The Board of Regents consists of 10 members, one of whom is a student. All Regents are appointed by the Governor of the State of Washington, with the consent of the state senate, and except for the student member, hold their offices for terms of six years. The student member serves a one-year term from July 1 through June 30. The Student Regent position was created by Substitute Senate Bill 5517, passed by the 55th Legislature at the 1998 Regular Session, amending RCW 28B.20.100.
Theodor P. Baseler
Office: Chair of the Board
Hometown: Seattle
Term Expires: September 30, 2014
Ted Baseler was reappointed to the Board of Regents in 2009. He has been a leader in the Washington wine industry for 25 years, and continues to help build one of the top wine producing regions in the world. He is president and CEO of Ste. Michelle Wine Estates, which is among the 10 largest wine companies in the U.S.. Regent Baseler has served as the chairman of the Washington Wine Commission, chairman of the Napa-based Wine Market Council, and director of the Washington Wine Institute. He has served on the Washington Business Roundtable and the boards of Children's Hospital and Patrons of Northwest Arts. He is also a strong advocate for WSU. He previously served on the Board of Regents for a short term after serving on the Board of Trustees for 10 years. He has been recognized with the Alumni Achievement Award and the WSU Foundation Outstanding Service Award. He led the efforts to develop a world class Enology and Viticulture program at WSU, working with the State Legislature for funding. He has also been the driving force behind Chateau Ste. Michelle events that have raised more than $2 million for diversity scholarships. Regent Baseler graduated with a BA from Washington State University and an MS from Northwestern University. His wife JoAnne and many family members are also graduates of WSU.
Jake K. Bredstrand
Office: Member (Student Regent)
Hometown: Vancouver
Term Expires: June 30, 2012
Jake Bredstrand was appointed to the Board of Regents on July 1, 2011. He previously served as the President of the Associated Students of Washington State University for the 2010-2011 academic year. During his term as President, he chaired the Services and Activities committee, allocating nearly eight million dollars to student groups. Two major initiatives his administration accomplished include the constitutional amendment to change the ASWSU Senate structure from residency based to academic college based and the Crosswalk Lighting Enhancement project. Jake also served on the Athletic Council, University Recreation Board and the NCAA Steering Committee. He is a proud member of the Greek community and Sigma Phi Epsilon fraternity. He was named the WSU "Greek Man of the Year" by the Interfraternity Council in 2010.
Prior to attending Washington State University, Jake proudly served the Washington State FFA Association (formerly Future Farmers of America) as State President. As an advocate for agriculture and youth leadership, he facilitated workshops and gave keynote addresses across our state.
Jake was born and raised in Vancouver, Washington. He received his BA in Humanities from WSU along with minors in Sports Management and Communication. He is now pursuing a graduate degree.
Scott E. Carson
Office: Vice Chair of the Board
Hometown: Federal Way
Term Expires: September 30, 2013
Scott Carson was appointed to the Board of Regents in September 2007. He retired as the executive vice president of The Boeing Company and former president and chief executive officer of Boeing Commercial Airplanes. Named as a leader of BCA in September 2006, he had responsibility for all of the company's commercial airplanes programs and related services, which in 2008 generated revenues of more than $28.2 billion.
Mr. Carson is currently leading key fund-raising campaigns for the United Way of King County and for the Washington State University Foundation.
Regent Carson graduated from Washington State University with a bachelor's degree in business administration. He later received a master's degree in the same discipline from the University of Washington. He also serves on the board of governors of the WSU Foundation; is chair of the WSU College of Business and Economics national board of advisors; and is on the College of Engineering and Architecture advisory board. He served on the advisory panel for the University of Washington Executive MBA program and, in April 2002, received the Business Leadership award from the program. In January 2004, he became a Fellow of the Royal Aeronautical Society.
Harold A. Cochran
Office: Member
Hometown: Walla Walla
Term Expires: September 30, 2015
Harold Cochran was appointed to the Board of Regents in February 2007. He and his wife Valerie along with their son Eric and his wife Melissa farm 5500 acres near Walla Walla. He was a founding stockholder in Bank of the West, Walla Walla, and later served 13 years on the Board of Directors until the bank was bought by American West Bank. Mr. Cochran is a member of the Washington Association of Wheat Growers and the Walla Walla County Wheat Growers, where he chaired the national legislation committee. He has served on the Board of Directors of the Northwest Grain Growers and the Center for Management Development at Walla Walla Community College. He was also president of the Walla Walla County Crop Improvement Association. Mr. Cochran also currently serves on the Walla Walla High School Agriculture Advisory Committee, where he was a volunteer coach for the FFA Agriculture Issues Team and a judge at the State FFA Convention. Mr. Cochran received his bachelor's degree in accounting and his master of education from Gonzaga University.
Ryan Durkan
Office: Member
Hometown: Seattle
Term Expires: September 30, 2017
Ryan Durkan was appointed to the Board of Regents in December of 2011. She is an attorney with Hills Clark Martin & Peterson (HCMP) Law Offices and specializes in real estate, land use and environmental law. She graduated from WSU in 1978 and served on the WSU Foundation board of trustees
Francois X. Forgette
Office: Member
Hometown: Tri-Cities
Term Expires: September 30, 2013
Francois X. Forgette was appointed to the Board of Regents in May of 2005. He is a Past-Chairman of the WSU Board of Regents. He is a partner with the Tri-City law firm of Rettig Osborne Forgette, LLP, which he joined in 1977. His full-time practice includes business, real estate, agriculture, banking and estate planning, and related mediation, arbitration and civil litigation. Regent Forgette also currently serves as a present member and past chairman of the TRIDEC Board of Directors and Executive Committee. TRIDEC is the economic development entity for the Greater Tri-City Area in Benton and Franklin Counties. He is also a past President of both the Tri-City Chamber of Commerce and the Tri-Cities Cancer Center. Regent Forgette has also been actively involved in Tri-City education causes. He was named Tri-Citian of the Year in 2001 for his community service. He received the first Proud to be a Lawyer "Hero Award" from the Washington State Bar Association (WSBA) in 2000 and the WSBA Board of Governors annual Award for Professionalism in 2001. He was named Kennewick Man of the Year for 2001. Regent Forgette graduated from Seattle Preparatory School in 1970 and the University of Washington in 1974 with a B.A. in English Literature. He then attended Gonzaga Law School in Spokane where he graduated with honors in 1977. He and his wife Debbie live in Kennewick and have two sons, Joseph and Patrick.
Laura M. Jennings
Office: Past Chair of the Board
Hometown: Seattle
Term Expires: September 30, 2015
Laura Jennings was appointed to the Board of Regents in July of 2005. She currently consults for start-up companies in the Seattle area. Regent Jennings spent 12 years as an executive at Microsoft Corporation, serving as Vice President of Worldwide Strategic Planning, Vice President of MSN and in various other capacities. After leaving Microsoft, she spent 3 years as a Senior Partner with leading international venture capital firm Atlas Venture, where she supervised investments in software start-up companies across their Seattle and Palo Alto offices. Regent Jennings currently serves on the boards of Laird Norton Tyee, SimplyFun LLC, Children's Hospital and Regional Medical Center in Seattle and the YWCA of Seattle King County and Snohomish County. She received a bachelor's degree in business from the University of Illinois in 1983 and a master's degree in management from the Kellogg School at Northwestern University in 1988.
Constance M. Niva
Office: Member
Hometown: Seattle
Term Expires: September 30, 2014
Connie Niva was appointed to the Board of Regents in June of 2003. Regent Niva just retired from the Port of Everett Commission and served two terms on the Washington State Transportation Commission. She is a founding member of the Board of the Center for Women and Democracy and was a member of the Everett City Council from 1986-1990. Regent Niva worked many years in a variety of capacities as a microbiologist at the University of Washington Medical School and the University of Maryland, and taught microbiology to Arab staff at St. John Eye Hospital in Jerusalem. She also taught "Issues in Local Government" as a visiting professor for Seattle University's public administration program. Regent Niva graduated from Washington State University with a bachelor's degree in bacteriology in 1962 and received a master's degree in public administration from Seattle University in 1992. She was awarded the Everett Area Chamber of Commerce Henry M. Jackson Citizen of the Year Award in 2003 and the United Way of Snohomish County Women Leading the Way Leadership Award in 2002. Regent Niva has four children and is married to Jud Marquardt of LMN Architects.
Ron Sims
Office: Member
Hometown: Seattle
Term Expires: September 30, 2017
Ron Sims was appointed to the Board of Regents in December of 2011. He served as deputy secretary of HUD Feb. 2009-June 2011. As the second most senior official, Sims managed day-to-day operations, including a nearly $40 billion annual operating budget and 8,500 employees. Prior to joining HUD, Sims served as King County Executive beginning in 1996.
Michael C. Worthy
Office: Member
Hometown: Vancouver
Term Expires: September 30, 2012
Mike Worthy was appointed to the Board of Regents in October 2006. He is co-founder and Managing Partner of WW Payment Systems, a financial services company focused on the commercial trucking industry. The company is headquartered in Vancouver Washington. Until his appointment as a Regent, Mr. Worthy served on the Washington Higher Education Coordinating Board and was chair of the Board's fiscal committee. Included in his past service to WSU were terms on the Chancellor's Advisory Council for Washington State University Vancouver and the Washington State University Foundation. Worthy is a life member and past president of the WSU Alumni Association. He has also served on the boards of the chambers of commerce in Vancouver, Tacoma, Greater Seattle and the University District in Seattle. He was awarded the WSU Alumni Achievement Award in 2002 and the Foundation's Outstanding Service Award in 1996. Mr. Worthy received his Bachelor of Arts degree in Business Administration and Economics from WSU.