UKIAH, Calif. – On Tuesday, Dec. 3 during its annual organizational meeting, the Mendocino College Foundation Board elected new officers and committee chairs, set the meeting schedules for 2014 and paid tribute to late Director Albert Beltrami.

The Foundation Board of Directors unanimously approved their slate of officers for two-year terms: Richard Cooper, president; Charley Myers, vice president; Arturo Reyes, secretary/treasurer.

Cooper serves as the president/chief executive officer of Mendo Lake Credit Union, Myers is a retired educator, having served as the Ukiah Unified superintendent of schools, and Reyes is the superintendent/president of Mendocino College.

Cooper praised outgoing President Gary D. Smith for his leadership and accomplishments over the past two years.

Smith becomes the immediate past president and will continue in that capacity for the next two years serving on the board’s executive committee.

With Cooper’s ascension to the presidency, Diane Daubeneck will take over the leadership of the Special Events Committee with Katherine Elliott as vice chair. Finance committee co-chairs are Jerilyn Harris and Charley Myers, land committee chair is Tom Herman and Christy Scollin will continue serving as the chair of the scholarship committee.

The foundation’s four affiliate organizations are the athletic boosters with Director Jay Epstein serving as the liaison; Lake County Friends of Mendocino College with Director Chris Taliaferro serving as the liaison; Friends of the Mendocino College Theatre with Director Linda Chapman serving as the liaison; and Friends of the Library with Director John Goldsmith serving as the liaison.

During the board’s mission moment, both Smith and Cooper paid tribute to late Director Albert Beltrami.

Beltrami joined the foundation board in 2011 and was actively involved in the scholarship and finance committees.

“Al was a true advocate for student success as demonstrated in the creation of his perpetual scholarship which includes an internship component in local government. In 2012 he continued his personal legacy of giving by providing all of the funding for 18 nursing graduates to pay for their NCLEX (state board) examination fees at $400 per student,” stated Cooper.

For more information about the Mendocino College Foundation or to donate towards any of their programs, call 707-467-1018 or visit www.foundation.mendocino.edu .