Lordstown Motors Corporation announced in July 2022 that Donna L. Bell, Ph.D. was the new Executive Vice President for Product Creation, Engineering, and Supply Chain. Dr. Bell is also part of the company's senior leadership team.
Lordstown Motors is an electric vehicle (EV) innovator with a mission to develop light-duty commercial fleet vehicles, with the Endurance all-electric pick-up truck as its first vehicle being launched in the Lordstown, Ohio facility.
A former Ford Motor Company executive, Dr. Bell has years of experience in automotive product development, engineering, purchasing, mobility, autonomous vehicle strategy, and research. Her work in the development of electronic modules and infotainment systems resulted in multiple patents.
During her career at Ford, she collaborated with stakeholders to increase growth inc connectivity, artificial intelligence (AI), driver-assist technology (DAT), and robotics.
In one position she managed university alliances and enhanced Ford’s STEM strategy. She also led external relationships, including Ford’s involvement in US CAR (U.S. Council for Automotive Research), and was selected as an SAE Foundation trustee.
Bell also managed the overall operation of Ford’s Greenfield Labs Silicon Valley facility and grew the collective team to more than 300 researchers, scientists, engineers, and designers. She interfaced with academia and industry partners, collaborating to create solutions that supported Ford’s vision of smart vehicles for a smart world.
Bell won the Technologist of the Year Award at the 2018 Women of Color in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM) Conference. Take a listen to her acceptance speech at the awards gala.
