Verl O. Purdy

Verl O. Purdy's career as a business leader is notable for his high achievement and unceasing reach for excellence. On joining the BASF group in 1969, he played a major role in developing the company in the United States to a multi-billion dollar enterprise. He left BASF in 1980 to become president and CEO of Rio Tinto Zinc Chemicals in the United States and Canada.

A native West Virginian, he earned a bachelor's degree in chemical engineering in 1964 from West Virginia University and a master's in business administration from the University of North Carolina in 1973. 

He led Rio Tinto Zinc Chemicals, a start-up company at the time, into leadership in the chemical treatment industry. In 1984 the company was sold, and he started yet another company--AGDATA Inc., in 2002 the largest agricultural data analysis and marketing company in the world with facilities on several continents.

Mr. Purdy's commitment to excellence extends beyond his companies to the community, especially in his support of education. He is a member of numerous social, business, and community associations. He is a Paul Harris Fellow in Rotary International, a sponsor of the Technology Forum at the University of North Carolina-Charlotte, and has established an annual scholarship fund for Poca High School students. He is a member of the WVU Chemical Engineering Academy of Distinguished Alumni and represents that department in the WVU Building Greatness campaign.