Vice-Chair, Board Members Elected to Scholarship America's Board of Trustees

MINNEAPOLIS, Sept. 22, 2014 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Scholarship America^®, the nation's leading nonprofit scholarship and educational support organization, is pleased to announce that Robert Ballard has been elected to serve as vice-chair, and Dr. Sandy Robinson and William Young have been elected to serve as members, of Scholarship America's Board of Trustees.  

Robert C. Ballard, a member of Scholarship America's Board of Trustees since 2012, is Senior Vice President, Philanthropy, for USA Funds, directing the organization's philanthropic activities, which focus on postsecondary education completion. Ballard has 30 years of experience with programs that help families prepare, pay for and succeed in higher education. Prior to joining USA Funds in 2008, Ballard held a variety of positions with student loan provider Sallie Mae and with USA Group, USA Funds' former parent company. Additionally, Ballard is a retired U.S. Navy commander, serving as a commissioned officer first in active duty and then in the reserves. He holds a bachelor's degree from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute and a master's degree from the University of Rochester. Following his term as vice-chair, Ballard will ascend as chair of the board on January 1, 2016.

Dr. Sandy L. Robinson has over 25 years of experience in Higher Education. She joined Florida State College at Jacksonville in 2014, where she serves as Interim Executive Director, Nassau Center; and President Elect, North Campus. Immediately prior, Robinson was Vice President, Academic Affairs at Cuyahoga Community College in Cleveland, Ohio. She holds a bachelor's degree from Ohio State University, a Master of Education from Cleveland State University, and a Ph.D. in Higher Education Administration from Kent State University.

William "Bill" Young is the President, Chief Executive Officer and Chairman of Plastipak Holdings, Inc. and Absopure Water Co. Young graduated from the University of Detroit in 1964 with a degree in Electrical Engineering and later attended the Detroit College of Law. Following graduation, Young worked for Ford Motor Company for four years, before joining the family business in the packaging and bottled water industry. Young is very active in the community, serving as President of Detroit Regional Dollars for Scholars, an affiliate of Scholarship America. He also sits on the Board of Trustees at the University of Detroit Mercy and is a member of the Board of Directors of Business Leaders for Michigan.

"We are grateful to Bob for the significant time and effort he has put forth and the counsel he has provided to Scholarship America during his tenure on the board. Bob brings decades of experience and a passionate commitment to education, and we are fortunate to have him with us in this capacity," said Lauren Segal, President & CEO, Scholarship America.

"Sandy and Bill bring additional depth and experience to our board, and we look forward to their support, guidance and leadership," she added.

About Scholarship America
Scholarship America mobilizes support for students getting into and graduating from college. Since 1958, Scholarship America has distributed more than $3.1 billion in scholarship assistance to more than 2 million students, funding both entry-level and multi-year scholarships and emergency financial grants. More information is available at www.scholarshipamerica.org.

SOURCE Scholarship America