POTSDAM -- Two new trustees were recently voted in as members of the Potsdam College Foundation Board. These accomplished alumni will help steward their alma mater as the foundation works to build a better future for SUNY Potsdam.

The two new trustees included:

Charles William Ayer Jr. '75: Ayer graduated from SUNY Potsdam with a bachelor's degree in secondary education with a concentration in English literature in 1975, and went on to earn his master's degree in accounting from Long Island University in 1977. He has spent his entire 35-year professional career with the Pratt & Whitney Division of United Technologies Corporation, working in the area of corporate finance. Pratt & Whitney sells large commercial jet engines to both the commercial aviation industry and to the U.S. military. Ayer is currently the vice president and chief financial officer of International Aero Engines, a $3 billion-per-year joint venture owned by Pratt & Whitney, Rolls-Royce PLC and two other minority partners.

IAE sells and services the V2500 engine, which powers the Airbus A320 family of aircraft. During his career at P&W, he has had extensive experience in both the commercial and military divisions of the company and spent eight years living in Europe and Asia in various assignments. His most recent international assignment was from 2003 to 2007 as vice president and chief financial officer of Eagle Services, Asia, a $600 million annual joint venture located in Singapore and co-owned by Singapore Airlines and Pratt & Whitney. Ayer is married to Claudia Thomas Ayer '75, and they have three grown children, including Kimberley, an attorney practicing in New York City; Timothy, an attorney practicing as a public defender in Juneau, Alaska, and Peter, who graduated from the College in May 2011. The Ayers established the Chuck & Claudia Thomas Ayer '75 Scholarship in December 2010, which provides two scholarships annually to Potsdam students. One scholarship is awarded to a School of Arts and Sciences student and another is awarded to a Crane School of Music student. Ayer resides in Vernon, Conn.

Eileen Whelley '76: Whelley is executive vice president for the Hartford Financial Services Group, headquartered in Hartford, Conn. In her role at The Hartford, Whelley reports to the chairman and is a member of the executive leadership team, working closely with the board of directors on executive compensation and succession planning matters. Over the last four years she has been a member of the leadership team that guided the business through the financial crisis. Currently she is in the process of managing a business transformation. Whelley majored in sociology at SUNY Potsdam and later earned her master's degree from Bowling Green State University. At Potsdam, she was a member of the Student Senate and served as administrative vice president of the Student Government Association. She was also a Resident Assistant, cheerleader and member of Alpha Kappa Phi (Ago) Sorority. Prior to joining The Hartford, Whelley held various human resources positions at General Electric, NBC Universal, Citicorp and Standard Oil. She is also a former member of the corporate council for The White House Project, a nonpartisan and non-profit organization working to advance women in business, politics and media. Whelley was also a founding member of the GE Women's Network and served on the boards of the Emma Bowen Foundation and the 9/11 Fund. She lives in Wilton, Conn., with her husband, Don, and their two children. Whelley was named Distinguished Alumni Speaker in April 2011 when she returned to campus to speak to classes in the Women's and Gender Studies program and to present open sessions for students on careers and women in leadership. She is a loyal and generous donor to the College as a member of the President's Club.