Oakland, CA–June 26, 2009. Members of the Mills College Board of Trustees elected Kathleen J. Burke as the new chair of the board at their May 2009 meeting. Burke replaced Vivian Stephenson, who stepped down to become a Mills College Honorary Lifetime Trustee.

"I am extremely honored to be selected and look forward to working with the entire Mills community," said Burke. "Our immediate priorities involve the challenges presented by the economy and how they impact our students, the College and all of our constituencies."

From 1999 to 2006, Burke was the executive director of the Stupski Foundation, a San Francisco-based organization dedicated to improving the educational outcomes of children of color and in poverty.

Burke also spent 20 years in the financial services industry in leadership positions such as Vice Chairman, Group Executive Vice President, and Executive Vice President of BankAmerica Corporation.

She has a BA degree in political science from Washington State University and a JD from Georgetown University Law Center.

Burke previously served as a Mills College Trustee from 1998 to 2006 on numerous committees, including the Educational Policy Committee (1998–2000), Executive Committee (2001–2006), and the Strategic Planning Committee (2001–2006). As Chair of the Strategic Planning Committee, she was instrumental in the development of the College's 2003–2007 Strategic Plan.

"I enthusiastically support the election of Kathi Burke to Chair by the Board," said Mills College President Janet L. Holmgren. "Her expertise in strategic planning, her dedication to expanding educational access, and her advocacy on behalf of women, are strong credentials for this leadership position."

The Board of Trustees cited outgoing Chair Stephenson's outstanding leadership on the Board, her unwavering support of the College, and her commitment to the power of education to transform lives. The former chief operating officer of Williams-Sonoma has been on the Board for ten years and has served as chair for seven.

Nan Gefen, editor and publisher of Persimmon Tree, was elected first vice chair of the board; Helen Muirhead '58 as second vice chair; Gordon Chong of Chong Partners Architecture and Professor Emerita at UC Berkeley Margaret Wilkerson were elected as Regular Trustees. Alexandra Widmann '08 was elected as Recent Graduate Trustee, and deputy county counsel of Los Angeles County Julia M. Almanzan '92 was ratified as an Alumna Trustee.

Retiring Trustees include Jill Fabricant ‘71, Tina Lee ‘01, Alex Moses ‘64, Susan Penrod ‘71, and Barbara Wolfe ‘65.

Under its bylaws, Mills College is governed by a 42-member Board of Trustees, which includes the President of the College.

Nestled in the foothills of Oakland, California, Mills College is a nationally renowned, independent liberal arts college offering a dynamic progressive education that fosters leadership, social responsibility, and creativity to approximately 950 undergraduate women and 500 graduate women and men. Since 2000, applications to Mills College have more than doubled. The College is named one of the top colleges in the West by U.S. News & World Report, one of the Best 368 Colleges by the Princeton Review, and ranks 75th among America's best colleges by Forbes.com. Visit us at www.mills.edu.

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