College of Santa Fe Names Board of Directors

SANTA FE, N.M., March 8 /PRNewswire/ -- The College of Santa Fe today announced that it has named nine leaders in education, art and public policy to serve as members of its board of directors.  

Paula R. Singer is president and chief executive officer of Laureate Higher Education Group. Ms. Singer leads Laureate's U.S. campus-based and online higher education businesses, serves as chair and CEO of Walden University and oversees development and marketing of the company's distance-learning offerings and partnerships around the world. She also leads Laureate's international Network Products and Services Group, which leverages the programs, services and local brands of the more than 50 institutions in the Laureate International Universities network. She earned her B.S. in education from the University of Connecticut. Ms. Singer will serve as chair of the board of directors.

Thomas Aageson is the executive director of the Museum of New Mexico Foundation in Santa Fe, New Mexico, a nonprofit organization that provides private support to New Mexico's four museums, Office of Archaeology and six state monuments. He is the co-founder and chair of the Global Center for Cultural Entrepreneurship. Mr. Aageson has worked with the UNESCO Division of Cultural Expressions and Creative Industries. He chaired the formation of Creative Santa Fe, the Santa Fe Cultural Leaders group that led economic development planning for Santa Fe's arts and cultural industries, and co-founded the Santa Fe International Folk Art Market. Mr. Aageson earned his A.B. from Marquette University, his B.F.T. from the Thunderbird Graduate School of International Management and his M.B.A. from Columbia University.

Penny Brown is the executive director of the Illinois Judges Foundation.  Ms. Brown was a litigation partner with Much Shelist for more than 15 years.  She also served as arbitrator for the Cook County Mandatory Arbitration Program and as assistant state attorney in Lake County, Illinois.  Ms. Brown has taught law at Chicago-Kent College of Law and at Western Michigan University. She is the former chairman of the board of Kendall College and a board member of the Arts and Business Council of Chicago, an organization that links the arts and business communities in Chicago.  

William G. Durden has served as president of Dickinson College since 1999. Under his guidance, Dickinson College has garnered enhanced national recognition for its excellence as a leading liberal arts college. He was previously president of the Sylvan Academy of Sylvan Learning Systems, Inc. and was director of the Center for Talented Youth at The Johns Hopkins University. Dr. Durden also served as senior education consultant to the U.S. Department of State, chairing its advisory committee on Exceptional Children and Youth. He has published on a wide range of topics, including the value of a liberal arts education, gifted and talented education, leadership and educational policy. Dr. Durden earned his B.A. from Dickinson College and his M.A. and Ph.D. from The Johns Hopkins University. He also studied at the University of Basel, Switzerland, as a Fulbright Scholar.

Susan J. Fairbairn is president of Nasus Group, Inc. and executive director and vice president of HMJ Enterprises, Inc. Both companies own and operate Sylvan Learning Center franchises in San Antonio, Texas and in Albuquerque and Santa Fe, New Mexico. Ms. Fairbairn has served on the board of directors of the Sylvan Franchise Owners Association and was its president for more than two years. She currently is a member of the Franchisee Forum for the International Franchise Association, and is a trustee and vice president of investments for the Edward T. Malloy Charitable Foundation. Ms. Fairbairn is a graduate of Southern Methodist University.  

Rick Patro is chief financial officer and chief operating officer for Laureate Higher Education Group. Throughout his more than 14-year tenure with Laureate Education, Mr. Patro's financial oversight and organizational management has guided the successful growth of Walden University, Kendall College, the NewSchool of Architecture and Design, Canter Education and Laureate's partnership with the University of Liverpool. Previously, Mr. Patro served as a manager at Ernst and Young, where he provided audit, tax and consulting services for privately owned and emerging businesses. Mr. Patro is a member of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants. He earned his B.S. at Loyola College.

Dr. Estevan Rael-Galvez is the executive director of the National Hispanic Cultural Center in Albuquerque, New Mexico. He formerly served as the State Historian of New Mexico and as the chairman of the Cultural Properties Review Committee, the policy commission for statewide historic preservation programs. Dr. Rael-Galvez attended the University of California at Berkeley where he earned his B.A. in English literature and ethnic studies. He went on to receive his M.A. and Ph.D. in American cultures at the University of Michigan at Ann Arbor.  

Debra Rubino previously served as vice president for communications at Goucher College and as an associate vice president and a director of institutional communications at the Maryland Institute College of Art (MICA). During her tenure at MICA, she was one of six individuals from different colleges and universities who worked to launch the Baltimore Collegetown Network, a consortium of 15 institutions from the region. After the Baltimore Collegetown Network established itself as a 501(c)(3), Ms. Rubino served as the governing board's president for five years. An active professional artist, Ms. Rubino also works as a photographer and printmaker. She serves on the board of the Greater Baltimore Cultural Alliance and Art on Purpose. She earned her B.A. from Franklin and Marshall College and her M.F.A. from MICA.

Susan Steinhauser is a lawyer and president of the Board of Trustees of the Los Angeles County Law Library. Previously, she served as president of the Los Angeles City Fire and Police Pension System Board, having been appointed to the role by former Mayor Tom Bradley. Ms. Steinhauser was appointed by California State Senator Dede Alpert to participate in development of that state's master plan for education from kindergarten through university. Ms. Steinhauser was appointed by the Senate pro tem to the Library of California Board (previously the California Library Services Board) in 1996 and served until 2008 when she was appointed to the California Arts Council where she currently co-chairs the Strategic Planning Committee. She chaired the Getty Museum Photographs Council, is on the Board of Overseers of the Hammer Museum and has served on both the Public Programs Committee of the Los Angeles County Museum of Art and the California State Superintendent's Task Force on Arts Education. Ms. Steinhauser has served on the Santa Fe Community College Foundation Board in New Mexico and as a trustee of the Pilchuck Glass School in Seattle, the nation's leading education institution for artists working in glass. Ms. Steinhauser is a summa cum laude graduate of UCLA and received her law degree from Loyola Law School.

ABOUT THE COLLEGE OF SANTA FE

The College of Santa Fe is located in Santa Fe, N. M. Programs at the 150-year old college combine practical experience with core theory, empowering students to develop a thorough understanding of their professional aspirations in creative writing, theater, art, graphic design, moving image arts (filmmaking), photography, business and education. This approach, a key part of the college's interdisciplinary curriculum, helps students become well-rounded, creative problem-solving professionals. The location of the college allows students to pursue their education in an environment where art is central to the community. The College of Santa Fe is a member of Laureate International Universities, a worldwide network of online and campus-based institutions that emphasize quality higher education that is innovative, international and connected to the demands of a global marketplace. For more information about the College of Santa Fe, visit www.csf.edu.

SOURCE The College of Santa Fe