Contact:
Di Saunders – Cell: 971-219-6869; Office: 503-725-5714

PORTLAND, June 24, 2009 – Governor Kulongoski’s appointment of Matthew W. Donegan, co-founder and co-president of Forest Capital Partners, LLC, to serve on the Oregon State Board of Higher Education (the “Board”) was confirmed yesterday afternoon by the Oregon State Senate. Donegan’s term on the Board will begin on July 1, 2009 and continue through June 30, 2013, at which time he will be eligible for re-appointment. He is replacing Board member Kirby Dyess of Portland, who has been on the Board since 2004.

Paul Kelly, president of the Board, said, “Matt’s strong background and experience in forestry and sustainability, agriculture and environment, and his commitment to mentoring young people make him an excellent fit for the work of the Board. We’re excited about the expertise that Matt can bring to bear on the critical issues facing higher education in Oregon right now and look forward to serving with him on the Board.”

A resident of Portland, Matt Donegan is co-president and co-founder of Forest Capital Partners, a private forest landowner and leading producer of sustainable forest products. Forest Capital is Oregon’s second largest forest landowner, with offices in Portland, La Grande, Joseph, Medford and Monmouth, as well as being one of America’s largest private landowners with management of 2.1 million acres.

“Matt has the ability to contribute to the Board of Higher Education in important and diverse ways,” said Governor Kulongoski. “His experience aligns with many areas our universities are focusing on, including forest management, the environment and issues of sustainability. He also understands the needs of Oregon’s students and how they differ in the rural and urban areas of the state”.

In Oregon, Donegan currently serves on the boards of Big Brothers Big Sisters Columbia Northwest, the Oregon Global Warming Commission, the Oregon Business Council and the Oregon Innovation Council. Until recently he served on the board of the Oregon Forest Resources Institute. In 2007, he was named the Portland Business Journal’s “40-Under-40.” In 2006, he served on the steering committee of Measure 26-80, a successful bond initiative that raised $227 million for Portland-metro area parks.

At the national level, Donegan serves as the founding chairman of the board of the National Alliance of Forest Owners, the nation’s largest organization representing private landowners – with over 75 million acres in 47 states. He also serves on the board of the Sustainable Forestry Initiative, and on the national council of the National Park Conservation Association.

Donegan earned both undergraduate and graduate degrees from public universities. He is a professional forester who graduated from the University of Florida’s School of Forest Resources and Conservation in 1990 with a B.S. in Forestry. He was awarded that college’s outstanding alumnus of the year in 2009. In 1992 he earned an MBA with concentrations in forest industries management and finance from the University of Tennessee.

Matt and his wife Laura relocated to Oregon from Boston in 2005. They have three young children and live in Portland.

Oregon University System comprises seven distinguished public universities, reaching more than one million people each year through on-campus classes, statewide public services and lifelong learning. For additional information, go to www.ous.edu

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