Governor names Boeing exec to UW regents

Published 2:47 pm Tuesday, January 17, 2012

Gov. Chris Gregoire has appointed Alaska Airline’s Bill Ayer and the Boeing Co.’s Pat Shanahan to the University of Washington board of regents.

The governor also reappointed Herb Simon to the board, she announced in a press releaseTuesday.

“I couldn’t be happier that these incredibly talented individuals have agreed to help lead one of the country’s finest universities,” Gregoire said. “I look forward to working with these regents and developing new innovative ideas to ensure we continue to have a world-class higher education system, and that all Washingtonians have access to it.”

Ayer earned a master’s degree in business administration from the UW before becoming chairman and chief executive officer of Alaska Airlines and Alaska Air Group in 2002. He is chairman of the Puget Energy board and a director of the Museum of Flight and Angel Flight West. He also serves on the UW Business School Advisory Board.

“Through my involvement at the Foster School of Business, I’ve seen firsthand many of the university’s extraordinary accomplishments,” Ayer said

Before becoming vice president and general manager for airplane programs at Boeing Commercial Airplanes, Shanahan earned a bachelor’s of science degree in mechanical engineering from the UW. Shanahan joined Boeing in 1986, moving quickly up the ranks as vice president in Boeing’s defense branch to leading the design, assembly, delivery and support for Boeing’s 737, 747, 767, 777 and 787 airplanes.

“A strong higher education system is critical to our region’s technology and innovation leadership as well as that of the United States,” Shanahan said.

Gregoire first appointed Simon to the board of regents in 2006. A 1964 graduate of UW and a prominent Tacoma business leader, Simon served as secretary/treasurer of Joseph Simon &Sons Inc., before opening what is now Simon Johnson LLC, an investment company focusing on real estate and venture capital projects.