Two area businesswomen will put their expertise and talents to work for Tri-State University as new Board of Trustee members.

Sheri Trine, an owner and executive officer for Vestil Manufacturing Co. in Angola, and Suzanne M. Ehinger, executive vice president and chief operating officer for Parkview Health in Fort Wayne, were elected to the board by the Trustees during their spring meeting May 4 at the Angola campus.

Trine and her husband, Ralph, a 1961 Tri-State College B.S./M.E. graduate, operate Vestil Manufacturing Co., which includes production facilities in Angola in addition to international facilities and partnerships. Sheri Trine oversees human resources and accounting at the Angola firm, and has devoted herself to a range of campus projects at TSU. She and her husband are the largest single benefactors in the university’s history.

Sheri Trine is responsible for the refurnishing and redecorating of the Trine Guest Cottage; the office suite of TSU President Earl D. Brooks II, Ph.D.; the Trine Welcome Center in Forman Hall and its adjacent landscaping; the Wells Gallery, the Fine Arts Library, the first- and second-floor foyers, and the former student lounge in the Charles and Nancy Taylor Hall of Humanities; and the foyer of TSU Fort Wayne, among many other projects.

The couple has welcomed TSU visitors and opened their home to University events, and Sheri Trine is an active community leader. She was a founding member of the Steuben County Community Foundation board; serves on the board of directors for the Steuben County Humane Society; and supports the Boy Scouts of America and the Breeden YMCA in Steuben County.

Ehinger holds a doctoral degree in health care administration, and reports to the president and chief executive officer of Parkview Health, a non-profit four-hospital system. She provides leadership, direction, and administration of operations to ensure compliance with company objectives and the realization of quality, economical, health services.

She is a board member for the Northeast Indiana Total Quality Management Network; a member of the American College of Healthcare Executives; a member of the Indiana Association for Healthcare Quality, serving as president in 2000-2001; and a member of the National Association for Healthcare Quality.

Her charitable activities include membership on the Ronald McDonald House Charities board; the McMillen Center for Health Education board; and the steering committee for Tapestry: A Program for Women. She also serves the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation, Erin’s House for Grieving Children, and Girl Scouts of the Limberlost Council.

“We are privileged to receive the contributions of these civic-minded and talented new board members,” President Brooks said. “We welcome them and thank them for their willingness to contribute to the University’s growth.”