The Stillman Leadership Development Honors Program received over $100,000 from Securitas Security Services and Chubb Group of Insurance Companies last week.
"Dick Smith, former president of Chubb, has been the Chair of the Leadership Development Honors Program Council which consists of several executives from different industries," Stephanie Hauge, director of Corporation and Foundation Relations, said.
"Mike Reuter and I approached Dick and asked him to support the program financially."
Reuter is the director of the Stillman Leadership Development Honors Program.
Hauge said Chubb, who donated $10,000, supported the program because of the involvement of their executives and because of the quality of the program, which according to Reuter, currently has 62 members.
According to Hauge, Securitas' Chief Operating Officer, William Barthelemy, has served on the program's council for at least the past three years.
"I approached him to support the program with a leadership gift," Hauge said, adding that Securitas, who donated $100,000 to the program, has made previous gifts to the University.
Although it has not been decided where the money specifically will be allocated, according to Hauge, Reuter has engaged several of the program's students in making recommendations.
The gift agreement specifies the money must be used for certain aspects of the program.
"The gift agreement with Securitas states that the money is to be used for scholarships, study abroad support and other programming needs of the program," Hauge said.
Hauge said these were the first gifts given to the Stillman Leadership Development Honors Program.
"There may have been some gifts surrounding the program, that is to the Business School that may have been used for the program, or for scholarships for students in the program, but the Chubb and Securitas awards are the first directly to the program," Hauge said. "We hope there will be others, including gifts from supportive friends and alumni."
According to information provided by Reuter about the program, its mission is to "develop extraordinary leaders who will be recognized for the values and principles by which they live, their vision and purpose in life, the outstanding results that they achieve, their leadership of people, their service to the community in which they live and their love, dedication and caring for those they touch."
Hauge said the financial support is about taking the program to the "next level of excellence," adding the awards will be "strategic investments."
"The members of the Leadership Development Honors Program are prepared to be future global leaders," according to the honors program description. "This is accomplished by an intensive program that exposes students to a unique framework that allows them to stretch themselves to achieve their fullest potential in their professional and personal life."
According to the program's website, aside from the financial awards received from Securitas and Chubb, student members also have the opportunity to win several scholarships.
According to Reuter, members of the program have "strong academic qualifications," which includes SAT scores. They should also have a "strong track record of demonstrated leadership in their school and/or community."
Kimberly Bolognini can be reached at kimberly.bolognini@student.shu.edu.
