MINUTES OF THE BOARD OF REGENTS

May 5, 2008 

APPENDIX A 

APPROVED RESOLUTIONS

VOTED that the Board of Regents approves the Minutes of the Meetings of January 28 and 

March 14, 2008, as previously circulated on April 28, 2008. [2008.05.01] 

VOTED that the Board of Regents appoints Thomas H. Castro, Abby Joseph Cohen, Robert F. 

Higgins, Elizabeth Lawer, Dorothy Swann McAuliffe, and Kristin Richardson to the 

Smithsonian National Board for three-year terms effective October 2008. [2008.05.02] 

VOTED that the Board of Regents appoints Cathy Sulzberger to the Advisory Council of the 

Center for Folklife and Cultural Heritage and reappoints Scott Raecker to the Council for an 

exceptional third term, each for three-year terms effective June 1, 2008. [2008.05.03] 

VOTED that the Board of Regents appoints Judy Francis Zankel to the Board of Trustees of the 

Cooper-Hewitt, National Design Museum for a three-year term effective immediately. 

[2008.05.04] 

VOTED that the Board of Regents appoints Jane Bernstein, Michael de Havenon, David Solo, 

and Patricia Pei Tang and reappoints Sunandini (Nunda) P. Ambegaonkar, Shirley Z. Johnson, 

and Diane H. Schafer to the Board of Trustees of the Freer Gallery of Art and the Arthur M. 

Sackler Gallery for four-year terms effective September 12, 2008. [2008.05.05] 

VOTED that the Board of Regents appoints Kathryn Brown to the Board of Directors of the 

National Museum of American History, Kenneth E. Behring Center, for a three-year term 

effective October 1, 2008, and reappoints Curt Bradbury, Victor Cabral, Emilio Fernandez, 

Francine LeFrak, Charles Manatt, and Riley Temple to the Board for three-year terms effective 

immediately. [2008.05.06] 

VOTED that the Board of Regents appoints Paul G. Risser to the Board of the National Museum 

of Natural History for a three-year term effective immediately. [2008.05.07] 

VOTED that the Board of Regents reappoints Tania Goss Evans and William I. Koch to the 

Commission of the Smithsonian American Art Museum for four-year terms effective June 30, 

2008. [2008.05.08] 

VOTED that the Board of Regents appoints Laura Hernandez and reappoints Gloria Rodriguez 

to the Smithsonian National Latino Board of the Smithsonian Latino Center for three-year terms 

effective May 22, 2008. [2008.05.09] 
2

VOTED that the Board of Regents recognizes the generosity of Lloyd E. Herman and creates an 

endowment, using the donor’s gift and additional funds to be raised by the Museum, to support a 

curatorial appointment for the benefit of the Smithsonian American Art Museum’s craft 

program. The income from the endowed fund will be used to pay the curator’s salary and 

benefits. If excess funds accumulate in the endowment, beyond what is required to support the 

curator’s salary and benefits, these funds may be used to support other craft-related programs 

and activities of the Museum. [2008.05.10] 

VOTED that the Board of Regents recognizes the generosity of Ann and Gilbert Kinney to the 

Freer Gallery of Art and Arthur M. Sackler Gallery and creates an endowment dedicated to the 

acquisition of Southeast Asian materials for the Galleries’ library, the principal of the which may 

be spent when necessary to assure the purchase of suitable materials for the library. Use of the 

principal shall be at the discretion of the director of the Galleries, who will consult with a future 

curator of Southeast Asian art and other relevant staff and Board members, and in accord with 

Smithsonian SD-317. The fund will be identified as the Southeast Asian Materials Fund. 

[2008.05.11] 

VOTED that the Board of Regents recognizes the generosity of Robert L. McNeil, Jr., as well as 

the accomplishments and long service of Marc Pachter, to the National Portrait Gallery and 

creates and names The Marc Pachter Endowment Fund for Commissioning. In addition, the 

Board of Regents approves the creation and naming of The Marc Pachter Fund for 

Commissioning Quasi-Endowment and the transfer of funds identified for it. [2008.05.12] 

VOTED that the Board of Regents creates and names the Smithsonian Institution Libraries 

Wildlife Conservation Fund, a quasi-endowment to support the acquisition of books, journals, 

electronic databases, and other materials in the area of wildlife conservation, as determined 

annually by the director of the Libraries. Further, the Regents authorize the transfer of funds 

identified for this purpose. [2008.05.13] 

VOTED that the Board of Regents recognizes the generosity of the late Janice Mary Johnson 

and the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation to the National Museum of the American Indian and 

creates an endowment to support, in perpetuity, one-year fellowships in the Museum’s Advanced 

Training Program in Ethnographic and Archaeological Conservation, and names the position the 

Janice Mary Johnson and Andrew W. Mellon Foundation Advanced Training in Conservation 

Fellowship. [2008.05.14] 

VOTED that the Board of Regents recognizes the generosity of an anonymous donor to the 

National Zoological Park and establishes an endowed fellowship to train current and future 

generations of conservation scientists in support of the National Zoological Park’s mission to 

study, recover, protect, and manage species and the habitats they require for survival. The 

fellowship is named the George A. Didden, III Fellowship in Conservation Biology, in 

perpetuity, in memory of the late past president of the Friends of the National Zoo and member 

of the Smithsonian National Board. [2008.05.15] 
3

VOTED that the Board of Regents recognizes the generosity of the Leon Levy Foundation to the 

Freer Gallery of Art and Arthur M. Sackler Gallery and approves naming each fellowship and 

guest curator position made possible by this gift, respectively, a Leon Levy Foundation Fellow 

and a Leon Levy Foundation Curator. [2008.05.16] 

VOTED that the Board of Regents recognizes the donors’ generosity to Cooper-Hewitt, National 

Design Museum and names the first-floor space occupied by the retail shop, which consists of 

the Carnegie Mansion’s former library and adjacent study, the Lisa Roberts and David Seltzer 

Room, for 40 years. [2008.05.17] 

VOTED that the Board of Regents approves, pending final review by the Executive Committee 

of the tenant improvement requirements and funding strategy, the Acting Secretary’s request for 

authority to lease approximately 25,000 square feet of collections housing, lab, and photo studio 

space at 48–40 34th Street, Long Island City, New York, to provide off-site space for CooperHewitt, National Design Museum to accommodate its planned revitalization of the Carnegie 

Mansion and Miller and Fox townhouses. [2008.05.18] 

VOTED that the Board of Regents approves the deaccession of the National Air and Space 

Museum’s RB-17D Swoose and the object’s transfer to the National Museum of the United States 

Air Force. [2008.05.19] 

VOTED that the Board of Regents requests its Congressional members to introduce and support 

legislation to allow the Institution to negotiate agreements granting the lease of land at the 

National Zoological Park’s Conservation and Research Center near Front Royal, Virginia, to 

nonprofit scientific, educational, or historic organizations for the purposes of building structures 

that advance its mission to increase scientific knowledge. Any net proceeds gained from such 

partnership activities and programs held on the Conservation and Research Center property will 

be used exclusively to support the infrastructure, research, and educational programs of the 

National Zoological Park, including its Conservation and Research Center. [2008.05.20] 

VOTED that the Board of Regents adopts the nine recommendations detailed under Task Three 

of this paper. These recommendations reflect the findings of the Finance and Investment 

Committee from its review of the Smithsonian budget processes as required by the Regents’ 

Governance Committee Report Recommendation 22. The Finance and Investment Committee 

authorizes the Secretary to begin implementing the necessary changes to fully implement each 

recommendation. The Finance and Investment Committee shall also work with the Board of 

Regents’ Chair, as well as the Regents’ Governance and Nominating Committee, to incorporate 

the Board’s new and expanded duties into appropriate committees and procedures. [2008.05.21] 

VOTED that the Board of Regents requires the Secretary to submit a plan, with proposed 

milestones and deliverables, to fully implement the nine recommendations by the end of 2010; 

and to report annually to the Finance and Investment Committee on the Institution’s progress in 

implementing the recommendations, until each recommendation has been implemented. 

[2008.05.22] 
4

VOTED that the Board of Regents approves the use of as much as $2.5 million of fiscal year 

2007 Central Unrestricted Trust surplus funds to support Smithsonian national campaign 

expenses that exceed available trust fund revenues in fiscal years 2008 through 2010. 

[2008.05.23] 

VOTED that the Board of Regents accepts the recommendation of the Finance and Investment 

Committee and approves a payout rate of $38.72 per share for all Endowment funds for fiscal 

year 2009. [2008.05.24] 

VOTED that the Board of Regents approves the withdrawal, if necessary, of up to $1.8 million 

from the National Zoological Park’s unrestricted Endowment to complete the Asia Trail II 

Elephant Trails project. [2008.05.25] 

VOTED that the Board of Regents approves the annual budget priorities proposed by the Acting 

Secretary. [2008.05.26] 

VOTED that the Board of Regents approves the proposed revision to Section 5.02 of the Bylaws 

of the Smithsonian’s Board of Regents for the purpose of making the Chair of the Board of 

Regents a non-voting, ex officio member of all Regents’ committees, effective immediately. 

[2008.05.27] 

VOTED that the Board of Regents, in accordance with the Charter of the National Museum of 

African American History and Culture, designates Doris Matsui as its representative on the 

Museum’s Council, effective May 5, 2008. [2008.05.28] 

VOTED that the Board of Regents adopts the recommendations set forth by the Governance and 

Nominating Committee and approves the specific actions described therein. The Executive 

Committee shall propose such Bylaw amendments as may be necessary to carry out these 

recommendations. In addition, the Board of Regents endorses the revised Duties and 

Responsibilities of Regents, General Criteria for Identifying Candidates for the Board of 

Regents, and General Guidelines for Appointment to Standing Committees of the Board of 

Regents, as proposed by the Governance and Nominating Committee. [2008.05.29] 

VOTED that the Board of Regents approves the list of committee memberships, effective May 

5, 2008, until the first meeting of calendar year 2009 or until further action of the Board, 

whichever comes first. [2008.05.30] 

VOTED that the Board of Regents approves the Communications Strategy proposed by the 

Acting Secretary and recommended by the Governance and Nominating Committee. 

[2008.05.31] 

VOTED that the Board of Regents approves the decision to conclude the RFQ process, not 

proceed to the RFP process, and explore other ideas and alternatives for use of the Arts and 

Industries building. [2008.05.32]