Ramani Ayer, PhD; MS, College of Engineering, Chemical Engineering 1971; PhD, Chemical Engineering, 1973. Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, The Hartford Financial Services Group

Dr. Ayer is Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of The Hartford Financial Services Group and Hartford Fire Insurance Company, positions he has held since 1997. The Hartford is an investment and insurance company based in the United States, with offices around the world. Dr. Ayer is also Chairman of Hartford Life, Inc., an indirect wholly owned subsidiary of the company, which operates the company's life insurance, annuity and related businesses. He is a member of the Board of Directors of the American Insurance Association and the Hartford Hospital, a member of the Business Roundtable, and a Trustee of the Connecticut Center for Science and Exploration and Maharishi University of Management. From 2001 to 2006, Mr. Ayer served as a Drexel Trustee. He is a Chartered Member of the Drexel College of Engineering Alumni Circle of Distinction. In 1998, Dr. Ayer was the recipient of the Distinguished Alumnus Award from the Indian Institute of Technology, and in 2003, he received the Polaris Award from the Leadership Greater Hartford. In 2002, Mr. Ayer and his wife established the Ramani and Louise D. Ayer Family Endowed Scholarship for minority undergraduate students studying in any discipline at Drexel. Along with his Drexel degree, Dr. Ayer holds a Bachelor's degree from the Indian Institute of Technology in Bombay, India and an Honorary Degree from the University of Hartford.
May 2009

Florence J. Barber, BS, Design, Westphal College of Media Arts and Design, 1975. Founder and CEO, Floss Barber Inc.

Floss Barber currently serves as the CEO of Floss Barber Inc. a firm she founded in 1986 to provide high-end Interior Design services for the gaming, hospitality, restaurant and corporate markets. Floss Barber Inc. is an award-winning, full-service Design Studio headquartered in Philadelphia, PA. For almost three decades it has successfully completed projects throughout the United States. Appearing in publications both regional and national, Floss Barber Inc. has been on Interior Design Magazine's list of giants since 1998. Floss has worked on projects for Emeril Lagasse's restaurants, Valley Forge Casino, University of Pennsylvania Wharton School of Business, and Saul Ewing LLP, to name a few.
May 2012

Barry C. Burkholder, BS, LeBow College of Business, 1962; MBA, LeBow College of Business, 1970. Retired, President and CEO, Bank United Corporation

Mr. Burkholder retired in 2001 as the President and Chief Executive Officer of Bank United Corporation following the company's 2001 acquisition by Washington Mutual, Inc. Under Mr. Burkholder's leadership, Houston based Bank United attained $18 billion in assets, operated 155 Community banking branches in Texas while also maintaining a middle market commercial banking presence in 16 states.
Prior to joining Bank United, Mr. Burkholder was employed at Citicorp/Citibank for 15 years. He became associated with Citicorp through its then newly formed Consumer Services Group in 1976, and then became a member of its International Staff. Mr. Burkholder moved to Citibank Savings in London where he was named Chairman and Managing Director in 1977. He returned to the US in 1981 to become President of Citicorp Person-to-Person., a nationwide mortgage financing business. In 1984, he was named Chairman and CEO of Citibank Illinois, and two years later became Central Division Executive for the US Consumer Bank. He was responsible for Citicorp's community banks in Illinois, Florida, and Washington, DC. Additionally, his responsibilities included Citicorp's national lending businesses for autos and mobile homes, student loans and the corporation's national consumer banking training center.
After serving as a Captain in the U.S. Army, Mr. Burkholder began his career at Ford Motor Company in the financial planning area and moved to Certain-teed Corporation, where his last position prior to joining Citicorp was as President of its home building and real estate development subsidiary.
He has served on numerous boards including Bank United Corporation and the Federal Home Loan Bank Board of Dallas. He also served as a member of the Thrift Institutions Advisory Council to the Federal Reserve. In Texas, he was President of the Houston Symphony. More recently, he has been President of the Landfall Foundation and President of the Country Club of Landfall.
He was the recipient of the Drexel University Distinguished Alumni Award in 1988. He joined the Drexel 100 Class of 1998, and in 2007 received the A. J. Drexel Paul Alumni Achievement Award. In 2012, he received the Golden Dragon Society Award from Drexel's Alumni Association. Also in 2012, Drexel's Athletic Hall of Fame was dedicated to Janet and Barry Burkholder. Currently an Emeritus Trustee, Mr. Burkholder has been active on Drexel's Board of Trustees for more than 18 years. Mr. Burkholder celebrated 55 years of marriage to Janet and is the proud father of three beautiful daughters.
June 2017

William C. Chatman; BS, College of Engineering, 1952. Former Chairman and CEO, Foster Wheeler Limited

Mr. Chatman retired as Chairman and CEO of Foster Wheeler Limited in 1996 after more than four decades with the company. He joined FW in 1952 as a Process Engineer and, after designing petroleum refineries and chemical plants for 15 years, moved into the Sales Organisation. During his 15 years in sales he was located in the New Jersey, London and Reading (UK) offices, and Milan, Italy before being appointed to head all domestic and international sales for the Engineering and Construction Division operations. In 1983 he left sales to become Director of Operations for Societe' Foster Wheeler Francais in Paris, and in 1986 he was sent to Reading, UK, where he became Chairman and CEO of Foster Wheeler Ltd in 1988, and served there until his retirement. Mr. Chatman is a Charter Member of the Drexel University College of Engineering's Alumni Circle of Distinction, the author of numerous technical papers, and holds several US patents. He is a current member of the American Institute of Chemical Engineers, the American Chemical Society, and has served as Vice President of the Institute of Chemical Engineers (UK) and Chairman of the British Chemical Engineering Contractors Association. He has also served as President of the Chester, NJ, Board of Education, the New Haven Chorale, and the Essex Historical Society. He enjoys singing, currently with the New Haven Chorale, and has sung with the London Philharmonic Choir, the Royal Chorale Society and Goldsmiths Chorale Union (UK), and the Masterwork Chorus (NJ) and Harmonium (NJ). In retirement Mr. Chatman is currently a Director of the Middlesex County Community Foundation and the Southeastern Connecticut Committee for Foreign Relations, and has served as Trustee and Director of the Connecticut River Museum, and the Essex Winter Series, in addition to his membership in the Ancient Order of Weeders (Essex, CT).
April 2012

Domenic M. DiPiero, BS, College of Engineering, Chemical Engineering, 1968. President, Delphi Petroleum

Mr. DiPiero is President of Delphi Petroleum, a privately held petroleum products wholesaler that conducts business with other oil companies and traders in North America, South America, Europe and part of Africa. Mr. DiPiero established the company in 1981. He was previously an Oil Broker for Triad Petroleum. Prior to Triad, he worked for Sun Oil from 1968 to 1974 in various capacities including Manager of Product Trading, Product Trading Specialist, Manager of Planning and Economics, Senior Corporate Planning Analyst, Marketing Analyst, Economic Analyst, and Operations Research Analyst. Mr. DiPiero is a Charter Member of the Drexel University College of Engineering Alumni Circle of Distinction. He is also a member of the Athletics Advisory Council. In 2004, Mr. DiPiero established the Domenic M. DiPiero Endowed Scholarship to benefit students who graduated with academic merit from a Catholic high school.
May 2009

The Honorable George B. Francis, BS, LeBow College of Business, 1943 (Deceased). Former Appellate Judge, New Jersey Superior Court

The Honorable George Francis retired as an Appellate Judge of the New Jersey Superior Court in 1985. He began his law career in 1949 in Cape May County. After serving in the infantry Division of the U.S. Army during World War II, Judge Francis earned a JD from the law school of the University of Pennsylvania. He worked in a private law practice for 10 years. Then Mr. Francis was appointed Cape May County prosecutor for a year before he was appointed to Cape May County Superior Court in 1961. A few years later, he was named Assignment Judge for Cape May, Cumberland, Atlantic and Salem Counties. He was appointed to the appellate division of the state Superior Court in 1980. In 1970, Drexel honored Mr. Francis as a Distinguished Alumnus, and in 1993, he was the recipient of the A. J. Drexel Paul Award, the University's highest alumni award. At Drexel, he endowed a professorship in the LeBow College of Business in 1993 and another professorship in the College of Engineering in 1997.
May 2011

Richard C. Goodwin, BS, LeBow College of Business, 1948, HD, 2004 Former Chairman, Goodwin Enterprise

Mr. Goodwin is retired as the Chairman of Goodwin Enterprises, a home construction and land development company based in Mount Laurel, New Jersey. During his career, Mr. Goodwin built 5,000 residential units as well as developed 15,000 lots for other builders, mainly in South Jersey. Goodwin Enterprises was founded by Richard Goodwin's father in the 1950s, and Mr. Goodwin became the owner when his father died in 1974. He has also been a General Partner of the B & G Company, another New Jersey developer and has owned Jay Management, a company which managed his properties. He has served his local and state Home Builder's Associations as President, and has been Vice President of the National Association of Home Builders. He is also a founder of the National Housing Endowment. Mr. Goodwin has served as a volunteer fundraiser for the United Way of Burlington County, New Jersey. He is the "benefactor" of the Goodwin Holocaust Museum of Delaware Valley and the Goodwin Holocaust Education Center; a founder of the National Liberty Museum in Philadelphia; and a member of the Ambassador's Circle of the World Jewish Congress. He is on the Board of Directors of the American Friends of Neve Shalom/Wahat al-Salam. In addition, he is the founder of the Middle East Peace Dialogue Network, Inc. that supports over 65 Israeli and Palestinian groups to promote peace and the annual Children's March and Festivals for Peace with over 17,000 Arab and Jewish children in attendance. He is the "benefactor" of the Richard C. Goodwin Daycare Center at Maasai Heritage Preservation Foundation in Kenya, Africa. He is on the Advisory Council of the Jay Street Political Action Committee to support Israel and its quest for peace. He supports a documentary entitled "The Mercury Projec" which explains the deleterious effect of the use of mercury on health. In 2005, he received the Neve Shalom/Wahat-Salam Ambassador of Peace Award, and he is also a recipient of the United Way's Lawrence Epstein Award. In 1987, Mr. Goodwin established the Goodwin Foundation. As a result of his generosity and commitment to Drexel, the Evening College was renamed the Richard C. Goodwin College of Evening and Professional Studies, in 2000, which was later shortened to the Goodwin College of Professional Studies in 2002. In 2001, he was the recipient of the Mary S. Irick Award from Drexel.
April 2011

Carl R. Pacifico, BS, College of Engineering, Chemical Engineering, 1943 (Deceased). Former Partner, Balchem Chemical

After graduating from Drexel, Mr. Pacifico entered military service, serving as a junior officer in the new science of radar during World War II. Mr. Pacifico's early career was a combination of employment in chemical and engineering research projects. He became a General Manager of a specialty chemical company, President of a metal working company, and then a consultant to senior management in specialty chemicals. He retired as a Partner at Balchem Chemical. Mr. Pacifico's primary interest was in making a significant contribution to understanding the human thinking process. He believed that an improvement in the quality of a person's thinking would be helpful in achieving his or her personal objectives, in improving interpersonal relations, and in reducing the international scourges of war, racism, and poverty. He is the author of numerous papers and books. He endowed a professorship in Cognitive Neuropsychology at Drexel University to promote an understanding of the human thinking process. He was also a Charter Member of Drexel's College of Engineering's Alumni Circle of Distinction.
May 2009

Daniel Promislo, Esq., BS, LeBow College of Business, Business Administration, 1955. Former, Managing Director of Wolf, Block, Schorr & Solis-Cohen and Founder and Owner, Historical Documents Company

Mr. Promislo retired as the Managing Director of Wolf, Block, Schorr & Solis-Cohen law firm in 2001. He is the Founder and Owner of Historical Documents Company in Philadelphia. Historical Documents Company produces reproductions of "Obsolete Currency" (notes issued by banks and other companies before 1866, when a Federal tax drove them out of circulation), and scrip notes issued by private individuals. Packages of these notes are sold at gift shops, most often at National Parks and especially at Civil War Battlefield sites. The company also produces copies of the Declaration of Independence, Gettysburg Address, Lincoln Assassination "Wanted Poster," etc. Mr. Promislo is a member of Drexel's College of Arts and Sciences Advisory Board and the Delaware Valley Alumni Club. He is a former member of the Alumni Board of Governors and the Athletics Advisory Council. Mr. Promislo was inducted into the University's Athletic Hall of Fame in 1981 for basketball. He serves as a Trustee with RAIT Investment Trust and is a past Director and former Chairman for WHYY, Inc. and has been a Director with the Cancer Recovery Program. Along with his Drexel degree, Mr. Promislo has a JD from the University of Pennsylvania Law School.
May 2009

Milton C. Shaw, ScD; BS, College of Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, 1938; Honorary Degree, 1996 (Deceased). Former Professor of Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology

During World War II, Dr. Shaw headed the Materials Branch at the NACA (now NASA) before embarking on a 60-year career as Professor of Engineering at Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Carnegie-Mellon University and Arizona State University. Professor Shaw specialized in engineering design, machine tool technology, materials behavior, production engineering, tribology and brittle fracture. He authored over 300 books and papers, edited numerous conference volumes and held 19 U.S. and foreign patents. He was a consultant to over 125 industrial companies in the U.S. and abroad. His contributions were recognized by awards and honors from numerous professional organizations, by honorary doctorates from the University of Louvain (Belgium) and Drexel University and by election to fellowship in the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, U.S. National Academy of Engineering and the Polish Academy of Sciences, among others. Beginning in the late 1940's, Professor Shaw and his wife, Mary Jane, opened their home to numerous students from Europe and Asia, getting to know them personally, as well as professionally. Professor Shaw was the first U.S. member of the College International pour L'Etude Scientifique des Techniques de Production Mecanique (CIRP), an international organization devoted to the dissemination of production engineering research, founded shortly following World War II.
May 2011

Donald C. Tomasso, BS, Le Bow College of Business, 1968; MS, College of Engineering Environmental Science 1970; MBA, LE Bow, 1975. President, NorthStar Healthcare and Chairman, Metro Offices, Inc.

Mr. Tomasso serves as President of NorthStar Healthcare, a unit of NorthStar Realty Finance Corp. The business is a leading private investment firm providing equity and debt capital solutions to the Senior Housing Industry. Previously, Mr. Tomasso served as Execute Vice Charmin of Wakefield Capital a majority owned joint venture with NorthStar. Since 2000, he has been Chairman and co-owner of Metro Offices, Inc., a provider of workplace solutions to corporations, entrepreneurs and the Federal Government. He was previously Interim Chairman and CEO of MQ Associates, Inc., a diagnostic imaging company controlled by CCMP Capital Advisors. From 1991 to 1998 Mr. Tomasso was President of ManorCare Health Services, one of the country's largest providers of skilled nursing services. Prior to 1991, Mr. Tomasso held a number of Executive Management positions at Marriott Corporation including President of its Roy Rogers Restaurant chain. At Drexel, Mr. Tomasso was named as the first recipient of the Le Bow College of Business Distinguished Alumni Award. He is also a member of the Dean's Advisory Board of Le Bow College.
March 2011

Bruce A. Zimmerman, BS, LeBow College of Business, 1961. Former, President, Chairman, Avtec Industries, Inc.

Mr. Zimmerman retired in 1998 as President, Chairman and founder of AVTEC Industries Inc., the leading manufacturer of ventilation, appliance connectors, utility distribution, fire protection and conveyor system for the food service industry. He and his company developed and pioneered the commercial appliance connector and utility distribution system. His background in the commercial food service industry over a 30 year period includes sales and marketing, engineering, product development, manufacturing and management. Prior to joining AVTEC, Mr. Zimmerman was product manager for commercial dishwashing systems for the General Electric Co. and salesman for the G.S. Blakeslee Co. He also worked as a sales applications engineer in the Commercial and Industrial Departments of the Philadelphia Gas Works for several years. He is a co-inventor of several patents for commercial kitchen ventilation and power conveyors. Mr. Zimmerman was very active in the North American Food Equipment Manufacturers Association [NAFEM] having served as Vice Chairman of the Technical Liaison Committee, Chairman of the Consultants Liaison Committee, and Chairman of the Educational Exhibits Committee as well as countless other committees. He received several industry and professional awards including the prestigious Distinguished Development Award from the Foodservice Consultants Society International for development of the utility distribution system for foodservice; the Market Mover Award from the Marketing Agents for the Food Service Industry for developing innovative techniques for marketing engineered food service products; the Presidents Award from the North American Foodservice Equipment Manufacturers Association for meritorious service to the association and the industry, and he and his company were named one of the "Top Fifty" small/medium size privately held companies in the Chicago area by the University of Illinois Entrepreneurial Institute in 1987 and 1988. At Drexel, he received the 1996 Distinguished Alumni Award from the Drexel University Alumni Association for service to his profession and industry.
March 2011

R. Peter Zimmermann, BS, LeBow College of Business, 1963. CPA and former CFO of T. L. Ventures

Mr. Zimmermann retired in 2000 from his position as CFO of TL Ventures, a venture capital company, that invests in biotechnology, communications, information technology and computer software companies. Previously, he held executive financial positions in public companies such as Decision One Corporation, Air Express International and John Blair & Company. Mr. Zimmermann was a partner with Touche Ross & Company, before joining The Ford Foundation as its CFO. While with Touche Ross, he was the company's representative in Mexico City, Mexico for three and a half years. Previously, he worked for Ernst & Young and represented that company in Dusseldorf, Germany for five and a half years. Mr. Zimmermann also served as Chairman on the Board of the Rockland Small Cap Fund and sat on the boards of various private entities. While at Drexel, he lettered on the basketball team for three years and received the Lt. Patrick Greene Memorial award in his senior year. He and his wife, Mary, reside in Naples, Florida.
May 2017