News Briefs

U. officials to aid Rendell transition

University Vice President and Chief of Staff Pedro Ramos and School of Veterinary Medicine Dean Alan Kelly have been appointed to Governor-elect Ed Rendell's transition team, according to www.politicspa.com, an online news Web site about Pennsylvania politics.

Ramos said that he will co-chair the team's education committee, along with Christine James Brown, chief executive officer of the United Way of Southeastern Pennsylvania, and Art Mann, president of the Lancaster School Board.

Ramos added that Kelly will co-chair the agriculture committee, but Kelly said last night that he had not yet received an official appointment.

John Fry, who stepped down as Penn's executive vice president in July to become president of Franklin and Marshall College in Lancaster, Pa., has also been appointed to the transition team.

Ramos said that although he and Kelly "haven't officially been charged yet," he expects that his role will include being "involved in advising on K to 12 education issues" and "probably providing some input on... the initial policy positions of the administration."

This will not be Ramos' first experience working with Rendell, he said.

In 1995, Rendell, then Philadelphia mayor, appointed Ramos to the Philadelphia School Board.

The two also worked together at Ballard Spahr Andrews & Ingersoll, a Philadelphia law firm.

"Being part of the Rendell transition team will, I think, be interesting and exciting," Ramos said. "And it's important work that has to be done very quickly."

-- Rachel Velcoff

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