One of the board members who was not reappointed had served on the panel for 32 years.
Multiple members of the California State University, Fresno, foundation will not be reappointed to the board now that their four-year terms have ended, a decision that follows a scathing review of the organization.
The Fresno Bee reported that the decision not to reappoint members was made on Monday.
Fresno State President Saúl Jiménez-Sandoval decided not to reappoint five members after a review by the California State University system found that the foundation had failed to adequately document foundation payments among other missteps, including ignoring its own rules. While the system’s review identified multiple issues, it did not find malfeasance.
The foundation oversees about $315 million in endowments and grants. The Fresno Bee previously reported that it’s the only independent organization in the system that oversees philanthropic and research or grant activity. The system has recommended that the foundation change the makeup of its board to include more university representatives, according to the Bee . But the foundation board resisted that recommendation.
Some on the board objected to the decision to not reappoint the long-standing members, with one arguing that the president was essentially “eliminating people on the board who have a wealth of knowledge.”
But a criticism that has followed the board is the unusual longevity of multiple members.
Foundation Chair Vinci Ricchiuti has served on the board for 32 years and has led it since 2016. (Several others have spent more than two decades on the board.) The Fresno Bee noted that Ricchiuti’s time as chair is highly unusual, in that it conflicts with industry best practices, and that other foundation boards across the system regularly rotate board leadership .