The University of Houston-Downtown (UHD) hosted UH System Board of Regents member Gerald McElvy on Aug. 25. Regent McElvy was welcomed to campus by UHD Interim President Michael A. Olivas before meeting with University administrators, Student Government Association (SGA) officers, students and faculty. McElvy spent the day on campus learning about the University and gaining a greater understanding of UHD's role in the University of Houston System.

At the meeting, held in the President's Suite, S990, Olivas and administrators provided a snapshot of the UHD student profile, an overview of student success initiatives and a look toward the master plan. SGA officers and representatives of the Model United Nations shared their experiences as UHD students and the role of SGA and student organizations.

Associate Provost Faiza Khoja guided a conversation with McElvy, and students and faculty engaged in community engagement activities. Regent McElvy said his past professional experience as President of the ExxonMobil Foundation provided him with a unique opportunity to comment upon the important role of well-run nonprofits in the Houston community.

The meeting concluded with a tour of the UHD campus, an exclusive view of the recent land acquisition and a sneak peak of the new College of Sciences and Technology Building site.

Attendees included David Bradley, vice president of Administration and Finance; Ed Hugetz, interim provost and senior vice president of Academic Affairs; Tomikia LeGrande, associate vice president of Student Affairs; Johanna Wolfe, vice president of Advancement and External Relations; Faiza Khoja, associate vice president of Academic Affairs; Heather Goltz, assistant professor of social work; Poonam Gulati, interim director of the Center for Community Engagement and Service Learning; Patrick Jefferson, dean of Student Services. Students in attendance included Eisha Khan, Daral Moore Washington, Mustapha Nyallay, Hatziri Rancano, Thomas Canny, and UHD alumnus and Taylor High School science teacher Ben Khoo.

McElvy was appointed to the UH System Board of Regents in 2015 by Texas Gov. Greg Abbott and will serve through Aug. 31, 2021. For fiscal year 2015-16, he served as a member on the Academic and Student Success, the Endowment Management, and the Finance and Administration Committees.