(Ashland, Ore.) – Two new and four continuing members have been appointed by Gov. Tina Kotek and confirmed today by the Oregon Senate to serve on the Board of Trustees of Southern Oregon University.

The new trustees are former Oregon State Rep. Peter Buckley and Christopher Geryak, an SOU junior and former student body vice president.

“The Board of Trustees is excited to welcome these dedicated individuals to SOU,” said Sheila Clough, the board’s chair. “Peter’s extensive legislative and community leadership, both locally and in the state, paired with Christopher’s proven commitment to students and leadership at SOU, will provide valuable insight as we navigate the future of higher education in our region.

“We appreciate Gov. Kotek’s appointment and the legislature’s confirmation of these leaders,” Clough said. “Their service ensures that SOU remains deeply connected to the needs of our students and the southern Oregon community.”

Returning to serve their second four-year terms as trustees are Debra F.J. Lee, Christina (Medina) Kruger and Elizabeth (Liz) Shelby. Their renewed terms will begin July 1 and run through June 30, 2030. Hala Schepmann, a professor of Chemistry, has been reappointed and confirmed to a two-year term as a faculty trustee, ending June 30, 2028. Trustees are limited to serving two consecutive full terms.

“SOU is vital to the success of our region,” said new trustee Peter Buckley. “I look forward to helping in any way I can to support our students, staff, faculty and fellow board members as we work for a brighter future.”

Student trustee Christopher Geryak echoed the sentiment of service. “I am pleased to join SOU’s Board of Trustees and provide my insight and knowledge to help SOU thrive and succeed,” Geryak said.

The new trustees’ terms will begin February 20. Buckley was appointed to a partial term and then a full term that will end June 30, 2030, and Geryak’s term runs through June 30, 2027.

Trustees are gubernatorial appointees, subject to confirmation by the Oregon Senate. The board consists of as many as 11 at-large trustees serving four-year terms, with additional positions reserved for up to three SOU students – two undergraduates (one voting, one non-voting), a faculty member and a non-faculty staff member, each serving two-year terms. The university president serves in a non-voting, ex officio capacity on the board, bringing total membership to 17.

New trustees

Peter Buckley
Buckley served for 12 years in the Oregon House of Representatives (2005-17), representing south Jackson County. During his tenure, he served for eight years as House Co-Chair of the Joint Committee on Ways & Means, the legislature’s budget-writing committee. After leaving the legislature, Peter was hired to lead Southern Oregon Success, a collaboration of all levels of education, health care, human services, public safety and workforce development in Jackson and Josephine counties, dedicated to working across all sectors to help children, families and communities thrive. Prior to his legislative service, Peter worked for 22 years as a director, actor, writer, producer, administrator and teacher for west coast regional theatres, including six years as the director of the Dell’Arte International School of Physical Theatre.

Christopher Geryak
Geryak is a junior at Southern Oregon University, majoring in business administration with a concentration in management and a minor in education. Following his service as SOU’s student body vice president, Christopher expanded his academic focus to include education, reinforcing his commitment to student advocacy and the importance of higher education across Oregon. During his time at SOU, he has held seven volunteer and employment positions and has been actively involved in numerous student organizations. His experiences in student government, student life and campus services have provided him with a well-rounded understanding of the university and its impact on students.

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(Ashland, Ore.) — A local credit union president and CEO with extensive public service experience, a Southern Oregon University alumna and administrator, and a student in the SOU Master’s in Business Administration program have been appointed by Oregon Gov. Tina Kotek and confirmed today by the Oregon Senate to serve on the Southern Oregon University Board of Trustees.

Matthew Stephenson will be one of 11 at-large members on the board, and his term will end in June 2027. Ashley King, a nonfaculty staff member of the board, was appointed to serve an unexpired 2-year term that ends in June 2026, plus a full two-year term that ends in June 2028. Rose Harwood, the board’s graduate program representative, will serve a partial two-year term that expires in June 2027. All are full voting members of the board.

“I am very pleased to welcome this group of devoted public servants to our organization,” said SOU Board Chair Sheila Clough. “These new board members have common ground in their love for the university and their appreciation of the value that SOU brings to our region and the state. Their individual strengths and experiences will enrich our board and the university.”

Matt Stephenson is the president and CEO of Rogue Credit Union, where he began in 2004 as manager of the Information Services Department. He served in a progression of leadership roles before reaching his current position in 2022. Before joining RCU, he worked at Clark County Credit Union in Las Vegas. Stephenson has served in a variety of community service roles, including as a member of the Central Point City Council, the Jackson County Budget Committee, the Chamber of Medford/Jackson County Board of Directors, the Medford School District’s Facilities Optimization Committee, Rogue Community College Budget Committee and the board of Southern Oregon Regional Economic Development Incorporated (SOREDI). He earned a bachelor’s degree in information systems management and a master’s degree in business administration from the University of Nevada, Las Vegas. He graduated with highest honors from Western CUNA Management School and received the prestigious Charlie Clark Memorial Award. He also holds the Certified Chief Executive designation from the Credit Union Executives Society CEO Institute.

Ashley King is the compliance coordinator for SOU, developing and implementing policies and procedures to ensure university compliance with various state and federal laws. She has expertise in public procurement, contract administration and policy development, and supports university compliance for contracting and risk management. She has worked at SOU for more than 10 years, with previous roles including service center manager and senior purchasing and contracting specialist. King served as the inaugural chair of the SOU Staff Assembly, which represents the interests of the university’s non-faculty employees, and has also been a member of the SOU Budget Committee, SOU Planning Committee and SOU Policy Council. Her professional honors include the 2023 SOU Outstanding Staff Award and the 2021 SOU Service Excellence Award. King earned her bachelor’s degree in communication at SOU, graduating summa cum laude, and had dual minors in psychology and women’s studies. She was named the top graduating senior in human communication at SOU and the top graduating senior in women’s studies, awarded by the SOU chapter of the American Association of University Women.

Rose Harwood is currently completing master of business administration degree with a focus on arts management at SOU, and earned a bachelor of fine arts degree in acting from the University of Southern California. They are a freelance writer and actor who has appeared on television and in films, and have been heard on national commercials. Harwood has produced, managed financials and run logistics for several independent films, and is the founding executive director of Unseen Films Oregon – a nonprofit that provides opportunities and mentorship for diverse populations working in the various aspects of media production. Harwood also works as a freelance grant writer and project manager for the Friends of the Oregon Caves and Chateau, and coaches at CrossFit Iron Haven in Ashland.

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(Ashland, Ore.) — A local entrepreneur and double-alumna, a chemistry professor and campus leader, a graduate student in the School of Education and an undergraduate Honors College student have been appointed by Oregon Gov. Tina Kotek and confirmed today by the Oregon Senate to serve on the Southern Oregon University Board of Trustees.

Sachta Bakshi Card will complete the unexpired, at-large term of Jonathon Bullock, who resigned from the board last year; her term will end in June 2027. Hala Schepmann, Ph.D., will serve a two-year term as the SOU board’s faculty representative; Julissa Taitano will serve a two-year term as the board’s graduate program representative; and Garima Sharma will serve a two-year term as the board’s undergraduate representative. Card, Schepmann and Taitano are full voting members of the board, while Sharma’s undergrad position is non-voting in its first year and then shifts to a voting position in its second year.

“This is an outstanding group to help steer the course of the university we all love,” said SOU Board Chair Daniel Santos. “These new board members bring rich and varied experiences to the table, and each has deep connections to SOU. Our governing body, university, community and state will benefit from their service.”

Sachta Bakshi Card, who was born and raised in India before moving to the U.S. at age 17 to attend SOU, is an entrepreneur and investor who owns restaurants and advises other small businesses in southern Oregon. She is an honors graduate of SOU, where she received her bachelor’s degree in Business Administration and Economics, a certificate in Applied Finance and Economics, and a master’s in management degree. She also has an MBA from San Francisco State University and a master’s degree in International Business from University of Nice Sophia Antipolis. Card is a member of the boards of the Oregon Shakespeare Festival and Options for Helping, Resources and Assistance (OHRA). She received the prestigious American Association of University Women’s award for the Outstanding Woman Student in Economics while a student at SOU.

Hala Schepmann joined the SOU faculty in 2001 and recently served as chair of Chemistry and Physics, navigating the department through the COVID-19 pandemic and leading the creation of an endowed summer research program for students and faculty.  She has also served in SOU leadership roles including president of the faculty association and co-founder and leader of a university alliance that supports underrepresented faculty groups. Schepmann co-leads the National Science Foundation ASCEND project that focuses on supporting the advancement of women STEM faculty nationwide.  Her most recent effort – a project of NSF GRANTED (Growing Research Access for Nationally Transformative Equity and Diversity) – seeks to transform research enterprises at primarily undergraduate, emerging research institutions. Schepmann specializes in organic chemistry and spectroscopy and her research interests include drug discovery and development of inclusive teaching strategies. She earned her bachelor’s degree in chemistry at the University of Texas, Austin, her master’s degree in synthetic organic chemistry at the University of California, Berkely, and her doctorate in bioorganic chemistry from Rice University.

Julissa Taitano is a graduate student in the SOU School of Education’s Master of Science in Education program, with a concentration in higher education leadership. She has served as a student leader in many positions, including as a member of the SOU women’s wrestling team, and as a student representative and former student body vice president in the Associated Students of Southern Oregon University. She currently serves as chair of the Student Fee Budget Committee, which works to determine students’ “incidental fees” and other charges that can affect the university for many years. Taitano, as an aspiring educator, recognizes a systemic need for higher education institutions to embrace the urgency of being a catalyst for change. She earned her bachelor’s degree in education, with a minor in philosophy at SOU.

Garima Sharma is a junior in the SOU Honors College, with double majors in healthcare administration and pre-nursing, and minors in ethics and health promotion. She currently serves as chief justice for the ASSOU, where she looks at governing documents and helps establish rules for the student government to follow. Sharma has embraced leadership roles across campus, including service as president of the Black Student Union and work in the Social Justice & Equity Center. She has also been a resident assistant in University Housing for the past two years.

SOU was granted authority by the state to form its own independent Board of Trustees beginning July 1, 2015, following the legislature’s dissolution of the Oregon University System and State Board of Higher Education. SOU’s board is responsible for governance and oversight of the university.

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