As the Wittenberg University Board of Directors gathered for its summer retreat on campus, Aug. 7-8, two new faces were among the group. Steve Neely and Wendy Williams Ford, Wittenberg classes of 1975 and 1976, respectively, were recently elected to three-year terms each on the university’s board.
An education major at Wittenberg, Neely has served as president of Armoloy of Ohio Inc. in Springfield since 2000 where he works directly with renowned companies such as Kraft Foods and Kellogg’s. Before his work with Armoloy, Neely was an elementary school teacher for five years, a medical equipment salesman, and vice president of sales for the McKesson Corporation.
A community leader, Neely has served numerous organizations in the Springfield area, including the Springfield Foundation, the Clark State Foundation, and the Community Healthcare Foundation. He is also a past president of the Springfield Rotary Club, and it was through Springfield Rotary that Neely became involved in aiding orphaned children from the South African Kingdom of Lesotho after learning about the effort through Wittenberg.
Originally from Newark, New York, Neely met his wife, Mary Alice Schryver ’75, at Wittenberg, and they were married a year after graduation. The Neelys have three children and three grandchildren. To this day, he attributes his distinctive and expansive resume to his time at Wittenberg.
“I have had a somewhat diverse career, but it was the diverse education that I received at Wittenberg, as well as experiences, that prepared me for the last 40 or so years,” he said.
Ford, from Springfield, was an elementary education major at Wittenberg, where she was actively involved on campus in Union Board and Concerned Black Students (CBS). A retired director of human resources from the Springfield City School District, she is a leader in the Springfield community through her service as first vice president of the Wittenberg Guild, as a member of the Community Health Foundation board, the Covenant United Methodist Freedom School board, Opportunities for Individual Change, and United Senior Services.
Ford’s husband, Eddie, is a member of the Wittenberg class of 1975. They have two children. She states that they have made sure to give back to Wittenberg for supporting them over the years and for giving them the professional foundation necessary for their careers.
“Eddie and I have always tried to support our alma mater by giving and serving,” she said. “Being a member of the board of directors is a great opportunity to serve the university. I plan to be a good listener, observer, and to be engaged.”
About Wittenberg
Wittenberg’s curriculum has centered on the liberal arts as an education that develops the individual’s capacity to think, read, and communicate with precision, understanding, and imagination. We are dedicated to active, engaged learning in the core disciplines of the arts and sciences and in pre-professional education grounded in the liberal arts. Known for the quality of our faculty and their teaching, Wittenberg has more Ohio Professors of the Year than any four-year institution in the state. The university has also been recognized nationally for excellence in community service, sustainability, and intercollegiate athletics. Located among the beautiful rolling hills and hollows of Springfield, Ohio, Wittenberg offers more than 100 majors, minors and special programs, enviable student-faculty research opportunities, a unique student success center, service and study options close to home and abroad, a stellar athletics tradition, and successful career preparation. Learn more about how Wittenberg changes lives at www.wittenberg.edu.