Norfolk State University

Issue: May-June 2009

Julien G. Patterson, Founder and Chairman of OMNIPLEX, Delivers NSU Spring Commencement Address

NSU alumnus Julien G. Patterson, founder and chairman of OMNIPLEX World Services Corporation, delivered the keynote address at Norfolk State University’s commencement ceremony on Saturday, May 9 at Joseph G. Echols Memorial Hall.

Patterson combines his proactive approach with more than 28 years of international experience and business management expertise for the operations and management of OMNIPLEX, a firm which will generate a projected $100 million in annual revenue this year and employs more than 3500 security professionals.
                                                              Patterson was awarded an honorary doctorate of humane
He began his professional career                    letters for his outstanding accomplishments as a chairman
with the Central Intelligence Agency,            and founder of OMNIPLEX as well as his dedicated to the
during which he designed a wide variety      founder of OMNIPLEX as well as his dedicated.
of comprehensive and specialized                Pictured (l to r): NSU Rector Bobby N. Vassar, Carolyn W.
security training programs. Serving 10         Meyers, NSU President; Julien Patterson, Y.T. Shah, NSU
years with the CIA, he was responsible       Provost.
for leading a specialized group of
worldwide mobile training teams. In 1987, he left the CIA to begin his career as an entrepreneur and consultant.

In 1990, he founded OMNIPLEX World Services Corporation (then known as OMNISEC International) and has been responsible for successfully growing the business in several critical security arenas. OMNIPLEX has established two wholly owned subsidiaries: OMNISEC International Investigations, Inc., an industry leader in the provision of background investigations and prescreening services; and OMNISEC International Security Services, Inc., a nationwide provider of government cleared Security Officers.

In 1997, Patterson was named the Greater Washington Entrepreneur of the Year from a field of more than 890 nominees in the highly competitive business services category. Patterson and OMNIPLEX have received numerous awards over the past 16 years. Recent recognition includes the Top 15 "Best Places to Work" in Greater Washington, DC, from the Washington Business Journal in 2006; Top 100 Black-Owned Service/Industrial Firms in the Nation from Black Enterprise Magazine in 2005; and Entrepreneur of the Year Award from the Virginia Regional Minority Supplier Development Council in 2004.

Patterson graduated from Norfolk State University in 1976 with a bachelor’s degree in electronics engineering.

Governor Kaine Appoints Edward L. Hamm, Jr. to NSU Board of Visitors

Governor Timothy Kaine recently appointed Edward L. Hamm, Jr., to an
unexpired term ending June 30, 2010. He succeeds Judith Rosenblatt.

Hamm is currently president and CEO of E.L. Hamm & Associates, a management and engineering consulting firm headquartered in Virginia Beach. He also has a formal office in Petersburg, Va. and field offices around the United States including Florida, Hawaii, Illinois, Washington and Maryland.

From 2002 until 2006, Hamm was special advisor to the governor of Virginia for Minority Business and also served as director of the Virginia Department of Minority Business. As such, Hamm participated in the Governor’s cabinet meetings while successfully managing a state agency. He became knowledgeable of the Commonwealth’s fiscal, human resources, budgeting, procurement, automated reporting policies and systems, etc. He also became uniquely knowledgeable of the legislative process and associated fiscal/budgeting requirements. As special advisor, he was able to double his agency’s budget and get all of his new annual legislation unanimously through the Virginia General Assembly.

Hamm has served on the governing boards and/or foundation boards at five universities; and has been elected/designated chairman at three. He has chaired all standing board committees spread over his board tenure at those universities. He also actively supports and participates in numerous community services, social and religious organizations, and has recently served on more than 20 public, private and community boards.

Hamm holds honorary doctorate degrees from Old Dominion University in management and engineering. He is a 1968 graduate of Hampton University where he received a bachelor’s degree in electronics.

NSU Awarded $200,000 Grant from The

Norfolk Foundation, Inc.

The Alison J. and Ella W. Parsons Fund

of The Norfolk Foundation has awarded the Norfolk State University Foundation, Inc. a two-year grant of $200,000 to fund stipends for faculty fellows and marketing initiatives for the NSU Honors College.

The Honors College provides an enriched and challenging program of study for students who manifest exceptional academic potential and will increase NSU’s ability to attract and retain high achievers. It is a community of scholars where critical thinking, curiosity, imagination and creativity are encouraged. Honors College courses are taught in small, intimate settings where students participate in deeper exploration of topics presented by world-class faculty and distinguished visiting scholars.

The Norfolk Foundation is a regional community foundation and is southeastern Virginia’s largest grant and scholarship provider. Since its founding in 1950, it has provided more than $107 million in grants and scholarships to improve life in southeastern Virginia.

For more information about the Honors College, call

823-8208 or visit www.nsu.edu.

Apply Now!

NSU Launches Elaine P. Witty Lecture Symposium Series

Norfolk State University recently launched the Elaine P. Witty Lecture Symposium Series at the Bozeman Education Building. The symposium and lecture series is named in honor of Elaine P. Witty, the former dean of Norfolk State’s School of Education. The symposium series focused on meeting the needs of professional educators, and education students and administrators.

Witty, who retired from NSU in 1999 after 30 years of service, was dean for 18 years and head of the elementary education department for 10 years. Additionally, she served as acting associate vice president for academic affairs and was the founder and director of the Center for Excellence in University Teaching.

She developed the award-winning Norfolk Teachers Corps Project for training teachers. In the 1980s, Witty’s pioneering work raised the nation’s awareness of the declining number of minority teachers. At NSU, Witty sponsored 10 national conferences on the preparation and survival of African-American teachers.

Sen. Yvonne B. Miller, who worked at Norfolk State for more than 30 years as a School of Education faculty member, was inspired by Witty. Miller provided an initial gift of $10,000 to help fund the lecture series and symposium. Additionally, Verizon recently gave $10,000 to help fund the series and symposium.

Symposium highlights included keynote addresses by Rod Paige, chairman of the Chartwell Education Group and former U.S. Secretary of Education; Michael T. Nettles, Educational Testing Services; Joyce Harris, Equity Center Northwest Regional Educational Laboratory, and Salome Thomas-El, Readers’ Digest author and Philadelphia school principal.

Rod Paige, chairman of the Chartwell Education Group and former U.S. Secretary of Education, delivered one of the keynote addresses during the symposium. His address discussed “The Impact of Legislation: No Child Left Behind and More.”

Approximately 120 educators, NSU officials, and community partners attended the launch of the Elaine P. Witty Sympsosium.