USM Regents Elect 2005-06 Officers

David Nevins elected chair; Robert Pevenstein, vice chair

PRINCESS ANNE, Md. (June 22, 2005) - The University System of Maryland (USM) Board of Regents elected David H. Nevins chair at its annual meeting today at the University of Maryland Eastern Shore. Nevins is the founder and president of Nevins & Associates, a Hunt Valley-based marketing and public affairs firm.

The 17-member board also elected Robert L. Pevenstein vice chair. Pevenstein is president of Princeville Partners LLC, a mergers & acquisitions and business consulting firm in Timonium.

Following is information on each of the six officers elected today.

David Nevins, Chair

Founder and president of Nevins & Associates, Nevins in 2004-05 served as vice chair of the USM Board of Regents and chair of the board's Committee on Finance. He also is a member of the boards of the University of Maryland Medical System, Baltimore County Chamber of Commerce, and Villa Julie College. In addition, he has chaired Maryland Public Television and served as regional president of the Jewish National Fund. Nevins earned his undergraduate degree in business administration from Towson University and his master's in higher education administration from The Johns Hopkins University. A Baltimore County resident, Nevins was first appointed to the USM Board of Regents in 1999 and reappointed in 2004.

Robert L. Pevenstein, Vice Chair

Appointed to the USM board in 2003, Pevenstein was secretary of the board in 2004-05. He earned his bachelor's degree in business administration from the University of Maryland, College Park (UMCP) and his MBA from Pepperdine University. Prior to starting Princeville Partners in 1998, Pevenstein was senior vice president and chief financial office of UNC Inc., an aviation services firm in Annapolis. A Baltimore County resident, Pevenstein has served as an adjunct assistant professor of accounting at University of Maryland University College and is a member of the University of Maryland Cornerstone Club.

Robert L. Mitchell, Secretary

Appointed to the board in 2003, Mitchell is chairman and CEO of Mitchell & Best Homebuilders LLC in Bethesda. The Montgomery County resident has served as president of the Maryland State Builders Association and of the National Association of Home Builders. Mitchell received his undergraduate degree in civil engineering from UMCP and has served as president of the Maryland Terrapin Club.

Nina Rodale Houghton, re-elected Assistant Secretary

A resident of Queen Anne's County, Houghton is chair of the Wye Institute and a trustee of the Aspen Institute. She is a former member of the Boards of Visitors of UMCP and the Johns Hopkins School of Medicine. She also has served on the Board of Trustees of Goucher College, her alma mater. Houghton has been a member of the USM Board of Regents since 1999.

Orlan Johnson, re-elected Treasurer

Johnson is Of Counsel with the law firm of Milbank, Tweed, Hadley & McCloy, where he co-heads the energy regulatory practice in the firm's Washington, DC, office. The Prince George's County resident also is an adjunct professor at Howard University School of Law. Johnson is a former branch chief in the Office of Public Utility Regulation, Division of Investment Management, within the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. He is president of the Prince George's Community College Foundation and a former member of the college's Board of Trustees. He is a graduate of Andrews University and Howard University School of Law and was appointed to the USM Board of Regents in 2002.

Patricia Florestano, re-elected Assistant Treasurer

A member of the USM Board of Regents since 2001, Florestano served as the State of Maryland's secretary of higher education from 1995 to 2000. Her previous positions include professor of government at the University of Baltimore, vice chancellor for governmental relations at the University System of Maryland, and director of the Institute for Governmental Service at UMCP. An Anne Arundel County resident, Florestano earned her bachelor's, master's, and doctoral degrees from UMCP.

The new officers will serve from July 1, 2005 through June 30, 2006.

The Board of Regents of the University System of Maryland is the governing body of the 13-institution university system. Its members are appointed by the Governor of Maryland to serve five-year terms, except the student regent whose term is one year and the state's secretary of agriculture who is an ex officio member.

To learn more about the Board of Regents, please visit: /usm/regents/

Contact: Anne Moultrie

301.445.2722
E-mail: amoultrie@usmd.edu