ACT Appoints New Board of Directors

September 10, 2002

IOWA CITY, Iowa—ACT has appointed a new Board of Directors. The new 13-member board replaces a 15-member Board of Trustees that previously guided the organization.

"The board's composition reflects an evolution in ACT's programs and services over the past two decades," said ACT Chief Executive Officer Richard L. Ferguson. "The directors are distinguished individuals from both education and business and, as a group, are representative of the span of interests served by ACT's growing array of programs and services."

ACT, long known for its college entrance exam, develops and administers a broad array of assessment programs used by middle and secondary schools as well as two- and four-year colleges. During the past decade, ACT has evolved into a company that advances "lifelong learning," including developing the skills of the nation's workforce through assessment and training, in addition to serving its traditional education audiences. The company's WorkKeys system, which includes both a process for analyzing the foundational skills required by jobs and assessments for measuring those skills, is used by thousands of companies for identifying, hiring, and training employees. In addition, ACT has created a nationwide network of ACT Centers that provide technology-based testing and training services for businesses and individuals. Hosted primarily by two- and four-year colleges, the ACT Centers are providing a means for these educational institutions to better serve the needs in their communities.

ACT's new Board of Directors comprises the following individuals:

Richard L. Ferguson, Chief Executive Officer and Chairman of the Board, ACT
Thomas B. Hayward, Admiral, Former U.S. Chief of Naval Operations (retired)
Karen A. Holbrook, Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs and Provost, University of Georgia, and President-Elect, Ohio State University
Roberts T. Jones, President and CEO, National Alliance of Business
Mark D. Musick, President, Southern Regional Education Board
Charles B. Reed, Chancellor, The California State University System
Richard W. Riley, Former U.S. Secretary of Education and Senior Partner, Nelson Mullins Riley & Scarborough, L.L.P.
Roy Romer, Superintendent of Schools, Los Angeles Unified School District, and former Governor of Colorado
J. Theodore Sanders, President, Education Commission of the States, and former Acting U.S. Secretary of Education
Lionel Sosa, Marketing Consultant, LKSosa Consultation and Design
Louis W. Sullivan, President Emeritus, Morehouse School of Medicine, and former U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services
Belle S. Wheelan, Secretary of Education, State of Virginia
Lutz Ziob, General Manager, Microsoft Training and Certification

Other changes in ACT's governance, approved earlier this year, include a new and expanded advising structure. Two new ACT Advisory Boards, one focused on education and the other on workforce development, have been created.

"The advisory boards will be constituted in a manner required to ensure that ACT has access to the best possible advice on its programs and services in these two areas," said Ferguson. "Like the Board of Directors, members of the advisory boards will be accomplished professionals from a broad range of disciplines, including representatives from ACT's State Organizations."

The ACT State Organizations, a long-time valued source of information and counsel for ACT, will continue to function as they have throughout ACT's history. Each state organization will have direct access to the corporation through its state representative, thus ensuring its continued voice in matters related to ACT programs and services in its state.