Connie Ballmer, one of the 15 members of the University of Oregon board of trustees, announced that she will be resigning from her at-large position on June 30.
Ballmer, who has served on the board since it first formed in 2013, co-founded the Ballmer Group, a national philanthropic organization that works to uplift families living in economic poverty.
“The last six-and-a-half years have been educational, rewarding, and inspiring,” Ballmer wrote in her resignation letter to Oregon Governor Kate Brown, according to Around the O.
She graduated from the UO School of Journalism and Communication in 1984 with a Bachelor’s of Science in journalism. She is also a graduate of Oregon City High School, according to The Oregonian.
The SOJC inducted Ballmer into its hall of achievement in 2019 for her philanthropic efforts at the Ballmer Group in addition to her work at places such as Blue Meridian Partners, StriveTogether and the Los Angeles Clippers Foundation.
Ballmer’s term ends in June 2023, and the board is accepting applicants to replace her position for the rest of her term. The governor selects nominees, which the Oregon Senate votes on.
“We sincerely thank Trustee Ballmer for her extraordinary work over these last several years, and for her ongoing commitment to the UO community,” the email announcement from the board of trustees said.
In 2014, Ballmer and her husband, Steve Ballmer — a multibillionaire businessman and former chief executive officer of Microsoft who now owns the Los Angeles Clippers — donated $50 million to UO to fund the PathwayOregon scholarship program for high-achieving, low-income Oregonians in addition to the UO’s research into childhood obesity prevention, according to The Oregonian. Steve Ballmer also co-founded the Ballmer Group.
Connie Ballmer led the search for a new UO President after then-President Michael Gottfredson resigned shortly in 2014 after the board of trustees formed and took control of governing the university, according to the UO presidential history webpage. UO President Michael Schill took the role in 2015.
In 2019, Ballmer also received UO’s Pioneer Award, given to those “rare individuals who have been true agents of progress.”
“Connie Ballmer has been an exemplary trustee,” board of trustees Chair Chuck Lillis said in Around the O. “She is inquisitive and insightful and always remains focused on what matters most. She presses this institution to continually improve in areas of access, quality and student success. I am grateful for all that she has done for the institution and look forward to the great work she will continue to do to improve the lives of so many others.”
This story was updated Tuesday afternoon to reflect that the Ballmer Group is a philanthropic organization.
