School of Business & Management Class Notes

Gil West (MBA, 1994) has been named President and Chief Executive Officer of Laidlaw Transit Services, a leading provider of municipal public transportation based in Overland Park, Kansas.

"Gil comes to Laidlaw Transit Services with an excellent record of strategic leadership in the transportation industry," said Kevin Benson, President and Chief Executive Officer of Laidlaw International, Inc.

Prior to joining Laidlaw Transit Services, Mr. West was Chief Executive Officer of Intermet. Before holding that position he was the President and Chief Operating Officer at TIMCO Aviation Services. He has also held senior management positions at Northwest Airlines and served in various management positions with United Airlines, BF Goodrich, Hamilton-Sundstrand Corporation and Boeing Company. Mr. West attended National University in San Jose while working for United Airlines. (Read more about Mr. West in the upcoming issue of Vision magazine, due out in Spring 2007.)

Gunter Copeland (MBA, 2003) will lead advertising operations for the Porterville Recorder, a daily newspaper serving the community of Porterville and Southern Tulare County in the San Joaquin Valley. The newspaper is owned by Irvine-based Freedom Communications, Inc., a privately-owned company which operates 28 daily and 37 weekly newspapers in the United States, including the Orange County Register. Prior to joining the Porterville Recorder, Mr. Copeland worked with the San Francisco Chronicle and the Wall Street Journal.

Fuller Cowell II (MBA, 1987), a retired newspaper publisher, has been appointed by Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin to the University of Alaska Board of Regents. The Board consists of 11 members who are appointed by the Governor and confirmed by the State Legislature. The members, who serve an eight-year term, set policy for the University of Alaska and appoint the president.