Lordstown Motors Corporation announced this week that Donna L. Bell, Ph.D. has been appointed as Executive Vice President, Product Creation, Engineering and Supply Chain, effective immediately. According to the press release, Dr. Bell will be a part of the company's senior leadership team.

Lordstown Motors is an electric vehicle (EV) innovator with a mission to develop high-quality, light-duty commercial fleet vehicles, with the Endurance all-electric pick-up truck as its first vehicle being launched in the Lordstown, Ohio facility.

" Dr. Bell's extensive experience in the high-quality execution of vehicle programs, technologies, and innovations will make her an excellent addition to our team," said Edward T. Hightower, the company's president, who has been elected to the additional role of CEO, effective immediately, and to the Board of Directors of Lordstown Motors. "As EV performance attributes and features are becoming more defined and driven by software, Donna's leadership and track record will build on the strengths of the Lordstown Motors team and play a key role in driving the success of the joint venture."

A former Ford Motor Company executive, Dr. Bell comes to Lordstown, an original equipment manufacturer of electric vehicles (EV) focused on commercial fleets, with years of leadership experience in automotive product development, engineering, purchasing, mobility, autonomous vehicle strategy, and research. Her work in the development of electronic modules and infotainment systems led to her receiving multiple patents.

Bell also served as research operations director at Ford's Palo Alto Innovation Labs. She holds two master's degrees and a Ph.D. from Wayne State University's School of Engineering and a bachelor's degree in electrical engineering from Lawrence Technological University.

"The excitement of a startup appeals to me," said Bell in a statement. "Lordstown, and its partner, Foxconn, have the potential to reinvent how vehicles are developed and manufactured. It is the ultimate challenge."

Lordstown Motors is also the primary development partner with Foxconn for MIH-based vehicles in North America through its recently established joint venture. Lordstown Motors has corporate, engineering, and research and development facilities in Lordstown, Ohio, Farmington Hills, Mich., and Irvine, Calif.

Donna L. Bell, Ph.D. won the Technologist of the Year Award at the 2018 Women of Color in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM) Conference. This year's conference will take place October 6-8 in Detroit, Michigan, and on the WOC STEM digital twin experience (DTX) platform.