The 12-member Oregon State Board of Higher Education will welcome a new member in March: yesterday the Governor appointed Jill Eiland, the head of public affairs for Intel Corporation, to a seat on the board.
The Board of Higher Education is in charge of administrative and finance decisions for Oregon’s seven public universities. One of its committees is considering proposals to turn the universities into self-governing “corporate” entities run more like corporations.
So it’s interesting that the governor has appointed a public relations specialist to the board in light of the potential controversy about the move toward privatization, which will likely increase leading up to the 2011 legislative session.
- Oregon University System
- Jill Eiland
It’s also worth noting that Eiland will be the fourth member of the current board with connections to corporate industry. Board members Matt Donegan and Allyn Ford represent big players in Oregon’s timber industry, and Kirk Schueler runs a real estate firm in the Bend area. Eiland is replacing Tony Van Vliet, a former state representative and Oregon State professor who expertise was in forest management.
Another board member with ties to industry was John von Schlegell, who retired in June 2009 and runs a private equity firm. As the Mercury reported earlier this month, von Schlegell is a staunch advocate of increased autonomy for Oregonโs universities, with oversight from a board without ties to academia. Von Schlegell, the Mercury noted, was also an opponent of Measures 66 and 67, which will increase taxes to provide much-needed funds to the stateโs higher education system.
Eilandโrepresenting Oregonโs largest employerโtook a neutral public stance on the tax measures.
Intel โchose to remain neutralโฆ to be in a position after the election to participate in discussions with business, government and labor leaders,โ she told the Oregonian in January. So Intel was hedging its bets, if you will.
Eiland is also Vice Chair for Government Relations of the Portland Business Alliance, which is the biggest lobbyist to the City of Portland. She serves on the Oregon Global Warming Commission.
Other board members include the president of Portland Community College, two students, two attorneys, a disability rights advocate and two private citizens.