DENSO, a leading mobility supplier, announced today a new president and board of directors for its philanthropic organization, the DENSO North America Foundation (DNAF).

Marty Deschenes, leader of DENSO North America South Sub-Region Manufacturing and President of the company’s Athens, Tennessee, facility, will serve as the President of DNAF.

“For nearly 30 years at DENSO, I’ve always looked for ways to make a difference. I’m grateful and humbled to have a new opportunity to do so as president of the foundation,” said Deschenes. “With the strong leadership of our Board of Directors, I’m confident that we’ll continue to advance DNAF’s mission to support technical education and communities in need.”

The new Board of Directors are 12 distinguished current and former DENSO leaders from across North America.

The 2024 DNAF board members are:

Andrew Clemence Senior Vice President and Leader of the Green Business Group	Shin Nakamura Senior Vice President of the Silicon Valley Innovation Center	Jon Ruge Vice President of Manufacturing, DENSO Manufacturing Michigan, Inc.	Michael Guidry Director of Engineering, DENSO Products and Services Americas, Inc.
Chuntao Ye Leader of the Peace of Mind Business Group and President of DENSO Manufacturing Tennessee, Inc.	Amber Schultz Senior Manager, Engineering	Ana Barbosa General Manager DENSO Mexico	Doug Patton Retired Executive Vice President of Engineering
Santosh Singh Senior Vice President of Human Resources, Legal, Government Affairs and Corporate Communications	Katie Walters Director of Production Control	John Klassen President of DENSO Manufacturing Canada, Inc.	Andris Staltmanis Retired Leader of the Thermal Business Unit

Deschenes will be assisted by Bob Townsend, the Vice President of DNAF, Corporate Services, Government Affairs and Corporate Communications.

Among the changes, David Cole, a founding DNAF board member and automotive visionary is stepping down after 23 years of service. Cole advised DENSO when it created the foundation in 2001, helping the company become the first Japan-headquartered automotive supplier to launch a charitable foundation in North America. Throughout his career, he worked extensively on the advancement of internal combustion engines and vehicle design. In 2003, Cole helped launch the Center for Automotive Research in Ann Arbor, Michigan, an independent nonprofit dedicated to research automotive issues and trends.

“David is a giant of our industry and the ultimate advocate for how it can transform lives for the better,” said Townsend. “While we are saddened by his departure from our Board of Directors, we are grateful for his many significant contributions over the last 21 years. His record of service is a model for how we will continue to strive to contribute to a better world.”

Since 2001, DNAF has given $16.6 million dollars in grants to more than 110 organizations, helping advance science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) education; build the workforce of the future; and support local communities in need of natural disaster relief.

DNAF grant proposals are by invitation only and evaluated based on technical merit, student experience and alignment with industry needs.