Dillard University News
December 12, 2011
Ruth Simmons and Ronald Burns Appointed to Board of Trustees
Dillard University has appointed two new members to its board of trustees: Dr. Ruth J. Simmons, president of Brown University, and Mr. Ronald V. Burns Sr., president and C.E.O. of BMG Enterprises.
“I am very excited to welcome these two stellar individuals to Dillard University’s board of trustees,” said Joyce Roche, the board’s chair. “Between their appointment and the recent announcement of Dr. Walter Kimbrough as our next president, it is a very exciting time at Dillard.”
Ruth J. Simmons has served as president of Brown University since July 3, 2001 and plans to step down from that position at the end of the 2011-2012 academic year. She was president of Smith College from 1995 until the time of her appointment at Brown.
RonaldBurns-WebA native of Texas and a 1967 graduate of Dillard University, Simmons received her Ph.D. in Romance languages and literatures from Harvard University in 1973. She was recently appointed by President Obama as a member of the President’s Commission on White House Fellowships. In 2001, Time Magazine named her America’s best college president. In 2007, she was named one of U.S. News & World Report’s top U.S. leaders.
Ronald V. Burns Sr. owns BMG Enterprises, a diverse corporation consisting of three different businesses. Burns graduated from Dillard University in 1973 with a B.S. in accounting. In 1974, he assumed the position of vice president and internal auditor with Liberty Bank and Trust Company, which he held until 1984.
In 1984, Burns founded Quick Courier Services, Inc., a same-day delivery and logistics service. In 1992, he started Burns Management Group, a consulting firm with an emphasis on business development and government relationships. In 1993, he founded Global Parking Systems, a parking management company whose clients include Louis Armstrong International Airport, Los Angeles International Airport, San Francisco International Airport, and the William Hobby and George W. Bush airports in Houston.
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