Valero Energy Corporation has announced that director Bill Bradford, 75, has decided to retire from the company’s Board of Directors.

“Bill has provided 17 years of outstanding service to Valero and its predecessor companies,” said Valero Chairman and CEO Bill Klesse. “The company has benefited greatly from his experience and counsel. We owe Bill our thanks and appreciation for his tireless efforts and unwavering support.”

Bradford has served on Valero’s board since 2001, when the company purchased Ultramar Diamond Shamrock (UDS). Bradford had been a director at UDS and Diamond Shamrock Inc. since 1992. He is also a retired chairman of Halliburton Company and former Chairman and CEO of Dresser Industries Inc.

Valero Energy operates 15 refineries with a combined throughput capacity of approximately 2.8 million barrels per day; nine ethanol plants in the Midwest with a combined capacity of 1 billion gallons per year; and 5,800 retail and branded wholesale outlets in the U.S., Canada and the Caribbean under the Valero, Diamond Shamrock, Shamrock, Ultramar, and Beacon brands.