Alpharel Executive Quits--3rd One in Last 6 Weeks

Alpharel, the troubled computer data storage company in Camarillo, announced that another of its principal executives has resigned. E.M. Lee, who was president of the company’s marketing division, is the company’s third executive to have stepped down in the last six weeks. He is temporarily being replaced by Jack Belton, an Alpharel vice president.

“Mr. Lee and the company have reached an agreement on his leaving the company,” said Clay Chisum, Alpharel’s acting chief executive officer. Lee will be retained as a consultant, Chisum said.

In late December, chairman and CEO Michael McGovern resigned, as did chief financial officer William Sweeney. Alpharel’s board of directors now is looking for new management, said chairman Gene Holloway. “We are doing management searches for a number of positions, and it’s not clear yet what ultimately will be taking place in those positions,” Holloway said.

Alpharel is at a crossroads because a contract with AT&T;, which accounted for 91% of the company’s revenue in 1986, is about to expire. Lee’s marketing division has had relatively little success in finding new orders to fill the AT&T; void.

Late last month, Alpharel laid off between 50 and 60 of its 180 employees.