Manhattan College Honors Valero President at 2011 De La Salle Medal Dinner
Manhattan College will present Bill Klesse, chairman of the board, CEO and president of Valero Energy Corporation, with the De La Salle Medal at the College’s annual fundraising dinner on Wednesday, Jan. 19, 2011.
Riverdale, NY (Vocus/PRWEB) January 06, 2011
Manhattan College will present Bill Klesse, chairman of the board, CEO and president of Valero Energy Corporation, with the De La Salle Medal at the College’s annual fundraising dinner on Wednesday, Jan. 19, 2011. The ceremony will be held at the Pierre Hotel in New York City.
Before receiving his appointment to CEO in 2006 and chairman in 2007, Klesse served as executive vice president and chief operating officer and was responsible for all operations, including refining and marketing for Valero Energy.
A graduate of the University of Dayton and West Texas A&M University, Klesse began his career at Diamond Shamrock, now Valero, in 1969 as a junior process engineer. He went on to assume various managerial positions in engineering, petrochemical feedstocks, planning, development and marketing. In addition, he was named vice president of logistics and strategy in 1982, director of corporate development in 1984, senior vice president in 1989, and has also held the positions of vice president of planning and development.
Throughout his professional life, Klesse has remained committed to supporting the communities in which he lives and works. He has served as a board member of the San Antonio Food Bank since 2002, worked alongside Valero Volunteers on Habitat for Humanity projects, and is an annual participant and top fundraiser in the Bike MS: Valero Alamo Ride to the River charity ride, which raises money to fight multiple sclerosis.
The De La Salle Medal Dinner is the College’s top fundraising event. Proceeds from the $800-per-plate fundraiser are applied to academic and cocurricular programs, scholarship assistance and library resources. The black-tie event begins with a cocktail reception at 6:30 p. m., followed by dinner at 7:30 p. m. For more information about the dinner, please call Susan Bronson, director of corporate and foundation relations, at (718) 862-7837 or e-mail susan(dot)bronson(at)manhattan(dot)edu.
Members of the media who would like to cover the ceremony and dinner can contact Liz Connolly, assistant director of communications at Manhattan College, at (718) 862-7232 or e-mail elizabeth(dot)connolly(at)manhattan(dot)edu.
About Manhattan College:
Manhattan College is located at West 242nd Street near Broadway in the Riverdale section of the Bronx, one mile from the Westchester County line and accessible by MTA subway line No. 1. For directions to the campus, visit http://www. manhattan. edu.
Founded in 1853, Manhattan College is an independent, Lasallian Catholic, coeducational institution of higher learning offering more than 40 major programs of undergraduate study in the areas of arts, business, education, engineering and science, along with graduate programs in education and engineering. For more information about Manhattan College, visit http://www. manhattan. edu.
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