December 12, 2011
Dear Members of the Dillard Community:
I am proud to announce the appointment of two new members to Dillard University’s Board of Trustees: Dr. Ruth J. Simmons, president of Brown University, and Mr. Ronald V. Burns Sr., president and CEO of BMG Enterprises.
Ruth J. Simmons has served as president of Brown University since July 3, 2001 and plans to step down from that position at the end of the 2011-2012 academic year. She holds an appointment as professor in the Department of Comparative Literature and the Department of Africana Studies. She was president of Smith College from 1995 until the time of her appointment at Brown.
A native of Texas and a 1967 graduate of Dillard University, Simmons received her Ph.D. in Romance languages and literatures from Harvard University in 1973. She was recently appointed by President Obama as a member of the President’s Commission on White House Fellowships. She has earned numerous awards throughout her storied career in academia, including the German DAAD, a Fulbright Fellowship to France and the Centennial Medal from Harvard University. In 2001, Time Magazine named her America’s best college president. In 2007, she was named one of US. News & World Report’s top U.S. leaders.
Ronald V. Burns Sr. is president and CEO of BMG Enterprises, a diverse corporation consisting of Quick Courier Services, Inc., Burns Management Group and Global Parking Systems. Burns graduated from Dillard University in 1973 with a B.S. in Accounting. In 1974, Mr. Burns assumed the position of vice president and internal auditor with Liberty Bank and Trust Company, which he held until 1984.
In 1984, Burns founded Quick Courier Services, Inc., a same-day expedited delivery and logistics service. He is active in the Messenger Courier Association of America, and in 1992 he was elected as its first African-American board member. In 1992, he started Burns Management Group, a consulting firm with an emphasis on business development and government relationships. In 1993, he founded Global Parking Systems, a parking management company with offices in Louisiana, Texas, Indiana and California. Their clients include the Louis Armstrong International Airport and the Los Angeles International Airport.
I am very excited to welcome these two stellar individuals to Dillard University’s Board of Trustees. Between their appointment and the recent announcement of Dr. Walter Kimbrough as our next president, it is a very exciting time at Fair Dillard.
Happy Holidays,
Joyce Roche’
Chair, Dillard University Board of Trustees
