Pepperdine Appoints New Members to Board of Regents

Pepperdine University has added three new members to its Board of Regents, the University’s governing board. New regents Bill Ahmanson, John Lewis (’83), and Dee Anna Smith (’86) will help shape the direction of the University.

William (Bill) H. Ahmanson is president of the Ahmanson Foundation, which funds arts, education, health care, programs for the homeless and low-income, and a wide range of human services. Ahmanson holds leadership roles with Center Theatre Group, the Los Angeles County Museum of Art, Loyola Marymount University, and other community organizations, and has been recognized by many groups for his charitable work.

John Lewis is president of Eugene Lewis & Associates, a CPA and financial management firm specializing in services and planning for multigenerational, high- net-worth families and Fortune 500 executives. A Seaver College graduate, he served on the Pepperdine University Board from 2000 to 2009. He is currently a member of the President’s Campaign Cabinet. Lewis and his wife Deanne (‘84) are Life Members of the Pepperdine Associates.

Dee Anna Smith is chief executive officer of Sarah Cannon, the global cancer enterprise of Hospital Corporation of America. Smith carries out the mission and vision of Sarah Cannon, which provides physician-led, patient-centric, integrated cancer services, from wellness and screening to diagnostic and treatment options, palliative medicine, and survivor care. A Pepperdine graduate, Smith has received recognition for her contributions to health care on a local and national level.
Jerry Cox and Terry Giles (JD ‘74), have been given Life Regent status.
Jerry S. Cox has served on the Board of Regents of Pepperdine University since 1997, participating in numerous board committees. Cox has significantly contributed, along with his wife Kay, to the University’s progress in Christian higher education. The couple’s two children are Seaver College alumni. Cox is cofounder of Cox & Perkins Exploration, an oil and gas exploration company.

Terry M. Giles, a Pepperdine University School of Law graduate, has served in various roles with the law school and funded several scholarships. Giles founded his own law firm and built a prominent and successful law practice in partnership with his wife, attorney Kalli O’Malley. He has operated a host of businesses under the banner of Giles Enterprises. The couple’s daughter Lauren is a 2014 graduate of Seaver College.