At its July meeting, the Kummer Institute Foundation Board of Directors elected four new members to each serve a four-year term with the possibility of one renewal.
The board is responsible for management of the $300 million gift Fred and June Kummer made to S&T in 2020. Members oversee investment of funds from the gift and establish budgetary guidelines and policy.
R. Tim Bradley
Bradley earned a bachelor’s degree in petroleum engineering from Missouri S&T in 1977. The retired president of Houston-based Kinder Morgan CO2 Co., Bradley began his career with Shell Oil in west Texas and held many positions with the company, including manager of Shell’s enhanced oil recovery operations and president of Shell CO2, a joint venture between Shell and Kinder Morgan. When Shell sold its stake in 2000, Bradley became president of Kinder Morgan CO2. Under his leadership, the company grew into North America’s largest producer, transporter and marketer of carbon dioxide and the second-largest oil producer in Texas. A member of the Missouri S&T Board of Trustees, Bradley was inducted into the S&T Academy of Mines and Metallurgy in 2013 and received an Award of Professional Distinction from S&T in 2014. In 2019 Bradley delivered the commencement address at S&T and received an honorary doctorate. He and his wife, Kay, are members of the Missouri S&T Order of the Golden Shillelagh.
Maureen E. Midgley
Midgley of St. Louis, Missouri, earned a bachelor’s degree in chemical engineering from Missouri S&T in 1982. She earned a master’s degree in engineering management and operations from Kettering University and a master’s degree in environmental science from Green Mountain College. She completed Harvard Business School’s Senior Executive Program‑Asia Pacific and holds honorary doctorates from Youngstown State University and Missouri S&T. She retired from Amazon, where she was vice president of real estate, engineering, robotics, IT and Lean. Prior to Amazon she was senior vice president of manufacturing engineering at Henkel. She worked for more than 30 years at General Motors, where the roles she held included plant manager and executive director of global paint and polymer engineering. She is a current member and past president of the Missouri S&T Academy of Chemical Engineers.
Eric G. Politte
Politte earned a bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering from Missouri S&T in 1982. An engineer, entrepreneur, business leader and investor with more than 40 years of experience, Politte has founded and co-founded more than 20 companies, spanning oil and gas, construction, and real estate, leading many of them through successful public and private exits. He currently owns and leads ATI Instrumental & Electrical, Colorado Mining Resources, and numerous real estate holding companies. He also co-owns downstream petroleum product logistics operations and invests in startups. He began his career as a mechanical engineer at Exxon before moving into leadership roles and embarking on entrepreneurial endeavors. Beyond entrepreneurship, he serves on a public water board, several volunteer boards and is a lifetime member of the American Society of Mechanical Engineers.
Richard F. Wacker
Wacker of Honolulu County, Hawaii, earned a bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering from Missouri S&T in 1984. After holding company officer and senior leadership positions with General Electric in the U.S. and Europe, he joined Korea Exchange Bank in 2004 as chief operating officer. He was named president and CEO in 2005 and chair of the board in 2007. After moving to Hawaii, he was president and CEO of American Savings Bank from 2010 to 2021, during which time he also chaired the Hawaii Business Roundtable and Hawaii Bankers Association. A member of the American Society of Mechanical Engineers, Wacker has served on many boards of organizations focused on entrepreneurship, education, health and finance. He helped establish the Korea Exchange Bank Foundation, the first social welfare organization in the Korean financial industry.