This weekend, Penn will officially instate a new chairman of the Board of Trustees, David Cohen. Although Penn has known of his appointment for months, we’re happy to welcome him at this time to his new role.
Cohen, the executive vice president of the Comcast Corporation and a graduate of Penn Law, has long been active in the Penn and Philadelphia community. He’s been on the University Board of Trustees since 2001 and has worked extensively with the medical school in particular. He has a deep understanding of Penn’s relationship to both Philadelphia and Pennsylvania, through his role as Governor Ed Rendell’s Chief of Staff during Rendell’s tenure as Philadelphia mayor. This expertise will serve him well, as Penn’s influence and role in the region is significant.
Cohen, naturally, has big shoes to fill. James Riepe has been chairman for the past 10 years, overseeing a time of immense growth at the University. He will remain on the Board. Nevertheless, he will be missed.
Cohen’s energy and vision for Penn sync well with the direction that Penn President Amy Gutmann has already outlined, and we’re hopeful and interested to see what this partnership produces over the next several years.
