Rex Hime, head of the California Business Properties Association and a leader among UC Davis alumni, has been selected to represent all UC alumni as an ex officio member of the UC Board of Regents.

Hime, who received a bachelor’s degree in political science from the Davis campus in 1969 and a law degree from its School of Law in 1972, gains his role with the regents by virtue of the office he holds with the Alumni Associations of the University of California. Starting July 1, he begins a one-year term

as secretary; after that he is due to serve as president for a year.

In conjunction with his role with the AAUC, Hime will serve as a regent-designate for one year on UC’s governing body and become a full-voting regent for the following year.

The Cal Aggie Alumni Association board of directors elected Hime to serve as an officer of the AAUC, which rotates appointments of its officers from among the alumni associations of the 10 UC campuses.

Hime is president and chief executive officer of the California Business Properties Association, a legislative and regulatory advocate for more than 11,000 businesses in the commercial, industrial and retail real estate industries. He and his wife, Gwyn Bicker Hime, live in Loomis and have two sons.

Hime has served as president and vice president of the Cal Aggie Alumni Association.

From 1992 to 2004, he served as a trustee of the UC Davis Foundation, the volunteer fundraising board for UC Davis, and he continues to be a trustee emeritus. Hime has served on various finance committees for the campus, the alumni association and student campaigns. He also donates regularly to a variety of university organizations.

Hime was instrumental in the creation of AggieAdvocates, volunteers who advocate on behalf of UC, and a founding member of the Sac Aggies Club, the alumni chapter in Sacramento.

The Cal Aggie Alumni Association honored Hime with the 2007 Jerry W. Fielder Memorial Award, recognizing a UC Davis graduate who has provided extraordinary service to the alumni association, the foundation and the university.

Hime is a member of the board of directors of the California State Fair and is chair of the Greater Sacramento Valley Leukemia and Lymphoma Society. His career has included service in state government.

Hime said the university will continue to face severe budget challenges in the foreseeable future. “Finding new ways to battle future budget cuts while accommodating the growing population of eligible students is the highest priority for the regents in the coming years,” he said.

In addition to addressing budget and eligibility issues, Hime would like to see the university seek ways to provide value to California taxpayers.

“The university can do much more to tap its vast intellectual resources and apply them to help solve the state’s most pressing problems such as greenhouse gas reduction, energy efficiency and increasing sustainability, while continuing to foster economic growth,” he said.