The retiring presidents of the University of Akron and Hiram College will talk about the role of public and private institutions of higher education in the 21st Century at the Akron Press Club Thursday, Oct. 10. There will be the opportunity for questions following the moderated discussion between the two presidents.
This event will be the first held at the Press Club’s new home, the University of Akron’s Quaker Station. The Press Club is moving because the UA’s Martin Center is closing.
As president of the University of Akron for the last 14 years, Dr. Luis M. Proenza has brought the university recognition for the commercialization of technology, economic development and corporate and community partnerships. He has overseen the transformation of the campus through more than $600 million in capital projects.
Proenza has served on the President's Council of Advisors on Science and Technology and is a member of The Council on Competitiveness and The Council on Foreign Relations. He was on Gov. Bob Taft’s Third Frontier Advisory Board and is chairman of the Ohio Aerospace Council. He earned his bachelors from Emory University, masters from Ohio State and doctorate from University of Minnesota.
Thomas V. Chema was a partner at Arter & Hadden law firm and member of the Public Utilities Commission of Ohio. He was founder of Gateway Consultants Group Inc., which oversaw the development of the new baseball field and arena in downtown Cleveland.
In 2003, He took over as the 21st president of Hiram College, which has seen an undergraduate enrollment growth of more than 50 percent during his tenure.
He’ is a magna cum laude graduate of the University of Notre Dame in 1968 and earned his law from Harvard Law School in 1971.
Details:
Speakers: Luis Proenza and Thomas V. Chema.
Time: Buffet luncheon begins at 11:45 a.m., Thursday, Oct. 10. Program follows.
Place: Quaker Station, 135 South Broadway (free parking behind the building).
Cost: $15 for Press Club members, $20 for non-members.
Reservations requested: Call 330-564-4211, email RSVP@cmoresearch.com or go to www.cmoresearch.com/apc
Reservation deadline: Noon, Monday, Oct. 7.
The Akron Press Club was founded in 1971 to promote a free press and serve local journalists and public relations professionals. The group has a rich heritage of offering newsmakers a forum to discuss issues of the day at Press Club luncheons and speaking events that are open to the public. The club also funds scholarships for journalists and public relations students and sponsors annual fundraising and community outreach events.