Penn State’s Board of Trustees officially approved emeritus status for two former trustees — Betsy Huber and Paul Silvis — during its meeting Friday afternoon at the Penn Stater. To be considered for emeritus status, a trustee must serve for six or more years with distinction and be recommended by the Committee on Governance and Long-Range Planning.

Trustees emeriti give advice to the Board of Trustees and are invited to attend all activities and public meetings of the board. The board chair can also appoint a trustee emeritus to serve on a committee as a nonvoting member.

Huber graduated from Penn State’s Rural-Urban Leadership Program in 2001 before serving on the Board of Trustees for 12 years as a delegate from the agricultural societies. She was the first female president of the Pennsylvania State Grange from 2002 to 2010 and currently serves as the first female president of the National Grange. She has also served time on the boards of Pennsylvania Farm Link, the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection Agricultural Advisory Board, the Pennsylvania State Council of Farm Organizations, and the Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture Fertilizer Advisory Committee.

Silvis served as a governor appointed trustee for six years, including a term as vice chair in 2013. He graduated from Penn State’s Smeal College of Business Executive MBA program in 2006 and lives in State College.

He and his wife, Nancy, also donated $1 million in 2011 to the Penn State Ice Campaign, which they co-chaired, helping to fund Pegula Ice Arena and Penn State hockey programs.

Silvis also serves on the Patton Township Planning Commission and the Board of Directors for Central PA 4th Fest. He’s perviously served on advisory boards for For the Future: The Campaign for Penn State Students, Penn State Outreach, the Schreyer Institute for Teaching Excellence, and Schreyer Honors college.