Eight new members joined Duke's Board of Trustees July 1, including Apple CEO Tim Cook and NBA commissioner Adam Silver.
Also joining Cook and Silver on the Board for six-year terms are Coca-Cola Foundation Chairwoman Lisa Borders, PRM Advisors founder Patricia Morton and ValueAct Capital CEO Jeff Ubben. Three observing members—Jack Boyd, Trinity '85, graduate Young Trustee Ben Shellhorn and undergraduate Young Trustee Anna Knight—also joined the Board, bringing the number of trustees to 37.
"Duke is fortunate to have extraordinary volunteer leaders on the Board of Trustees who all share a deep commitment to the University’s success," Michael Schoenfeld, vice president for public affairs and government relations, wrote in an email. "The new trustees will bring an unique range of accomplishments in business, sports and philanthropy, as well as diverse student and alumni experiences at Duke. We could not be more excited to welcome thenm back to the university in their new role."
Before becoming Apple CEO in 2011, Cook, earned a bachelor's degree from Auburn University and his MBA from Duke's Fuqua School of Business. He served as the company's chief operating officer in charge of worldwide sales and operations before replacing Steve Jobs, and was recently named the world's greatest leader by Fortune Magazine.
Silver, Trinity '84, took over as NBA commissioner last February and replaced David Stern, who held the position for 30 years. He helped expand the NBA's media rights partnership with Turner Broadcasting and the Walt Disney Co., securing nine-year agreements that will begin in 2016-17 and run through 2024-25 and ensure that ABC, TNT and ESPN will continue to televise NBA games. Silver recently received the Distinguished Alumni award from Duke's Political Science department.
Borders earned her bachelor's degree in French from Duke and serves as vice president of global community affairs at The Coca-Cola Company in addition to her role as Coca-Cola Foundation Chairwoman. She was previously Atlanta's city council president and vice mayor and was also the president of the Grady Health Foundation, which controls fundraising of Georgia's largest public hospital, Grady Health System.
A philanthropist and chair of the National Humanities Center, Morton earned her bachelor's degree in political science and economics from Duke. She currently serves as chair of chair of Carolina Performing Arts at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and as a member of the national advisory board for the Nasher Museum of Art. Before founding the Charlotte-based company PRM Advisors, Morton worked at JP Morgan and Deutsche Bank Alex. Brown.
Ubben also earned his bachelor's degree from Duke and founded ValueAct Capital, which currently manages more than $19 billion in investments, in 2000. Ubben serves as chief investment officer as well as CEO, and is also on the Board of Trustees at Northwestern University, where he earned his MBA.
One of three new temporary members, Boyd has taken on several voluntary positions for the University, including co-chair for his 20th, 25th and 30th reunions, co-chair of Duke Alums Engage NYC and serving as a member of the DukeNY Board. He is the president-elect of the Alumni Association Board of Directors and currently executive vice president of marketing and product development at Elastic Fabrics of America, a textile company located in Greensboro, N.C. Boyd's four-year term will consist of two years as an observer on the Board and two years as a voting member.
After being selected by the University's undergraduates, Knight will serve as a non-voting member for one year and a voting member for two years. Shellhorn was selected by the Graduate and Professional Student Council and will serve a two-year term, one year as a non-voting member and one year as a voting member.
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