University of North Carolina Board of Governors Elects McGuireWoods Partner John Fennebresque as Chairman

CHAPEL HILL, N.C., June 20, 2014 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- John Fennebresque, a Charlotte-based lawyer at McGuireWoods LLP and University of North Carolina alumnus, on Friday was elected chairman of the UNC Board of Governors, the policymaking body of the 17-campus statewide university system.

A member of the board since 2011, Fennebresque begins his new term on July 1, succeeding Peter D. Hans. The Board of Governors plans, develops and governs all affairs of the state's public university system, including determining the functions, educational activities and academic programs of each campus. As its chairman, Fennebresque will play an important leadership role in system-level policymaking and governance. He currently chairs of the board's Personnel and Tenure Committee and also serves on its Public Affairs Committee.

"The news that John Fennebresque has been elected as chairman of the UNC Board of Governors is the best news to come out of Raleigh in several years. John is smart, capable, tireless, tenacious and – most important – a champion of higher education," said Hugh McColl of Charlotte, the former chairman and CEO of Bank of America and a 1957 UNC-Chapel Hill graduate. "His leadership will be of great benefit to the citizens of the state of North Carolina. We are lucky for him to be willing to take this post."

Fennebresque is a vice chairman of McGuireWoods, an international law firm with North Carolina offices in Charlotte, Raleigh and Wilmington. He is a member of the firm's Board of Partners and its Executive Committee.

"John's partners are incredibly proud of him and happy for the University of North Carolina system. No one loves the UNC system – all 17 of its campuses – more than he does. John Fennebresque will do a fine job," said Richard Cullen, chairman of McGuireWoods.

Fennebresque's law practice concentrates in areas of banking, finance and corporate law. His clients include major banks, and he counsels public companies, corporate boards of directors, board committees and executive officers on issues of strategic and corporate governance matters. He has been included in "The Best Lawyers in America" for banking and finance law by Woodward/White Inc. since 2009.

A Long Islander from Oyster Bay, New York, Fennebresque attended the Choate preparatory school in Wallingford, Connecticut, before enrolling in UNC-Chapel Hill and earning his Bachelor of Arts in 1970. He earned his law degree in 1973 from Vanderbilt University, where he was editor of the Vanderbilt Law Review.

UNC is the nation's oldest public university. The UNC Board of Governors sets policy for all 16 of North Carolina's public institutions with four-year degree programs – a system that enrolls more than 220,000 students – in addition to the North Carolina School of Science and Mathematics, America's first residential high school for gifted students. UNC campuses include two medical schools and one teaching hospital, two law schools, a veterinary school, a school of pharmacy, 11 nursing programs, 15 schools of education, three schools of engineering, and a specialized school for performing artists. The UNC Center for Public Television, with its 11-station statewide broadcast network, is also under the university umbrella.

McGuireWoods LLP is a full-service law firm with more than 900 lawyers in 20 offices worldwide. The Raleigh office is at 434 Fayetteville St., the Charlotte office is at 201 North Tryon St., and the Wilmington office is at 300 North Third St. For more information, visit www.mcguirewoods.com.

SOURCE McGuireWoods Consulting