Massachusetts Gov. Charlie Baker has appointed Ali Salehi, chief executive officer and president of Columbia Manufacturing Inc., to the Westfield State University Board of Trustees. Appointed Nov. 20, Salehi will serve a five-year term as a trustee, until 2025.
A Westfield resident, Salehi has served Columbia—an industry leader in the production of school furniture and an award-winning manufacturing record in sustainability, environmental, and health and safety issues—for the past 25 years, with five years as president and a year as CEO. He began his career there as a quality engineer in 1984 and worked for six years in engineering and quality assurance. Following 15 years as director of quality for Sturbridge-based G&F Industries, Salehi was named vice president of Columbia’s manufacturing and engineering in 1995.
At Columbia, Salehi oversees a $25 million operation; the company produces American-designed-and-made school furniture. Salehi holds two patents, as Columbia operates a zero-discharge nickel/chrome plating facility, which has won numerous environmental awards for its recycling abilities and extreme reduction of water usage.
In addition to Columbia Manufacturing’s status as a pillar of the Westfield community, Salehi has served as a board member and past president of the Greater Westfield Chamber of Commerce, a trustee and chair of the Westfield State University Foundation, a member of the Westfield Redevelopment Authority Board, and is a current trustee of Suffield Academy and the Baystate Health Foundation. He holds a B.S. in mechanical engineering and an M.S. in engineering management from Western New England University.