Peter Taylor ’80

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Peter Taylor ’80 began his service to UCLA as an Alumni Scholarships volunteer and within a few years he was chair of the Alumni Association’s Advisory and Scholarship Steering Committee. After serving several terms on the Alumni Association Board of Directors, he became president of the Association, followed by a term on the University of California Board of Regents. He also served as a senior fellow at the UCLA School of Public Policy.

Taylor also undertook the challenging task of leading the Capital Campaign effort to attract larger numbers of alumni as donors. His efforts in this regard are emblematic of his willingness to take leadership of difficult projects that will enhance the university. He worked throughout Campaign UCLA, coordinating efforts with leadership of the Alumni Association, the UCLA Foundation and the Campaign UCLA Cabinet to implement strategies to engage alumni and to increase alumni giving. These efforts provided a permanent base for continued contact with and support from alumni.

His involvement with the UCLA Foundation ultimately led to his serving as its president and then as chair of the UCLA Foundation Board of Directors. He continues to serve on the board, as well as on various committees, including the Nominations Committee and the Finance Committee.

Most recently, Taylor chaired a task force on African-American admissions at UCLA, made up of alumni, students, donors, faculty, staff and community members. He has worked with various people to raise substantial scholarships for incoming African-American freshmen scholars attending UCLA.

Having served as a regent, Taylor has maintained his relationships with members of that board and frequently has used those contacts to advocate for UCLA’s views and needs with the regents. One notable example is Taylor’s advocacy for policies that allow the UCLA Foundation to improve performance of its endowment, resulting in more funds to support faculty research and student scholarships.

Taylor has achieved significant results as an advocate in his dealings with the regents and with the University of California Office of the President. He is distinguished by his leadership, his vision, his dedication and his successes on behalf of UCLA.