Governor Appoints Two Michigan Tech Board of Trustees Members

Terry Woychowski (left) and Russ Gronevelt
Terry Woychowski (left) and Russ Gronevelt

Michigan Governor Jennifer Granholm has appointed two members to Michigan Technological University’s Board of Trustees  She reappointed Russell Gronevelt Jr., who is currently serving as chair of the University’s governing body. She also appointed Terry Woychowski to succeed Ruth Reck, whose term expires in December.  

Both appointees are alumni of Michigan Tech.  Their terms begin in January 2011 and expire Dec. 31, 2018.

“We are gratified that the Governor has seen fit to appoint two such knowledgeable and distinguished alumni to our Board of Trustees,” said President Glenn D. Mroz. “Both have worked hard to strengthen the ties between Michigan Tech and the industries where our graduates work, and both bring a deep understanding of Michigan Tech’s strengths and the role it can play in creating the future.”

Gronevelt, who earned his Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering from Michigan Tech in 1969, is president of Orchard Hiltz & McCliment, a civil engineering consulting firm headquartered in Livonia, Mich.  He serves on the Executive Committee of Tech’s Civil and Environmental Engineering (CEE) Department and served two terms on the CEE Professional Advisory Committee. He also serves on the Board of Trustees of the Michigan Tech Fund and has been inducted into Michigan Tech’s Academy of Civil and Environmental Engineers.

“I am deeply honored that the Governor has chosen to reappoint me to the board,” said Gronevelt. “Michigan Tech has a strong administration and staff who work well with the Board of Trustees to achieve strategic objectives in these rather difficult economic times. I also look forward to working with Terry Woychowski, an alum who has already been very active in support of the University.”

Woychowski is vice president of General Motors’ Global Vehicle Program Management and GM’s key executive liaison with Michigan Tech. He earned a Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering from Tech in 1978. He serves on the University’s Industrial Advisory Board and the College of Engineering’s External Advisory Board. As a member of the Board of Directors of the Engineering Society of Detroit, he played a key role in the development of an extremely successful collaboration among Michigan Tech, the ESD and the auto industry to retrain automotive engineers in hybrid electric vehicles and technologies.

"I'm honored to be appointed to the University's Board of Trustees by Governor Granholm," said Woychowski. "Being a Michigan Tech graduate, this appointment is a great opportunity for me to give back to a school and a community that has meant so much to me on both a personal and professional level.  I am confident that Michigan Tech will not only weather the current economic storm, I believe that it will play a very significant role in leading us out of it."

The Governor also appointed new board members to Eastern and Western Michigan and Grand Valley State University’s boards. Her appointments stand confirmed unless disapproved by the state Senate within 60 days.

Michigan Technological University is a public research university founded in 1885 in Houghton, Michigan, and is home to more than 7,000 students from 55 countries around the world. Consistently ranked among the best universities in the country for return on investment, Michigan’s flagship technological university offers more than 120 undergraduate and graduate degree programs in science and technology, engineering, computing, forestry, business and economics, health professions, humanities, mathematics, social sciences, and the arts. The rural campus is situated just miles from Lake Superior in Michigan's Upper Peninsula, offering year-round opportunities for outdoor adventure.