REI announces new board

SEATTLE Outdoor gear and apparel retailer Recreational Equipment Inc. announced its 2009 board election results during its annual membership meeting held March 30 at the Seattle flagship store.

Cooperative members voted to return incumbents Ivar Chhina, Joanne Harrell and Chuck Katz to three-year terms.

Chhina of Burlingame, Calif., was elected to his second term on the REI board of directors. Chhina is a venture partner in a capital/private equity firm. In 2008, he served as the vice chair for the co-op’s board and chair of the REI’s Audit and Finance Committee.

Harrell of Seattle, Wash., was elected to a third term on the board after her initial appointment in 2001. Last year, she served as the chair of REI’s Compensation Committee. Harrell is an executive at a worldwide software company.

Katz of Palo Alto, Calif., was elected to his ninth year on REI’s board. He is the manager of a family investment business and charitable foundation. In 2008, he was a member of REI’s Nominating and Governance Committee.

The board of directors also selected its officers for 2009. Anne Farrell, former president and CEO of the Seattle Foundation, was re-elected as chair. Ivar Chhina of Burlingame, Calif., was re-elected vice chair.