The Manchester-by-the-Sea Cultural Council in partnership with the MBTS Public Library are excited to host a distinguished speakers lecture series this winter and spring. For our last session we will be hosting Ron Skates, the former CEO of Data General who will be speaking about artificial intelligence. 

About the Speaker: Ronald L. Skates is a resident of Manchester-by-the-Sea. He was born and raised in Kansas City, Missouri where he attended public schools. He graduated from Harvard College (cum laude) in 1963 and the Harvard Business School in 1965.

He joined Price Waterhouse & Co. in 1965 and was a partner in the firm from 1976-1986. He was a member of its World Council. He specialized in computing, banking, real estate and mergers.

Mr. Skates joined Data General Corp. in 1986 as Senior Vice President of Administration and Finance. He became a Director and Chief Operating Officer in 1988 and President and Chief Executive Officer in 1989. Data General was a Fortune Five Hundred and New York Stock Exchange company. The Company merged with EMC Corporation in 1999.

Mr. Skates has served as a director of a number of corporations. They included Cabot Industrial Trust, Cabot Microelectronics Corp., Courier Corp., Eastern Bank, Gilbane Inc., Joy Technology Corp., Raytheon Co. and State Street Corp. Mr. Skates also has served and continues to serve in many civic organizations. He was a Trustee of the Brigham and Women's Hospital, The Massachusetts General Hospital and the Massachusetts General Physicians Organization. He was a Director of Partners HealthCare System, Inc. He was a director of the Harvard University Alumni Association (1991-1994), President of the Harvard Business School Association of Boston, President of the Greater Boston Chamber of Commerce Executives Club, Overseer of the Boston Museum of Fine Arts, Trustee of the Peabody Essex Museum, Trustee of the Winsor School, Director of the Massachusetts High Technology Council, and a number of other organizations. He was an elected a Town Meeting Member in the Town of Winchester, MA (1982-1989).

The Manchester Cultural Council is a community initiative in partnership with the Mass Cultural Council working to elevate our rich cultural life in Manchester-By-The-Sea. Connect with them on Facebook.

Registrations are required for this event as space is limited. Due to the registration volume we will be hosting this event at the Crowell Chapel. Parking during the event is allowed on both sides of Rosedale Ave. Please register even if the event is full and please call us to cancel your registration if you are unable to attend.

Special thanks to the Manchester Parks and Recreation for helping us provide an alternative location.