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When Ralph Ford stepped into his role as IEEE Foundation President in 2022, his vision for our future was to focus on our supporters’ passions and help grow the Foundation’s visibility. He has accomplished this with aplomb through his results-oriented leadership style that values collaboration and open communication. Donations have seen impressive growth under his leadership, and the Foundation adopted a new vision and mission that puts our donors’ passions at the heart of IEEE and the Foundation’s work. 

Karen A. Galuchie, IEEE Foundation Executive Director, states, “It has been a pleasure working with Ralph for the past  three years. As a servant leader, he always put others first and took great pride in the Foundation’s work to match our donors with their passion areas, which has shown incredible dividends in the impact of so many different IEEE donor-supported initiatives. Karen recalls, “Thanks to Ralph’s vision and steadfast support, the Foundation has continued to effectively manage the funds entrusted to us and secure future donations year after year. He has always prioritized the impact of the funds to ensure that support aligns with helping the programs succeed!”

The Foundation has fellow IEEE member Dave Green to thank for recruiting President Ford to serve on the Board of Directors in 2017. This, however, was not President Ford’s first volunteer role within the IEEE community. Ralph joined as a student member 37 years ago in 1987. Prior to his volunteer work with the Foundation, President Ford was already an active IEEE volunteer at the highest levels. He served several years on the IEEE Board of Directors as Region 2 Director and Vice President of Member and Geographic Activities.

President Ford first agreed to join the Foundation board because he believed his passion for philanthropy and experience with IEEE aligned with our mission. Indeed, he and his wife Melanie Ford (also an IEEE Member with a degree in Computer Science) had personally supported the IEEE Smart Village Program. But this isn’t the only IEEE charitable program that President Ford has an affinity for:

“It’s difficult to pinpoint a single area where the IEEE Foundation has the greatest impact, as it supports numerous programs,” President Ford explains. “However, I’m especially moved by our work in education, STEM activities, and peer recognition of outstanding contributions.”

During his time with the Foundation as Vice President of development, he was responsible for stewarding US$32 million in donations as part of the successful “Realize the Full Potential of IEEE” campaign that closed at the end of 2020. Then, as president, he oversaw the Foundation’s 50^th Anniversary Celebration and is particularly proud of its success. Ralph cites the kick-off of the year-long 50th anniversary celebration in New York City as one of his top moments in office, where he was able to interview a Madame Curie impersonator!

“Serving as board president has significantly enriched my professional and personal life. I’ve gained valuable insights into board governance, philanthropy, and the IEEE’s mission,” shares President Ford. “It’s been a privilege to work with such dedicated and talented individuals.”

President Ford holds the position of chancellor of Penn State Erie, The Behrend College, where he has more than 25 years of leadership experience in higher education and industry. He joined Penn State Behrend in 1994 as a faculty member in electrical and computer engineering, subsequently serving as department chair. In 2005, Dr. Ford was named director of the college’s School of Engineering. Under his leadership, the school increased its national visibility as reflected in its rankings as one of the top 50 undergraduate engineering programs in the country by U.S. News & World Report. He is the author of more than 40 publications, including the book, “Design for Electrical and Computer Engineers” (McGraw Hill). In 2005, he was a Fulbright Scholar at Brno University of Technology in the Czech Republic.

President Ford has elevated the Foundation’s impact through his work, not the least of which was the collaborative process he led to define its future through a new vision and mission. His advice to the next president is to embrace the Foundation’s culture, which makes it so successful, and to build upon the existing strengths. 

 “We are blessed to have such talented leaders. Who will continue to increase the visibility of IEEE philanthropic giving and show the world the effect of our programs, reflects President Ford. The Foundation will have a great future as the heart of IEEE’s charitable impact!”