News
Release
Beta Gamma Sigma Names Adm. Thad
W. Allen Business Achievement Award Recipient
 Beta
Gamma Sigma, the international business honor society, recently
named Adm. Thad W. Allen, commandant, U.S. Coast Guard, a recipient
of its 2009 Business Achievement Award. The honor is awarded annually
to individuals who have made significant accomplishments in business
and contributions to the community.
“We are pleased to present this award to Adm. Allen,”
said George E. Stevens, president of Beta Gamma Sigma. “His
exhibited leadership and service to our nation is deserving of recognition.”
Allen was nominated for the Beta Gamma Sigma Business Achievement
Award by the United States Coast Guard Academy. He is one of four
recipients of this year’s award. The other 2009 recipients
are Raymond G. Chambers, founder, Amelior Foundation; Brian Duperreault,
president and CEO, Marsh & McLennan Companies Inc.; and Joe
Max Green, chairman, Joe Max Green/Insurance Concepts.
Allen has given more than 38 years of service and has demonstrated
leadership in times of crisis throughout his career. Following the
terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, he led more than 50,000 active
duty, reserve and auxiliary charges on a 10-fold shift in focus
to maritime security, raising it from
5 percent to more than 50 percent. During this time, he encouraged
new ways of thinking and was heavily involved in the strategic directional
change of the Coast Guard’s operational assets.
During the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina in 2005, Allen was the
primary federal official leading the search-and-rescue and relief
efforts. He assembled and enabled non-government entities, including
the American Red Cross and other relief organizations, to aid in
the response effort, which resulted in the rescue of more than 33,000
people displaced by the disaster.
Using his experience and the insight gained from the events of Sept.
11 and Hurricane Katrina, Allen has recently focused the Coast Guard’s
efforts on innovation and modernization. The new initiative is called
Coast Guard Modernization – a comprehensive organizational
and structural change that seeks to make the Coast Guard more flexible,
adaptive and customer-centric. One of the first efforts of the reorganization
was the creation of the Deployable Operations Group or “DOG.”
The unit is capable of rapidly deploying 3,000 highly trained personnel
capable of searching ships, accessing suspicious vessels, and finding
underwater bombs.
Beyond Allen’s achievements in the Coast Guard, he has also
used his position to better the world around him. As honorary chairman
of the Combined Federal Campaign for the National Capital Area,
he has presided over efforts that raised $120 million for local
and worldwide charities.
Beta Gamma Sigma established the Business Achievement Award in 1998.
Individuals are nominated by Beta Gamma Sigma deans, faculty advisors
and members of the board of governors. They are selected based on
their significant accomplishment(s) in business, contributions to
the community, and ability to establish themselves as models of
ethical business leadership. Recipients are announced to the Society
during the International Honoree Luncheon at the Annual Meeting
of AACSB International each spring.
About Beta Gamma Sigma
Beta Gamma Sigma is the international honor society serving business
programs accredited by AACSB International – The Association
to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business. Membership in Beta Gamma
Sigma is the highest recognition a business student anywhere in
the world can receive in a business program accredited by AACSB
International.
Beta Gamma Sigma has established 486
collegiate chapters in 19 countries and territories around the world,
and inducted more than 625,000 outstanding students into membership
since its founding in 1913. These members have served in corporate,
government, non-profit, educational, and other management positions
at every level of responsibility. Members currently reside in all
50 U.S. states and more than 160 countries around the world. For
more information, visit www.betagammasigma.org
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