AIChE Foundation Announces Co-Chairs for "Doing a World of Good" Campaign

The AIChE Foundation – the philanthropic arm of the American Institute of Chemical Engineers (AIChE) – has named Jim Fitterling, president and chief operating officer of the Dow Chemical Company (NYSE:DOW), and John Y. Televantos, partner at Arsenal Capital Partners, as co-chairs of the foundation’s “Doing a World of Good” campaign. Through targeted initiatives and fundraising, the campaign aims to unite the worldwide chemical engineering community to address pressing societal needs and solve important problems.

The “Doing a World of Good” effort will fund five priorities identified by members of the AIChE community as being imperative to advancing the good works that chemical engineering brings to the world. The priorities are: attracting and retaining the best and brightest people to the chemical engineering profession; education, training and career support for chemical engineers; research and innovation; safety and ethical practice; and public education programs to change society’s perceptions about chemical engineers and their contributions.

In taking on the co-chair assignment, Fitterling said that Dow is proud to support the “Doing a World of Good” campaign as a Founders’ Circle Member and Benefactor of AIChE’s Undergraduate Process Safety Initiative – a program that is incorporating chemical process safety training into the chemical engineering curricula at universities worldwide.

“Through such contributions, companies such as Dow are, in fact, already doing a world of good,” Fitterling said. “However, the story of how the chemicals industry is benefitting society is one that is not often told. That’s why this opportunity to rededicate ourselves to a new set of priorities – to promote good chemical engineering and good chemical processes – is so important.”

Campaign co-chair Televantos added that the “Doing a World of Good” campaign is “perhaps the most important activity of our Institute – to ensure an enduring legacy for all the good things we have contributed to the world as an industry and as individuals, and to support the many good things that chemical engineers are about to contribute for the future.”

In his role at Dow, Fitterling has executive accountability for all of the company’s businesses. He also oversees environment, health and safety; sustainability; manufacturing and engineering; supply chain; and research and development. A 32-year veteran of Dow, Fitterling also is a member of the board of directors of Chemical Financial Corporation and Sadara Chemical Company. He earned a bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering from the University of Missouri-Columbia.

At Arsenal Capital, a private equity firm focused on specialty industrial chemicals, materials and health care, Televantos serves as co-head of the specialty industrial practice. During his tenure at Arsenal, he has been part of several acquisitions and successful exits in the chemicals and materials sectors. In addition to serving on the boards of several Arsenal-owned companies, Televantos is lead director on the board of Balchem Corporation. He holds bachelor or science and doctorate degrees in chemical engineering from the University of London.

As co-chairs for the “Doing a World of Good” campaign, Fitterling and Televantos join an AIChE Foundation leadership team headed by Foundation Chairman Eduardo D. Glandt, Dean Emeritus of the School of Engineering and Applied Science at the University of Pennsylvania, and Vice Chairman S. Shariq Yosufzai, Vice President for Global Diversity, Ombuds, and University Affairs at Chevron.

For more information about the AIChE Foundation and the “Doing a World of Good” campaign, go to http://www.aiche.org/giving/doing-world-good-campaign.