Secchia served in the
United States Marine Corps from 1956 to 1959 and graduated from
Michigan State University in 1963 with a degree in economics. Secchia was a fund-raiser in the
Republican Party in Michigan. He started as chairman of the
Kent County, Michigan Republican Committee and later became the chairman of the 5th Congressional District of Michigan committee. He was elected to be Michigan's Republican National Committeeman in 1980, 1984, and 1988. Secchia was a vice chairman of the
Republican National Committee and headed its Midwest Region. He was host chairman of the 1985 RNC Midwest Leadership Conference in
Grand Rapids, Michigan. He was on the national advisory committee of the 1988
George Bush for President Committee. Secchia founded the Lake Michigan Conference, and was a national co-chair of the
Dole for President Campaign. From 1989 to 1993 Secchia was the United States' ambassador to Italy. His nomination was controversial as he was one of several made by Bush of long-time financial backers and financial supporters, including
Walter Curley (
ambassador to France),
Joseph Zappala (
Spain),
Mel Sembler (
Australia),
Frederic Bush Morris (
Luxembourg), and
Joy Silverman (
Barbados). Secchia was the CEO and chairman of the board of
Universal Forest Products, a company that manufactures engineered wood components. He was Chairman of the
River City Food Company which has 29 restaurants, catering facilities, and banquet locations in the states of
Michigan,
Pennsylvania, and
Maryland. In 1994 he was appointed to chair the Secchia Commission I by Michigan governor
John Engler, which was focused on improving government services. The Secchia Commission II focused on public sector pensions. He received the
Cavaliere di Gran Croce (The Knight of the Great Cross). He also was awarded the
Department of State Distinguished Honor Award during his service as ambassador to Italy, an award given to serving ambassadors and to non-career ambassadors. Secchia served for twelve years on the board for
John Cabot University in Rome. Secchia was a member of the
National Italian American Foundation Council of 1000. He was founding president of the West Michigan Lodge of the
Order of Sons of Italy in America; he inaugurated the
Festa Italiana, the region's largest annual ethnic festival and has participated in and sponsored many Italian-American events. He was awarded the NIAF Special Achievement Award for International Affairs, and lent his name to The Founding Values Initiative Award... the "Secchia Award for Heartfelt Commitment." ==Philanthropy==