BOARD MEMBER QUOTED IN INTERNATIONAL MEDIA

William Lechler, a member of the Old Dominion University Board of Visitors and former president and chief operating officer of Sumitomo Machinery Corp. of America, was quoted in a recent article in The Japan Times.

Lechler, chairman of a Virginia-based consulting group, was quoted in a story about U.S.-Japan trade and the joint meeting of Japanese officials and political and business leaders from seven states in America's Southeast.

"There are signs the economies in American and Japan are getting better," Lechler told the newspaper. "I see no black clouds now or in the future to hold back growth and opportunities in both countries."