June 26, 2006... The Conference Board announced today that Tina S. Van Dam, recently retired Corporate Secretary of The Dow Chemical Company and current Senior Counsel for Corporate Governance and Finance of the National Association of Manufacturers, will join The Conference Board in July as Associate Director of the Governance Center and Directors´ Institute in New York City.
Richard E. Cavanagh, President and CEO of The Conference Board, said: "We welcome Ms. Van Dam´s nationally recognized expertise in the law and as an accomplished leader in the realm of corporate governance."
Prior to joining The Conference Board, Ms. Van Dam implemented provisions of Sarbanes-Oxley, Securities and Exchange Commission and stock exchange regulations as part of her responsibilities for Dow Chemical, a Fortune 50 corporation. She has testified before and submitted written comments to various regulatory bodies in Washington, and has worked closely with directors of public corporations.
A graduate of the University of Michigan Law School, Ms. Van Dam was with Dow Chemical for 20 years. She is a member of the American Bar Association´s Committee on Corporate Laws and Corporate Governance Committee. Additionally, she served as a director of the Society of Corporate Secretaries and Governance Professionals from 2001-2004, served on its Executive Steering Committee from 2002-2004, and has been a member of its Audit Committee since 2004.
A frequent speaker on various governance topics, she also has held leadership positions with the Association of Corporate Counsel, the Michigan State Bar Association and several Michigan civic, educational and arts organizations. Prior to becoming an attorney, she served as a medical center development director, public affairs staff member for an architectural firm, and as a legislative aide.
Dr. Carolyn Brancato, Director of The Conference Board Governance Center and Directors´ Institute, said: "The Conference Board´s focus on both practical application of leading edge research and thoughtful analysis of corporate governance issues will be enhanced when Tina joins our team."
Brancato noted that Ms. Van Dam has already made a significant contribution as a member of the Directors´ Institute faculty on several occasions. "She brings with her a strong background and commitment to sound corporate governance," Brancato added.
About The Conference Board
The Conference Board, not-for-profit and non-partisan, is the world´s leading research and business membership network. The Conference Board is celebrating its 90th anniversary this year. It produces the Consumer Confidence Index, the Leading Economic Indicators for the U.S. and eight other nations, the Help-Wanted Print and Online Job Indexes, and major studies on productivity trends. The Conference Board also produces authoritative studies and reports on corporate governance, executive compensation, corporate citizenship, diversity and best practices on a wide range of human resources activities. The Conference Board´s conference and council programs bring together more than 18,000 senior executives from around the world.
The Conference Board creates and disseminates knowledge about management and the marketplace to help businesses strengthen their performance and better serve society.
The Conference Board Governance Center brings together a distinguished group of senior corporate executives from leading world-class companies and influential institutional investors in a non-adversarial setting. In small groups of prominent senior executives, all discussions are confidential, enabling a free-flowing exchange of ideas and effective networking.
The Conference Board Directors´ Institute is the premiere provider of governance education for corporate directors. Our singular approach brings together current and former directors, chairmen, and CEOs to share their practical experiences in a completely non-academic format. As a significant part of the Directors´ Institute experience comes from peer-to-peer discourse, attendance at events is restricted to sitting corporate directors.