Linda DiSantis (J.D. '88) and Georgia Pacific's Tye Darland discuss why they serve on the college's Board of Visitors.
[row][column]Linda DiSantis (J.D. ’88)
The Board of Visitors is an active group of volunteers providing counsel to the dean to help advance the College of Law. Board members serve as ambassadors, informing members of their communities about what is going on at the college and, in turn, keeping the dean informed about their perspectives regarding the college and the profession.
The board consists of 25 members who represent all aspects of the profession. They include practitioners from Atlanta firms of all sizes, federal judges, a Georgia Supreme Court justice and general counsels and other in-house counsel from corporations and charitable organizations. This diversity of membership provides a broad perspective on the important issues facing the College of Law, the dean and legal education.
I have had the privilege of serving on the Board of Visitors for a number of years and am now serving as the chair. I have always found it fascinating to sit around the table with some of the brightest and most engaged members of the profession, who also bring a passion for Georgia State Law and all it has accomplished in 30+ years.
Service on the board has allowed me to support the College of Law and continue my connection to it, an opportunity that I much appreciate. I am grateful for all the board members and what they do for Georgia State Law.
Linda DiSantis (J.D. ’88) is the chair of the Board of Visitors. She serves as board president for the Atlanta Audubon Society and as a board member for Georgia Organics and the Institute for Georgia Environmental Leadership. Her legal career included environmental and commercial litigation at Alston & Bird, in-house environmental practice and legal department management at UPS, Atlanta city attorney for Mayor Shirley Franklin and general counsel at CARE USA. She is retired from the practice of law.[/column]
[column]
Tye G. Darland
I graduated from the University of Iowa College of Law in 1989. For the longest time, I was usually the youngest attorney in a meeting. When I moved to Atlanta to become the general counsel of Georgia-Pacific more than 10 years ago, I realized I was no longer the youngest attorney in the room, and 
therefore, it was time to start giving back. So I got involved.
I was asked to join the Board of Visitors several years ago. I did not know much about the law school except that we had many successful Georgia State Law graduates at Georgia-Pacific, so I assumed they were doing things right. With my background, I thought a lot of the students could relate to me despite my “title.”
I grew up in a small rural town in Iowa. My wife and I married at age 20. I had nobody to turn to for guidance during law school. I want to assist and be a voice for students with similar backgrounds. That is why my wife and I fund scholarships at Georgia State Law, the University of Iowa and Vanderbilt. That is why I attend the reception for new Georgia State Law students to let them know there are others who have come from similar backgrounds and succeeded. I get immense joy in helping others fulfill their dreams.
Georgia State Law students seek and are appreciative of the assistance. With these traits and the top caliber of students that Georgia State Law attracts, it makes my small part in supporting them fulfilling.
Tye G. Darland (University of Iowa, BBA ’86; J.D. ’89) is senior vice president/general counsel of Georgia-Pacific, previously general counsel (commercial) of Koch Industries. He serves on the boards of Piedmont Healthcare, Zoo Atlanta and Atlanta Police Foundation.[/column][/row]