Gov. Gregoire appoints Ralph Munro to WWU board of trustees

For Immediate Release: September 25, 2009

OLYMPIA � Gov. Chris Gregoire today announced the appointment of former Washington Secretary of State Ralph Munro to the Western Washington University Board of Trustees. His appointment is effective Oct. 1, 2009, and will continue until Sept. 30, 2015.

�I have always admired Ralph�s long history of public service. I�m grateful he is willing to continue to serve our communities and his alma mater,� Gregoire said. �Ralph brings to Western Washington University an impressive wealth of knowledge and strong leadership abilities. I know his background and skills will contribute to the university�s success in providing a world-class education to its students.�

While a student at WWU, Munro became very involved in student government. He graduated from the university in 1966 with a bachelor of arts degree in education. In 1980, Washington voters elected Munro to the office of secretary of state, a position he held for more than 20 years.

Following his tenure as secretary of state, WWU launched the Ralph Munro Seminar for Teachers, a conference for students and teachers seeking professional development in civic education and social studies. The university established the Ralph Munro Distinguished Professorship in Civic Education to help fund the seminars.

�My family has a long history at Western Washington University,� Munro said. �My years there were some of the best of my life. The education I received at WWU was world class, and I will forever be indebted to the staff and faculty who helped me get my start. I am honored to accept this position and give back to the school that gave me so much.�