News: 76-DAILY
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One hundred six year ofeditor lfreedom
Wednesday
September 24, 1997
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tladin takes
over as ebief
finance officer
By Heather Kamins
Daily Staff Reporter
Robert Kasdin, treasurer and chief investment officer of
the Metropolitan Museum of Art, will leave the world of
New York art exhibits for academia when he takes over as
the University's new chief financial officer.
"He is a person of very high intelligence, who knows a
tremendous about managing investments, running the busi-
rin side of a large institution and, most importantly, he is
d ly knowledgeable about the cultural character of an
institution," University President Lee Bollinger said.
Kasdin, who is just 39 years old, .will oversee the
University's almost $3 billion budget and report to Bollinger
when he begins the $230,000 job in mid-November.
"This is an extremely complicated job," said Vice
President for Development Thomas Kinnear, who chaired
the CFO search advisory connittee. "The job involves a
whole bunch of things, and he has tremendous experience
in finance. The rest will come when he gets here."
Bollinger said Kasdin has made efforts to raise private funds
streamline business at the New York museum.
n order to do that you really have to be someone sympa-
thetic and knowledgeable about the cultural side of the institu-
tion," Bollinger said. "Lots of people can manage a business.
Very few people can do business in an academic institution."
Kasdin said the key to success is realizing and support-
ing an institution's central goal.
"The critical responsibility is supporting the core mission
of the institution," Kasdin said. "In the case of the museum
(the core mission) is the collection and study of art.
"In the University it is teaching, learning and research.
* is a museum and one a university. They raise different
challenges, but mainly now I am responsible to support the
provost, deans and faculty as they support the core of the
University," he said.
Kasdin, if approved by the University Board of Regents
in October, will fill a position that became vacant when
Farris Womack stepped down in January.
Regent Rebecca McGowan (D-Ann Arbor) said she is
"thrilled" by the appointment.
"He's got a great attitude about the opportunities that
President Bollinger has given to him. He's incredibly well-
- ught-of by those he's worked with," McGowan said.
think he'll bring to Michigan not only expertise, but a
great enthusiasm. It's just a wonderful match," she said.
Kinnear said Kasdin will have many challenges ahead of him.
"There are hundreds of buildings and thousands of staff
that all look to the CFO," Kinnear said. "The investment cli-
mate could change dramatically.
"With the state appropriation as it is, if we are going to
keep tuition down then it is the job of the CFO to manage
the cost structure of the place so we don't go broke."
Following his appointments as a corporate attorney at the
~ York law firm Davis Polk & Wardwell and vice presi-
ent and general counsel for the Princeton University
Investment Company, Kasdin assumed the position of trea-
surer and chief financial officer at the museum in 1993.
At the museum, he oversees a $110 million annual bud-
get and is responsible for the institution's $1.1 billion
investment portfolio. Kasdin serves on the Asean Strategic
Capitol Fund of Singapore board and serves as vice chair of
the APAC Holdings Ltd. board of Hong Kong.
"This continues to build on my experience in terms of
leading the financial operations, analyzing the investments
of the endowment, monitoring the institutions debt man-
*inent, as well as accounting function and financial
analysis," Kasdin said.
See CFO, Page 2
Babbitt warns
of CO2 effects
By Jeffrey Kosseff
Daily Staff Reporter
Although he graduated from "the small Irish institution
across the state line," Secretary of the Interior Bruce
Babbitt said he was excited to speak about global warming
at the University last night.
It's urgent that I clear out of Ann Arbor before
Saturday's game," Babbitt said.
Babbitt said the University was an important stop on his
*i-global warming campaign tour.
"This problem has to be discussed among leaders from
college campuses," Babbitt said.
The speech, organized by SNRE students and faculty,
comes a few months before representatives from developed
nations meet in Kyoto, Japan, to negotiate a treaty that
would reduce pollutants that cause global warming.
Within the next century, global temperatures are expect-
ed to rise between three and five degrees, and sea levels are
expected to rise between one and three feet, Babbitt said.
"This is one of the most ominous, pervasive environ-
*ntal problems we have ever confronted," Babbitt said.
Babbitt identified a $13 million campaign being launched
by American industries - including the Detroit auto makers
- as a major obstacle in his campaign to combat global
warming. The industries claim that reducing carbon dioxide-
producing methods of production would ultimately damage
the economy.
Before his speech, Babbitt conducted a classroom dis-
a:,cn;.. n nt n a i~ornrrsirt. T:.i a ..tc n- -1m e
Friends,
family
grieve
for
murdered
student
fit'S so amazing what kind of person she was."
- Tamika Pennamon
Tamara Williams' Best Friend
More on the tragedy
rn Campus reacts to murder;
domestic violence groups offer
advice - Page 9
Williams family mourns loss;
best friend remembers -
Page 10
S PE C I AL E D IT I ON
See yesterday's in-depth coverage at
http://www.pub.umich.edu/daily/extra.html
By Stephanie Hepburn
and Mike Spahn
Daily Staff Reporters
LSA senior Tamara Sonya Williams pleaded
for her life yesterday, but nothing would stop
her boyfriend. Not even the threat of a campus
police officer's bullet.
The 20-year-old ran bleeding upstairs from
her basement and desperately knocked on a
neighbor's window before she was stabbed to
death about 200 feet from the front door of her
North Campus apartment complex - where a
Department of Public Safety officer fatally shot
Kevin Nelson after he refused to drop the knife.
Yesterday's shooting marks the first time a
DPS officer fired a weapon while on duty.
"My daughter was a people person," said her
mother, Yvonne Williams, of Detroit. "All I
know is that two young lives have been
stamped out for nothing."
The stabbing and shooting left the campus
in shock yesterday as news spread quickly as
more than 40 reporters swarmed around cam-
pus. A scheduled LSA fund-raising celebration
was canceled and a vigil outside Williams'
home drew about 150 people, including
University President Lee Bollinger.
"All of us are horrified at what, by all
accounts, appears to have been a vicious crim-
inal assault," Bollinger said
But yesterday's apparent case of domestic
violence was not the first Williams had to face.
In 1995, after campus police were called twice
to Williams' home, Nelson was convicted of
domestic assault and battery and was put on
probation. The same year, Williams received a
restraining order against him, said Leo
Heatley, director of DPS. Neighbors said they
heard the couple fighting as recently as three
weeks ago.
Williams, a "talented and gifted" student
who would have celebrated her 21st birthday
Monday, had planned to graduate in May with
a general studies degree and was deciding
whether to apply to law school or the
University's School of Social Work. She had
even ordered a class ring.
A hard worker, student and mother, she bal-
anced classes with a part-time job at LSA
Media Services while raising her 2 1/2-year-old
daughter.
"It's so amazing what type of person she
was," said Tamika Pennamon, her best friend
and LSA senior. "She was in school, worked
and raised her daughter. Any little thing she
could do, she would."
But Williams' life ended in tragedy when
her live-in boyfriend stabbed her to death early
yesterday morning at her home in the
Northwood apartment building complex. The
incident caused such an enormous amount of
commotion that numerous neighbors called
911 for help and tried to break u the dispute
with baseball bats.
"We are both going to burn in hell,"
screamed Nelson as he repeatedly stabbed
Williams, according to Chris Baumann, 27, a
neighbor.
Other neighbors heard similar "irrational
yelling."
"He was yelling, 'I had enough of you. Look
what you made me do,"'"said Desmond Flagg,
16.
When police arrived at the 2200 block of
Stone Drive, they found Nelson, 26, outside
the home, standing over Williams and repeat-
edly stabbing her, DPS officials said. The
See HOMICIDE, Page 10
MARGiART LIMYERS/Dail~y
LSA senior Samira Bond holds a candle in mourning during a vigil held last night outside of the home of Tamara Sonya Williams, who was
stabbed to death early yesterday morning. Bond was among about 150 mourners.
Mourner gather at ni ghtigil
By Peter RomerFrledman
and Heather Wiggin
Daily Staff Reporters
Less than 24 hours after a brutal murder
cut her life short, mourners gathered near the
scene of the crime to hold a candlelight vigil
for Tamara Sonya Williams.
At dusk, family, friends and members
of the University community gathered to
honor and remember Williams with poet-
ry, condolences and memories.
About 100 people attended the event,
including dozens of local television
reporters.
Williams' friend and neighbor,
Rachelle Johnson, opened the vigil with
solemn words and cautioned the audience
about domestic violence, the apparent
cause of Williams' death.
Williams was stabbed to death by her
:-n ctr.a-n a Ia;'al uw hnwc.
someone is interested in volunteering at
SAFEHouse or SAPAC ... I think that will
make the difference."
Many speakers stressed the importance of
halting abusive relationships as early as possi-
ble.
"The most important thing I'd like to point
out is that abuse of women happens everyday
nationwide," said Rebecca Phillips, who
came to mourn the loss of her friend.
"It's a lot harder to live in an abusive situ-
ation than to bring it up to the person being
abused," she said.
Many community members said they felt a
sense of regret that they could not have pre-
vented yesterday's tragedy.
"My wife was up studying and I was on
the computer," said neighbor Todd Maddock.
"We heard the noise. We heard the sirens and
the gun shots. We didn't understand what was
hnws-ti- miewe-. tn.n ainaithet i nmehn
that people should really be angry about."
University officials who spoke to the
mourners offered their grave condolences.
"The University mourns the loss of
Tamara Williams," University President Lee
Bollinger said after the vigil. "It appears to
have been a vicious criminal assault. You just
grieve for her family and especially for her
child. It's just incomprehensible to live with
something like this."
But the sense of loss was not isolated to
Williams': Terriea Nelson interrupted the
vigil with an angry outburst demanding that
the media and the community not overlook
the death of her brother, Kevin Nelson.
Williams' boyfriend and a father of four,
Nelson stabbed Williams repeatedly before a
DPS officer shot him dead.
"He's a victim too," Terriea Nelson said.
"He lost his life, too. Nobody said nothing
about the familyheleft."
Crisis Counseling
Friends may establish a fund for
Kiera Williams. For more information,
please call Bethany Stefke at 764-
5132.
Counseling is available by phone and
i person fostudents andcommuni-
ty members affected by the deaths
or who are concerned about a
domestic abuse situation,
8 Students in acute distress can
cail Counseling and Psychological
Services at 764-8312 until 8 p.m,
0 Parents can call the Dean of
Students at 936-3100 until 8 p.m.
M Faculty and staff can call the
Faculty and Staff Assistance
Program at 998-7500.
The SAPAC Crisis line has coun
selors available at 936-3333, or the
SAPAC office at 763-5865.
Safe House can be reached at
995-5444.
Counselors are available in person
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