DePaul University welcomed three new members to its Board of Trustees, including a national leader in retail property management, the head of the world’s largest diesel engines manufacturer and a founder and executive of one of the largest Mexican food companies in the United States.

James L. Czech, 66, president of The James L. Czech Co., LLC; Daniel C. Ustian, 56, chairman, president and CEO of Navistar International Corp.; and Joanne Velasquez, 66, vice chairman of the board of directors, executive vice president, and chief financial officer for Azteca Foods, Inc., were elected on Sept. 6.

“We are honored to have these leaders of industry join our board of trustees,” said the Rev. Dennis H. Holtschneider, C.M., DePaul’s president. “We are even more humbled by the fact that two of our new trustees are DePaul alumni who have chosen to take time out of their extremely successful careers to serve their alma mater.”

Prior to starting his own company in 2002, Czech spent nine years with Urban Retail Properties Co., at the time the nation’s third-largest retail property management firm, as president of the development group and as executive vice president of Urban Shopping Centers, Inc. Czech’s other previous experience includes a tenure as president, development group, for JMB Retail Properties Co. and a two-year stint as senior vice president and chief financial officer for Federated Stores Realty, Inc.

A 1961 graduate of DePaul’s College of Commerce, he established the James L. Czech Scholarship for first-generation college students of Polish descent in 1997. Recently, he doubled the annual endowment of that scholarship in an effort to assist a greater number of students. He also serves on the college’s Advisory Council. In addition, he is a donor to the College of Commerce, the Real Estate Center, DePaul Athletics and Ledger and Quill, the School of Accountancy’s alumni organization. Additionally, Czech is a certified public accountant, as well as a member of the board of directors of Gottschalks, Inc. and an advisor to Caltius Equity Partners II, L.P.

Ustian, a 1972 DePaul graduate in business administration, currently leads Navistar International Corp., the parent company of Warrenville, Ill.-based International Truck and Engine Corp. Ustian was named president and chief operating officer of Navistar in 2002, after nearly 30 years at International in various management capacities. After overseeing the company’s growth initiatives, Ustian was named CEO in 2003 and chairman of the board of directors in 2004.

In addition, Ustian serves as chairman of the board for Blue Diamond Truck Co., LLC; Diesel Components, Inc.; Global Gear Corp. and Indianapolis Casting Corp. He also joined the board of directors for the Monaco Coach Corp. in 2003, and the board of the Manufacturers Alliance in 2004. Additionally, he is a member of the Executives’ Club of Chicago. He is also a benefactor of the Coleman Entrepreneurship Center at DePaul.

Velasquez co-founded Azteca Corn Products Corp. in Chicago in 1970, and served as secretary, controller and vice president of administration for the company until it was acquired by The Pillsbury Co. in 1984. Azteca Foods, Inc., was formed in 1989 to acquire the company back from Pillsbury. Since that time, Velasquez has served as treasurer and secretary of the company, in addition to her current position at the Summit, Ill.-based organization.

In addition to her responsibilities at Azteca, Velasquez is also on the board of directors for Maria High School in Chicago and a council member for the Chicago Academy of Sciences. She also serves on the community advisory committee for Mercy Hospital’s Comprehensive Breast Care Center and is a member of the United Business Association of Midway. In the past, she served on the School of Education Dean’s Advisory Council at DePaul, along with boards and advisory committees of more than 15 local educational, civic and cultural institutions. She also established The School of Education Endowed Scholarship in Honor of the Velasquez Family, in recognition of her daughters, Debra Ann and Suzanne, both DePaul graduates. In addition, she has contributed to fundraising initiatives for The Theatre School.

DePaul is the largest Catholic university in the nation and is one of the 10 largest private, not-for-profit universities in the United States. A diverse population of 23,149 students attends classes on two city and four suburban campuses.