OPEI Adds New Board Members
The Outdoor Power Equipment Institute (OPEI), an international trade association representing manufacturers and suppliers of outdoor power equipment, small engines, battery power systems, portable generators, utility and personal transport vehicles, and golf cars, recently named three new members to its Board of Directors.
The three new Board members are:
• Chris Keffer, President and CEO, STIHL Inc.
• Joe Liotine, CEO, Briggs & Stratton
• Bobby Shaw, Group President, RYOBI N.A., Techtronic Industries Power Equipment
“We welcome our new Board members, and look forward to their insight and strategic thinking as the industry continues to evolve and face new regulatory challenges,” said OPEI President Kris Kiser.
The 2023-2024 Board Executive Committee comprises:
• Chair Mike Clancy, CEO, Chervon North America
• Vice Chair David Thorne, Vice President, Turf & Compact Utility Business Unit, Deere & Company
• Secretary/Treasurer John Wyatt, Senior Vice President and President of Outdoor, Stanley Black and Decker
• Immediate Past Chair Brian Melka, Group President — Kohler Energy
• Equip Exposition Show Chairman Dan Ariens, Chairman and CEO, Ariens Company
Rounding out the Board of Directors are:
• Klaus Hahn, President North America, Greenworks
• Peter Hampton, President and CEO, Active Dynamics
• Matt Nuijens, President — Residential NA, Husqvarna Forest & Garden Division
• Rick Olson, Chairman and CEO, The Toro Company
• Harold Redman, President and CEO, Echo Incorporated
• Nelson Wilner, Senior Vice President and General Manager, Engines, Kawasaki Motors Corp. USA
The next Board meeting will take place in spring of 2024. OPEI’s 2024 Annual Meeting is slated for June 24-26 at the Ponte Vedra Inn & Club in Ponte Vedra Beach, FL.
