The Wayne State University Board of Governors elected Sandra Hughes O’Brien and David A. Nicholson to one-year terms as the board's chair and vice chair, respectively, at its Jan. 27 meeting.
O’Brien’s eight-year term as governor runs through 2020, and Nicholson’s eight-year term runs through 2018.
O’Brien is an attorney currently working as the deputy county clerk and register of deeds in Oakland County. She is an active member of the Michigan Bar and several professional organizations and speaks frequently on the topic of women and minorities in law careers. She also is a frequent speaker and panelist at conferences related to education, empowerment and inclusion, and serves on numerous community boards and committees.
O’Brien is a graduate of the Detroit College of Law at Michigan State University and received her undergraduate degree from Grand Valley State University.
Nicholson is chief executive officer of PVS Chemical’s Manufacturing Group. Prior to joining PVS, Nicholson’s career included working as a commercial banker with LaSalle Bank, finance manager for E&J Gallo Winery, and as an associate with Ryan Enterprises, a Chicago private equity firm. He serves on the boards of Graycor Inc., Kids Kicking Cancer, University of Michigan Children’s Hospital Congenital Heart Center and the Legacy DMC Board. He is also a trustee of the University Liggett School in Grosse Pointe Woods.
Nicholson obtained a bachelor’s from the University of Wisconsin-Madison and an M.B.A. from the University of Chicago Graduate School of Business.
William Decatur and Julie H. Miller both were elected to one-year terms as 2017 board officers.
Decatur, re-elected treasurer of the board, has been an administrative officer to the Board of Governors since 2015. He is vice president for finance and business operations, treasurer, and chief financial officer at Wayne State University.
Miller was re-elected secretary to the board. She has been an administrative officer to the Board of Governors since 2001. Miller also is vice president and secretary of the university.
Wayne State University's Board of Governors is one of three university governing bodies in Michigan (along with the University of Michigan and Michigan State University) that has constitutional independence. Its members, who serve eight-year terms, are elected by voters throughout Michigan.
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Wayne State University is a premier urban research institution offering nearly 350 academic programs through 13 schools and colleges to more than 27,000 students.