Vern has been a member of the Board of Directors of Med Central Health System and Mansfield College of Nursing – St. Anthony’s Health System in Columbus, Ohio. He is now serving on the Board of Big Brothers and Sisters of America, his local church board and local historical society.

In addition, Vern served two terms as mayor of his community.

Victor C. (Vic) Poleni, GMRA Regional Vice President – Southwest, began his 41-year General Motors career in 1957 in the Motors Holding Division as an Accounting Clerk in General Accounting, Tax and Equity. In 1963, after receiving a B.B.A. Degree from the University of Detroit, he transferred to the Cadillac Motors Division. Over the next three decades he received promotions to Kansas City Zone – Merchandising Representative; Dallas Zone – Lubbock District Manager; Memphis Zone – St. Louis District Manager, Metro, and Midwest Region Chicago-Fleet Account Executive--Detroit Cadillac Central Office Sales, Assistant Director Fleet Administration. He was reassigned as Assistant Director Fleet-Field Operations.

In the early 1990s, GM reorganized and integrated many sections and departments into the North American Operations (NAO) and Field Account Executives were transferred to NAO. Cadillac Fleet became a three-person department and Vic became Manager – Commercial Sales and Limousine Activity until his retirement in 1998.

After retirement, NAO hired Vic as a contract employee working for the GM Auction Department where he worked for an additional two years.

Edward (Bud) McDonald, GMRA Regional V.P.- West Began his 33 year General Motors career with Pontiac Motor Car Division, after graduation with a B.S. degree from University of California, Sacramento. He started as a service and parts representative in the San Francisco Zone. Over the next 30 years he held various positions with Pontiac, including District Sales Manager in the Denver Zone, Metro District Sales Manager ,San Francisco Zone, Zone Fleet Manager, San Francisco, Regional Fleet Manager, Northwest, Regional Fleet Manager, Los Angeles-Denver, and National Account Manager – West.

In 1992, General Motors started their re-organization, Bud was promoted to Regional Fleet Manager-West, for the Corporation. Bud retired in 1996 and since then has worked as a contract employee for the General Motors Auction Department and currently does contract work for GMAC on a part time basis as vacation relief person. Bud continues his sailing on the ocean as he did when he was in the Navy.

Ralph J. Montileone, Regional Vice President – Southeast, began his 40+ year career in 1968 at the St. Louis Chevrolet Corvette Assembly Plant as an hourly quality inspector. A few years later he transferred to a salary position serving as a production / quality supervisor. In 1979 as GM closed the St. Louis plant, he transferred to Bowling Green, Kentucky to start construction of the Corvette Assembly plant. While in Kentucky he attended Western Kentucky University working on a computer science degree. After serving as a production supervisor, he was asked to move to Michigan in 1985 to assist with the Detroit Hamtramck start up and later, the start up of the Lansing Reatta Craft Center where he held roles from production to tooling engineering.

In 1989 he transferred to Saturn Corporation working at the 12 mile Engineering Center as a manufacturing engineer, later transferring to Spring Hill, Tennessee. In 1994 he was promoted to Advanced Engineering Technical Support. He then supported the re-tooling of the Wilmington Delaware Assembly plant and became a member of the Saturn L Series Launch Team. Ralph was then promoted to Operations Superintendent in Chassis / Final Process. In 2007, Ralph was assigned to the Chevrolet Traverse Launch Team to re-tool and prepare the Spring Hill Assembly site to build the new Chevrolet Traverse. In 2008 after re-tooling was complete and the Traverse launched, he decided retirement was now in the picture.

Rick Knoth, GMRA Regional Vice President – Michigan, began his 37+ year General Motors career in 1971 at the Norwood Assembly Plant as a GMI Co-op student. After graduation in 1976 he transferred to Cadillac Motor Division at Clark St. Manufacturing.

Rick transferred in 1981 to the General Motors Assembly Division (GMAD) Vehicle Assembly Group – responsible for electrical process equipment. In 1984 he was promoted to Engineering Group Manager (EGM) of the CPC electrical process equipment group. In 1988, he was transferred to EGM - GM300 responsible for the assembly and process equipment at the Willow Run and Arlington Assembly plants

In 1996 Rick became the program manager for the Chevrolet S-10 Electric truck with the GM Advance Technology Vehicle Group in Troy Mi. After the 2001 GM reorganization he became the Manufacturing Systems Engineer for GM hybrid vehicles. He worked the development of all GM hybrid vehicles and retired from the Volt development team in November of 2008. Rick holds a BS in Industrial Engineering (1976) GMI and an MBA (1981) from University of Detroit.

Sushil Birla, GMRA Regional Vice President - Mid Atlantic, began his 32-year GM career in January 1976 at the GM Manufacturing Development, GM Technical Center in Warren, MI as a Senior Project Engineer specialized in the development of manufacturing automation. He rose on the professional/technical ladder to the level of a GM Technical Fellow by the end of the 1980s. By that time, he had become a specialist in programmable electronic controls.

Near the end of the 1990s, Sushil transferred his software-intensive systems engineering knowledge to R&D on in-vehicle electronics at the GM R&D Electrical Controls Integration Lab. Retiring from GM in May 2008, Sushil is applying his knowledge in public service, as a Senior Technical Advisor at the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission, Rockville, MD. Sushil holds a PHD in Computer Engineering from the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor, Michigan.