Bethlehem
Steel Announces Retirement
of Roger P. Penny, Vice Chairman and Director
Bethlehem Steel Corporation
For Immediate Release
BETHLEHEM, Pa., November 18, 1999 - The retirement, effective January 31, 2000, of Roger P. Penny, vice chairman and director, Bethlehem Steel Corporation, was announced today by Curtis H. Barnette, chairman and chief executive officer.
In announcing Mr. Penny's retirement, Mr. Barnette said:
"Roger has served with distinction as a senior officer and member of the Executive Office Staff and Board of Directors. He has been a trusted and valued advisor on operations management and business planning issues, providing exceptional leadership in our efforts to restructure, strengthen and grow our core business and create value for our stockholders. His leadership and many contributions in the areas of safety, total quality management, union relations, technology, capital planning and, most recently, the successful integration of Lukens Inc. into Bethlehem are deeply appreciated. Roger's strong management skills and operational leadership have helped advance Bethlehem toward its vision to Be the Premier Steel Company."
A native of Buffalo, N.Y., Mr. Penny holds a bachelor of science degree in administrative engineering from Union College and attended the Advanced Management Program at the University of Pennsylvania's Wharton School of Business. He joined Bethlehem Steel in 1958 as a member of the corporation's management training program and was assigned to the Lackawanna, N.Y., plant.
While at Lackawanna, Mr. Penny advanced through various operations management positions before being named superintendent of the primary mills and, later, of the hot-rolled and cold-rolled products department. In 1982, he was promoted to senior manager of the Lackawanna plant.
In 1983, Mr. Penny was named general manager of the Burns Harbor, Ind., plant and, while at Burns Harbor, served as vice chairman of the Bethlehem Negotiating Committee during contract negotiations with the United Steelworkers of America.
Mr. Penny was elected senior vice president, steel operations in 1987. He was elected to Bethlehem's board of directors in 1991, to president and chief operating officer in 1992 and to vice chairman in 1999.
Professionally, Mr. Penny is a member of the American Iron and Steel Institute and its Committee on Manufacturing. He is a member of the boards of directors of the National Association of Manufacturers, Keep America Beautiful and Union College. His civic and community activities have included serving as past president of the Minsi Trails Council of the Boy Scouts of America, from which he received the Silver Beaver Award in 1998 and the Distinguished Citizen Award in 1999, and as a member of the board of trustees of St. Luke's Hospital. During his tenure at Lackawanna, Mr. Penny served for 12 years as an elected member of the Town Council in Orchard Park, N.Y.
Mr. Penny will serve as a consultant after his retirement on various matters related to Bethlehem's business.
Mr. Penny and his wife, Jute, are the parents of three adult children. They reside in the Lehigh Valley.