A Gael who made good will address Iona College graduate school students who receive their diplomas May 18.
Ronald M. DeFeo, Iona class of ”™74 and chairman/CEO of Terex Corp., has been named as the 2013 Iona College Graduate Commencement speaker and the recipient of an honorary doctoral degree. Ceremonies will be held at Radio City Music Hall in New York City.
“Mr. DeFeo is an example of how one Iona graduate has moved the world, through his leadership in business, philanthropy and service to his community,” Iona President Joseph E. Nyre said. “We are pleased to honor him both for his career accomplishments and for his unwavering support and demonstration of Iona College’s mission.”
Terex Corp., based in Westport, Conn., is one of the world’s leading manufacturers of construction equipment. DeFeo has served since March 1998 as Terex chairman of the board and, since March 1995, also as CEO. He joined Terex in 1992 as president of the Heavy Equipment Group and later assumed responsibility for the company”™s former Clark Material Handling Co. subsidiary. Before joining Terex, DeFeo was a senior vice president of J.I. Case Co., the former Tenneco farm and construction equipment division, and was a managing director of Case Construction Equipment throughout Europe.
DeFeo has a degree in economics and philosophy. In 2004, he sponsored an endowed scholarship named for a deceased family member, Noah DeFeo, Iona class of 1968.
