WARREN Ex-Delphi Packard chief named to hall of fame

WARREN -- David Heilman, the former president of Delphi Packard Electric Systems, was inducted into the Packard Electric Excellence Hall of Fame.
Heilman, who retired at the end of 2000, received a plaque at a ceremony Tuesday from James Spencer, who replaced him at the top of the locally based maker of wiring systems for cars and other products.
"His passion for building a culture of excellence and his ability to embrace change when it was needed has positioned us where we stand today, a company growing in every direction," Spencer said.
The hall of fame awards honor people each year for contributions to Packard. It has 29 members.
A McDonald native, Heilman began working at Packard in 1964 as a trainee while studying for his undergraduate degree in electrical engineering at Youngstown State University. His first job was a construction supervisor when Plant 11 was being built on North River Road.
Heilman was named general manager of Packard and a General Motors vice president in 1994. Five years later, he was appointed president of Packard when GM spun off its Delphi auto parts division into a separate company.
Heilman also has served as Packard's director of North American operations, director of Packard International, director of engineering and in various other engineering positions.