Seasoned entrepreneurs will gather at Lycoming College for a panel discussion, “Redefining Entrepreneurship,” on Wednesday, Oct. 18 at 5:30 p.m. in the Mary Lindsay Welch Honors Hall. Part of the James W. Harding Executive Speaker Series, the discussion will range from the evolving definition of entrepreneurship to what the future holds for entrepreneurs. Panelists will also discuss leadership of such ventures and the role of outside directors in the operation of these businesses. The event is free and open to the public.
Panelists include Marshall Welch, the Sloter Endowed Chair in Entrepreneurship at Lycoming College and Larson Design Group (LDG) outside board member; John DiMarco Lycoming College trustee and alumnus, retired business executive and LDG outside board member; and Keith Kuzio, LDG president & CEO. Heather Demschock, assistant professor of accounting at Lycoming, will moderate.
“With the naming of Marshall as the first Sloter Endowed Chair in Entrepreneurship, it is a great time at Lycoming to dive deep on the subject of entrepreneurship,” said Mehrdad Madresehee, professor of economics and director of the Institute for Management Studies (IMS). “Our students spend time in the classroom to learn the fundamentals of business, and this is an opportunity for them to see how three powerhouses of business were able to apply those lessons to launch successful careers. Many great entrepreneurs have come out of the business program here at Lycoming, and perhaps this panel will inspire the next generation of students to achieve great things.”
DiMarco is LDG’s newest outside board member. He earned a bachelor’s degree in accounting from Lycoming College and an MBA from Monmouth University. He retired as CEO and president from SOC, which provides security, logistics and life support services to the U.S. government. Prior to joining SOC, DiMarco held executive positions with Lockheed Martin and GE.
Kuzio is responsible for guiding LDG both strategically and culturally as the firm emerges as a national player. He drives all phases of client and employee development, and he provides direction and leadership for the firm’s mission and goals. He holds a bachelor’s degree in civil engineering from Lehigh University and is a registered professional engineer in Pennsylvania, New York and New Jersey.
Welch has held senior management positions for middle market companies in a variety of industries, including oil and natural gas services, energy distribution, steel products, aerospace, and automotive parts manufacturing. He has significant merger integration experience as the former SVP of a multibillion dollar private equity firm. He has a bachelor’s degree in economics and German from Gettysburg College, an MBA from the Thunderbird School of Global Management, and an MSE from the University of Pennsylvania’s School of Engineering and Applied Science and The Wharton School.
Prior to joining Lycoming College, Demshock was a senior associate at Dixon Hughes Goodman, a certified public accounting firm in Norfolk, Va, where her primary focus was auditing companies in the real estate, not-for-profit, leisure and employee benefit plan industries. In addition, she performed tax planning and preparation for individual and business returns, including corporations, s-corporations and partnerships. Demshock holds a bachelor’s degree from Old Dominion University and a master’s degree from Liberty University. She is a certified public accountant in Pennsylvania and teaches accounting information systems, cost accounting and tax.
This executive panel presentation is sponsored by the College’s IMS as part of its James W. Harding Executive Speaker Series. The series is named for James W. Harding, a 1938 graduate of Lycoming College and native of Montoursville, Pa. Harding was an executive with Kemper Insurance. As the result of a grant from the James S. Kemper foundation to endow the series, students have the opportunity to meet and network with some of America's top business executives from numerous internationally-recognized companies and firms.