Pattiz appointed chair of laboratory governing boards

Date: 2008-01-17
Contact: Chris Harrington
Phone: (202) 997-3150
Email: Chris.Harrington@ucdc.edu

The University of California Board of Regents today (Jan. 17) selected Norman J. Pattiz as chairman of the Board of Governors of both Los Alamos National Security LLC (LANS LLC) and Lawrence Livermore National Security LLC (LLNS LLC). LANS and LLNS were formed to manage and operate Los Alamos National Laboratory and Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, respectively.

UC Board of Regents Chairman Richard C. Blum and UC President Robert C. Dynes jointly recommended his appointment. Pattiz's appointment is effective March 1, 2008, upon the resignation of the current chairman, Gerald L. Parsky.

"Norm Pattiz will bring great business acumen and proven leadership skill to the governance of these laboratories," said Blum. "His tremendous experience in the corporate sector and with government, as well as his understanding of the laboratories and the important work they do, will make a substantial contribution to their effective management."

Pattiz, a member of the UC Board of Regents since 2001, is serving a term set to expire in March 2014. Pattiz has served as a member of the Regents' Committee on Oversight of the Department of Energy Laboratories since 2001 and as its chairman since 2007. In addition, he has served as a university member advisory governor to the boards of LANS and LLNS since 2007.

"I am pleased to assume this responsibility and to continue to work closely with the corporate partners and both labs to ensure strong and effective management of these important facilities," said Pattiz. "Los Alamos and Livermore National Laboratories and the people who work there are an incredible scientific, technological and national security resource to our country, and I look forward to working with them."

Pattiz is the founder and chairman of Westwood One, America's largest radio network company, which owns, manages or distributes NBC Radio Network, CBS Radio Network, the Metro Networks and CNN Radio. It is the nation's largest producer of news, sports, talk and entertainment programming. In addition, Pattiz is a former member of the Broadcasting Board of Governors (BBG), having been appointed by Presidents Clinton and Bush. The BBG oversees all U.S. non-military international broadcasting including Voice of America, Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, Radio Free Asia, Worldnet Television, Radio and TV Marti and the Middle East Broadcasting Network. As chairman of the BBG's Middle East committee, Pattiz was responsible for conceiving and launching Radio Sawa and Alhurra Television. Pattiz is past president of the Broadcast Education Association.

Pattiz has received numerous professional and leadership awards. He is a member of the Council on Foreign Relations and Pacific Council on International Policy, is director of the Office of Foreign Relations of the Los Angeles Sheriff's Department, and serves on the Region 1, Homeland Security Advisory Council. Pattiz has served on the board of the Annenberg School for Communication at the University of Southern California, the Communications Board of UCLA and the Dean's Advisory Board of California State University, Fullerton.

LANS and LLNS are each governed by a Board of Governors. Each Board of Governors includes a six-person Executive Committee. Under the LLC agreements between the university and its corporate partners, the university is entitled to appoint three individuals to the Executive Committee of each LLC, including the chairman of the Board of Governors.

About the University of California
The University of California, founded in 1868, is a system of 10 campuses with a mission of teaching, research and public service. With 214,000 undergraduate and graduate students, UC is the world's premier public research university. UC has five medical schools, four law schools and the nation's largest continuing education program. Fifty researchers affiliated with UC have been awarded Nobel Prizes; 18 of theses prestigious awards have been won since 1995. UC also has more than 350 members in the National Academy of Sciences, and UC-affiliated researchers have received 56 Medals of Science since Congress created the award in 1959. UC is involved in the management of three national laboratories on behalf of the Department of Energy -- Lawrence Berkeley, Los Alamos and Lawrence Livermore National Laboratories. For more news and information about the University of California: www.universityofcalifornia.edu