Tag Archives: Board of Trustees

Apr 10 2013

Board of Trustee Election Starts Today!!!! Vote!!


Voting begins today in the contentious election for three alumni seats on Penn State’s Board of Trustees. The trustees race once generated little interest in the general public, let alone the 560,000 Penn State alumni across the country. But that changed last year following scrutiny on the actions of university leaders in the aftermath of retired assistant football coach Jerry Sandusky’s arrest in November 2011 on child sex abuse charges. Any of the university’s 560,000 alumni can vote, though they must first contact the Board of Trustees office. Voters can cast ballots online or through the mail. Voting ends May 2, with results to be announced the following day at the trustees meeting

If you did not get your ballot, be sure to contact the alumni office!!!!!

I recommend you Vote for Scott Kimler!!!!!!!

Apr 3 2013

Bob Costas to Host Show Reexamining Freeh Report


Bob Costas is taking another look at the Freeh Report.

Nittany Nation blogger Frank Bodani is reporting that, to give the report and its assertions a better evaluation, Costas is going to host a TV program on NBC, “a further examination of this issue in a month or two.”

Said Costas, “I said, ‘As the Freeh Report makes clear, Paterno was, in some sense, complicit’” to Sandusky’s abuse of young boys.

“I didn’t say he was part of a cover-up. I wish I would have said, ‘As the Freeh Report asserts,’ rather than, ‘As the Freeh Report makes clear.’”

Costas first reversed direction on the Freeh report a few weeks ago in an interview with radio host Kevin Slaten of KQQZ in St. Louis, but now is the first evidence we’re seeing of a potential TV program to address the issue. When he first commented on the report last July, Costas had only read summaries of the document, and not the entire 267-page report itself. Previously, he had advocated for the so-called “death penalty” for Penn State football for at least a year. He now thinks that the NCAA sanctions in place are undeservedly steep.

In a way similar to the Paterno report’s questioning of Freeh’s investigation, Costas will take aim at Freeh’s conclusions that, according to him, still raise questions of their validity. Costas acknowledged that the report by Thornburgh, Clemente, and Berlin raised legitimate questions about holes in the Freeh Report.

Though Costas says that, nationally, the public may not care enough to reverse its opinion on the issue, having moved on and forgotten, he adds, “I feel I have some responsibility to follow the story.” No other details about the program have yet been released such as an air date, besides that it will air on NBC “in a month or two.”

Mar 14 2013

Lettermen to Blast Trustees on Friday–live stream


By Mike Dawson — mdawson@centredaily.com

Before the fireworks Friday, when former Penn State football lettermen have promised to lay into the board of trustees, a handful of board members will convene Thursday to pave the way for ground-breaking changes to how the 158-year-old university is governed. The board’s committee on governance and long-range planning is expected to review and recommend reforms for a vote of the full board on Friday in Hershey. Exactly what those reforms are, though, will not be known until the meeting, because its agenda is confidential, and a university spokesman could not provide firmer details about which reforms will be up for consideration.

The committee meeting is at 1 p.m. This will be streamed live on WPSU.com

Regardless of the uncertainty, the result will be unprecedented because of the long tradition of university and board governance, which became a lightning rod for criticism after the Jerry Sandusky scandal.

Politicians, elected officials and alumni have been calling for reform and changes, and the board of trustees continues to bear the brunt of the anger from seething fans and alumni over its handling of coach Joe Paterno’s ouster and the NCAA sanctions. Some groups want to purge the board of those who voted to remove Paterno as coach, while others want the size of the board reduced, a different composition or certain members stripped of their voting ability.

The best hints about what reforms to expect Thursday  are from the  committee’s last discussion on the topic in January, when the members reviewed the long list of reforms suggested by former Auditor General Jack Wagner.

Among the reforms that were discussed: whether the Penn State president or the state’s governor should have voting powers, whether the president will be the board’s secretary or whether retired university employees have to wait a few years before they can run for a board seat.

The committee is chaired by James Broadhurst and includes the former chairwoman Karen Peetz and  Joel Myers, who fired off an email a few weeks ago criticizing the NCAA and the Freeh report.

Peetz and Myers were supportive of removing the president’s voting powers, and the committee sounded in favor of stripping the governor’s voting powers, too. Broadhurst said he first wanted to discuss the latter one with Gov. Tom Corbett.

A reduction in the president’s powers was one of Wagner’s core recommendations. The former auditor general also recommended reducing the size of the board from its size of 32 members

Mar 13 2013

Lettermen Plan to “ROAST” the Board of Trustees


Some 30 Penn State lettermen are planning to roast the university’s board of trustees at their meeting Friday afternoon in Hershey.

The lettermen have registered to speak during the public comment period during the meeting, and they plan to hold a press conference after the meeting.

“We want to look the trustees in the eyes and tell them that their actions over the last 16 months have brought great harm upon Penn State, our beloved program and the innocent players and coaches who now occupy our locker room,” Brian Masella, a tight end and punter from 1971 to 1975, said in a statement.

The meeting starts at 1:30 p.m. in Room 302 of the University Fitness and Conference Center at Penn State’s Hershey Medical Center.

The players hope to secure all 10 slots during the public comment session in the hope of persuading the trustees to reconsider the conclusions of the Freeh report and the unprecedented NCAA sanctions.

The board just began offering a public comment period this academic year, and university spokesman David La Torre said the “(b)oard looks forward to hearing from all parties who will speak.”

“Now that Sue Paterno has come forward with the exceptional and thorough work of Gov. Dick Thornburgh, FBI expert Jim Clemente and attorney Wick Sollers, we stand united with her and her family in decrying the absurd conclusions of Louis Freeh,” the players said in a news release. “He didn’t know Joe.

“We knew Joe.”

The players’ statement said the trustees should have had the courage to speak to Paterno in November 2011 before forcing him out as the coach.

Trustee and former Nittany Lion lettermen Paul Suhey disputed that Paterno was fired and said the coach was “retired three weeks early.”

Suhey said the board regrets that it was carried out by a phone call.

“People are still so hurt by that, and you know, damn it, we screwed it up,” Suhey said.

The terms are up this year for Suhey and fellow alumni trustee Stephanie Deviney, who are facing a hostile environment for re-election.

Mar 10 2013

Suhey and Deviney Lie About The Firing of Joe Paterno!!


The trustees said the issue over how Paterno’s coaching career abruptly ended is one of the public misconceptions out there dogging them. Another, they said, is a belief that the trustees know every single detail about what’s going on at Penn State. Or, on the flipside, some think they are too far removed to know anything about what’s going on at ground zero.“Sometimes people think we’re all the way up and that we’re secluded and we don’t want to talk to people,” Deviney said. “I know at least from my perspective that’s not true. I don’t think we’d be here today if we felt that way.”Another criticism aimed at the trustees is that they did not stand up to the NCAA concerning the harsh sanctions and their impact on Penn State.“I think people didn’t think we were fighting for the university,” Suhey said. “But we were fighting for the university, honestly. Deep down, we were trying to do everything we could.”Another misconception, Suhey and Silvis said, is that folks think board members are ducking questions from the media.“I think people think that we’re hiding things or we have special information. We don’t,” Suhey said. “Everything we know is pretty much there now, too.”And Suhey said they’ve been accused of not reading the Freeh report even though they have

There is no question that they FIRED Joe Paterno, not “retire him 3 weeks early“–how stupid does Suhey think we are. There is a copy of the letter that was written by Cynthia Baldwin on the internet that clearly “fires” Joe and requests his return of all University items to the University immediately. And you don’t tear down the statue of someone who has “retired”. You take down a statue of someone who was fired in “disgrace”–and Joe never disgraced himself or the University he loved so much. The most baffling thing is that they expect us to believe their line of “crap”–This article infuriates me even more and I will make every effort to continue to replace every member of the Board of Trustees that was there in November 2011.
If the comment that Silvis made is true, that Erickson took it upon himself to agree with the NCAA without the consent of the Board of Trustees, he needs to be fired immediately. Also, due to the conflict of interest and the known effort of John Surma and his brother Vic Surma to destroy Joe Paterno (Vic Surma’s own words), John Surma needs to be fired immediately as well

Read more here: http://www.centredaily.com/2013/03/10/3532643/penn-state-trustees-were-trying.html##storylink=cpy

Mar 10 2013

Shame on Paul Suhey and Stephanie Deviney


Penn State trustee Paul Suhey admits relieving Joe Paterno of his head coaching duties in November 2011 over a late-night phone call was not the right tact. Stephanie Deviney, another trustee, is certain the whole board feels that way.“We apologize, we screwed it up as far as how we delivered the message,” Suhey said Friday in an interview. “Our decision, we’re not going to go back on. But we messed that up big time.“People are still so hurt by that, and you know, damn it, we screwed it up.”The Paterno decision will go down in the annals as the trigger of when Penn State alumni and diehard fans turned against the board, and the anger has not relented. They email the trustees, write letters — even call them out in advertisements in this newspaper. But, four trustees, in an interview with the Centre Daily Times’ editorial board, said they are committed to turning the corner, opening up and building on the progress the university has already seen in responding in the wake of the Jerry Sandusky abuse scandal. The trustees — Suhey, Deviney, board Chairman Keith Masser and Paul Silvis — said they hope the university community will meet them in the middle as part of moving forward.

Editor note:  It took them a year and a half to say this?? Shame, shame, shame on them.

Read more here: http://www.centredaily.com/2013/03/10/3532643/penn-state-trustees-were-trying.html#storylink=cpy

for more information on John Surma‘s role in destroying Joe Paterno, go to:

http://ireport.cnn.com/docs/DOC-931816

Jan 16 2013

Be Involved! Participate in Electing Three More Trustees!


PSU Board of Trustees

 I would appreciate your support! 

       june 20 2010 226  
A Note from Myke

Dear Fellow PSU Alumni,

I would like to take this opportunity to encourage you to be a part of this year’s board of trustee elections.   Many challenges lie ahead in these economic times, including slashes in funding from the state which results in higher tuition costs for the next generation.  Navigating a path through what is necessary and in the best interests of the state, it’s citizens, and the university is of utmost importance.  Economic concerns as well as serving as a moral standard bearer and educational example and leader for the local, state, and national communities all must be top priorities.  Being Penn State Proud is more than a slogan–it is a tradition and responsibility we all uphold.  When we say “We Are Penn State”–we speak as acommunity who stands as one voice.
The Alumni Office at Penn State has sent you a link to place a name in nomination for election to the board.   If you are not a member of the Alumni Association or a contributor to the Penn State Fund, you must request a ballot by sending your full name, year of graduation, major, address and current email, so that the alumni office can verify your eligibility to vote.  You can send that information to bot@psu.edu and they will send you an email letting you know that you are verified as bona fide PSU graduate.  Please share this information with other PSU graduates you know.
If you have any questions, please feel free to contact me at PennStateMyke@aol.com.
Thanks you in advance for being involved.
In support of the Blue and White,
Myke Atwater Triebold PSU, class of ’72 (B.S., Health & P.E) & ’82 (A.T.,C, Sports Medicine)

I am asking for your help in placing my name in nomination for the 2013 election!
Dec 28 2012

Erickson Awarded 85,000 Salary Increase


The Board of Trustees approved a pay increase for Penn State President Rodney Erickson as part of a protocol that includes an evaluation one year after Erickson assumed his role as president.

The increase will raise Erickson’s salary from $515,000 to $600,000, according to a press release issued via Penn State Live.

Erickson’s new salary will now put him in the 50th percentile of base salaries for presidents from institutions similar to Penn State. The increase is performance-based because Erickson’s contract is concerned with salary and a benefits package only.

The salary increase comes after the board conducted an annual performance review that focused on factors such as leadership, planning and resource development, and management of financial resources. The discussion to increase the president’s salary has been under consideration since the summer, said Trustee Anthony Lubrano.

The board recently finalized the discussion to give Erickson an $85,000 raise.

“The entire board had a general discussion in November,” Lubrano said.

Erickson, although a voting member of the Board of Trustees, was not present at the discussion in November, Lubrano said.

Lubrano said that there was no formal vote taken on the salary increase. He said that he was made aware of the increase today.

Although there was no formal vote, Board of Trustees Chairwoman Karen Peetz issued a statement in support of Erickson and the increased salary.

“It is imperative that we have a strong, effective leader to ensure our future excellence. Rod Erickson is that leader,” Peetz said in a press release.

Aug 7 2012

Penn State trustees led by Ryan McCombie file appeal


Story by Dan Van Natta, ESPN

A Penn State board of trustee member filed an appeal Monday afternoon with the NCAA over sanctions levied against the university after the Jerry Sandusky child sex-abuse scandal.

Three other trustees joined the appeal, which states that the consent decree university president Rodney Erickson signed with the NCAA agreeing to the sanctions is “null and void” because Erickson “lacked the legal authority” to enter into such an agreement without the board’s approval.

Trustees and a person with first-hand knowledge of the discussions said the move is a precursor to a federal lawsuit asking a  judge to invalidate the sanctions, because trustees expect the NCAA to reject the appeal.

ESPN The Magazine: On death’s door

ESPN The Magazine’s Don Van Natta brings you inside the secret negotiations that brought Penn State football to the brink of extinction. Story

• PDF: PSU trustees’ letter of appeal

The appeal, sent to the NCAA from attorneys hired by Ryan J. McCombie, a retired Navy SEAL who joined the 32-member board in June, also challenges the NCAA on the following fronts:

• The NCAA did not give Penn State trustees and the university due process when it did not follow its usual investigation and enforcement procedures.

• The consent decree is fundamentally unfair because it relies on the Freeh report, which “contains findings and conclusions not that are contrary to the evidence presented …”

• The sanctions are “excessive and unreasonable” because they inflict “permanent damage to an entire generation of student-athletes and coaches who were innocent of any wrongdoing during their time on campus …”

Erickson signed the consent decree late last month with the NCAA after consulting with board chairwoman Karen Peetz and university counsel, but he did not bring the decree to the full board for review or a vote.

The package of sanctions included a $60 million fine, a four-year bowl ban, scholarship losses and the vacating of wins from 1998 through 2011.

McCombie hired Boston attorneys Paul Kelly and Gregg Clifton of Jackson Lewis to file the appeal and wrote a letter to trustees Monday afternoon asking them to join him in his effort. Three trustees nearly immediately joined him. Kelly declined to comment, and McCombie did not return a message seeking comment.

McCombie, one of three new trustees elected by alumni to the board, was one of the most outspoken trustees at a July 25 board session about Erickson not consulting a majority of trustees before signing the consent decree, trustees said.

After that three-hour session in State College, the board issued a statement saying it was standing by Erickson’s decision to sign the consent decree. ESPN The Magazine reported last week the university was facing a four-year death penalty if Erickson had not signed the decree, and that the NCAA had warned Penn State that if there were a leak about proposed sanctions to the media, the discussions would end and the death penalty would be all but certain.

In his letter to trustees Monday, McCombie wrote: “It is my belief that this matter did require board approval and that we should engage in a full, and complete, review. In the end, we all benefit from having this matter handled correctly and with full regard for due process — only then can we be truly confident in the result and the actions we take as a board.

“Furthermore, only after we have given all involved the opportunity to be heard can we move forward together as one university.”

Penn State spokesman David La Torre declined comment. NCAA spokesman Bob Williams said the Penn State sanctions are not subject to appeal.

Last week, attorneys for the family of former coach Joe Paterno requested the NCAA hold an “open hearing” before its Infractions Appeals Committee of the package of sanctions accepted by Penn State. The NCAA quickly rejected their request.

“The Penn State sanctions are not subject to appeal,” Williams said last week.

McCombie closed his letter by writing: “I know my actions will be poorly received by some on this board and in the community at large. To that end it would be easier to remain silent and allow these unfair actions to remain unchallenged. I cannot do this.”

Much of the McCombie appeal takes aim at the Freeh report, an investigation commissioned by the board of trustees last November after the Sandusky sex-abuse charges became known. The board hired former FBI director Louis B. Freeh for $6.5 million to investigate the university’s role in the sex abuse scandal.

Freeh’s report contains damning allegations against university employees and trustees, concluding that the board did not perform its oversight duties. The NCAA relied on the Freeh report to determine what sanctions should be handed down to Penn State

Jul 28 2012

ESPN’s Roxanne Jones–PSU “DESERVED” NCAA Sanctions?


Click on Nittany Lion to Read What She Had To Say!!!

Get a load of her article on cnn opinion, and then let her know what you think–and she is a PSU graduate.  I realize that everyone from Penn State doesn’t agree that their sanctions are too harsh, but really, this was beyond the pale!

Sample:

Arguing that the NCAA overstepped its bounds and has no right to butt into this criminal case is ridiculous. That is the same type of legal-loophole thinking that Joe Paterno, Mike McQueary and other top officials who knew about Sandusky‘s behavior used when they “followed the letter of the law” and reported to their superiors that Sandusky may have done “something” to a boy in the shower that awful night in 1998. They reported this suspected rape to their bosses and then went home.

I think we got off easy.