SEAS Colonial Cable
Greetings, SEAS Alumni:
Here's a look at recent and upcoming SEAS activities and events:
Mr. Richard Scott Receives GW Award for Distinguished Entrepreneurial Achievement
Members of the GW community and local entrepreneurs gathered on October 24th to honor Mr. Richard L. Scott with the inaugural GW Award for Distinguished Entrepreneurial Achievement.
Scott founded the Columbia Hospital Corporation in 1987 (later renamed HCA, Inc.) and by the time he left his role as chairman and CEO in 1997, Columbia/HCA had become the world's largest healthcare company with more than 340 hospitals, 130 surgery centers and 550 home health locations in 38 states and three foreign countries. With annual revenues of $20 billion, the company employed more than 285,000 individuals making it the 7th largest U.S. employer and 12th largest employer worldwide. Based on market capitalization, Columbia/HCA ranked in the top 50 companies in America and top 100 companies worldwide.
Since 1997, Mr. Scott has been CEO of Richard L. Scott Investments, LLC, focusing on public and private investments in strong cash flow generating companies. He was recognized by TIME magazine as one of America's 25 most influential people in 1995. Also in 1995, he was named CEO of the Year by Financial World magazine and was cited as one of the Top 25 Performers of 1995 by U.S. News and World Report magazine.
The event included a keynote address from Mr. Scott; an address from GW President, Steven Knapp, on entrepreneurship and research at GW; and two panels of GW entrepreneurs who spoke about their experiences as entrepreneurs. President Knapp opened the morning’s events with remarks on the environment that GW hopes to create to foster entrepreneurial activities. He explained that he has set up four brainstorming committees at GW to look at important challenges for the university. These committees will look at: 1) learning opportunities for students; 2) internal operations and processes; 3) service opportunities for students; and 4) research. He also spoke about the challenge of developing the speed and agility that a university needs to be successful in building entrepreneurial enterprises.
Following President Knapp, two panels of GW alumni and faculty spoke about their entrepreneurial experiences and offered advice based on those experiences. The panelists included Mr. Antwayne Ford, founder and CEO of Enlightened; Mr. Daron Coates, founder and principal of strategic planning, Liquid Maize, LLC; Mr. Ken Chaletzky, founder and president of Copy General; Dr. Steve Patierno, director of GW Cancer Institute and founder of Metastatin Pharmaceuticals, Inc.; Mr. Matthew Mandell, founder of DC Snacks; and Mr. Bo Davis, founder of Prometheus and of Wasabi Sushi. The two panels were moderated, respectively, by Professor George Solomon of the GW School of Business and Ms. Robbie Melton, program manager of entrepreneurial development, Maryland Technology Development Corporation.
The cornerstone of the event was President Knapp’s presentation of the award and Mr. Scott’s keynote address. Scott thanked GW for his award and began his address by noting how appreciative he is to live in the United States, where opportunities are available to those with drive. He remarked that he is the son of a man who had a third grade education and was an over-the-road truck driver, and yet he still had opportunities available to him. After working for several years as a lawyer, Scott entered the healthcare industry and began to build hospitals market by market. He said that he did nothing the conventional way but always followed the same principles: look for a simple business model; hire an honest management team that holds people accountable; and make sure to measure people to make sure that they are achieving what you need them to achieve. He said that these principles hold true whether one is doing a $2 million business or a $24 billion business.
The GW Award for Distinguished Entrepreneurial Achievement was sponsored by Blank Rome LLP, SEAS, GW School of Business, GW Alumni Association, GW Cancer Institute, GW Entrepreneurs Roundtable, GW Office of the Chief Research Officer,
Peter Weissman (JD ’96), and Sharon Worthington.
GW Alums Recognized for Business Achievements
Two SEAS alumni from the Washington, D.C. area have recently received honors as industry and business leaders.
On October 10th, Mr. Terry Collins (D.Sc. '76) was honored at the fifth annual Greater Washington Government Contractor of the Year program. Collins, the CEO of Argon ST, received the Executive of the Year Award ($75 million to $300 million). The annual awards are given through a partnership of the Fairfax County, Va., Chamber of Commerce, Professional Services Council, and Washington Technology. The executives were judged on their contribution and work in the community, with the government contracting industry, and for their respective companies.
At a White House reception and dinner event on September 13 –14, Mr. Simon Lee (MS, '05), president and CEO of STG, Inc., received a Lifetime Achievement Award for his ongoing dedication to the advancement of minority business. The award, presented by the U.S. Department of Commerce, Minority Business Development Agency (MBDA) and U.S. Small Business Administration, was given as part of the MBDA'S Minority Enterprise Development Week conference. Winners were selected based on their economic, public policy, and business impact; community leadership; history; and commitment to the MBDA or other government agency.
EAA Meetings Scheduled for 20007-08
The Engineer Alumni Association (EAA) met on October 29th to discuss events for the year and to set the dates for this year's meeting. The schedule of EAA meetings is as follows:
Monday, November 12th: 6:30 - 8:30 pm
Monday, December 3rd: 6:30 - 8:30 pm
Monday, February 4th: 6:30 - 8:30 pm
Monday, April 7th: 6:30 - 8:30 pm
May meeting: date to be determined
The EAA invites all SEAS alumni to attend its meetings. Alumni who are interested in learning more about the EAA and/or getting involved in its activities should contact J.P. Blackford at jpb@gwu.edu or the SEAS Office of Development and Alumni Programs at millions@gwu.edu or 202-994-8474.
SEAS is proud to announce the GW Engineering group on LinkedIn, an independent, commercial, online networking tool.
SEAS has partnered with LinkedIn to provide this service for SEAS alumni, students, faculty, and staff, and we invite you to join the GW Engineering group. We hope that you will find it a useful tool for business networking, job searches, or simply for locating other members of the SEAS community.
To join the GW Engineering group, just click here and complete a LinkedIn member profile. Access to the group is free, completely optional, and is available only to members of the SEAS community.
About online business networking: You can use LinkedIn to expand and track your network in an organized and systematic way. The GW Engineering group on LinkedIn provides an ideal starting point, and it also provides a point of contact for people outside the SEAS community who are connected to your fellow GW Engineering group members.
About privacy: Please read the LinkedIn privacy policy to answer any concerns about privacy.
Upcoming SEAS Events
Engineer Alumni Association Meeting
Date: |
Monday, November 12, 2007 |
Time: |
6:30 - 8:30 pm |
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Location: |
106 Tompkins Hall (Dean's Conference Room)
725 23rd Street, N.W.
Washington, DC |
Alumni who are interested in learning more about the EAA and/or getting involved in its activities should contact J.P. Blackford at jpb@gwu.edu or the SEAS Office of Development and Alumni Programs at millions@gwu.edu or 202-994-8474.
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