Fortune 500 Corporate Directors Named NACD Fellows

WASHINGTON, April 23, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- The National Association of Corporate Directors (NACD) announced the highest level of director credentialing—NACD Fellowship—for 303 corporate directors and corporate governance professionals. NACD Fellows have demonstrated their commitment to promoting the highest standards of leadership in the boardroom through an extensive director training program.

NACD's Fellows serve on boards of some of the largest and most diverse corporations in the world, including NASDAQ OMX and NYSE-listed companies such as: Advance Auto Parts, Aetna, AstraZeneca, Ball Corp., AmeriGas Partners, Blackbaud, Broadridge Financial Services, Carpenter Technology Corp., CoBiz Financial, Cummins, CVS Caremark, Dell, The Dow Chemical Company, HealthSouth, Horizon Lines, INVESCO Ltd, JetBlue, Liquidity Services, Medtronic, Microfinancial, Nabors Industries, Nash Finch, PICO Holdings, PPG Industries, Sahale Snacks, Sonus Networks, Tiffany, Umpqua Bank, Union Pacific, UnitedHealth Group, Winn-Dixie, Zebra Technologies and Zynex. 

NACD's Fellowship Program is a comprehensive program of study developed exclusively for corporate directors who wish to remain aware of and knowledgeable about leading boardroom practices and trends that shape today's corporate governance environment. Candidates for NACD's Fellowship Program begin their program by completing a strong foundation course, which focuses on topical matters and committee-specific issues, followed by additional NACD education within a 12-month period. NACD Fellows maintain and advance their knowledge with continuous learning and peer-led collaboration and skill-specific learning opportunities, renewing their status every year.

"NACD's credentialing and Fellowship programs provide an additional measure of reassurance for institutional investors and shareholders alike, further ensuring that boardroom responsibilities are in the hands of directors who are committed to excellence," said Ken Daly, president and CEO of NACD. "I am pleased to recognize these corporate directors and governance professionals as NACD Fellows—leaders dedicated to staying ahead of the curve of current and emerging issues shaping the boardroom."

Institutional investors and financial services firms such as American Century, Bank of New York Mellon, BlackRock, Citigroup, Dodge & Cox, Fidelity, Fischer Investments, Franklin Resources, Janus Capital, Mackenzie Financial Corporation, Massachusetts Financial Services Company, Northern Trust, Oppenheimer Funds, Putnam Investment Management, State Street Capital, T. Rowe Price and Vanguard, rely upon NACD Fellows to represent their long-term interests in the boardroom.

"It is essential that corporate directors remain savvy about current and emerging issues that define our challenging corporate and economic environment," said Virginia Gambale, director, JetBlue, who is an NACD Board Leadership Fellow. "As an NACD Board Leadership Fellow, my peers, company shareholders, and institutional investors can remain confident I am dedicated to and continually engaged with the leading practices and highest standards in corporate governance."

There are 82 NACD Board Leadership Fellows and 221 NACD Governance Fellows. They represent hundreds of companies and provide a snapshot of the caliber of corporate directors engaged in continuous learning with NACD—the leading organization that identifies, interprets and provides insights and information that boardroom leaders rely upon to apply their wisdom and knowledge and make sound strategic decisions.

For information about the NACD Board Leadership Fellowship program, visit www.NACDonline.org/Fellowships.

Directors who are interested in becoming an NACD Board Leadership Fellow can contact NACD at 202-572-2088 or email [email protected].

Among hundreds more, NACD Fellows include:

• John F. Bergstrom, director, Advance Auto Parts
• Charles M. Elson, director, HealthSouth
• Virginia Gambale, director, JetBlue
• Barbara Hackman Franklin, director, The Dow Chemical Company and Aetna
• Jon F. Hanson, chairman, HealthSouth
• Michele J. Hooper, director, United Health Group, PPG Industries and AstraZeneca
• William H. Joyce, director, CVS Caremark
• Reatha Clark King, former director, Exxon Mobile
• Richard H. Koppes, director, NutraCea
• Alex J. Mandl, director, Dell and Horizon Lines
• Michael R. McCarthy, director, Union Pacific and Cabela's
• Georgia R. Nelson, director, Cummins and Ball Corporation
• Robert C. Pozen, director, Medtronic
• Diane Pratt, director, AARP
• J. Thomas Presby, director, Tiffany, INVESCO Ltd, First Solar and World Fuel Services
• Myron M. Sheinfeld, director, Nabors Industries
• Henry H. Hugh Shelton, chairman, RedHat and director, L-3 Communications
• Michael A. Smith, chairman, Zebra Technologies
• Michael J. Smith, Recreation Equipment, Inc.

About NACD

The National Association of Corporate Directors (NACD) is the only membership organization focused exclusively on advancing exemplary board leadership.  Based on 35 years of experience, NACD identifies, interprets and provides insights and information that corporate board members rely upon to apply their wisdom and knowledge to make sound strategic decisions and confidently confront complex business challenges and enhance shareowner value. With more than 11,500 corporate director members, NACD provides world-class director education, director training and proprietary research about leading boardroom and corporate governance practices to promote director professionalism and bolster investor confidence.  Furthermore, to create more effective and efficient boards, NACD provides corporate boards and their directors independent board evaluations and custom-tailored in-boardroom education and training programs, as well as director-led conferences, forums and peer-exchange learning opportunities to share ideas about current and emerging issues. Fostering collaboration among directors and governance stakeholders, NACD is shaping the future of board leadership. To learn more about NACD, visit www.NACDonline.org. To join, please contact Kelly Dodd at [email protected] or 202-380-1891.

Contact:

Henry Stoever, Chief Marketing Officer,
National Association of Corporate Directors
202-775-0509

SOURCE National Association of Corporate Directors