Division News & Statements
Pickard to visit campus for talk on entrepreneurship
October 03, 2016
(This story originally appeared on GVNext)
William F. Pickard, founder and chairman of Global Automotive Alliance, LCC in Detroit, one of the country's leading minority-owned businesses, will visit campus to share insights on how to overcome barriers to success.
Pickard will talk about overcoming barriers to success created by age, race, gender, education or income, and discuss information from his new book, Seven Principles of Entrepreneurship, on October 5 at 4 p.m. in the Kirkhof Center, Grand River Room.
Pickard was a member of the Grand Valley Board of Trustees for 11 years and is the namesake of the William Pickard Living Center on the Allendale Campus.
Under his leadership, Global Automotive Alliance became the first minority-owned group of plastic-parts suppliers to service the top three U.S. automakers. He is considered one of the most successful entrepreneurs in the state, as a co-managing partner of the MGM Grand Detroit Casino, CEO of Bearwood Management Company and co-owner of five black-owned newspapers. He also owned and operated several McDonald restaurant franchises in the past.
Pickard was the first in his family to earn a four-year degree and relied on support from his family, friends and community to fund his first year of college. He earned a master’s degree from the University of Michigan and a doctorate from Ohio State University.
Out of gratitude to those who helped him, he has established the Dr. William F. Pickard Business Scholarship at Grand Valley to inspire and encourage first-generation students. “The support of my community got me to where I am today," said Pickard." I want to give that support to students and put them on a pathway to success.”
President Ronald Reagan nominated and the Senate confirmed Pickard as the first chairman of the African Development Foundation (ADF) in 1982. In 1990, President George H. W. Bush appointed Pickard to the Federal Home Loan Bank Board in Indiana and to the National Advisory Committee on Trade Policy Negotiations.
Pickard's visit is sponsored by the Office of the President, Enrollment Development, Office of Multicultural Affairs and Division of Inclusion and Equity.
For more information visit www.gvsu.edu/oma.
For More Information Contact: Dottie Barnes in University Communications - (616) 331-2221