From staff reports
MINNEAPOLIS -- Waters Instruments Inc. has named a Twin Cities-area management consultant to fill a board seat vacated by the death of its chairman this spring.
Gene Courtney previously was chief executive officer for RSI Inc. of Minneapolis, which develops video conferencing systems. He currently advises businesses on mergers, acquisitions, markets, products and other management matters, Waters announced late Friday.
He joins the board following the death in April of Charles G. Schiefelbein, who had been board chairman, along with a large shareholder. Schiefelbein also was on the key audit and compensation committees.
In a written release, Waters chief executive Jerry Grabowski described Courtney as a "capable director and manager with a wide range of industry experience and board affiliations."
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Courtney is the second former executive from microelectronics firm HEI Inc. to take a place in Waters' top ranks.
Courtney is a past president and chief executive officer of HEI. In 1990, former president Robert J. Pitel also had come to Waters from the Victoria, Minn., electronics manufacturer. Pitel left the company for health reasons in 1993.
During his career, Courtney also has been a group vice president with National Computer System in Minneapolis, as well as a high-ranking manager in technology firms in San Diego, Calif.
He also has served in the past as a director for publicly held companies. Courtney currently is on the board for Datakey Inc. of Burnsville, Minn., which makes electronic access cards for buildings, and badges for personal identification.
Waters operates a factory and its administrative offices at a plant on Rochester's west side. The corporate headquarters is in Minneapolis.
The company produces electric fence chargers at a complex in Ellendale, Minn. Other products include components for computer networks in schools and specialized medical devices such as organ preservation equipment.
