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Contact: Nichole Johnson
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Capital University
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Capital University Names Brian Ellis, Andre Porter to Board of Trustees
COLUMBUS, Ohio, Friday, Feb. 9, 2007–Brian Ellis, president and chief operating officer of Nationwide Realty Investors, and Andre Porter, an attorney with Schottenstein Zox & Dunn, are the newest members of Capital University’s Board of Trustees.
As head of NRI – the real estate equity investment and development subsidiary of Nationwide – Ellis oversees a diverse portfolio with developments and investments across the United States in the office, commercial, retail, hotels, restaurants and residential real estate markets. Under his leadership, NRI developed Nationwide Arena located adjacent to Nationwide’s world headquarters in Columbus, Ohio. This 20,000-seat arena is owned by Nationwide and is home to the Columbus Blue Jackets, a National Hockey League expansion team.
NRI also developed and is 90 percent owner of the Arena District, a 75-acre mixed-use urban project that surrounds Nationwide Arena. Directly and through joint ventures, NRI controls more than $1 billion in real estate investments.
“I was excited to be asked to serve on the Capital University Board of Trustees,” Ellis said. “Capital is a great educational institution and I hope that I am able to contribute toward its mission of lifelong learning and leadership."
Ellis will serve on the board’s University Resources Committee.
Andre Porter practices in the area of public law, government affairs, real estate and land use at one of Ohio’s largest full-service law firms. He focuses on all areas of election law, including ballot issues, election contests, local liquor options, campaign finance, Political Action Committee compliance, and ethics law. He also counsels clients on real property tax matters and regularly appears before local boards of revisions and the Ohio Board of Tax Appeals.
As an associate with the firm’s ancillary, SZD Government Advocates, Porter advises clients on regulatory compliance and lobbying matters before local governments, the Ohio General Assembly, Ohio executive agencies and in the U.S. Congress.
He is a Capital graduate, former undergraduate student body president and former member of the Alumni Advisory Board. Porter will serve on the board’s Governance Committee.
“I have such a strong connection to Capital, and this is an extension of my efforts to keep that connection strong,” Porter said. “I have the time, energy and the will to serve the university, and this is a huge honor.”
Ellis and Porter will attend their first meeting later this month.
The Capital University Board of Trustees is the governing body for the institution, establishing its general policies, including the acquisition and investment of funds and the acquisition and disposal of property. The board also elects the university president. Its membership consists of community and business leaders, the university president and Lutheran clergy affiliated with the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America. Trustees are elected by the board and serve four-year terms, with a maximum of four consecutive terms. The board currently has 28 members.
Located in Columbus, Ohio, Capital University combines personal attention with a balanced liberal arts and professional studies education to prepare students for lifelong learning, leadership and service through five colleges: College of Arts and Sciences; Conservatory of Music; Law School; School of Management; and School of Nursing. Capital serves its adult learners through the Center for Lifelong Learning in Columbus. Founded in 1830, Capital is the oldest and largest university affiliated with the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America.
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Download electronic photos of Ellis and Porter.