Randy Houston Announces Bid for Penn State Alumni-Elected Trustee
Former Penn State Alumni Association President Randy Houston speaks at a special meeting of the Board of Trustees announcing the appointment of Neeli Bendapudi as university president on December 9, 2021 at the Penn Stater Hotel and Conference Center. Photo by Geoff Rushton | StateCollege.com
Randy Houston, the immediate past president of the Penn State Alumni Association, will run for an alumni-elected seat on the university’s governing board, he announced this week.
Houston currently serves on the Board of Trustees in an ex officio position reserved for the immediate past president of the alumni association. That two-year term expires on June 30. He is now the seventh candidate to announce intentions to run for one of three seats in the upcoming alumni trustee election.
In a statement, Houston said he is pursuing a term as an alumni-elected trustee to continue his service to his alma mater.
“As a trustee, I was instrumental in electing Dr. Neeli Bendapudi as president of our university, chaired the board’s legal and compliance committee, and have been your voice on how Penn State is run,” Houston wrote. “But my trustee term ends on June 30, and I’m not ready to finish my service at Penn State.”
Houston said his platform narrows down to four areas of focus that would promote “a better Penn State for all Penn Staters.” They include fostering an affordable and world-class education at Penn State, celebrating the university’s history and traditions, and maintaining “a diverse, safe and inclusive alma mater.”
An entertainment and trademark attorney who works as assistant general counsel for BuzzFeed, Houston graduated from Penn State with a law degree in 1991 before earning a juris doctorate at the University of North Carolina. While studying at Happy Valley, he co-founded Penn State’s Student Minority Advising and Recruiting Team (SMART).
He later served as board president of the Penn State Liberal Arts Alumni Society board. He was also named vice president of the Penn State Alumni Association before rising to the rank of president until June 30, 2021.
Before Houston can appear on the next alumni trustee ballot, he will need to collect at least 250 signatures each during the nomination period, which begins Jan. 15 and runs through Feb. 25. candidates and vote.
After the nomination period ends, this year’s election for alumni trustees will begin on April 10, when election ballots are submitted by email. Elections will end at 9:00 a.m. on May 4. Those who participated in the 2022 election process will automatically receive ballots. Eligible voters who do not receive a ballot can request one online.
While an official slate of alumni trustee candidates is not yet available, at least seven candidates have announced intentions to run for the three open seats. This year’s incumbents — Jay Paterno, Anthony Lubrano and Alice Pope — will run collectively to defend their seats. Meanwhile, Penn State Forward, a grassroots coalition seeking to galvanize younger, progressive alumni, said it will support three challengers: Ali Krieger, Melinda Kuritzky and Uma Moriarity.
For more information on upcoming alumni trustee elections, visit the Board of Trustees website or browse the board’s election policies.
