Meeting of the Board of Regents | December 2008

SUMMARY

Issue for Consent Agenda

Appointment of Bernard F. Conners to the Board of the Archives Partnership Trust

Reason(s) for Consideration

              Required by State Statute.

Proposed Handling

The appointment will come before the Cultural Education Committee on December 15, 2008.  I recommend approval by the Full Board on December 16, 2008.

Procedural History

              The New York State Archives Partnership Trust Act (Chapter 758 of the Laws of 1992, as amended) gives the Board of Regents four (4) appointments to the Trust Board.  The other Regents appointments are:  Ms. Barbara A. Brinkley, Dr. Ann L. Buttenwieser, and Mr. Harold Holzer.

              Mr. Conners is proposed to fill a vacancy resulting from the death of Regents’ appointee, Dr. John Jay Iselin.

Background Information

The Archives Partnership Trust is a 501(c)(3), public benefit corporation for the sole benefit of the New York State Archives.  The Trust provides private funds, services and support to sustain the excellence of the State Archives, particularly in the areas of education, public programs and preservation to ensure that one of New York’s most valuable cultural assets is available for future generations.  The Trust is governed by a Board of leading citizens, appointed by the Governor, Legislature and the Board of Regents.  It is requested that the Regents appoint Bernard Conners to fill a three-year term left vacant by the death of Dr. John Jay Iselin.  The term began on October 23, 2007 and will end on October 22, 2010.

              Bernard F. Conners is a best selling novelist whose works include Dance Hall and  Don’t Embarrass the Bureau.  He is the former publisher of The Paris Review Editions which he founded in 1987 with George Plimpton.  Mr. Conners also owns British American, a multi-faceted firm whose enterprises have included real estate development, film and television production, publishing, and the manufacture and sale of soft drinks.  Mr. Conners has received literary, civic and publishing awards and has made hundreds of appearances on most major television and radio networks including the BBC, CNN and the Today Show.  His novels have been translated and published in many foreign countries including France, England, Denmark, Sweden, Italy and Germany. 

Bernard Conners has served on many boards, including the Olympic Regional Development Authority, the Nelson A. Rockefeller Empire State Plaza Council, the Albany Institute of History and Art, the Marine Midland Bank, and the 825 Fifth Avenue Corporation.  As a member of the State University of New York Board of Trustees, he helped govern the nation’s largest system of higher education.  Prior to his writing and business career, Mr. Conners was an FBI Agent, in charge of the night operations of the Chicago and New York Divisions, receiving personal citations from J. Edgar Hoover for valor and Bureau accomplishments.   Mr. Conners resides with his wife Kate in Lake Placid, NY, Loudonville, NY and New York City.

Recommendation

The Regents should approve the appointment of Bernard F. Conners to the Board of the Archives Partnership Trust to fill the unexpired term of Dr. John Jay Iselin commencing December 16, 2008.

Timetable for Implementation

Immediate.