VOLUME 13, NO. 2     NOVEMBER 2000

Zarrella is new board chairman

Ronald L. Zarrella '71, president of General Motors North America, became chairman of the WPI Board of Trustees on July 1. Zarrella, who had shared the vice presidency of the board with Peter H. Horstmann '55 for the past five years, succeeded John M. Nelson, currently chairman of Brown & Sharpe Manufacturing Co. Warner S. Fletcher, an attorney with Fletcher, Tilton & Whipple, P.C., in Worcester, and Judith Nitsch '75, president of Judith Nitsch Engineering Inc. in Boston, are the new board vice chairs.

"John Nelson has been an outstanding leader for WPI," says WPI President Edward Alton Parrish. "He has been instrumental in helping the University move ahead with a new strategic plan and propelling it toward greater national and international recognition. He took charge of the effort to involve other trustees in The Campaign for WPI, leading the way with his own gift of $1 million. And he has also been a superb ambassador for this institution in the greater Worcester community. WPI has been fortunate to have had him in the board chair's seat."

Zarrella has been a member of the board since 1988. He holds a bachelor's degree in electrical engineering from WPI and an M.B.A. from New York University. He began his career at Bristol Meyers Co. and Esmark, where he held manufacturing, logistic, engineering management and international general management positions. In 1985, he joined Bausch & Lomb as president of the company's International Division. He ultimately became president and chief operating officer before joining General Motors in 1998.

He has received WPI's Ichabod Washburn Award for young alumni and the Robert H. Goddard Alumni Award. In 1998 he delivered the address at WPI's 130th Commencement and received an honorary doctorate in engineering. He is currently chairman of the $150 million Campaign for WPI.