President Bush Appoints Susan Hutchison to Wilson Center Board

WASHINGTON – President George W. Bush announced that he is appointing Susan Hutchison of Seattle, Washington, to be a member of the Board of Trustees of the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars for a six-year term beginning October 24, 2006.

Hutchison is the Executive Director of the Charles Simonyi Fund for Arts and Sciences, a philanthropic foundation based in Seattle which provides grants to arts, science and education programs. She was previously a distinguished TV news anchor, serving the Puget Sound region as a trusted broadcaster and community activist for 25 years. "The Woodrow Wilson Center has a worldwide reputation for promoting scholarship and understanding among peoples. I am delighted and honored to receive this appointment,"said Hutchison.

Joseph B. Gildenhorn, chairman of the Board of Trustees of the Woodrow Wilson Center welcomed the appointment. "We are delighted to welcome to the board a member who has such varied and valuable experience. Susan Hutchison's worthwhile involvement with education, politics, and communications, as well as her dedication and generosity to philanthropic organizations, will vastly benefit the Center."

An active participant in local causes, Hutchison volunteers her time and talent to many civic and charitable organizations. She serves on the boards of the Smithsonian's Air and Space Museum, Seattle Art Museum, Seattle Symphony Orchestra, Seattle Children's Hospital, and Young Life International. She has been a spokesperson for American Leprosy Mission, Northwest Medical Teams, Job Corps, and March of Dimes, and is a frequent emcee for charitable auctions and fund-raising dinners. At the request of the King County Executive, she served on the 10-member King County Independent Task Force on Elections which provided recommendations to the county and state to improve the fairness and accuracy of elections following the disputed 2004 Washington gubernatorial election.

Hutchison has a great interest in improving the public schools in Seattle and conceived and spearheaded an effective fund-raising campaign to raise private money for public education. She has served on the Governor's A+Commission, was an advisor for South Seattle Community College, and served on the University of Washington's NCAA Committee for Compliance.

As an adjunct professor for Seattle Pacific University's MBA program, she instructed graduate students in managerial communications based on her past 10 years as a communications consultant. Through her business, Susan Hutchison Presents, she has trained more than 100 executives in companies in Seattle, Redmond, and Palo Alto to effectively communicate to audiences.

The Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars is the living, national memorial to President Wilson established by Congress in 1968 and headquartered in Washington, D.C. The Center establishes and maintains a neutral forum for free, open, and informed dialogue. It is a nonpartisan institution, supported by public and private funds and engaged in the study of national and world affairs. Chairman of the Board of Trustees is the Honorable Joseph B. Gildenhorn, who previously served as U.S. ambassador to Switzerland (1989-1993). President and Director of the Woodrow Wilson Center is Lee Hamilton, who served as a member of Congress for 34 years.