Goodrich CEO David Burner to Speak at Embry-Riddle Commencement

David L. Burner will be the commencement speaker. Burner has been chairman, president, and chief executive officer of Goodrich Corp., formerly The BFGoodrich Co., since 1997. He was elected president and a director of the company in 1995 and chief executive officer in 1996. Previously, he served as executive vice president, president, and chief operating officer of the company's aerospace segment. Burner joined the company in 1983 and served in several management positions before his appointment as president of aerospace in 1987.

With sales of $4.4 billion in 2000, Goodrich is a leading worldwide supplier of aerospace components, systems, and services, as well as sealing and compressor systems and other engineered industrial products. Goodrich has its headquarters in Charlotte, N.C., and employs 23,000 people in 130 facilities in 20 nations.

Under Burner's leadership, the company has evolved over the past decade into a leading supplier to the global aerospace industry, with leading market positions worldwide and nose-to-tail products and services for virtually every aircraft flying today.

Among other honors, Goodrich is included on Forbes magazine's Platinum List of America's best big companies. Fortune magazine has named Goodrich one of the "most admired" aerospace companies in the United States and ranks the company approximately 300 on its list of America's largest companies.

Burner is a member of the Business Roundtable, an association of chief executive officers of major corporations whose goal is to promote public policies that support long-term growth in the U.S. economy.

He serves on the board of directors of Briggs & Stratton Corp., Carolinas Partnership, Charlotte Institute for Technology Innovation, Charlotte Symphony Orchestra, Milacron Inc., and Progress Energy Inc. Burner is also a member of the board of directors of the United Way of Central Carolinas and is chairman of its 2001 Central Carolinas Campaign. He serves on the executive committee and board of directors of the Charlotte Chamber of Commerce.

Burner holds a B.S. in commerce from Ohio University, Athens.

He will receive Embry-Riddle's Distinguished Speaker Award, which recognizes individuals for their professional accomplishments, national or international stature, or exceptional contributions to society. The award is bestowed on an individual at the conclusion of a special presentation or lecture delivered at a major university function such as commencement, and is used to honor speakers for sharing their special insights with the university community, especially its students and faculty.

Embry-Riddle, the world's largest, fully accredited university specializing in aviation and aerospace, meets the needs of students and industry through its educational, training, research, and consulting activities. Embry-Riddle educates 24,000 students annually through the master's level at residential campuses in Daytona Beach, Fla., and Prescott, Ariz., at more than 150 teaching centers in the United States and Europe, and through distance learning.