Board of Trustees, Robert Schostak, Joe Jones, trustees, Oakland leadership
August 12, 2021
At its formal meeting on August 12, the Oakland University Board of Trustees voted unanimously to appoint Robert (Bobby) Schostak as board chair and Joe Jones as vice chair.
Schostak moves up from his role as vice chair following news that prior board chair Tonya Allen was stepping down from her position for a career move that will take her to Minnesota.
“Tonya Allen was a remarkable leader of our Board and we are very fortunate that we have trustees like Bobby Schostak and Joe Jones to step into the leadership roles as we continue our march forward as the university of choice in Michigan,” said Oakland University President Ora Hirsch Pescovitz, M.D. “Trustee Schostak has shown excellent thought leadership during his time on the Board and Trustee Jones brings his passion and commitment for OU into the role of vice chair.”
“As an OU alumnus, it is a great honor and privilege to be selected as the next chair of the Board of Trustees and is especially an honor to serve in this leadership role with another alum Joe Jones as our vice chair,” said Bobby Schostak. ”Oakland University has shaped both our lives and we want to be good stewards of this wonderful university for the students who are following in our footsteps.”
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| Bobby Schostak |
Schostak was appointed to OU’s Board of Trustees in December 2015. He is the president and CEO of the Templar Baker Group, a multi-disciplined consulting firm, and serves as the co-chief executive officer of Schostak Brothers & Company, a leading commercial real estate business in Michigan, where they operate properties in 24 states.
Schostak is also a partner with Compuware founder Pete Karmanos’ Birmingham, Mich.-based MadDog Technologies, a developer and funder of cloud-based solutions that are groundbreaking and disruptive to the industries they serve.
In addition to participating on the College of Arts and Sciences advisory board and the President’s Campaign Council, Schostak is a past member of the OU Foundation Board and received the Distinguished Alumni Spirit Award in 2007 for his exemplary volunteer service to the university.
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| Joe Jones |
Jones grew up as the youngest of nine children on the East side of Detroit. He has served as the Second Ward City Commissioner since 2016 and has been President and CEO of the Grand Rapids Urban League since 2011. He is also co-chair of the Urban Core Collective. Through the Urban League, he leads an organization which promotes economic empowerment and civil rights for minority communities. He previously served as president and CEO of E.E. Milestone & Associates, managing partner at Strategic Communications Group, LLC., and public relations and marketing manager for Construction Trades Subcontracting, Inc.
Jones currently serves on the boards of Mercantile Bank of Michigan, Experience Grand Rapids, Spectrum Health Hospital Group and many others. Jones is also an ordained clergy member, currently serving as assistant pastor with the Brown-Hutcherson Ministries in Grand Rapids.
Jones is a 1994 graduate of Oakland University, earning a Bachelor’s of Arts degree in Communication Arts. He went on to earn a master’s degree in Ministry Leadership from Cornerstone University.
About the Oakland University Board of Trustees:
Oakland University is governed by an eight-member Board of Trustees appointed by the governor to serve eight-year terms. The board provides general supervision of the university, including control and direction of all expenditures from the institution's funds. The board also appoints the university president as well as the secretary to the board and treasurer.