MENANDS — Albany International Corp. directors Friday elected a veteran banking executive as the chairman of the paper machine cloth manufacturer.

Erland Kailbourne, the chairman of Five Star Bank parent Financial Institutions in Warsaw, Wyoming County, will succeed Frank Schmeler at the head of Albany International’s board of directors.

Schmeler is retiring from the Menands company after working there for 44 years. Kailbourne has sat on Albany International’s board since 1999.

Kailbourne’s Five Star Bank provides commercial banking services to businesses in western and central New York. He also served as the chairman and chief executive officer of Fleet National Bank’s New York region before retiring in 1998.

At a regular meeting preceding the company’s annual meeting at Wolfert’s Roost Country Club in Menands, directors also elected John Standish as their vice chairman. Standish joined Albany International in 2001 and most recently served as its senior vice president of manufacturing and Americas business coordinator.

Thomas Beecher Jr., an Albany International director since 1969, also retired Friday.