UM PRESIDENT DONNA SHALALA NAMED TO U.S. SOCCER'S BOARD OF DIRECTORS
July 17, 2008
Coral Gables, FLA (www.hurricanesports.com) — – U.S. Soccer’s National Council has unanimously approved the addition of Donna E. Shalala to the Board of Directors as the third and final Independent Director. Shalala has been the President of the University of Miami for more than seven years, and overall has more than 25 years of experience as an accomplished scholar, teacher, and administrator.
“I am delighted to be joining the Board during such an exciting time for U.S. Soccer,” Shalala said. “I have watched soccer grow in this country into a magnificent opportunity for our young people to participate at every level.”
Prior to her appointment as the President of the University of Miami, Shalala served as the U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) under President Clinton for eight years, becoming the longest serving HHS Secretary in U.S. history. The Washington Post described her as “one of the most successful government managers of modern times.”
During her time as HHS Secretary, Shalala directed the welfare reform process, made health insurance available to an estimated 3.3 million children through the approval of all State Children’s Health Insurance Programs (SCHIP), led major reforms of the FDA’s drug approval process and food safety system, raised child immunization rates to the highest levels in history, revitalized the National Institutes of Health and directed a major management and policy reform of Medicare. She also worked with the U.S. Women’s National Team on a successful public health (anti-tobacco) campaign.
Shalala has also held tenured professorships at Columbia University, the City University of New York (CUNY) and the University of Wisconsin-Madison. She served as President of Hunter College of the City University of New York from 1980 to 1987 and as Chancellor of the University of Wisconsin-Madison from 1987 to 1993.
At the University of Wisconsin-Madison, Shalala successfully strengthened undergraduate education and the University’s research facilities. She also spearheaded the largest fundraising drive in Wisconsin’s history, and in 1992, Business Week named her one of the top five managers in higher education.
From 1977-80, Shalala served in the Carter administration as Assistant Secretary for Public Development and Research at the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development.
Born in Cleveland, Ohio, Shalala received her A.B. degree in history from Western College for Women and her Ph.D. degree from The Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs at Syracuse University. After graduating from Western College for Women, Shalala became of one the country’s first Peace Corp Volunteers, serving in Iran from 1962 to 1964.
U.S. Soccer’s National Council previously approved the addition of longtime Goldman Sachs Group partner, Carlos Cordeiro, and California Speaker Fabian Núñez as Independent Directors in 2007. The three Independent Director positions were created at U.S. Soccer’s 2006 Annual General Meeting when the organization’s Board of Directors was reduced from 40 to 15.
