Ace names new board members

Ace Hardware has announced the appointment of two new member directors to its board of directors: Stew Elliott Jr., of Elm Grove, Wis.; and Amy Kaplanis of Granby, Colo.

Elliott, 55, is a majority shareholder of Elliott Ace Hardware, a four-store Ace chain located in the western suburbs of Milwaukee. Prior to taking ownership in Ace Hardware, Elliott held a leadership sales role with Amerock, a vendor serving the convenience hardware industry, for six years.

Kaplanis, 43, is an owner of Country Ace Hardware in Granby, Colo. Prior to becoming affiliated with Ace, Kaplanis worked for Accenture in its Consulting and Services practices for about 10 years. Additionally, she worked for Black & Decker for six years.

The company also voted to extend chairman David Ziegler's term, now expiring in 2014.  Ziegler, 57, was named chairman of Ace Hardware board of directors in 2008. He is co-owner of Ziegler’s Ace Hardware, a nine-store chain in the northwest suburbs of Chicago. In 2013, Ziegler became a Fellow for the National Association of Corporate Directors (NACD). 

A total of 11 individuals, including nine retailers and two outside directors, comprise Ace’s board of directors.