SAN DIEGO, CA.- The Board of Trustees of the Museum of Contemporary Art San Diego has elected four new Trustees, four returning Trustees, and a new set of officers for the 2009-2010 year. Dr. Peter C. Farrell was elected president, following J. Todd Figi's two-year tenure. Other officers of the Board for 2009-2010 include David C. Copley as Vice President, Maryanne Pfister as Vice President, Matthew C. Strauss as Vice President, Faye Russell as Treasurer, and Barbara Bloom as Secretary. Newly elected Trustees include Melissa Bartell, Valerie Cooper, Leon Kassel, and Holly McGrath and returning Trustees Barbara Arledge, David C. Copley, Colette Carson Royston, and Sheryl White. Rotating off the Board following their term of service are Charles G. Cochrane, Nora D. Sargent, and Brent V. Woods.

"I am pleased to welcome Melissa Bartell, Valerie Cooper, Leon Kassel, and Holly McGrath, and returning Trustees Barbara Arledge, David C. Copley, Colette Carson Royston, and Sheryl White to the Board, which is comprised of such an outstanding group of community, business, philanthropic, and cultural leaders," said Dr. Peter C. Farrell, MCASD Board President. "Through their civic involvement, passion for contemporary art, and professional expertise, they will continue to make ours one of San Diego's strongest cultural institutions."

Barbara Arledge is an active community volunteer who has served for many years on MCASD's board. She is a former trustee of the La Jolla Playhouse, was chairman of the MCASD collections committee, and has long been a member of the MCASD finance committee and collectors' groups. While living in Los Angeles, Mrs. Arledge was active with the Los Angeles County Museum of Art. She and her husband Charles collect contemporary art. A long-time resident of San Diego County, she currently lives in Rancho Santa Fe.

Melissa Garfield Bartell is the past president of the San Diego Center for Jewish Culture and sits on the executive boards of the Center for Jewish Culture, the Jewish Community Center, and the Jewish Women's Foundation. She also serves on the board of councilors for the Roski School of Fine Arts at USC and on the board of advisors of the Scripps Clinic Musculoskeletal Center. Mrs. Garfield Bartell is the founding executive producer of the J* Company Youth Theatre founded in 1993 at the Lawrence Family JCC. A ceramic artist, she and her husband Michael are collectors of contemporary art. They are founding members of MCASD's Contemporary Collectors group and long-time members of MCASD.

David C. Copley is the former president of Copley Newspapers and publisher of The San Diego Union-Tribune. A prominent philanthropist in the region, he has served as trustee of many major arts institutions, including the La Jolla Playhouse, the San Diego Opera, and the San Diego Museum of Art; he is very active as a supporter of healthcare institutions including San Diego Hospice and Scripps Clinic & Research Foundation; and is an avid and knowledgeable collector of contemporary art. His exceptional collection of works by the artists Christo and Jeanne-Claude are promised gifts to MCASD. He lives in La Jolla.

Valerie Cooper and her husband Harry have been active supporters and participants of International Collectors. She has been on the Old Globe board of directors for many years, holding positions on the executive committee and as the secretary of the board. Mr. and Mrs. Cooper have co-chaired successful Globe galas and sponsored several theater productions, and are involved with a diverse group of organizations including the San Diego Museum of Art, Patrons of the Prado, the La Jolla Playhouse, and the San Diego Opera. Additionally, Mrs. Cooper serves on the boards of the Vista Hill Foundation and Planned Parenthood. She lives in La Jolla.

Leon Kassel obtained his B.S. in Management/Engineering from Worcester Polytechnic Institute in 1974. With more than 20 years of banking and bank directorship experience, Mr. Kassel is chairman of the asset-liability management committee and a member of the loan and nominating committees of the San Diego Private Bank; currently he is president of Jeval Asset Management based in San Diego. Mr. Kassel has served as a member of the board of the Burnham Cancer Research Center and was a member of the investment committee of the Jewish Community Foundation in San Diego from 2000 to 2002. He was treasurer and board member for Beth El in San Diego from 1997 to 1999. He lives in La Jolla.

Holly McGrath serves on the board of trustees of the Highland Street Foundation, a private family foundation based in Boston, Massachusetts that provides grants to many nonprofit organizations. Through her work with the Highland Street Foundation, Ms. McGrath has been a contributing presence at MCASD since 2006. Ms. McGrath has participated in MCASD's benefit golf tournament, and with her husband David Bruce, travels with the Museum's International Collectors group. Most recently, Ms. McGrath and Mr. Bruce took part in the International Collectors' trip to Cuba. She and her husband reside in Boston.

Colette Carson Royston is an oncology clinical nurse specialist/cancer consultant, a member and past board member of the Oncology Nursing Society, and past president of the Oncology Nurses Foundation. She served as president of the San Diego Community Foundation and is currently the chair of the San Diego Commission for Arts and Culture; she is also a member of the board of the San Diego Opera. With her husband Dr. Ivor Royston, she founded Hybritech, one of the first of San Diego's biotech companies, and also founded the San Diego Cancer Center. They remain active in San Diego's biotech community and are generous benefactors of the Museum, members of International Collectors, and avid collectors of contemporary art. She lives in La Jolla.

Sheryl White led a distinguished career in banking before her retirement. She has served as co-chair of the Contemporary Collectors group and has been a long-time member of International Collectors. Ms. White has been a president of the board of trustees of the Old Globe Theatre, served on the board of the San Diego Opera and the New Children's Museum, and is currently a member of Planned Parenthood's board. She and her husband Harvey White are active contemporary art collectors. She lives in Del Mar.

BOARD OF TRUSTEES OFFICERS, 2009-2010

Dr. Peter C. Farrell, President
David C. Copley, Vice President
Matthew C. Strauss, Vice President
Maryanne Pfister, Vice President

Faye Russell, Treasurer
Barbara Bloom, Secretary

MCASD BOARD OF TRUSTEES, 2009-2010

Barbara Arledge, Linnea Arrington, Melissa Garfield Bartell, Dr. Mary F. Berglund, Dr. Charles J. Betlach II, Barbara Bloom, Carolin Botzenhardt, Charles Brandes, Nancy Browar, Ronald L. Busick, Christopher Calkins, Valerie Cooper, David C. Copley, Sue K. Edwards, Dr. Peter C. Farrell, Carolyn P. Farris, Pauline Foster, Murray A. Gribin, David Guss, Dr. Paul Jacobs. Leon Kassel, Gail Knox, Mary, Keough Lyman, Holly McGrath, Marilyn Ross Miles, Robin Parsky, Maryanne Pfister, Mason Phelps, Dr. Carol Randolph, Colette Carson Royston, Faye H. Russell, Matthew C. Strauss, Sheryl White