New trustee appointed

Evansville attorney Patrick Shoulders was appointed by Indiana Governor Frank O'Bannon as the newest member of the IU board of trustees. \nShoulders, who received his undergraduate degree from IU Bloomington and attended law school at IU-Purdue University at Indianapolis, will finish out the term of former trustee John Walda. Walda left his position Dec. 31 to become IU's new executive director of federal relations, creating liaisons between the University and branches of the federal government. \nAlthough O'Bannon didn't announce the appointment until Friday, Shoulders received a telephone call from the governor the week before Christmas informing him that he had the job.\n"It was one of the best Christmas gifts I ever received," he said. "I'm thrilled and honored and very excited about this opportunity."\nShoulders, past chairman of the IU Alumni Association executive officers, also serves on the search committee looking for a replacement for Alumni Association president Jerry Tardy, who died in September. \nWhen he heard of the opening on the board, Shoulders wrote a letter to O'Bannon expressing his interest in and qualifications for the position. His term expires June 30. At that time, O'Bannon will choose whether to reappoint Shoulders. \nHe is the first trustee from Evansville to be appointed to the board in 25 years. IU President Myles Brand said he welcomed Shoulders as an addition to the board.\n"(Shoulders) has demonstrated an exceptional passion for our great institution," Brand said.\nHis willingness to devote free time to work for IU as president of the Alumni Association board was one thing that impressed Frederick Eichhorn, vice president of the board of trustees.\n"The legal profession can consume all your time," Eichhorn said. "That you can carve out a portion of that for IU is a sacrifice."\nShoulders is currently preparing to attend his first board of trustees meeting Jan. 24.\n"I've already been provided with the first of what I am told will be a great deal of reading material, and I'm going to immerse myself in that," he said. "I hope to hit the ground running on the 24th."\nEichhorn said learning about all of the issues facing the University is important when taking a trustee position.\n"Initially he'll have to listen a lot to get tuned in," he said. "But he'll have a lot of help."\nCuts in the state budget allocations to IU will be one of the most important issues facing the board of trustees this semester, Shoulders said. \n"I hope to be able to assist the administration in serving the academic mission of the University and assuring that although we all have to share in these cuts, our academic side won't suffer," he said.