academic disciplines and
successfully attracting top-quality faculty and students.  Sofia
would like to see this trend continue.  "I want to make sure the
student experience at Ohio State is so enriching, rewarding, and
challenging that it becomes something not easily duplicated or
forgotten."

     In addition, he wants to see stronger ties between Ohio
State and the City of Columbus.

     "Ohio State has brought many valuable resources to this
city.  They have worked closely together in the past, but we can
have an even closer relationship."

     In addition to his positions with Huntington Bancshares
Inc., Sofia is a director of The Huntington National Bank and all
HBI principal subsidiaries.  He joined The Huntington in 1971 as
an assistant vice president.  He became president in 1984 and
assumed the title of chief operating officer in 1986.  He also
serves as chairman of the Asset and Liability Management
Committee of the corporation.

     He earned a Master of Arts degree in economics from
Washington University, where he served as a graduate teaching
assistant, and a Bachelor of Science degree in economics and
business administration from Western Kentucky University.  He is
a graduate of The Stonier Graduate School of Banking at Rutgers
University, and his thesis there received the distinction of
being selected as a library thesis.

     Sofia is a published author with works including various
articles in The American Banker, Ohio Banker, and Euromoney.  A
summary of his popular book External Debt of Developing
Countries: Its Applications to Country Risk Analysis appeared in
a book, published by Euromoney Publications Ltd., entitled
Assessing Country Risk.

     He is one of the principal founders of the Columbus Council
on World Affairs, along with Chadwick Alger, Mershon Professor of
Political Science and Public Policy at Ohio State.  Sofia
presently serves as chairman of the council's honorary trustees.

     Sofia chairs the Columbus chapter of Young Presidents
Organization, and is a member of The Bankers Roundtable.  He is
past chairman of the board and serves as a trustee of Columbus
School for Girls.  Sofia is an honorary trustee for life and past
chairman of the board of trustees of the Columbus Symphony
Orchestra.  He is a past trustee of Franklin University and the
United Way of Franklin County.

     His wife, Susan, chairs the board of trustees of Marburn
Academy and serves as an elder of Broad Street Presbyterian
Church.  The Sofias have one daughter, Sarah, an 11th grader at
Columbus School for Girls, and twin sons, Joseph and Zachary,
ninth graders at Columbus and Marburn academies, respectively.
The Sofias reside in Bexley.
                                #

Contact:  Kathy Parmenter, Huntington Bancshares Inc.,
          (614) 480-4585.
Written by Tom Spring.


[Submitted by: Von Reid-Vargas (ereid@magnus.acs.ohio-state.edu)
               
Thu, 13 Apr 1995 14:19:55 -0400]
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