Center change will not affect others

Young Chang

COSTA MESA -- Though an unrelated business dispute between some Orange

County Performing Arts Center board members led two to resign Tuesday,

other boards and groups supported by the same members, including UC

Irvine’s Foundation and the Pacific Symphony Orchestra, will probably not

be affected.

Henry Samueli and Henry T. Nicholas III, co-founders and executives of

Broadcom, officially resigned from the Center’s board after news of a

lawsuit filed by incoming board chairman Thomas T. Tierney and three

other members became public earlier this week.

The Feb. 13 lawsuit, which has nothing to do with the Center, disputes

Broadcom’s sales and earning results and questions the company’s stock

prices.

Center President Jerry Mandel said Samueli and Nicholas will continue

supporting the Center’s expansion and capital campaign, as well as the

Center in general.

“I’ll just miss their advice on the board,” Mandel said of the two

former members. “But their commitment is there.”

The Broadcom founders resigned partly because Tierney is soon to be

the Center’s chairman and chief executive, said Bill Blanning, senior

director of corporate communications at Broadcom.

Tierney is also immediate past-chairman for the UCI Foundation, the

board of trustees on which he still serves with Samueli.

But Blanning said Samueli will continue his service to the foundation

and that the board will “not be affected.”

Members of the UCI Foundation did not return calls Wednesday as they

were en route to an out-of-town meeting. But Susan Menning, assistant

vice chancellor of communications, said the lawsuit action does not

involve UCI.

“We don’t think it’s appropriate to comment at this point,” she said.

Pacific Symphony is also supported by Tierney, Nicholas and Samueli.

Nicholas’ wife, Stacey, serves on the symphony’s board, the Samueli

Foundation supports the symphony’s education programs and the Tierneys

are occasional donors to the organization.

“I don’t anticipate them changing their support of the symphony,” said

symphony President John Forsyte. “This is more about supporting community

activities. It’s not so much about personal business activities.”

Opera Pacific is supported by some of the same members involved in the

Broadcom lawsuit. Nicholas and Samueli are donors, Samueli’s wife, Susan,

serves on the board of directors and the Tierneys are members of the

opera’s Gold Ring Society of Founders.

Opera leaders did not return calls before press time.

Mandel emphasized that the lawsuit involves more than 20 litigants and

that only four serve on the Center’s board. He said he’s not taking sides

in the situation and that he knows the people involved in the suit well.

“They’re really going to do what’s right for the community,” he said.

The Samuelis donated $10 million to the Center’s expansion three years

ago when Nicholas also anonymously gave $3.9 million -- a contribution he

announced Tuesday.

As board members, Samueli and Nicholas were required to give $50,000 a

year. Mandel said the issue of whether they will continue that commitment

has not been discussed.

Other board members suing Broadcom are Robert J. Follman, Benjamin R.

Du and Thomas E. Tucker.

Mandel said he doesn’t fear more resignations on a board of now 49.

“Everyone on our board understands the importance of the Center,” he

said.

* Young Chang writes features. She may be reached at (949) 574-4268 or

by e-mail at o7 young.chang@latimes.comf7 .