November 11, 2004 ATLANTA – Six of Atlanta’s most respected business executives will be recognized at the Second Annual Robinson College of Business Alumni Awards at a reception to be held at the Atlanta History Center on Tuesday, November 16.
Recipients are:
Jerry Dempsey, chairman and CEO, PPG Industries, Inc. (retired) - (MBA ’68)
– Lifetime Achievement Award
Alicia Philipp, president, Community Foundation for Greater Atlanta - (MBA ’82)
– Community Service Award
James E. Copeland, CEO of Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu (retired) -
(BA ’67)
– Global Business Award
David K. Alexander, president, Soliant Health - (MS ’92)
– Outstanding Young Alumnus Award
M. Gordon Gaddy, Chairman of the Board, TrackingROI - (MBA ’68)
– Technology Leadership Award
Scott O. Seydel – Robinson Honorary Alumnus Award
“These individuals have distinguished themselves as leaders in their fields and as outstanding contributors within their communities," said Dean H. Fenwick Huss. "They are splendid representatives of the quality of a Robinson education and they serve as role models for future business leaders."
Recipients were selected by a committee comprised of alumni representatives, members of the College Board of Advisors and Faculty/Staff members.
Dempsey (Lifetime Achievement Award) retired as board chairman of PPG Industries, Inc. in 1997. Previously, he served as senior vice president of WMX Technologies and chairman and CEO of its Chemical Waste Management subsidiary. Dempsey received the Horatio Alger Award from the Horatio Alger Association of Distinguished Americans and the Anti-Defamation League American Heritage Award.
Philipp (Alumni Community Service Award) is president of The Community Foundation for Greater Atlanta, Inc., one of the largest and fastest growing philanthropic service organizations in the country. Named as one of the “100 Most Influential Georgians” by Georgia Trend magazine, Philipp is considered one of the industry’s leading visionary voices on progressive community foundations. She has been recognized as an “Achiever” by the YMCA and was named one of the “Top Ten Women Managers” in the United States by Working Woman magazine
Copeland (Alumni Global Business Award) retired as CEO from Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu in 2003. He currently serves as Senior Fellow for Corporate Governance with the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, as Global Scholar at the Robinson College of Business, and as a member of the Boards of Directors for Coca-Cola Enterprises, ConocoPhillips and Equifax, Inc. Copeland is active in the community serving on the Board of the Woodruff Arts Center in Atlanta, Chairman of the Board of Voices for Georgia’s Children and Chairman of the Board of the American Friends of the Phelophepa Health Care Train.
Alexander (Outstanding Young Alumnus Award) is president of Soliant Health, a leading provider of medical staff throughout the country. He began his career in healthcare staffing in 1992 when he founded Atlanta-based Elite Medical. In 2002, Elite was recognized with Atlanta’s Pacesetter award as one of the city’s fastest growing companies. Later that year, Elite was named to Inc. Magazine’s prestigious “Inc. 500” list of fastest growing private companies in the country.
Gaddy (Alumni Technology Leadership Award) currently serves as Chairman of the Board of TrackingROI, a company committed to becoming the premier provider of online advertising tracking, reporting, and proactive fraud detection services. Throughout his career, Gaddy has held several executive positions including president and chief operating officer for Firemans Fund/American Express, president and CEO of American Security Group, president of Fortis, Inc., and chairman and CEO for Rewards Plus.
Seydel (Honorary Alumnus Award) is the Board Chairman and CEO of EvCo Research, LLC, as well as the President of The Seydel Companies, a manufacturer of textile process chemicals headquartered in Atlanta, GA. Seydel serves on several Boards of Directors, and is a director of the GBA (Georgia Business Association), which represents many large firms including Mobil, Seimens, and Georgia Pacific.
The J. Mack Robinson College of Business is one of the world’s best business schools. The College's Flex (part-time) MBA program has been listed in the top ten by U.S. News for the past nine consecutive years and its undergraduate business program is ranked among the top 50 in the nation. The College’s Executive MBA program is ranked among the 50 top programs worldwide by The Financial Times and BusinessWeek magazine ranks it 24th in the world. Georgia State University's Robinson College of Business has an enrollment for more than 8000 students and is located in downtown Atlanta.
