One of Philadelphia’s major trade unions went through a name
change Jan. 6 of this year. As a result, the Metropolitan Regional Council of
Philadelphia & Vicinity had to drop “Philadelphia & Vicinity” from its
title.
Coryell, who has served as the elected Executive Secretary
Treasurer-Business Manager since 1981, now heads a Council of 17,000
professional union carpenters. With major construction scheduled in the
Baltimore area, Coryell sees that number rapidly climbing to 20,000.
His guidance has earned his union a stellar reputation. His
mentorship of union funds – pension and other investments – has given the
Carpenters leader the ability to assert, “Our Pension Benefit Fund assets have
grown dramatically.”
Coryell acknowledges, “It’s nice to brag about that, but it
is much better to see our retired members collect those benefits.”
He estimates over $150 million in pension benefits are paid
each year from the Philadelphia area fund to retirees and their surviving
spouses.
That is one of the reasons, notes Coryell, “why the
International Union asked us to merge with the Mid-Atlantic Regional Council.
They recognize our hard work, aggressiveness and resources and asked us to help
those members from our new area grow their market share.”
Members of the union say, “It’s because Ed Coryell is about
us, what’s best in our interest.”
Married with three children, Coryell points with pride to
his Apprenticeship Training Center in the Far Northeast. The sprawling
facility, located at 10401 Decatur Road, will host its annual Apprenticeship
Graduation exercises and open house May 2, 8 a.m.-4 p.m. Selected graduating
apprentices will compete in five categories for general carpenter, interior,
finish carpentry, floor layer, mill/cabinetmaker and millwright.
Self-effacing about his accomplishments, Coryell does boast
about his four-year apprenticeship program, saying, “We will be admitting the
largest number of apprentices in our union’s history this year.”
He adds, “It’s the best training one can get. You never
forget.”
Under his leadership, the new Metropolitan Regional Council
of Carpenters includes 32 locals, covering Southeastern Pennsylvania, Delaware,
Maryland, Virginia and Washington, D.C.
Coryell is a member of Carpenters Local Union 8 and has been
in the local for the past 47 years.
In 1976, Coryell was elected Business Agent and became a
Trustee of the Philadelphia Carpenters’ Benefit Trust Funds including Pension,
Annuity, Savings, and Health & Welfare. He has been the Chairman of these
trust funds since 1981. Coryell has successfully guided the investment
management and impressive growth of these trusts. Assets of these funds total
approximately $2.8 billion.
Additionally, Coryell has served in other executive,
management, and directorship positions, including: Chairman of the Carpenters
Joint Apprenticeship Committee of Philadelphia & Vicinity, since 1981;
President of the 23,000-member Pennsylvania State Council of Carpenters since
1988; Director of Philadelphia Independence Blue Cross, since 1990 and on the
IBC Executive Committee, the IBC Audit Committee and the IBC Finance Committee.
He also serves as Director of Team PA Economic Development
Corp., appointed in 1997 by Gov. Thomas Ridge, and currently serving upon the
reappointment by Govs. Edward Rendell and Tom Corbett.
He was appointed to the Pennsylvania Convention Center Board
in 2013.
Coryell understands the worth of our armed-services members.
He served in the United States Air Force in Vietnam in 1968 and 1969.
Source: Philadelphia
Public Record
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