My friends,

I am writing you today to ask for your support in my effort to run for a seat on the University of Michigan Board of Regents.

My decision to run for Regent did not come lightly. In the end it came down to two passions: my love for the University and my concern for the State of Michigan. Since 1963 I have been one of the University's greatest cheerleaders. As Regent, it will be my job to ensure its "dazzling" tradition as one of the premier universities in the world. As a proud citizen of the state I also understand that U of M's success is critical to the revival of the state's economy.

As most will agree, a positive future for Michigan rides on our developing a knowledge-based economy. Today the University is a $4.8 billion enterprise and the 3rd largest employer in the state with almost 40,000 people on its payroll. It draws $800 million in research funding from the federal government alone. Its success and viability are crucial to the revival of the state's economy.

As a candidate for Regent I am in a unique position to lead due to my lifelong involvement with the University which dates back generations. My father and mother (1938) sang the Victors and the Yellow and Blue while other parents were reciting nursery rhymes. They began taking the family (my three sisters are all alumni too) to football games as soon as we could walk. Forty-two years ago I married the captain of the football team, Bob Brown. My father-in-law was a Regent in the 70's and my grandfather was the organizer of the U of M student union in 1904.

More importantly I have served the University in numerous leadership capacities since leaving Ann Arbor including the President Advisory Board. I have had a role in every fundraising drive for the past twenty years including Co-Chairperson of the successful all alumni phase of the Campaign for Michigan in 1992. Presently I serve on the Boards of the U of M Museum of Arts and the Ford School of Public Policy. This gives me the unique position as a candidate to see the University's strengths and weaknesses.

In addition my years as a Trustee of Kalamazoo College and community volunteer in the Kalamazoo public schools allow me to understand the educational system in Michigan. Serving as a Regent is a public trust; a great honor, but an even greater responsibility both to the taxpayers of Michigan as well as to the University. That is why I am asking for your help. Go Blue!

Sincerely,

Susan Brown