Lawrence D. McHugh, chair of the UConn Board of Trustees since 2009, was confirmed May 25 by the state House of Representatives for a full six-year term as board chair. Gov. Malloy nominated him for the new term earlier this year. McHugh was originally nominated by then-Gov. Rell to complete the unexpired term of the previous chairman, Jack Rowe.
The state Senate also confirmed two new members of the board on May 24, Thomas Kruger of Stamford and Marilda Gandara of Hartford.
McHugh was a teacher and football coach at Xavier High School in Middletown from 1963 to 1983. He also has served since 1983 as president of the Middlesex Chamber of Commerce, which has grown into the largest chamber in the state of Connecticut.
He has been involved with higher education since 1983, when Gov. O’Neill nominated him to serve on the board of the Connecticut State University System. He was later re-nominated by Gov. Weicker, and Gov. Rowland appointed him chairman of the CSU board in 1995.
In his testimony before the legislature’s Committee on Executive and Legislative Nominations on May 20, McHugh outlined the major events at UConn in the past two years. They include the appointment of Susan Herbst as the University’s 15th president, the governor’s proposal to dramatically enhance the Health Center, the proposal to create a technology park on the Storrs campus, and the men’s basketball team winning the NCAA tournament.
“We have the utmost confidence in Susan’s ability to lead and effectively work with all of the University’s stakeholders, including the legislature and the governor,” said McHugh at the May 20 hearing. “I’m confident that she is the right person to lead UConn through this difficult period and into a very bright future.”
Of Malloy’s proposal for the Health Center, called “Bioscience Connecticut,” McHugh said: “This will allow us not only to add vital heft to our economy, but also to continue to deliver top-quality patient care while growing as a regional and national research hub, attracting vital funding to Connecticut.”
McHugh also noted that earlier this year, the Board of Trustees voted unanimously to form a special committee to review the compensation paid to UConn’s senior staff members.
“I fully expect that part of this review will include comparing UConn’s salaries to what our peer institutions pay for similar senior positions,” said McHugh. “This will help ensure we are where we ought to be, and provide greater oversight when it comes to compensation. We have an obligation to show we are good stewards of taxpayer dollars.”
McHugh discussed the major economic contributions UConn makes to the state of Connecticut, adding $2.9 billion to the state’s gross domestic product each year and creating thousands of jobs. He also noted the University’s positive growth over the last decade, both physically and in terms of its stature in the academic world.
“We have a clear mission: to offer an exceptional education to our students; to be a great research university; and to produce excellent graduates who are a credit to the state of Connecticut and part of our economic backbone,” McHugh told the committee. “Due in no small part to the state’s investment, it is a mission the University carries out very well and one that creates enormous value. The University is something that every resident of Connecticut can point to with pride – it is one of the great achievements of our state.”
The committee voted unanimously to confirm him, and his nomination was then sent to the full House.
