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2008 DINNER TOPICS/SPEAKERS

Reatha has extensive leadership experience in business, higher education, and nonprofit sectors. She currently serves as a Senior Advisor of the Council of Foundations and as a consultant and speaker on governance, philanthropy and diversity topics. Currently, she serves on the corporate boards of Exxon Mobil Corporation and Lenox Group Inc. She is a former board member of the Wells Fargo Company, Minnesota Mutual Companies and H. B. Fuller Company. She is a current board member of the National Association of Corporate Directors (NACD), VocalEssence, Inc, the International Trachoma Initiative in New York City and a Life Trustee of the University of Chicago. She is current vice-chair of the 2008 Minnesota Sesquicentennial Commission. She has served on the boards of many local and national nonprofit organizations and spoken extensively on governance, education, philanthropic and community issues.

From 1988 to May 31, 2002, she served as president and executive director of the General Mills Foundation and vice president of General Mills, Inc., and from June, 2002 to May 31, 2003, she served as chairperson of the Foundation's Board of Trustees. She joined General Mills after serving 11 years as president of Metropolitan State University in the Twin Cities. Prior to serving as president of Metropolitan State University, Reatha was employed as a professor of chemistry and associate dean at York College of the City University of New York, and as a research chemist with the National Bureau of Standards in Washington, DC.

Reatha is a graduate of Clark Atlanta University in Atlanta, Georgia with a Bachelor of Science degree in chemistry and mathematics. She earned the master's and doctorate degrees in chemistry from the University of Chicago and the MBA degree from Columbia University. In June 2000, Reatha was honored by the League of Women Voters as a recipient of the Civic Leader Award for her pioneering efforts to affect social change. In November 2000, she received the Minneapolis 2000 Award for civic leadership. She received the 2003 Humanitarian of the Year Award from the Minneapolis Community and Technical College and the 2003 Special Distinction Award from the General Mills Sales Division. In 2005, she was inducted into Junior Achievement of the Upper Midwest Business Hall of Fame. She is the NACD 2004 Director of the Year. In 2005, she was the co-recipient of the Lifetime Achievement in Philanthropy by the National Center for Black Philanthropy.