WASHINGTON, May 23, 2013 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The National Association of Corporate Directors (NACD) has elected Dr. Reatha Clark King to serve as chairman of the board, effective May 23, 2013. She succeeds the Honorable Barbara Hackman Franklin, who has served as chairman of the NACD board since 2009 and will remain on the board through May 2014.
"I am excited to chair the board of NACD," King said. "I look forward to helping NACD continue to enhance education in the director community to ensure we have engaged and empowered board members."
King has served on the boards of ExxonMobil, Wells Fargo, H. B. Fuller Co., Minnesota Mutual Insurance Co, and Lenox Group in addition to several nonprofits. She has been an NACD member since 1993 and an NACD director since 2005, chairing the governance committee in recent years. King holds a PhD in thermochemistry from the University of Chicago, an MBA from Columbia University and 14 honorary degrees. Previously, she was president and executive director of the General Mills Foundation and vice president of General Mills.
Before King became a business leader, she was a distinguished educator and scientist. She was president of Metropolitan State University in Minnesota and a professor of chemistry and associate dean at York College of the City University of New York and a research chemist for the National Bureau of Standards in Washington, D.C.
"NACD is an increasingly valuable asset to corporate boards, especially as regulators, investors and stakeholders closely scrutinize boardroom decisions," said Ken Daly, president and CEO of NACD. "Reatha is a seasoned director, an experienced business woman and an outstanding choice to chair the NACD board."
King will take the chairman reins from Franklin, who served on the NACD board for seven years as a director until she became chairman in 2009.
"I am very pleased to pass the chairmanship baton to Reatha," said Franklin. "She possesses a unique voice that will make her a wonderful, energetic leader for NACD's future."
Daly also praised Franklin's leadership of NACD. "On behalf of our membership, we thank Barbara for her inspirational leadership and dedication to our association," Daly said. "During her leadership, NACD has flourished, becoming the voice of the director, growing to more than 13,000 members."
For more information about the NACD board, visit www.NACDonline.org/AboutUs/NACDBoard.
About NACD
The National Association of Corporate Directors (NACD) is the only membership organization focused exclusively on advancing exemplary board leadership. Based on more than 35 years of experience, NACD identifies, interprets, and provides insights and information that corporate board members rely upon to make sound strategic decisions, confidently confront complex business challenges, and enhance shareowner value. With more than 13,000 corporate director members, NACD provides world-class director education, director training, and proprietary research about leading boardroom and corporate governance practices to promote director professionalism and bolster investor confidence. Furthermore, to create more effective and efficient corporate boards, NACD provides independent board evaluations and custom-tailored in-boardroom education and training programs, as well as director-led conferences, forums, and peer-exchange learning opportunities to share ideas about current and emerging issues. Fostering collaboration among directors and governance stakeholders, NACD is shaping the future of board leadership. To learn more about NACD, visit www.NACDonline.org. To join, contact Kelly Dodd at kkdodd@NACDonline.org or 202-380-1891.