NEW YORK, January 8, 2014—The Institute of International Education welcomes David B. Fischer and Vernon E. Jordan Jr. to its Board of Trustees. The two will serve three-year terms as Trustees of the Institute, beginning this week. IIE, a private not-for-profit organization founded in 1919, is governed by a dedicated Board of Trustees who bring a diverse set of skills from leadership positions in colleges and universities, financial institutions, government agencies, and nonprofit organizations.
David B. Fischer is President and Chief Executive Officer of Greif, a world leader in industrial packaging products and services with more than 200 operating locations in more than 50 countries, serving global as well as regional customers. Mr. Fischer joined Greif in 2004 as Senior Vice President and Divisional President, Industrial Packaging & Services – Americas. He was named President and Chief Executive Officer in 2011.
Mr. Fischer was also the brains behind PackH2O, an innovative and life-changing method of carrying water for people living in areas with water scarcity. The idea for PackH20 came shortly after the earthquake in Haiti in 2010 when Mr. Fischer realized that one of the key obstacles to providing clean water to the world was the bulky and contaminated containers used to carry it. He then realized that his company, Greif, which is also a member of the Clinton Global Initiative, had the expertise to develop better methods for carrying water, and developed PackH2O, water carrying backpacks that are now being used by tens of thousands around the world.
Vernon E. Jordan, Jr. is a Senior Managing Director of Lazard Frères & Co. LLC in New York. He works with a diverse group of clients across a broad range of industries. Prior to joining Lazard, Mr. Jordan was a Senior Executive Partner with the law firm of Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld, LLP, where he remains Senior Counsel. While there Mr. Jordan practiced general, corporate, legislative and international law in Washington, DC.
Before Akin Gump, Mr. Jordan held the following positions: President and Chief Executive Officer of the National Urban League, Inc.; Executive Director of the United Negro College Fund, Inc.; Director of the Voter Education Project of the Southern Regional Council; Attorney-Consultant, U.S. Office of Economic Opportunity; Assistant to the Executive Director of the Southern Regional Council; Georgia Field Director of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People, and an attorney in private practice in Arkansas and Georgia. In 1992, Mr. Jordan served as the Chairman of the Clinton Presidential Transition Team.
Mr. Jordan is a graduate of DePauw University and the Howard University Law School. He holds honorary degrees from more than 60 colleges and universities in America. Mr. Jordan is the author of Vernon Can Read! A Memoir (Public Affairs, 2001) and Make It Plain, Standing Up and Speaking Out (Public Affairs, 2008).
About the Institute of International Education
The Institute of International Education is a world leader in the international exchange of people and ideas. An independent, not-for-profit organization founded in 1919, IIE has a network of 19 offices worldwide and over 1,200 member institutions. IIE designs and implements programs of study and training for students, educators, young professionals and trainees from all sectors with funding from government agencies, foundations, and corporations around the world. IIE also conducts policy research and program evaluations, and provides advising and counseling on international education and opportunities abroad.
Contacts
Public Affairs