Columbus, Ohio - Franklin University, one of the leading educators of working adults, is pleased to announce the election of Mary Laird Duchi and Peter Roche as new Board of Trustees members.  Both new members were recommended by the Board Nominating Committee during its April meeting.

"The election of Mary Laird Duchi and Peter Roche to the Franklin University Board of Trustees strengthens the professional experience and knowledge needed to oversee Franklin University's continued growth and success," said Melissa Ingwersen, Chair of the Franklin University Board of Trustees.

Mary Laird Duchi Background
Mary Laird Duchi joins the Franklin Board of Trustees with an extensive background in both the private and public sectors.  As Vice President of Operations and Systems Services at Batelle, Duchi is responsible for managing the Facility and Support Operations; Security and Emergency Management; Information Management; Knowledge Management; Environment, Health, Safety, and Quality Systems Management; and Regional Operations Management groups.

Duchi joined Batelle in 1977 and during her tenure has held a variety of positions. She has served as a researcher in the Technology and Resource Economics department; Section Manager of the Systems and Strategic Planning Section; project manager in the Technology Management Consulting group; and Manager of the NASA Sector.

In addition to her responsibilities at Batelle, Duchi has volunteered her time by serving as a board member for the Batelle National Biodefense Institute; as a Franklin Park Conservatory trustee; as a member for the Central Ohio Regional Science and Engineering Fair board, and Edison Welding Institute board; and on a number of committees and boards for the city of Upper Arlington.

Duchi earned her MBA in Finance and Quantitative Methods from The Ohio State University and her B.B.A in Finance from the University of Michigan.

Peter Roche Background
In 2008, after serving for more than 15 years, Peter Roche retired from his position as Senior Vice President of Finance at Chemical Abstracts Services, a division of the American Chemical Society.  Prior to joining Chemical Abstracts, Roche served as Vice President of Accounting and Finance for Honda of America Mfg., a Senior Manager Tax Consultant with Peat Marwick; and as a Tax Consultant for the CPA firms of both Frank, Seringer & Chaney, and Hammersmith, Roche & Jenkins.

In addition to his new position with the Franklin University Board of Trustees, Roche also serves on the board of Catholic Social Services and is the Chair of the Finance Committee and member of the Executive Committee.  He also is the Treasurer for St. Gabriel Radio, Inc.

Franklin University is committed to building strategic relationships within the community. Currently 21 local business leaders make up the Franklin University Board of Trustees (and 12 emeriti members).

About Franklin University
Founded in 1902, Franklin University is central Ohio's leading and most experienced educator of adult students. Annually, more than 11,000 students attend Franklin, both on campus and online. Franklin offers 21 undergraduate majors (with 4 new majors coming in Fall 2009) and three graduate programs, including the MBA, and graduates more than 1,500 students annually.