William H. Trachsel

Bill moved to Chatham upon his retirement from United Technologies Corporation (UTC) in 2007. After receiving his bachelor’s degree in aerospace engineering from The University of Florida, he spent his entire career with UTC, starting as an engineer at Pratt and Whitney Aircraft in East Hartford, Connecticut in 1965. In 1971, he earned a JD degree from The University of Connecticut School of Law and joined the Pratt and Whitney legal department. He was later appointed Vice President and Division Counsel at Hamilton Standard and Vice President for UTC’s automotive business in Dearborn, Michigan. He returned to corporate headquarters in Hartford as Deputy General Counsel in 1983. In 1998, he was elected Senior Vice President, Corporate Secretary and General Counsel. Bill has been involved in many non- profit organizations, serving as a Director of Hartford Hospital, Hartford Healthcare, The Connecticut Bar Foundation, The University of Connecticut Foundation, and The MetroHartford Alliance.

What has inspired you to serve as a member of The Cape Cod Foundation Board of Directors?
“When I retired and move to Cape Cod, I was interested in finding an opportunity to continue my involvement in nonprofit organizations. The Cape Cod Foundation was an obvious choice considering its effective leadership, excellent results, and steady growth. I was particularly impressed with the Foundation’s focus not just on near term needs but also on longer term solutions to some of the underlying problems affecting many on the Cape.”