Contact:   Elissa Ruffino (NIAF) 202/939-3106 or elissa@niaf.org

(WASHINGTON, DC — March 20, 2003) Paul J. Chiapparone, former Electronic Data Systems (EDS) vice chairman, has been elected to the board of directors of the National Italian American Foundation (NIAF). The elections were held on March 7 during the Foundation’s annual board meeting at the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) Board Room in New York City.

“Paul Chiapparone has made a lifetime commitment to furthering the goals of education and is a firm believer of the mission of NIAF — an organization that has dedicated itself to the education of our children for nearly three decades,” NIAF Chairman Frank J. Guarini said.

In October 2002, Chiapparone received the NIAF Special Achievement Award for Humanitarian Service at the Foundation’s 27th Anniversary Awards Gala.

In 1966, Chiapparone joined EDS as a systems engineer. In 1968, he joined a team in San Francisco to design an airline inventory system for United Airlines. In 1974, he was promoted to chief executive officer of National Information Systems, a former EDS subsidiary, and – two years later – he was named regional manager of the Commercial Insurance division. He then became vice president of EDS World and served as general manager of EDS’ business interests in Iran. Chiapparone is currently Rector of the board of visitors of James Madison University and the board of trustees of Cranbrook Educational Community. He is also a member of the board of governors of Cranbrook Institute of Science, the board of regents of The Catholic University of America and the board of trustees of Kettering University.

He attended Adelphi University in New York, majoring in accounting. He and his wife, Ruth, have two daughters.