Business Department Events
Fall 2024 Lectures
Steve Figgatt, CEO of Sycamore
Friday, September 20, 2024
Location: Hoover 212
Time: 11 a.m. - Noon
Steve Figgatt is the Founder and CEO of Sycamore International Inc, an Information Technology Asset Disposition (ITAD) company that reclaims value from high volumes of unused and end-of-life IT assets through secure, zero-waste processing and sustainable business practices. Steve started Sycamore in a garage and managed its growth into a leader in the ITAD industry. Sycamore's team of over seventy employees processes millions of pounds of obsolete hardware a year for responsible recycling and refurbishes tens of thousands of devices every month for reuse. Steve is a pioneer in distributed renewable energy development, installing one of the earliest solar-powered microgrids in the United States coupled with an ESS Energy Warehouse Iron Flow Battery. ESS Iron Flow Batteries will last for over 25 years, are safe, water-based, fully recyclable, and have a low carbon footprint.
Kent Whiting ’82
Friday, October 25, 2024
Location: Hoover 212
Time: 11 a.m. - Noon
Kent led the Project and Program Management activities within the Technology Services area of the Information Systems and Computing (ISC) department at the University of Pennsylvania from 2017 - 2022. He managed the Cloud First Initiative, a high-profile data center network modernization effort, and served as the process lead for the ISC Strategy Review Board. Prior to his role at University of Penn, Kent was Vice President for Evole Advisors and a Partner for FluidEdge Consulting. He had also spent more than two decades as the Vice President of IT at Capital Blue Cross and the CIO for the Rite Aid Corporation.
Velma Redmond
Friday, November 22, 2024
Location: Hoover 212
Time: 11 a.m. - Noon
Velma Redmond is an accomplished business executive, corporate director, and civic leader. Velma sits on the boards of directors of AAA Central Pennsylvania, Cargas Systems, Capital Blue Cross, and the High Companies. Previously, Velma was a corporate and regulatory attorney. As divisional general counsel of American Water (the largest publicly traded water and wastewater utility company in the United States), she led legal departments in multiple states, including as Vice President, General Counsel and Secretary of Pennsylvania American Water. Velma began her career as an attorney in Pennsylvania government, holding positions as Chief Counsel for the Department of State, Chief Counsel to the Independent Regulatory Review Commission, Assistant Counsel with the Public Utility Commission, and Assistant Attorney General. Velma is recognized for her work with a variety of professional, civic, and educational organizations. She is frequently called upon to share her expertise on governance issues important to boards of directors and governance professionals. Velma is the past Chairman of the Board of Managers of the Milton Hershey School and the Board of Directors of the Hershey Trust Company. She has also served on the boards of Elizabethtown College, the Foundation for Enhancing Communities, HACC, and the Greater Harrisburg Area YWCA.
Spring 2024 Lectures
February 23, 2024: Charlie Ebersole '86 | Recorded Lecture
March 15, 2024: Dr. Katie Sandoe | Recorded Lecture
April 12, 2024: Meron Yemane | Recorded Lecture
Fall 2023 Lectures
September 22, 2023: Matthew Bassett '15 | Recorded Lecture
October 27, 2023: Michael Kenneally '11 | Recorded Lecture
November 17, 2023: Salena Coachman | Recorded Lecture
Spring 2023 Lectures
February 17, 2023: Jessica Laspino | Recorded Lecture
March 24, 2023: Rachel Wilson | Recorded Lecture
April 14, 2023: Bob Rigg '74 | Recorded Lecture
Fall 2022 Lectures
October 21, 2022: Mark McNaughton '85 P'10 | Recorded Lecture
November 11, 2022: James H. Steeley '00
Spring 2022 Lectures
January 21, 2022: Brett Beckfield | Recorded Lecture
February 11, 2022: Erick Blank
March 11, 2022: Fred Rahmanian | Recorded Lecture
April 22, 2022: Bryn Davis | Recorded Lecture
Contact the Department of Business for more information.
Mars Wrigley Confectionery has partnered with the Elizabethtown College Department of Business to create an Executive Lecture Series geared toward bringing in senior level executives from various industries to talk about their businesses and engage students in discussions about programs that are offered to customers. Students are exposed to an assortment of executives that specialize in certain disciplines. This program is another example of Elizabethtown College’s Department of Business commitment to experiential learning. This collaboration provides a strong foundation for our students to apply key core business principles learned in our learning community. The Mars Wrigley Confectionery partnership represents an example of how business and education can create bridges that accelerate the learning process for students. We want students to be able to interact with executives as well as demonstrate that they are capable of presenting views that represent the impact of how society benefits from firms, while at the same time government is placing constraints upon people and firms to create a level playing field in the market. Through the Mars Wrigley Confectionery Executive Lecture series, students obtain a real world perspective of business. This relationship will further enhance the transformative educational learning experience our students will receive while at Elizabethtown College.
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