Peter F. Secchia
Peter F. Secchia, (born 15 April 1937), is an Italian-American diplomat and businessman. Secchia served as the United States Ambassador to Italy from 1989 to 1993.
Peter F. Secchia was born on 15 April 1937 at Englewood, New Jersey. He served in the United States Marine Corps from 1956 to 1959 and graduated from Michigan State University in 1963 with a degree in economics and remains an ardent supporter of the university.
Secchia is a leader in the Republican Party in Michigan. He started as chairman of the Kent County, Michigan Republican Committee and later became the chairman of the 5th Congressional District of Michigan committee. He was elected to be Michigan's Republican National Committeeman in 1980, 1984, and 1988.
Secchia was a Vice Chairman of the Republican National Committee and headed its Midwest Region. He was host chairman of the 1985 RNC Midwest Leadership Conference in Grand Rapids, Michigan.
Secchia is a close personal friend and advisor of former-President Gerald R. Ford and was on the national advisory committee of the 1988 George Bush for President Committee. He also founded the Lake Michigan Conference, and is a National Co-Chair of the Dole for President Campaign.
From 1989 to 1993 Secchia served as the US Ambassador to Italy. He received the Cavaliere di Gran Croce (The Knight of the Great Cross) which is the Italy's highest award given only rarely for exceptional service in international affairs. He also was awarded the Department of State Distinguished Honor Award during his service which is a recognition for individuals deemed to have "had a major impact on U.S. foreign policy". This award is rarely given to serving ambassadors and rarely given to non-career ambassadors.
Secchia has served as the Chairman of the Board of Universal Forest Products which is a Fortune 500 company which maintains 40 manufacturing, wood preservation plants, and distribution centers in the United States and Canada. He has served as Chairman of the River City Food Company which has 29 restaurants, catering facilities, and banquet locations in the states of Michigan, Pennsylvania, and Maryland.
Secchia was honored in 1994 as the Master Enrepreneur of the Year for Michigan and in 1995 as the Businessman of the Year and has been involved with numerous civic organizations promoting economics and assisting underprivileged youth. In 1994 he was appointed to chair the Secchia Commission by the Governor of Michigan which was focused on improving government services.
Secchia is on the Executive Committee of the Gerald R. Ford Foundation and is the overseer of the Ford Presidential Museum in Grand Rapids and Ford Presidential Library in Ann Arbor, Michigan and is the past chairman of the library's Endowment Committee. He is also a member of the Board of Trustees of the Bush Presidential Library Foundation, the Baker Institute at Rice University, and John Cabot University in Rome.
Ambassador Secchia is a member of the National Italian-American Foundation Council of 1000. He was founding president of the West Michigan Lodge of the Order of Sons of Italy in America (OSIA); he inaugurated the Festa Italiana, the region?s largest annual ethnic festival and has participated in and sponsored many Italian-American events.
In February of 2004 Ambassador Sechhia and his granddaughter were visiting Seattle, Washington. While walking in a retail business area near the University of Washington, Secchia and his 3-year old granddaughter were attacked by a 38-year old man who attempted to kidnap the girl. Secchia responded by hitting the man and forcing him to the ground. After a struggle, Secchia managed to pin the man down and call out to passerby to call police. Secchia received only minor injuries during the attack.
Adapted from the article , from Wikinfo, licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License.
