The Penn State Board of Trustees granted Ryan McCombie trustee emeritus status at its meeting Friday afternoon upon recommendation from the Committee on Governance and Long-Range Planning.

To be considered for emeritus status, a trustee must serve for six or more years with distinction. McCombie recently completed six years of trusteeship after announcing that he would not be seeking re-election. 

McCombie, a retired U.S. Navy Captain, graduated from Penn State in 1970 and was elected to the Board of Trustees in 2012. He is currently an independent business consultant who serves on the boards of several national firms. He’s also a member of the Mount Nittany Society.

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.

Emeritus status officially lasts for six years. After six years, McCombie will retain his trustee emeritus status but will lose other rights and privileges, like attending all activities and meetings of the board.