Thursday, Apr 19, 2018
Norm Brodsky ’64, Hon. Mark Schweiker '83 and Allison Vulgamore to be honored
Acclaimed entrepreneur Norm Brodsky ’64 and former Pennsylvania Governor Hon. Mark Schweiker '83 will be honored at Rider University's Commencement exercises at the CURE Insurance Arena in Trenton, N.J., on Friday, May 11, 2018.
Brodsky will receive an honorary Doctorate of Business and address the undergraduate class of 2018. Schweiker will deliver remarks at the graduate ceremony. In 2004, he received an honorary Doctor of Laws degree from Rider.
In addition, former Philadelphia Orchestra President and CEO Allison Vulgamore will receive an honorary Doctor of Humanities degree and address the Westminster Choir College class of 2018 at the Commencement ceremony on Saturday, May 12, 2018, at the Princeton University Chapel.
Norm Brodsky '64
Honorary Doctorate of Business recipient, Undergraduate Commencement speaker
CURE Insurance Arena, Trenton, N.J.
Friday, May 11, 2018, 11:30 a.m.
Norm Brodsky is the personification of the word entrepreneur, founding eight successful businesses, including Citi storage, the largest privately owned archive business in the country.
At first a practicing lawyer, Brodsky sought a faster pace outside the courtroom. In 1979, he launched his first business endeavor, Perfect Courier, a messenger service based in New York City. Within a few years, it was a thriving enterprise with offices around the country, appearing on Inc. magazine's annual listing of the 500 fastest-growing private companies in America for three consecutive years.
Other ventures include U.S. Document Security, a secure document destruction business; a large-scale land purchase now known as Bushwick Inlet Park; Kobeyaki, a fast-casual Japanese restaurant; and the hotel chain Black Gold Suites, among others.
Since 1995, he has been a contributing writer to Inc. magazine's "Street Smarts" column. The column has been enormously popular with readers and was twice a finalist for a National Magazine Award. In 2008, it received a gold Azbee award from the American Society of Business Publication Editors.
His successful column opened doors for regular appearances on CNBC, CNN and Bloomberg TV to discuss his extensive business knowledge. He also co-authored the book Street Smarts: An All-Purpose Tool Kit for Entrepreneurs with Inc. magazine Editor-At-Large Bo Burlingham.
Mentoring is a significant aspect of Brodsky's life. He has provided pro bono consulting services to hundreds of entrepreneurs and in 2014 established the Branded Entrepreneurs Network Global Mentorship, now know as Birthing of Giants. Brodsky serves as the organization's entrepreneur-in-residence.
As a proud Rider alumnus, Brodsky continually supports his alma mater by providing his insights about how to succeed in business to students. Most recently, his tremendous support has allowed a high school senior to receive a full, four-year tuition scholarship to Rider through the Norm Brodsky Idea/Business Concept Competition.
Hon. Mark Schweiker '83
Graduate and College of Continuing Studies Commencement speaker
CURE Insurance Arena, Trenton, N.J.
Friday, May 11, 2018, 4 p.m.
Hon. Mark Schweiker is an accomplished businessman and political leader. Currently, he serves as the senior vice president and corporate development officer of the biotechnology company Renmatix, the leading producer of cellulosic sugars for the global renewable chemical and fuels markets. He also provides strategic guidance and government and media relations services to Fortune 500 companies, privately held firms and nonprofit organizations.
Schweiker first entered the business world after college and advanced to executive positions at Merrill Lynch, McGraw Hill and his own management consulting firm before pursuing public service. In 1979, he was elected to his first government role as Pennsylvania's Middletown Township supervisor and in 1987 became Pennsylvania's Bucks County commissioner.
He was elected Pennsylvania's lieutenant governor in 1994 and was re-elected in 1998. He was the only governor to hold the position as a direct result of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks. Schweiker became governor after the Hon. Tom Ridge moved to the Bush administration to ultimately become the first Secretary of Homeland Security. During his tenure as governor, he dramatically increased state security after 9/11, created the most advanced urban-reform plan in the history of American K-12 public education and personally oversaw the successful rescue operation of nine trapped coal miners in Somerset County, Pa.
Schweiker went on to become president and chief executive officer of the Greater Philadelphia Chamber of Commerce and later the president of PRWT Business Process Solutions where he continues as a member of the corporate board of directors. He also serves as a senior advisor to the law firm Stradley Ronan where he assists clients in undertaking and managing government relations and public affairs issues.
Allison Vulgamore
Honorary Doctor of Humanities recipient, Westminster Choir College Commencement speaker
Princeton University Chapel, Princeton, N.J.
Saturday, May 12, 2018, 10:30 a.m.
Allison Vulgamore is a top orchestra executive who has undertaken leadership roles with some of the most renown groups in the world, including the New York Philharmonic, the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra, National Symphony Orchestra and, most recently, the Philadelphia Orchestra.
Vulgamore is especially well-known for her 16-year tenure at the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra. Achievements under her leadership include unprecedented fundraising, earned revenue expansion and the establishment of an inclusive culture of communication and cooperation among the diverse constituencies of the organization. She helped spearhead the Creative Partnership, a groundbreaking leadership model that attracted music director Robert Spano and principal guest conductor Donald Runnicles to Atlanta, sparking collaborations with today’s leading composers, orchestras, artists and recording companies.
As the president and CEO of the Philadelphia Orchestra from 2010-17, Vulgamore instituted progressive measures to put the organization back on stable financial ground. The orchestra saw a 20 percent increase in earned revenue, a 45 percent increase in ticket revenues and raised $200 million during Vulgamore's tenure. She is also credited with the creation of the HEAR (Health, Education, Access, and Research) Initiative, which connects musicians and music with the local community.