College of Business and Public Administration Hosts Entrepreneur Panel Discussion Tonight

The College of Business and Public Administration's (CBPA) Landmark Executive-in-Residence Speaker Series will present an Entrepreneurship Panel Discussion tonight at 6:30 p.m. to 8 p.m. in Constant Hall Room 1005. This final event of the 2007-2008 series will feature a panel of seven entrepreneurs who are Old Dominion University alumni and/or have served on the CBPA Executive Advisory Council (EAC).

Panel members include:

• Luke Hillier (BSBA '94), Chairman of the Board and CEO of ADS Incorporated, one of the nation's leading special operational equipment and logistics solutions providers with annual sales over $200 million. He is Chairman of the Board of Mythics, Inc., a company he founded as a "garage startup" and grew into the largest Oracle-based information systems solution provider. Mr. Hillier currently serves as Vice Chair of the CBPA EAC. He is a member of the ODU Alumni Association, Young Entrepreneur Organization of Hampton Roads, and Hampton Roads Chamber of Commerce.

• Brian Holland (BSBA-Finance '93), president of Atlantic Bay Mortgage Group, recognized in 2003 by Inc. Magazine as one of the 500 fastest growing companies in the country and in 2004 by Virginia Chamber of Commerce as one of the "Fantastic 50" companies in the Commonwealth. In 1999, less than five years after founding his company, Mr. Holland was a finalist for the Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year Award and founded the Hampton Roads Chapter of the Young Entrepreneur Organization. He is currently serving a three-year term on the CBPA EAC.

• Margaret Kublins (BS Civil Engineering '86), CEO of Kublins Transportation Group, a team of 20 licensed Engineers, Staff Engineers, Planners and Technicians, creating some of the best engineering and land development projects throughout the Southeast. Ms. Kublins, a Licensed Professional Engineer, is an active member of the Institute of Transportation Engineers, the Congress for the New Urbanism, and the Entrepreneurs Organization. She has received various honors and awards, including the Avon Spirit of Enterprise Award and the Women in Business Achievement Award.

• Hank Luhring, (BS Psychology '76), CEO of IssueTrak, a company providing a Web-based issue tracking system for companies of all sizes. The company evolved from Luhring & Associates, a custom programming firm. IssueTrak was recently named to the Inc 500 list of fastest growing privately held companies in the United States.

• Delceno Miles, President/CEO, The Miles Agency, a Virginia Beach-based niche marketing and public relations firm she founded nearly 20 years ago. Her areas of expertise are group dynamics, interpersonal relationships, promotions, public relations and special event planning. She has received numerous awards for her civic and community efforts, including extensive service on non-profit boards of directors. She is a former member of the CBPA EAC. Ms. Miles is, or has been, a member of the Public Relations Society of America, American Marketing Association, National Association of Women Business Owners, National Association of Black Journalists and many other social and professional organizations. She was also a member of the CBPA EAC. Recently, she was honored by Virginia Black Expo and The City of Virginia Beach with the 2007 Business Leadership Award.

• Elizabeth (Beth) Patterson (MBA '90), President of Waypoint Advisors, a wealth management firm providing customized, interdisciplinary wealth advisory services to families and organizations. Ms. Patterson is a member of the Board of Directors of the Economics Club of Hampton Roads, the Financial Planning Association, More Than Money Institute, Hampton Roads Estate Planning Council, Hampton Roads Gift Planning Council, and the Portsmouth Community Foundation Council of Professional Advisors and is a former member of the CBPA EAC. Waypoint Advisors was ranked 39th among 464 in Wealth Manager magazine's 2006 annual listing of the nation's top wealth managers. The firm currently manages over $510 million in assets.

• Murry Pitts (BS Criminal Justice '80), President/CEO of Pell Paper and Carded Graphics, a manufacturer of folding cartons for food and retail applications, formed in 2006 through a merger of Pell Paper Box Manufacturing Company and Carded Graphics. Recently, Pell Paper and Carded Graphics, based in Staunton, VA, doubled the size of its and acquired new state of the art printing and processing equipment. The expansion budget for the project was around 9 million dollars. Carded is now one of the most modern printing and packaging facilities in the world with over 80 employees. Mr. Pitts is currently serving a three-year term on the CBPA EAC.

The Entrepreneurship Panel will provide a unique opportunity for students to dialogue with highly successful entrepreneurs, who will share their insights about the realities and complexities of starting and managing a business. Refreshments will be provided.