The Automotive Hall of Fame, the institution known for honoring and celebrating individuals and their impact in the automotive industry, is announcing five new members of its board of directors.
“We are thrilled to welcome this diverse set of industry champions to our board of directors,” said chair of the board, Jon Husby. “They are leaders in their respective areas of expertise and I’m confident they will bring a fresh and valuable perspective to the Hall of Fame. ”
New Members of the Board of Directors
Jim Baumbick, vice president, product development and quality, Ford
Baumbick has held a variety of roles core to the product development process throughout his 30 years at Ford Motor company. He is currently responsible for delivering quality across the enterprise, in addition to the development of all Ford Blue internal combustion engine, or ICE, and hybrid products. Baumbick also leads cycle planning, vehicle development engineering and product development operations for all of Ford. During the COVID-19 pandemic, Baumbick led Ford’s Project Apollo team in the company’s fight against the virus. He also led the team responsible for the all-new Ford Maverick compact pickup truck and pioneered and championed an agile product development process inspired by software development. In 2021, Baumbick received the Automotive Hall of Fame Industry Influencer award.
Nelda Connors, founder and CEO of Pine Grove Holdings, LLC
Connors has more than 25 years of international leadership experience in the automotive industry and has held executive and management positions at Chrysler Corporation, Ford Motor Company, Eaton Corporation, and Tyco International – positions that took her all over the world. Connors previously served on the BorgWarner board of directors. She currently sits on several corporate boards and serves as an advisor to the U.S. board of directors of Nissan. In 2011, Connors founded Pine Grove Holdings, LLC, a privately held investment company that acquires and operates small- to mid-size businesses with highly engineered products and services. Currently, Pine Grove Holdings has 11 portfolio companies and a $170 million valuation. As CEO of Pine Grove Holdings, Connors is one of just a few African American women running her own private investment firm. She has been recognized as one of the most influential African American women in business by Forbes, Savoy, and Black Enterprise. Nelda was a 2021 Automotive Hall of Fame Industry Influencer award recipient.
Fred Minturn, President and CEO of MSXI
Minturn is group chairman at MSX International. Under his leadership, the company has achieved double- digit growth year on year. Previously, he served as MSX’s president and CEO, as well as executive vice president and chief financial officer. Before forming MSXI, Minturn served as vice president and controller of the automotive operations group for Taylor, Michigan-based MascoTech, a predecessor company to MSXI.
For 40 years, Minturn has focused on developing global solutions for OEMs and continues to do so today. Minturn has completed more than 50 acquisitions, where he has focused on developing global solutions for OEMs. He serves on the board of directors for MSX International, The Detroit Athletic Club, Automotive Hall of Fame, The Children’s Foundation, The HELM at the Boll Life Center and Business Leaders for Michigan. He was selected for Staffing Industry Analyst’s Staffing 100 as one of the most influential people in the industry. Additionally, Minturn was recently inducted into the Smart Business Dealmakers Hall of Fame.
Bret Robyck, executive vice president of sales, NAPA
Bret has spent 30 years with NAPA. After graduating from Liberty University, Bret began working as a sales representative for NAPA in 1992. He went on to hold a variety of positions with the company including office manager, operations manager, general manager, division vice president, and senior vice president of sales. He has held the title of executive vice president of sales since 2022.
Ed Welburn, General Motors vice president of global design, retired, and CEO of Welburn Media Productions
As just the sixth head of design for General Motors and the first person ever to lead GM Design globally, Welburn is one of the most influential vehicle designers of his time, the institution states. A family trip to the 1958 Philadelphia International Auto Show ignited Welburn’s desire to become an automotive designer. After graduation from Howard University’s fine arts program where he studied sculpture and product design, he was hired as an associate designer at the Advanced Design Studios for General Motors. That position began an impressive 44-year career with the automaker, culminating in his appointment as the first head of Global Design for GM and the distinction of having been the highest-ranking African American in the global automotive industry. Welburn received the Distinguished Service Citation Award in 2009 and was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2017.
“We feel incredibly fortunate to have these trusted advisors and industry experts helping to lead the Automotive Hall of Fame through its next chapter,” said Sarah Cook, president, Automotive Hall of Fame. “I am grateful for their continued commitment to the industry and look forward to their contributions to the board.” In addition to their appointments to the board, Connors and Welburn are featured in the Automotive Hall of Fame’s new exhibit “Achievement”, which highlights the contributions of African Americans to the automotive and mobility industries. More information on this celebration of Black innovation, invention, and leadership can be found at: https://www.automotivehalloffame.org/achievement/
