President Bush Appoints New Members to Board of Directors
Presidio of San Francisco (January 25, 2008) — President George W. Bush has announced his intention to appoint two prominent Bay Area leaders to the Presidio Trust board of directors. Nancy Hellman Bechtle and J. Michael Shepherd are expected to join the seven-member board later this month. President Bush also signaled his intention to reappoint William Wilson III to serve a second term on the board.
Nancy Hellman Bechtle currently serves on the board of directors for the Charles Schwab Corporation, is the chairman of the board for the Sugar Bowl Corporation, and is vice chairman of the board for the National Park Foundation. Previously, she was chief financial officer and director for J.R. Bechtle Company from 1979 to 1998. From 1987 to 2001, she was president and chief executive officer of the San Francisco Symphony and has served as a member of the San Francisco Symphony board of governors since 1984. She also currently serves on the board of trustees for the San Francisco Conservatory of Music. Previously, she served on the boards of the Northern California Health Center, the San Francisco Opera Association, and the Charles and Helen Schwab Foundation, among others.
Mr. Shepherd is president and chief executive officer of Bank of the West, and is a director of its holding company, BancWest Corporation. Prior to joining Bank of the West in 2004, he served as general counsel of the Bank of New York Company, Inc. and of Shawmut National Corporation. He was a partner in the San Francisco law firm of Brobeck, Phleger Harrison LLP and special counsel to Sullivan Cromwell. He also served as senior deputy Comptroller of the Currency, associate counsel to the President of the United States, and deputy assistant Attorney General. Mr. Shepherd is a director of Promontory Interfinancial Network and Episcopal Charities of California, and is a member of the Council on Foreign Relations and the Financial Services Roundtable.
William Wilson, vice-chairman of the Presidio Trust board of directors, has founded and led Bay Area-based real estate investment firms for over 40 years, including William Wilson and Associates, Wilson/Cornerstone Properties, and Wilson/Equity Office. He currently serves as managing partner of Wilson Meany Sullivan, Inc.
Ms. Bechtle and Mr. Shepherd succeed Lydia Beebe and Joseph Yew, who have completed their terms.
“We are delighted to welcome Nancy Bechtle and Michael Shepherd to the Trust board,” said David Grubb, chairman of the Presidio Trust board of directors. “I want to thank Joe Yew and Lydia Beebe for their extraordinary service to the Presidio. It is because of the time and commitment of people like Joe and Lydia that the Presidio continues to progress in its transformation into a national park of international distinction.”
Created by Congress in 1996, the Presidio Trust’s mission is to preserve and enhance the Presidio of San Francisco as an enduring resource for the American people. The president appoints six members to its board of directors. The seventh member is a designee of the Secretary of the Interior (currently chairman David Grubb). The 1,500-acre Presidio is a unit of the national park system and is home to nearly 3,000 residents and 200 organizations. It boasts an expansive open space, a 300-acre historic forest, spectacular views, and rare and endangered plants and wildlife. Its 469 historic structures contribute to the park’s status as a National Historic Landmark District. The Presidio Trust is currently transforming the park’s Main Post into a dynamic cultural center and nearly doubling the size of its trail system.