Washington, D.C - Randy McDonnell of St. Louis, Missouri, has been appointed to the Board of Directors for the Character Education Partnership (CEP), a national nonprofit based in Washington, DC. CEP works with schools across the nation to develop strategies that reinforce academic excellence and foster respect, responsibility, honesty, diligence, service and citizenship.
McDonnell’s father, Sandy, was the founding Chairman of the organization’s Board. He served in that key leadership role for more than 12 years and then as Chairman Emeritus until he passed away earlier this year.
“Randy McDonnell knows better than anyone that our organization would not exist without his father’s many years of remarkable leadership and support,” said CEP’s President & CEO, Mark Hyatt. “We are thrilled that he will now serve on our board of directors, where I know he will provide excellent direction and do all he can to ensure his father’s legacy lives on through our important work.”
Randy McDonnell holds a bachelor of science degree in aeronautical engineering from Princeton University and an MBA from Washington University. He worked in numerous positions and led several teams during 17 years of service at McDonnell Douglas Aircraft. Among them, Randy led the design of the two-man cockpit for the TAV-8B Harrier aircraft, and later became overall program manager of the Harrier weapons system.
In 1993 Randy left McDonnell Douglass to start Advanced Aerospace Technologies, Inc., which is based in St. Louis. In addition to the CEP board of directors, McDonnell serves on the boards of the St. Louis Downtown Chamber of Commerce, Fair St. Louis, the Greater St. Louis Area Council of Boy Scouts of America (he is a former Eagle Scout), and the St. Louis-based CHARACTERplus organization that supports schools across the state of Missouri.
Regarding McDonnell’s appointment, CEP’s Vice President, Joe Mazzola, said “Like his father, Randy is a strategic thinker who understands that developing character-based citizens is in the long-term best interest of our nation and world. I have no doubt that he will help take our organization to a totally new level, not just to honor his father, but because he believes it is the right thing to do.”
