Dr. Glen O. Toney and Dr. Kenneth Fong will be appearing in front of the Senate Rules Committee on May 23rd as part of the state’s process for their appointment to the CSU Board of Trustees. The hearing will give the committee an opportunity to ask key questions regarding their views on higher education, how they see their future role on the board and issues they believe important t the state. Prior to this hearing, both board members submitted written responses to questions regarding their objectives as well as met one-on-one with committee members to discuss what they can contribute to the Board of Trustees. The legislature has until June 16 to vote to support the appointment of both members to their eight year terms.

Dr. Toney and Dr. Fong are both CSU graduates and will bring years of professional experience and community service to the Board of Trustees. Dr. Toney is a graduate from CSU Chico, San Jose State University, and earned his doctorate in organizational behavior with a minor in higher education from the University of Southern California. Dr. Toney has received numerous awards, including honorary doctorates from Santa Clara University and CSU Chico. Prior to his retirement in 2002, Dr. Toney served as a top executive with Applied Materials, Inc. Dr. Toney is a long time community leader and has served on the board of directors of the Bay Area School Reform Collaborative and the National Conference for Community Justice. He hopes to focus his energy on ensuring enrollment opportunities at the CSU campuses are available for all future students and that the students are able to complete their degrees in a timely manner.

Dr. Fong received his bachelor’s degree from San Francisco State University and earned his Ph.D in molecular biology and microbiology from Indiana University. Dr. Fong is the President of Kenson Ventures, LLC and from 1984-1999, he served as the Founder and CEO of Clontech Laboratories. Dr. Fong has served on many advisory boards, including the College of Science and Engineering at San Francisco State University and the Graduate Program at University of the Pacific. He hopes to leverage his background in biotechnology to provide more opportunities for undergraduate and graduates in this field.