University of Illinois trustees elect Jesse Ruiz chair, reelect officers and treasurer

Trustees of the University of Illinois System elected Trustee Jesse H. Ruiz as chair of the board during the boardoftrusteesannual meeting Jan. 23, 2025. The board also elected two members to the executive committee, re-elected the board secretary, comptroller and university counsel, and re-elected Lester H. McKeever Jr. to a two-year term as treasurer.

The nominations and voice votes were conducted under procedures described by the board as a hybrid of the boardbylaws, the Illinois Open Meetings Act and Robert's Rules of Order. Trustee Ray Cepeda nominated Ruiz for chair; the board voted by voice and, after the call for ayes and nays, the chair announced, "The ayes have it," and Trustee Ruiz assumed the chairing duties.

The board then filled the two additional seats on the executive committee. Trustee Ray Cepeda and Trustee Tammy Craig Schilling were nominated for the two vacancies and elected by voice vote. The board approved the election of Jeffrey A. Stein as board secretary, Paul Ellinger as comptroller and Scott Rice as university counsel; the president had recommended those incumbents and the board took the nominations together and approved them by voice vote. Lester H. McKeever Jr. was re-elected treasurer for a two-year term.

Separately, the board approved a resolution delegating signatory authority that designates the board chair as signatory and the board secretary as witness to validate certain university documents; the secretary was instructed to enter the resolution into the minutes.

These organizational actions took place at the start of the January annual meeting, which the board uses each year to elect officers and to make routine operational approvals necessary for board business.