Board of Trustees welcomes 2 new members

Ronald B. Johnson and Victoria Browne Rogers

The Stanford University Board of Trustees has elected Ronald Bruce Johnson, a senior vice president at Apple Inc., and Victoria "Vicky" Browne Rogers, president of The Rose Hills Foundation, to five-year terms that begin Oct. 10.

Including the two new trustees, the board will have 33 members at its next meeting, Oct. 10-11, two fewer members than its limit of 35.

"Both Ron and Vicky are dedicated alumni with remarkable track records of service and support to Stanford," said Leslie Hume, chair of the board of trustees.  

"Their many involvements in and broad perspective on Stanford, the expertise they have gleaned through distinguished professional careers, and their deep commitment to Stanford will serve the university well. We are extremely fortunate to welcome them to the board."

Ronald B. Johnson

Johnson, who earned a bachelor's degree in economics from Stanford in 1980, earned an MBA from Harvard University in 1984.

He began his retail career at Mervyns, which was acquired by Target Corp. in 1978.

Johnson held various leadership positions during his 15-year career at Target, where he was responsible for a variety of merchandise categories in the men's, women's, children's and home departments.

At Target, he was most noted for launching and leading the company's design initiative, which began with the Michael Graves collection for home and ultimately included other key brands and designers.

Johnson, who is currently a senior vice president at Apple, joined the company in 2000 and reported directly to Steve Jobs, Apple's co-founder and chief executive officer. Johnson developed and led Apple's retail strategy and was responsible for its overall performance and execution.

Under Johnson's leadership, Apple has opened more than 330 stores in 11 countries. The stores, which have been widely credited with re-inventing the retail experience, have become the highest performing stores in the world.

Johnson, who was recently named chief executive officer of J.C. Penney, will take the helm of the retail company on Nov. 1.

Johnson has been an active volunteer at Stanford. As a board member of Stanford Hospital & Clinics he has been very active in the design and development of the new Stanford Hospital. He was particularly instrumental in the development of the Stanford Hospital Corporate Partners program, which is expected to provide as much as $150 million over the next 10 years to help build the new hospital and create a global model for patient-centered, technologically advanced health care.

Johnson serves on Stanford's Arts Initiative Advisory Council and the university's Principal Gifts Committee and is co-chair of the Major Gifts Committee for the Bay Area Stanford Challenge. He was co-chair of his 25th and 30th reunions.

Johnson lives in Atherton with his wife, Karen, and their two children, Elizabeth and Will. He has served on the board of Sacred Heart Schools – Atherton. He also has been active as a coach in a variety of youth sports and as a volunteer at Menlo Park Presbyterian Church.

Johnson serves on the board of directors of The Melt, a national, fast casual restaurant business that specializes in high quality grilled cheese sandwiches and seasonally fresh soups. The company is headquartered in San Francisco.

Victoria "Vicky" Browne Rogers

Rogers earned a bachelor's degree in economics from Stanford in 1983.

After graduating from Stanford, Rogers worked as a senior tax accountant at Touche Ross & Co. (now known as Deloitte & Touche) and as an assistant vice president in executive financial services at Security Pacific Bank.

In 1987, she began working for Norton Simon – the late Southern California businessman, art collector and philanthropist – and his affiliates, including the Norton Simon Museum and The Norton Simon Foundation. She held a variety of senior positions, including tax manager, treasurer and director of program planning.

In 1995, Rogers became vice president of trust administration for The Whittier Trust Co., an independent investment management company serving 270 families across the United States.

Since 1996, Rogers has served as president of The Rose Hills Foundation, which supports non-profit organizations that serve low-income and disadvantaged populations in Southern California.

During her tenure, the foundation has distributed more than $230 million in grants to more than 1,200 non-profit organizations.

The foundation provides grants across a broad spectrum of focus areas, including civic and community groups, education and human services, arts and culture, and science and engineering. It supports organizations ranging in size from small grassroots nonprofits to significant major institutions. The foundation has provided grants for innovative gang intervention programs, college access programs, regional food banks, after-school mentoring programs and community clinics. Through its science and engineering initiative, the foundation has provided award funds for merit scholarships for the best and brightest students in undergraduate, graduate and summer research programs at first-tier institutions.

Rogers is a member of The Stanford Challenge Greater Los Angeles Major Gifts Committee and has served on multiple reunion committees. She has served on the Stanford Day In Los Angeles Host Committee and the Leading Matters Los Angeles Steering Committee.

Leading Matters was a three-year inspirational program presented by Stanford in 19 cities around the world, stretching from London to Hong Kong. The first Leading Matters event was held in January 2008 in Seattle. The final one was held in May in Portland, Ore. The events included presentations by President John Hennessy, deans, faculty and students, and state-of-the-art media productions.

Rogers has served or currently serves on the board of trustees of the California Art Club, a nonprofit group that preserves and promotes traditional fine art; the Pasadena Polytechnic School, a K-12 college preparatory school; The Hotchkiss School, an independent boarding school in Connecticut; and the Chandler School, an independent, K-8 day school in Pasadena; and on the advisory council of the University of Southern California's Rossier School of Education (in Los Angeles).

She is married to David Booth Rogers, who earned a bachelor's degree from Stanford in 1980 and a J.D. from Stanford Law School in 1983. He is a partner at Latham & Watkins LLP, a full-service international law firm. The couple has two children: daughter Ryan, who earned a bachelor's degree in Earth Systems from Stanford in 2011, and son Spencer, a high school student. The family lives in San Marino, Calif.

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