GEICO CEO TONY NICELY TO SPEAK AT LANDMARK EXECUTIVE IN RESIDENCE SERIES FEB. 19

Olza M. "Tony" Nicely, CEO of GEICO Insurance, will be guest speaker for Old Dominion University's Landmark Executive in Residence Series Thursday, Feb. 19, 2004.

Sponsored by the College of Business and Public Administration, the series brings accomplished business leaders to campus to share firsthand experience with students. Nicely will speak at 12:30 p.m. in room 1005 of Constant Hall. Seating is on a first-come, first-served basis.

During more than 40 years with GEICO, Nicely served as regional vice president, senior vice president, executive vice president and president. Under his leadership, GEICO policyholders have increased from 2 million to 5 million, and the company's assets have more than doubled to $12 billion.

GEICO, founded in 1936, is the sixth-largest private passenger auto insurance company in the United States. In 1996, it became a wholly owned subsidiary of Berkshire Hathaway, and in recent years, the GEICO Gecko has become an American icon.

In addition to his leadership of GEICO, Nicely serves on many boards, including the Insurance Information Institute, the American Institute for Chartered Property Casualty Underwriters and the Presidential Classroom. He is on the board of consultants for Riggs National Bank and is a member of the Federal City Council.

Nicely formerly served as chairman of the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety and recently stepped down as chairman of the National Association of Independent Insurers' Board of Governors. He is also past president of the board of the Metropolitan Washington USO.

Dedicated to encouraging an ethical business culture, Nicely has supported GEICO's sponsorship of the Virginia Foundation for Independent Colleges' annual Ethics Bowl, as well as various business-ethics initiatives at Marymount University. He received an honorary doctorate from Marymount.

For more information call 683-3520 or visit the Web site www.odu.edu/execspeakers.