14 March 2017
MEMO TO : THE UNIVERSITY COMMUNITY
RE : NEW MEMBERS OF THE ADZU BOARD OF TRUSTEES
I am happy to inform the community
of the election of Fr RICHARD V ELLA
SJ, Mr JOAQUIN GREGORIO P CORTEZ
and Dr
REBECCA V FERNANDEZ to the AdZU
Board of Trustees during the Corporation/BOT meeting on 25 February 2017.
Mr Sonny Cortez is an alumnus of the Ateneo de
Zamboanga (HS, 1967) and of the Ateneo de Manila University (BA-Econonics,
1971). He holds a master’s degree in Urban and Regional Planning (MURP) with a
specialization in Transportation Planning from the School of Urban and Regional
Planning, University of the Philippines in Diliman, QC. His work prior to his retirement was at the
Fisheries Policy and Planning Division , Food and Agriculture Organization of
the United Nations as a Planning Officer.
His UN career spanned two decades and took him to missions and
assignments in 14 Asian countries, 11 West African nations, 5 Caribbean island
nations, Panama in Central/South America, the United States and Canada, and
Austria.
Fr Richard, who entered the Society on 30 May
2000 and was ordained in 2011, joined us in September last year as the new
Assistant to the President for Administration. His most recent assignment prior
to coming over was as University Chaplain and Director of Campus Ministries
Office at the Xavier University in Cagayan de Oro City. He also served as the
School Director of Saint Isidore High School, the only Jesuit-run Catholic high
school in the agricultural area of the Upper Pulangi Region of Bukidnon (2012 –
2014).
Dr Becky Fernandez joins the Board
after serving as Academic Vice President for 13 years. Aside from teaching
undergraduate courses in Philosophy (1972-2002) and graduate courses
(2002-2006), she spent almost four decades in the following administrative posts: Senior Dean of the
Colleges (2004-2008), Dean/Associate Dean/Division Head of the Arts and
Sciences (2003-2004, 1997-1999,
1994-1997, 1990-1993), Dean of
Education (2002-2003), Chair of the
Philosophy Department (1979-1993, 19961999) and Acting Chair of the Languages
Department (1993-1994). She is an alumna
of the Ateneo de Zamboanga (BA-English, 1971 – magna cum laude), and of the
Ateneo de Manila University (MA in Philosophy, 1978). She is one of the pioneering graduates of
AdZU’s Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) program in Development Management
(2002).
I thank Mr Cortez, Fr Richard, and
Dr Fernandez for their generosity in sharing their time and leadership in the
service of the mission of the Ateneo de Zamboanga University.
I also take this opportunity to
thank Dr ALEJANDRINO FERRERIA who
served in the Board for two terms (six years), Fr MARLITO G OCON SJ, and Br
CARLITO M GASPAR, CSsR, whose participation in the Board these past many
years helped significantly in moving the University forward in its
mission.
FR KAREL S SAN JUAN SJ
University President
MEMO 16-17:35
