Board of Directors

Board of Directors

  • David Dunbar (Chairman of the Board)

    President, Chief Executive Officer

    Prior to joining Standex on January 20, 2014 as President/CEO, Mr. Dunbar was president of the Valves and Controls global business unit of Pentair Ltd from 2009 through December 31, 2013.  He was appointed to that position by the Flow Control business unit of Tyco International Ltd., which merged with Pentair in 2012.  From 1997 through 2009, Mr. Dunbar held senior management positions at Emerson Electric Co., including president, Emerson Process Management Europe, president, Machinery Health Management, and president, Emerson Climate Technologies Refrigeration.  Prior to his employment at Emerson Electric, Mr. Dunbar served in numerous industrial automation and control business roles at Honeywell International Inc., beginning as a manufacturing strategy product leader in Europe and culminating in the leadership of Honeywell’s industrial automation and controls sales and services business in the western United States.  Mr. Dunbar was awarded a Master and a Bachelor of Science Degree in Electrical Engineering from Stanford University.

    Mr. Dunbar was appointed Chairman of the Board in October 2016.

  • Michael A. Hickey (Lead Independent Director)

    From 1984 until his retirement in 2020, Mr. Hickey enjoyed a distinguished career at Ecolab, Inc., the NYSE-traded global provider of water, hygiene, food safety and energy technologies and solutions with revenues of approximately $14 billion.  Immediately prior to his retirement, Mr. Hickey served as Executive Vice President and President of the Global Institutional business, operating in 165 countries with $3.2 billion in revenue.  During his career with Ecolab, Mr. Hickey held several senior executive positions, including Executive Vice President, Senior Vice President and General Manager.  Mr. Hickey also has worked in the foodservice sector, and serves on the boards of several foodservice associations and foundations including the National Restaurant Association and the Women’s Foodservice Forum.

    Mr. Hickey received his Bachelor’s degree in marketing from St. Bonaventure University.  In addition, he has completed a global CEO program and mini-MBA executive programs sponsored by Wharton, Stanford University and Penn State University.

  • Charles H. Cannon, Jr.

    Mr. Cannon served as Chairman/CEO of JBT (John Bean Technologies) Corporation (a designer and manufacturer of systems and products for the food technology, military and air transportation industries) from August, 2008 until his retirement.  He was Senior Vice President of FMC Technologies, Inc. (a manufacturer of systems and products for the energy, food processing and air transportation industries) from March, 2004 to July, 2008.  Prior thereto he served as Vice President of FMC Technologies, Inc. from February 2001 through February 2004.  Mr. Cannon has been a Director of Standex since 2004.

  • Thomas E. Chorman

    Mr. Chorman is the Founder of Solar LED Innovations LLC (a designer, manufacturer and marketer of solar lighting products.) He was the President/Chief Executive Officer of Foamex International, Inc. (a manufacturer of comfort cushioning for the furnishings and automotive markets) from September, 2001 through June, 2006. Previously, he was Chief Financial Officer of Ansell Healthcare, Inc. (a global manufacturer of medical and industrial products) from 2000-2001 and Chief Financial Officer of Armstrong's Worldwide Floor Product Operations from 1997 to 2000.   Mr. Chorman has been a Director of Standex since 2004.

    Thomas E. Chorman received an undergraduate degree from City University of New York and an MBA from Rutgers State University of New Jersey.

  • Robin J. Davenport

    Ms. Davenport, who was elected to the Board in October 2021. Prior to her retirement in 2022, she was Vice President-Finance at Parker-Hannifin Corporation, a global manufacturing leader in motion and control technologies.  In her role, Ms. Davenport has responsibility for Parker-Hannifin's treasury, risk management, retirement plans asset management, corporate credit, economics and investor relations functions. From 2004 to 2014, Ms. Davenport served as VP, Business Planning & Development for Parker-Hannifin and was responsible for global corporate M&A, integration processes and strategic planning. Prior to joining Parker-Hannifin, Ms. Davenport held several executive roles at CNH Capital Corporation, a global leader in the manufacturing of capital goods.  Ms. Davenport is a graduate of the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign with a BS degree in Finance and received an MBA in Finance and Management Policy from the Kellogg School of Management, Northwestern University.

  • B. Joanne Edwards

    Ms. Edwards was elected to the Board in 2018. Prior to her retirement in 2017, she worked for Eaton Corporation Plc, (“Eaton”), a global power management company trading on the NYSE. In her latest position at Eaton as Senior Vice President & General Manager, Residential & Wiring Device Business, she achieved 10% residential products CAGR over five years through the electrical distribution and retail channels; successful acquisition and integration of the copper wiring device business; silver operating award for exceeding high five goals (safety, quality, delivery, cost, inventory); and the development of Internet of Things (IoT) partnership and new products. She also won Eaton’s highest award, the Eaton Business System, certifying the business globally. Prior to her distinguished career as a senior executive at Eaton, she served in various capacities with increasingly responsible roles with strategic, financial and operational reach at global diversified manufacturing companies. Over the last two decades, she has also served on various for-profit and non-profit boards, notably foundations and councils that aim to help the underserved and underprivileged segments of the population.

    Ms. Edwards provides a wealth of insight into profit and growth strategies, both in the short term and the long term, which are beneficial to the Board as Standex continues to execute on its growth strategies and initiatives. Ms. Edwards’ decades of leadership and management experience add value to the Board’s deliberations.

  • Jeffrey Edwards

    Jeffrey S. Edwards is Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, of Cooper Standard, a position he has held since May 2013. Cooper Standard is a leading global supplier of systems and components for the automotive industry and employs more than 27,000 people globally and operates in 20 countries around the world.

    Mr. Edwards gained more than 28 years of automotive industry experience through various positions of increasing responsibility at Johnson Controls, Inc., a global supplier of automotive seating, overhead systems, door and instrument panels and interior electronics. Most recently, he led the Automotive Experience Asia Group, serving as Corporate Vice President, Group Vice President and General Manager from 2004 to 2012.

    Prior to this, he served as Group Vice President and General Manager for Automotive Experience North America from 2002 to 2004 and as Group Vice President and General Manager for product and business development from 2000 to 2002. He held a number of successive management positions after joining the company as an industrial engineer in 1984.

    Mr. Edwards earned a Bachelor of Science degree in business administration in 1984 from Clarion University in Clarion, Penn. He has also completed an executive training program at INSEAD, an international graduate business school and research institution. He is a member of the Executive Committee of the National Association of Manufacturers.

  • Thomas J. Hansen

    Mr. Hansen was appointed to the Board of Directors in March 2013. Until his retirement in March 2012, Hansen was the vice chairman of Illinois Tool Works Inc. (ITW), where he had been responsible for the company’s Worldwide Automotive Components and Fasteners business, its Construction Products and Fluids & Polymers businesses, as well as its Industrial Metal and Plastics businesses.

    Hansen joined ITW in 1980 as sales and marketing manager of the Shakeproof Industrial Products business, which manufactures fasteners for general industrial markets, and was named general manager of the business in 1983. He was promoted to vice president and general manager of ITW’s North American Industrial Metal Fastener and Buckle Divisions in 1986. He was named president of ITW’s North American Industrial and Automotive fastener businesses in 1990 and appointed president of its Worldwide Metal Fastener and Components businesses in 1993. Prior to his election as vice chairman in 2006, Hansen served as executive vice president with responsibility for ITW’s Worldwide Metal and Plastic Fastener and Components businesses, Fluids & Polymers and Construction businesses, as well as its Industrial Metals and Plastic segment.

    Hansen received a Bachelor of Science Degree in Marketing from Northern Illinois University and a Master of Arts Degree in Business Administration from Governors State University. Before joining ITW, he was employed at Singer Controls, now a division of Invensys, in a variety of assignments including regional sales manager and plant manager, and at GE as a zone sales manager. 

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