Walda steps down as President

For eight years, John Walda has presided over the IU Board of Trustees as president. \nThat's eight years of meetings, of debates, of juggling a successful law career with the unignorable demands a Big Ten institution presents. Eight years of visibility, of scrutiny, of praise by friends and foes, by alumni and students. \nThey're years rich in accomplishment and progress. Since his appointment by former governor Evan Bayh in 1990, the Fort Wayne, Ind. attorney has fought to consolidate IU's hospitals with Methodist Hospital in Indianapolis. He's served as president of the IU Alumni Association and on the board of directors of the IU Foundation. He's worked to bolster the quality of public education while approving the lowest possible tuition increases. \nHe's a man colleagues respect, a man with a legacy of strong leadership and remarkable integrity. In an issued statement, President Myles Brand deems IU "most fortunate" to Walda's service to the university throughout the past decade.\nBut after eight years, Walda is stepping down.\nThough he'll continue serving the Board as a trustee, Walda feels his position as chairman of the Washington, D.C.-based Association of Governing Boards conflicts with his ability to continue as president. \nA nominating committee met last Wednesday to decide who will step in to fill Walda's position. Trustee Jim Morris and vice president Fred Eichhorn were nominated for president and vice-president, respectively.\nEichhorn had expressed interest in Walda's position but said Friday he was pleased with the committee's decision. \nWalda served with Eichhorn on a committee commissioned by Brand last year to investigate allegations surrounding former men's basketball coach Bob Knight. Throughout the proceedings, Walda stressed the importance of "full and fair review."\nThe appointment of Walda and Eichhorn, both attorneys with strong ties to the University, was met with serious scrutiny throughout the IU community. Brand, however, claimed he chose the two men based on their "impeccable credentials" and "experience appropriate to (the) task."\nTrustee Stephen Backer served on the nominating committee and says Morris is "eminently qualified" for the position of president.\nMorris, chairman and chief executive officer of IWC Resources Corporation, has also served as president of Lilly Endowment and treasurer of the United States Olympic committee. He is also founding director of the Indiana Sports Corporation and was appointed by former president George Bush to serve on the Commission for Environment of the Americas. \nHe has served the Board of Trustees since his 1996 election by IU alumni. He is one of three trustees elected through alumni votes. \n"He is very well-known and respected locally, statewide and nationally," Backer said. "There was unanimous consent -- no dissension whatsoever."\nMorris has also served as chairman of the trustees' finance committee. He has been awarded the IU Alumni Association's Distinguished Service Award, the President's Medal of Excellence and Beta Gamma Sigma. \nBacker will present the nominated slate at the Board of Trustees meeting in August. According to new bylaws drafted in June, the nominating committee must present the slate of officers 10 days before the meeting. Nominations may also be accepted from the floor at the meeting. \nBacker pledged his support behind the man he describes as "warm and open."\n"I think at this point, while I can't speak for all the trustees, there is a sense that everyone's unanimously behind Jim," Backer claimed. "He is absolutely outstanding; he loves the University and has worked tirelessly for it. He wants to see it strive for excellence, as we all do"