After a combined 50 years of service, six members of the UO Foundation Board of Trustees are stepping down.
The board honored the six and thanked them for their years of service at a meeting earlier this month. All have served the foundation and the university in different ways through their time, leadership and expertise.
Established in 1922, the UO Foundation is a nonprofit corporation entrusted with approximately $1 billion in assets. Though separate from the university, its mission is to manage, invest and disperse thousands of private gifts to the UO.
The retiring members are Scott Andrews, Steve Holwerda, Amy Kari, Susie Papé, Dwayne Richardson and Chris Smith. Their past roles and contributions include:
Scott Andrews, Bachelor of Science, 1974
Trustee: 2009–2017
In addition to his leadership with the UO Foundation, Andrews has served the university as a member of the College of Arts and Sciences Board of Advisors and chair of the UO Portland Council. Andrews and his wife, Linda Mark Andrews, who received a bachelor’s degree from the UO in 1974, support deans’ funds for the School of Architecture and Allied Arts, Charles H. Lundquist College of Business and College of Arts and Sciences. These flexible funds enable deans to allocate financial resources quickly and effectively.
Steve Holwerda, Master of Business Administration, 1991Trustee: 2007–2017
Board Chair: 2014–16
Active in his hometown of Portland, Holwerda is trustee and past chair of the Boys and Girls Club of Portland. He and his wife, Kasey Holwerda, who earned a UO bachelor’s degree in 1986 and a law degree in 1989, support the Department of Intercollegiate Athletics and the Charles H. Lundquist College of Business. Steve Holwerda’s gift toward the recent renovation of the Erb Memorial Union named the student government suite as a surprise for Kasey, honoring her work with the ASUO while she was a student. He is also a trustee of the Portland Art Museum and president of Elevate Oregon.
Amy Kari, Bachelor of Arts, 1982
Trustee: 2009–2017
An art history major and a graduate of the Robert Donald Clark Honors College, Kari went on to work as a Title I math specialist. Her experience as an educator has made her a valuable asset to the university. A tireless UO volunteer, Kari serves on the advisory councils of the Clark Honors College and College of Education. She is a member of the alumni recruiting team and a former member of the Seattle regional council. Amy and her husband, Ross Kari, support the Clark Honors College, Charles H. Lundquist College of Business and PathwayOregon.
Susie Papé, Bachelor of Science, 1972
Trustee: 2009–2017
Papé supports many areas on campus including the Charles H. Lundquist College of Business, the Jordon Schnitzer Museum of Art and the President’s Fund. She is a former member of the Jordan Schnitzer Museum of Art Board of Directors. Papé is most passionate about Oregon athletics. In addition to her extraordinary financial support, she has opened her home and lent her resources to Ducks coaches and athletes. It is because of this significant dedication that Penny and Phil Knight, a 1959 graduate, named Papé Field in honor of her and her late husband, Randy Papé.
Dwayne Richardson, Bachelor of Science, 1983
Trustee: 2009–2017
Richardson attended UO football games with his father, also a Duck, since the late 1960s, missing only a handful of games in the last 40 years. Prior to his retirement from PricewaterhouseCoopers in 2015, Richardson oversaw UO student recruiting for the firm. He is also passionate about the firm’s scholarship program and helped raise funds for the awards from fellow employees. He and his wife, Merritt Richardson, support the Department of Intercollegiate Athletics, Charles H. Lundquist College of Business and the Helen Gernon Accounting Faculty Endowment Fund.
Chris Smith, Bachelor of Architecture, 1971
Trustee: 2009–2017
In addition to his work with the foundation, Smith served on the Jordan Schnitzer Museum of Art leadership council and chaired its development committee. He and his wife, Christine Smith, provide scholarship awards to students from Rapa Nui, also known as Easter Island, who are enrolled at the UO. They also support their love of art on the UO campus by giving generously to the museum, including the Pressman Fund, which helps the museum acquire and exhibit Pacific Northwest art.