GIA’s Board of Governors induct Dr. John W. Valley as member

GIA’s Board of Governors welcomed a new member - Dr. John W. Valley, Charles R. Van Hise professor in the Department of Geoscience at the University of Wisconsin - Madison, during the November 2014 board meeting in Carlsbad, CA.

“With his experience as a supervisor to graduate students and postdoctoral fellows, and his impressive background in Earth science research, Dr. Valley brings many unique attributes to the table,” said board chair John Green, president and CEO of Lux Bond & Green jewelers. “We’re very much looking forward to working with him as we continue to serve as stewards to the public trust.”

Valley, alongside 16 other governors, will be instrumental in guiding GIA’s mission to protect the public trust in gems and jewelry. “On behalf of GIA’s more than 2,600 employees across the globe, I am pleased to welcome Dr. Valley to the Board of Governors,” added Susan Jacques, GIA’s president and CEO. “The commitment and expertise of our board continues to drive our Institute’s initiatives as we build for the future.”

Following the meeting, Jeffrey H. Fischer, president of Fischer Diamonds, Inc. in New York and president of Fischer Diamonds Ltd. in Israel, retired from board after six years of service. The board also acknowledged the departure of Paul E. Kreutz, an attorney working with emerging companies in Southern California, who left the board earlier in 2014 after six years of service.

Valley holds a portfolio of research in various fields in Earth science, including the early Earth, astrobiology, paleoclimatology, mineralogy, geochemistry and petrology, published over 300 articles, held editorial positions and served as president of the Mineralogical Society of America. He is a fellow of five professional societies, including the American Geophysical Union, and has received the N.L. Bowen Award from the AGU and was a Fulbright Scholar at Edinburgh University.