Tulane University Names Two New Board Members
Richard Bracken, president and chief executive officer of the Hospital Corporation of America (HCA) and Hunter Pierson, president of Pierson Investments and director of Deltic Timber Corporation, have been elected to the Board of Tulane.
"Both of these gentlemen have long and deep ties to Tulane University. Their wisdom and expertise will be of great value as we guide Tulane through and beyond these challenging economic times," Tulane University President Scott Cowen said.
Bracken began his career with HCA, a hospital company that is the leading provider of healthcare services in the U.S., in 1981. He has held various executive positions with the company, including CEO of the Green Hospital of Scripps Clinic and Research Foundation in San Diego and CEO of Centennial Medical Center in Nashville, Tenn. He is also vice-chairperson of the HCA Foundation.
"I am delighted to join Tulane University"s board and I look forward to serving this prestigious university," said Bracken. "I developed great respect for Tulane, not only in my role at HCA, which has had a long-standing partnership through Tulane Medical Center, but also as a parent of two sons who earned graduate degrees from Tulane University."
Pierson has led Pierson Investments, a private investment firm that owns and manages commercial real estate, timberland and securities, since 1981. He has been a director of Deltic Timber Corporation since 1999. The company owns 438,600 acres of timberland and is engaged in real estate development primarily in Arkansas and north Louisiana. Pierson"s wife, Cathy, is an emeritus member of the Board of Tulane and its former chair. In May, the Tulane Alumni Association awarded Mr. Pierson the 2009 Dermot McGlinchey Lifetime Achievement Award, which honors those who have demonstrated involvement and commitment to Tulane and their hometown communities.
"I have served throughout the years in various volunteer positions at Tulane, including as a member of the Board of Governors, chair of President"s Council and co-chair of Promise and Distinction: The Campaign for Tulane University. I welcome this new leadership role and look forward to ensuring that the years to come are the best in Tulane"s long and storied history," Pierson said.
