Gov Malloy selects Ridgefield man to head Board of Regents for Higher Education

Governor Dannel P. Malloy today announced the selection of Nicholas M. Donofrio of Ridgefield, a consultant, to serve as chairman of the Board of Regents for Higher Education, where he has served as a board member January 1, 2012.

“Nick has been a passionate member of the Board of Regents and I am excited that he has accepted this opportunity to serve as its chairman,” Malloy said in a statement.  “In particular, his strong connections to the business community will benefit the system in its efforts to connect with important economic sectors and strengthen its focus on preparing our young men and women to have a competitive edge in the global workforce.”

From the news release:

“Donofrio consults and speaks nationally and internationally on a broad range of topics including innovation, technology and education for a broad range of clients and audiences.  He joined IBM in 1964 as a co-op student and worked on the memory technology for the legendary IBM System/360 mainframe computing system.

 

From 1967, when he was hired as a full time employee, he has held numerous technical management positions and executive positions throughout several of IBM’s product divisions.  From 1997 until his retirement in 2008, he served as IBM’s Executive Vice President for Innovation and Technology.  He also served as Vice Chairman of the IBM International Foundation and Chairman of the Board of Governors for the IBM Academy of Technology.

 

In 2008, he was elected an IBM Fellow, the company’s highest technical honor.  He holds seven technology patents, has received global recognition for his technical and business leadership and has been awarded several honorary doctorate degrees from universities both in the United States and Europe.

 

He holds a master’s degree from Syracuse University and a bachelor’s degree from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute.

 

“Higher education has been and remains a priority for me.  It has been a privilege to work with so many talented people in our state’s higher education system along with my colleagues on the Board of Regents,” Donofrio said.  “I am humbled and honored to now be asked by Governor Malloy to lead our efforts.”

 

In addition, the Governor today announced that he is appointing JoAnn H. Price of Avon to serve as a member on the board.Price is a co-founder and managing partner of Fairview Capital, a leading private equity investment managing firm based out of West Hartford.  Prior to co-founding Fairview, she served as president of the National Association of Investment Companies headquartered in Washington, D.C.  She serves on a number of national advisory committees and private equity advisory boards, including as a member of the Howard University Board of Visitors and the YMCA of Greater Hartford Board of Directors.  Price is also the Vice Chair of the Apollo Theater Foundation, a member of the Hartford Foundation for Public Giving, and is former Chairperson of the Amistad Center for Art & Culture.

 

She is a graduate of Howard University.

 

“I am honored to be appointed and eager to begin working with the Board of Regents to further efforts that ensure that the young men and women of our state receive a quality, cutting-edge education that allows them to remain competitive throughout their careers,” Price said.

 

The Board of Regents for Higher Education governs seventeen Connecticut state colleges and universities, including four state universities; 12 community colleges; and Charter Oak State College, Connecticut’s only public, online, degree-granting institution.”