Board of Directors 2010-11

Upon graduation, Van Schultz received the Outstanding Bachelor of Science Candidate Award from the UCLA Engineering Alumni Association. After completing his Master of Science degree, he began his career in the petroleum industry working for Shell Oil in Ventura, Houston and New Orleans. He is currently the senior vice president, Strategic Development and Innovation, for Aera Energy LLC in Bakersfield, Calif.

An alumnus of Triangle Fraternity, Schultz has remained involved at UCLA. He served on a variety of committees at the Henry Samueli School of Engineering and Applied Science and was president of the Engineering Alumni Association from 2004 to 2006. Schultz graduated from the Alumni Association Alumni Academy in 2001 and has participated on a number of Association committees since, most recently the Audit Committee. He completed two years as a director and one year as chair-elect on the UCLA Alumni Association Board of Directors before becoming the chair.

Schultz shares his Bruin pride with his wife, Susan ’75, and son, Stephen ’04, while daughter, Jennifer, graduated from Cal Poly San Luis Obispo in 2007 with a bachelor of architecture. The Schultz family enjoys following the Bruin football and basketball teams. They are members of the Chancellor’s Associates.

After graduating from UCLA with a degree in history, Randall Schnack went to law school at Southwestern School of Law, earning his J.D. in 1986. He joined West Publishing, where he was responsible for negotiating, drafting and executing licensing agreements, and later became the senior attorney (section chief) for the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation. Schnack is now the managing attorney for the United States District Court, where he presides over the legal unit responsible for all legal services provided to the federal bench, clerk’s office and federal bar.

In addition to his civil duties, Schnack is active in his community, volunteering for the Manhattan Beach Police Department, the Mira Costa High School Parent Teacher Association and the American Youth Soccer Organization. He also contributes time to the Junior International Badminton Tournament through the Manhattan Beach Badminton Club, the Manhattan Beach Arts Festival and the Manhattan Beach Park and Beach Clean-up Crew.

As a UCLA undergraduate, Schnack was a member of Phi Kappa Psi fraternity. He is on the board of the South Bay Bruins and the regional chair of the Chancellor’s Associate Volunteer Committee. He participates in UCLA Alumni Association programs such as Dinners for 12 Strangers, Alumni Mentor Program, Bruin Woods and Freshman and Community College Transfer Scholarships.

Sally Kay graduated from UCLA with a bachelor’s degree in politi¬cal science. Following graduation, Kay worked for a number of years in the restaurant and retail industries, then spent more than six years with Cadence Design Systems, Inc. as a program manager in the research and development group, and a project manager in the legal department. She attended law school at Santa Clara University where she earned her J.D., cum laude, in 1999. She joined Cooley Godward Kronish LLP in 1999, where she currently is a partner in the corporate group. At Cooley Godward Kronish, Kay has a general business and corporate law practice, representing both emerging and public companies in a variety of matters including venture capital financings, public offerings and SEC report¬ing and compliance. She also represents investment banks and venture capitalists in a variety of equity transactions, including public offerings and private placements.

Currently, Kay lives and works in the San Francisco Bay area, and she continues to be involved in UCLA’s future. She has been active with Alumni Scholarships since 1994 and served as chair of the Scholarship Steering Committee from 2005 to 2008. In addition, Kay is a member of UCLA Women and Philanthropy and has served as the scholarship chair for Bay Area Bruins. Her commitment to students was demonstrated to an even greater level when she recently established an endowment for Alumni Scholarships.

After graduating from UCLA, Grace Ng pursued a career in accounting with firms such as Texaco and AIG SunAmerica. Ng is a senior business intelligence specialist in the IT Department at DIRECTV, where she has worked in various finance and accounting capacities. Her areas of expertise include finance, accounting, auditing and management. Currently, she is responsible for developing models and reporting in the enterprise planning system Cognos, which includes working with Business Units to define reporting requirements, documenting processes, training end-users on developed tools, and managing Cognos related projects.

Ng was active as an undergraduate in the Student Accounting Society, Undergraduate Business Society and Mardi Gras Committee. She is a member of the Rose Bowl Bruins and has been an active volunteer on a number of different committees, including the Alumni Association Finance, Governance, Nominations, Membership and UCLA Awards committees. She was chair of the UCLA Alumni Association Audit Committee for two terms.

Since 1990, Ralph Amos has gained progressive experience in alumni relations and marketing communications. He has been a leader in alumni relations nationally and internationally. He is a member of the Council for the Advancement and Support of Education and has served on its Committee on Opportunity and Equity, Commission on Alumni Relations and the CASE International Board of Trustees.

A native of Dayton, Ohio, Amos received his bachelor of arts in interna­tional studies from Ohio State University in 1986. He received a master of public administration from Ohio University in 2004 and is pursuing a doctorate in higher education administration at Ohio University.

Lawrence Carr completed his undergraduate degree in political science at Norfolk State University. He then joined the U.S. Army, serving as an officer in electronic warfare and computer information systems for 23 years. He retired from the military in 1992 as a lieutenant colonel. In 1976, he earned an M.B.A. in computers and information systems from the UCLA Anderson School, and began his second career by founding the JROTC and AVID/MESA Academy at Sacramento High School.

An active member of the Sacramento community, Carr served or contin¬ues to serve as a board member or past president of the EnterFund Mi¬croenterprise Loan Program, Environmental Council of Sacramento, 100 Black Men of Sacramento, InnerCity Housing Corporation, Sacramento Black Chamber of Commerce, South County Neighborhood Account¬ability Board, Special District Advisory Committee to the Sacramento Local Area Formation Commission, Sacramento Area Commerce and Trade Organization and Sacramento City Charter Review Commission. He is also a past president and current member of the Sacramento Area UCLA Alumni.

Carr’s passion is board governance. He consults with boards large and small on improving board focus and subsequent organizational perfor¬mance. Currently, he is executive director of a business improvement district and an elected director of the Sacramento Municipal Utility District, one of the largest public utilities in the nation.

Julie Croner is a health care executive who specializes in developing service lines, strategic partnerships and new models of care. Most recently, she was the vice president for strategic planning and business develop­ment at Children's Hospital Los Angeles, with responsibility for building community partnerships and developing a regional network for pediatric health care.

Croner received both her bachelor and master of public health degrees from the School of Public Health at UCLA. She began pursuing her career in health services at the UCLA Neuropsychiatric Hospital. Years later, she returned as a planning consultant for the UCLA Department of Neurology. Her focus became service line management and developing centers of excellence within the academic health center. In this capacity, she became the director of the Center for Cancer and Blood Diseases at Childrens Hospital Los Angeles, responsible for operations, strategic planning, business development and financial management.

For more than 15 years, Croner has devoted her time and expertise to graduate students through the UCLA Internship and Mentor programs within the department.

Michael Johnson is the senior vice president of member services for Auto Club of Southern California, where he has worked since 2001. Prior to that, Johnson worked primarily in the financial services sector, spending 16 years with First Interstate Bank and Wells Fargo Bank, where he served as senior vice president of marketing, at Opal Concepts as director of marketing and products, and at Western Financial Bank as executive vice president of marketing and operations.

Johnson dedicates his time to several civic affiliations, including the United Way of Orange County, where he serves on the board of directors. He served as the Alumni Association’s Marketing Committee chair from 2006 to 2008. He is also a member of the Chancellor’s Associates. As a student, Johnson held several leadership positions, including president of his fraternity, Chancellor’s Marshall and co-director of the Orientation program.

Ness Okonkwo earned her bachelor’s degree in economics/international area studies from UCLA and an M.B.A. from Harvard Business School. Currently, Okonkwo is a vice president at Morgan Stanley Private Bank, where she provides banking and lending services for high net worth clients. Her previous professional experiences include positions in investment banking, com¬mercial mortgage-backed securities and leveraged finance.

Since graduating, Okonkwo has continued to give back to UCLA. She is a graduate of the UCLA Alumni Academy and, in addition to serving on the Alumni Association Board of Directors, she volunteers her time and expertise to Interview with a Bruin and the Dr. Ralph J. Bunche Freshman Scholarship Committee.

Martin Sklar graduated from UCLA in 1956. He majored in political science. He was editor of the Daily Bruin, a member of Zeta Beta Tau fraternity and served in student government.

After graduation, Sklar joined Disneyland and created Vacationland magazine to publicize and market Disney. In 1961, he joined the Walt Disney Imagineering team, developing industry-sponsored shows and pavilions for General Electric, Ford, Pepsi-Cola/UNICEF and the State of Illinois. He worked with American industry to develop and sponsor attractions for Disney parks and resorts worldwide. He became Imag­ineering vice president, EPCOT in Florida in 1974, vice president of cre­ative development in 1979, and then executive vice president in 1982. He served as president and vice chairman from 1987 to 1996. Then he was named executive vice president and Imagineering ambassador, leading the Imagineering creative staff in delivering breakthrough entertainment concepts for Disney parks and resorts.

In 2005, Sklar served as one of three float judges for the Pasadena Tournament of Roses Parade. He has been elected to two terms on the Anaheim City Board of Education and served as its president. Today, he is president of Ryman Arts, a foundation he co-founded 20 years ago with his wife, Leah, and four others, which has provided more than 2,500 scholarships to talented high school artists in Southern California.

Sklar was honored with the 2007 UCLA Award for Professional Achievement.

After graduating with a history degree, Alex Fay joined the office of Los Angeles City Councilmember Bill Rosendahl as a legislative and envi¬ronmental deputy. He was responsible for managing office online com-munications and serving as lead staff advisor for environmental policy with an emphasis on protecting the coastal ecology of Santa Monica Bay. In June 2009, Fay joined the Los Angeles mayor’s Office of Economic Development to work on the Clean Tech LA project and help establish Los Angeles as a leader in the research, production and deployment of environmentally friendly technologies.

While an undergraduate, Fay was an Alumni Scholar and received the Gold Shield Alumnae Scholarship. He has remained involved with UCLA as a member of the Order of the Golden Bruin, the School of Public Affairs Undergraduate Program, and as vice chair of the 2008-09 Alumni Academy. He is also an active member of the UCLA Downtown Committee.

After earning his degree in economics and Latino American studies, Plinio Garcia worked briefly for the Brazil-California Trade Associa¬tion. He next co-founded Chef Merito, Inc., a family-owned Hispanic specialty foods manufacturing firm based in Van Nuys, where he cur¬rently serves as president, CEO and director. Garcia is also a consultant for startup businesses.

As a student, Garcia was a member of Tau Kappa Epsilon fraternity and participated in the UCLA Studies Abroad Program to Sao Paulo, Brazil. As an alumnus, he was a co-founder of the UCLA Latino Alumni Asso¬ciation and Chef Merito Scholarship Fund. He continues to support the UCLA Latino Alumni Association. He has served on the UCLA Foundation Board of Counselors, Board of Governors and Board of Directors. In 2005, he received the UCLA Award for Community Service.

Plinio lives in Los Angeles and has two sons, Luke and Zachary.

After earning two UCLA degrees, Brian Maillian joined Salomon Brothers, and later became vice president of First Boston Corporation. He is founder and managing partner of Olympius Capital, L.P., specializing in hedge funds, real estate and private equity. He also is founder and chief executive officer of Whitestone Capital Group, Inc., where he specializes in global and private capital markets, and advising the U. S. government. He is managing director of Rideau Lyons & Co.

A mentor to the next generation of African American financial leaders, Maillian is active in the Sponsors for Educational Opportunities Program, which offers employment and mentoring opportunities on Wall Street to African American youth.

Maillian serves on the Board of Trustees of Continuum Health Partners, Inc. in New York. He has served on boards of the National Urban League, Toyota Financial Savings Bank, National Association of Securities Professionals, New York Urban League and Bay Area Urban League.

In 2008, Maillian was honored as a Distinguished Champion at the UCLA Academic Advancement Program’s 35th Anniversary Celebration. He received the Jackie Robinson Lifetime Achievement Award from the UCLA Black Alumni Association in 2007.

While earning her UCLA degree in sociology, Jennifer Poulakidas par­ticipated in various campus organizations including the Student Alumni Association, USAC and Mardi Gras Committee. After graduation, she earned a master’s degree in public affairs at the University of Texas at Austin.

After obtaining her master’s degree, Poulakidas became the legislative director for science and research issues for the University of California Office of Federal Government Relations in the Washington, D.C. During her 11 years with UC, she was engaged actively in the federal science and research advocacy community.

Currently, Poulakidas is vice president of the National Association of State Universities and Land-Grant Colleges (NASULGC) for Congres­sional and Governmental Affairs. She works closely with the leadership of NASULGC’s 215 member institutions to promote public higher education positions to Congress and the executive branch.

Poulakidas continues to give back to UCLA. She is a past president and current board member of the UCLA Club of Washington D.C., and she participates in the Bruin Caucus, Order of the Golden Bruin and Alumni Association events such as Dinners for 12 Strangers.

Aris Tagle has held management and leadership roles in marketing, business development, strategic planning and technology in the Internet, consumer products, telecom, financial and advertising industries. He is currently director of marketing planning and analysis at Guthy-Renker, a leading direct response marketing firm based in Santa Monica, Calif.

While at UCLA, Tagle was president of the UCLA Samahang Pilipino student advocacy group. After receiving his Bachelor of Science from UCLA in mechanical engineering, he earned an M.B.A. from Yale University School of Management.

An active community member, Tagle has served on multiple nonprofit boards and managed numerous special events, fundraisers and community service projects. He was chair of the UCLA Pilipino Alumni Association (PAA) and led many alumni mentoring, scholarship and career networking programs, including the annual PAA Scholarship Fundraising Benefit and Distinguished Alumni of the Year Awards, which he co-founded in 2000. He is a board member and past chair of FilAm ARTS, a nonprofit cultural arts organization that produces the annual Los Angeles Festival of Philippine Arts and Culture, and he was recently appointed to the UCLA PAA Community Advisory Board.

Tagle has also participated in the UCLA Anderson School Riordan Fellows Program, Yale M.B.A. Alumni Admissions Committee, Staples Center Foundation and ABC Unified School District Finance Advisory Committee in Cerritos, Calif.

Steve Chu graduated cum laude from UCLA with a bachelor’s degree in economics in 1981. He has been working in Asia for more than 20 years, since being posted to Hong Kong in 1987 by Diebold Incorporated to establish the company’s Asia Pacific operations. He has held senior executive positions with international IT and software companies specializing in the banking, telecom and healthcare industries.

Chu established some of the first ATM systems and financial transaction switches in Asia. Later, he deployed some of the first Internet banking systems and modern core banking systems in Asia. When he co-founded Asia’s first and largest private IP-VPN network across Asia, his career diversified into telecom services.

Chu currently devotes his time to developing healthcare IT systems to serve elderly and chronically ill patients. Additionally, he is a management consultant for promising start-up companies in Asia.

In addition to his professional endeavors, Chu serves as first vice president and past president of the UCLA Association of Singapore, an international UCLA alumni network. He currently resides in Singapore with his wife, son and dog. His daughter will be a UC Santa Cruz graduate in 2012.

Erin Griffin received her bachelor’s degree in economics from UCLA in 2002. She also earned an M.B.A. from Loyola Marymount University in 2009.

Currently, Griffin is the chief information officer (CIO) for the Screen Actors Guild, where she serves on the strategic senior management team and oversees technology-related operations.

Previously, Griffin served as vice president of information technology and chief information officer at Loyola Marymount University, where she transformed IT operations from an underperforming outsourced division to an award-winning technical support team. She worked in a similar capacity at St. John’s College and at the U.S. Naval Academy. She has lived and worked in Germany, Japan and Italy, serving in both diplomatic and professional roles with the U.S. Department of State and the U.S. Navy overseas.

Griffin’s key areas of expertise include global IT operations; aligning IT and business; uniting diverse stakeholders around a common goal; leveraging next-generation technology; and leading turnaround initiatives to accelerate growth, resolve business challenges and improve operational performance. In 2007, she was awarded both the CIO 100 Award and the CIO Decisions Leadership Award.

In addition to her service to the Alumni Association, Griffin is active on the boards of the UCLA Anderson School IS Associates and the Society for Information Management.

Joe Hilberman received his B.A. in political science from UCLA in 1970 and his juris doctorate from the UCLA School of Law in 1973. Since then, he has specialized in civil litigation and served as a Superior Court judge. He now serves as a mediator and arbitrator.

Hilberman has been a member of the American Board of Trial Advocates since 1990, serving as secretary from 2005 to 2008 and as a board member since 2008. He is a member of the Standing Committee on Professional Civility, which he chaired from 2005 to 2006, and he participates in the Institute for Civil Justice at the RAND Corporation.

From 2001 to 2009 Hilberman was a judge of the Los Angeles Superior Court. He was recognized as Jurist of the Year by ABOTA (2008) and as one of the Best Neutrals by the Los Angeles Daily Journal (2009) for his mediation and arbitration practice.

From 2005 to 2006, Hilberman was an adjunct professor at Loyola Law School and at UCLA School of Law in 2009. He has been a member of the UCLA School of Law Alumni Association since 1973, serving on the board since 2005 and as board president from 2009 to 2010. His articles have appeared in magazines published by the Consumer Attorneys Association of Los Angeles and the Association of Southern California Defense Counsel.

Steve Sauer received his B.A. from UCLA in 1974 and his J.D. from Southwestern University School of Law in 1977.

Founding partner and principal of MediaFour, Sauer is a successful personal manager, and packager and producer of motion pictures, television and live events. His management clientele, comprising actors, writers, directors and composers, are some of the biggest names in entertainment and include many winners of Academy Awards, Emmys, Golden Globes, Grammys and Kennedy Center Honors. One, Julie Andrews, was honored with The George and Ira Gershwin Award for Lifetime Achievement at Spring Sing 2009.

Sauer has always been active in the Los Angeles community, especially at UCLA. He was a board member from 1999 to 2002, chair of the Career Services, Membership & Benefits and Marketing committees, and originator in 1996 of Entertainment Night, which has enabled thousands of UCLA students to network and seek jobs in the entertainment industry. He is currently inaugural co-chair of the UCLA Bruin Woods Advisory Committee.

Sauer is the proud father of Jonathan, a senior at UCLA, and Molly, a sophomore at the University of Colorado, Boulder. He and his family are 16-year veterans of Bruin Woods and have hosted Dinners For 12 Strangers for the past 18 years. He is also a Chancellor’s Associate and loves everything UCLA. He lives in Westwood with his beagles Waldo and Wiley.

Christine Simmons graduated from UCLA with a bachelor’s degree in physiological science in 1998. Currently, she serves as vice president of strategic alliances for Magic Johnson Enterprises, identifying new partnership areas and business opportunities for all MJE business lines. Previously, she was manager of supplier diversity and sustainability at The Walt Disney Company.

Simmons is a member of the board of directors of the UCLA Black Alumni Association and holds a seat on the board of the Greater Los Angeles African American Chamber of Commerce. She is a member of the National Association of Female Executives and a founding board member of Endeavor College Prep Charter School. In 2003, BP awarded her a certificate of achievement for Contributions in Supplier Diversity.

At UCLA, Simmons is involved with the Academic Advancement Program Scholarship Council, Women & Philanthropy, Government Relations, Bruin Caucus and Bruins in Business. In 2008, DiversityPlus Magazine named her one of the Top 25 Women Impacting Diversity, and she was recently included in Who’s Who in Black Los Angeles.

Lori Pelliccioni’s career has taken her from the courthouse to the classroom. She received her juris doctorate in 1986 and worked as a litigation associate with Katten Muchin and Zavis. She moved on to the United States Attorney’s Office where she served as an assistant United States attorney prosecuting health care fraud cases. Since leaving government service, Pelliccioni has been a partner in PricewaterhouseCooper’s Health Care Practice, the chief compliance officer and acting general counsel for DaVita, Inc. and health care consultant and interim corporate counsel for Amgen, Inc. She currently serves as the acting general counsel and chief compliance officer for Simplex Healthcare, Inc.

At UCLA, Pelliccioni studied health law, examining regulatory compliance, health care fraud and abuse. She is currently an assistant professor in the School of Public Health.

Pelliccioni is the immediate past chair and the alumni regent designate of UC California for the UCLA Alumni Association Board of Directors, a member of the School of Public Health’s alumni board and a past president of the UCLA Health Policy and Management Alumni Association. She is also a member of the Delta Omega Society.

Sabrina Morsello is a fourth-year undergraduate student studying communications and statistics. She has been involved in the Student Alumni Association for three years and looks forward to further developing and diversifying SAA while serving as president this year. Morsello also serves on the Net Impact Undergrad Committee, which works to promote social responsibility and sustainability in business, and is spearheading Bruin Synergy, a campus unity group. Previously, she worked as a research assistant for the anthropology department.

Sabrina has interned as a financial analyst at Northrop Grumman Marine Systems in the San Francisco Bay Area for the past two summers, assisting with SAP implementation and supply chain management. This position sparked her interest in business management. In her future, she hopes to receive her M.B.A. and pursue a career in finance or trade marketing.

A fourth-year undergraduate studying psychobiology, Erin Tomiyama has been active in the Alumni Scholars Club for the past three years, serving as an alumni relations coordinator and alumni relations director. As president, she is responsible for internal planning by the executive board, oversight of long-term planning efforts and representing ASC at various Alumni Association meetings and events. This year, she will focus on developing the club and further integrating it with the Alumni Association.

On campus, Tomiyama has been involved in Bruin Belles Service Association, ALD & PES Honor Societies, and Colleges Against Cancer (Relay For Life Planning Committee). This year, she will also serve as president of UCLA’s Pre-Optometry Society and continue working for the Alumni Association as a web design/production assistant.

After graduation, Tomiyama hopes to earn her O. D. and pursue a career in optometry. She has a passion for community service and hopes to continue her involvement with UCLA as well.

Jasmine Hill is proud to be the president of the Undergraduate Students Association Council. She is a fourth-year communications studies major with a minor in theater.

Previously, Hill worked as the chief of staff for the USAC president's office and as retention coordinator for the Afrikan Student Union. Through these experiences, she has gained experience as an organizer and student advocate on such issues as educational access, affordability and campus climate. In addition she served on the Campus Retention Committee, funding and monitoring student-initiated, student-run retention programs at UCLA. Hill is a proud Bay Area native and UCLA enthusiast.

Robin Garrell is the vice provost for graduate education and dean of the graduate division at UCLA. She holds a biochemistry degree from Cornell and advanced degrees in macromolecular science and engineering from the University of Michigan. In 1991, she joined the faculty of the UCLA Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry. She was chair of the UCLA Academic Senate in 2009 and chair faculty of the College of Letters and Science from 2003 to 2007. She is PI/director of the UCLA NSF-IGERT materials creation training program and a member of the CNSI and biomedical engineering faculty. She is also a charter member of the NIH enabling bioanalytical and imaging technologies study section.

Garrell received the National Science Foundation Presidential Young Investigator Award, Herbert Newby McCoy Award for Outstanding Research at UCLA, Iota Sigma Pi Agnes Fay Morgan Award, Hanson-Dow Award for Teaching Excellence at UCLA, 2003 UCLA Distinguished Teaching Award and UCLA Gold Shield Faculty Prize in 2009. She is a fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science and an honorary fellow of the Society for Applied Spectroscopy.

Rhea Turteltaub was appointed Vice Chancellor, External Affairs at UCLA in March 2008.

As vice chancellor, Turtletaub oversees a diverse, yet integrated department comprising Development, Alumni Relations, University Communications & Public Affairs, Government & Community Relations and The UCLA Foundation.

Leading a team of nearly 500, Turtletaub is actively working with campus leadership on the preparations for the University's 100th anniversary celebration which include plans for a Centennial Campaign.

Turtletaub previously served as associate vice chancellor for Development with management responsibility for one of the most successful development programs of its kind. The campus has averaged more than $400 million in annual private support during the past three years.

Campaign UCLA, completed in 2005, generated a record-setting $3.052 billion.

Turtletaub began her UCLA career in the Office of Planned and Major Gifts. During the last 28 years, she served in varying capacities in annual giving, major gifts, planned giving, research, alumni and donor relations, regional development and campaign planning.

Prior to arriving at UCLA, Turtletaub held leadership positions at Otis College of Art and Design and The University of Chicago, as well as campaign positions at the University of California, Berkeley, and Trinity College in Hartford, Connecticut, where she also earned her bachelor’s degree in political science.

Turtletaub resides in Encino, California, with her husband, Adam, and their two young sons.

Dr. Gene Block became chancellor of UCLA in August 2007. As chief executive officer, he oversees all aspects of the university’s three-part mis­sion of education, research and service.

A biologist, Block holds UCLA faculty appointments in the David Gef­fen School of Medicine and the College of Letters and Science. He also leads a research lab funded by the National Institutes of Health (NIH).

Block previously served as vice president and provost of the University of Virginia. There, he headed an NIH graduate training program designed to increase the number of scientists from under­represented groups. He also received the Commonwealth of Virginia’s Outstanding Public Service Award for his work with Virginia’s business community.

A native of Monticello, N.Y., Block holds a bachelor’s degree in psychol­ogy from Stanford University and a master’s and Ph.D. in psychology from the University of Oregon. He is a fellow of the American Associa­tion for the Advancement of Science.

The inventor of a number of devices, Block holds a patent for a non-contact respiratory monitor to prevent Sudden Infant Death Syndrome.