ASME names new executive director

Virgil R. Carter, FAIA, will succeed David L. Belden, Ph.D., P.E., as executive director and chief operating officer of ASME. Belden is retiring after serving in the position for 15 years.

As the executive director, Carter will have overall operational management responsibility for all Society funds and program activities, including long-range planning, conferences, publications, e-commerce, member affairs, education, research, codes and standards development, and public affairs.

In addition to activities in the United States, he will have responsibility for relationships with technical organizations throughout the world, particularly in those 60 nations where ASME has formal agreements of cooperation with scientific and technical organizations.

Virgil Carter

 

For the past five years, Carter served as executive director of the Project Management Institute (PMI) in Newtown Square, Pa., a 90,000-member, not-for-profit professional association serving the project management field. During his tenure, PMI experienced a 350 percent net growth in membership and expanded its global component organizations in 120 countries. He also spearheaded PMI's financial growth from an $8 million budget in 1997 to $30 million in 2001.

Carter led PMI's transition to a global knowledge-based organization, while expanding Web-based and e-learning opportunities.

"We are pleased to have Virgil Carter join the ASME staff as a highly qualified executive director with proven leadership abilities and a pioneering vision for global organi-zational growth and membership development," said William A. Weiblen, president of ASME.

From 1990-96, Carter held the positions of vice president of membership and education, successively, at the American Institute of Architects. Previously, he was head of the School of Architecture at Oklahoma State University in Stillwater, where he received his bachelor's degree in architecture (1964).

A Fellow of the American Institute of Architects, Carter has been a practicing architect at various times throughout his career. He holds a master's degree in architecture from the University of Illinois, Champaign-Urbana (1969), and is a member of a number of organizations, including the American Society of Mechanical Engineers, the American Society of Association Executives, the American Institute of Architects and the Pennsylvania Art Association.

He served in the U.S. Army from 1964 to 1968 and held the ranks of lieutenant and captain.

"ASME International is a truly great professional society, with an enviable record of success, and a rich heritage of successful volunteer and staff leadership," Carter said.
"I am honored to be invited to be part of such a distinguished group of professionals. Building on ASME International's many achievements, I look forward to working closely with the Society's members and staff to continue and expand the important role of ASME around the world."

"Dave Belden's strong leadership at ASME has played a vital role in promoting unity among the worldwide engineering community," Weiblen said. "He will leave a legacy of a strong organization poised to face the challenges of the 21st century."

back to news & features