Executives Share Business Savvy at Lourdes Leadership Summit
This April, Lourdes is hosting the annual Leadership Summit “Lessons Learned from the Great Recession.” The summit will feature morning networking, breakout sessions and presentations from Nu Tek Steel Founder and CEO Sarah J. Bates, Toledo Community Foundation Senior Program Officer Sarah Harrison and Libbey Glass, Inc., CEO John F. Meier who will share insight and lessons learned during the recent economic recession.
Sarah J. Bates - CEO / Chairman, Nu Tek Steel, LLC
Nu Tek Steel founder and CEO Sarah Bates began her career in the steel business 20 years ago working for the largest privately owned steel service center in the United States. In early 2000, she purchased the assets of a distressed company in Detroit, Michigan and began the operation of a minority owned steel service center. This venture was so successful that Sarah soon acquired second and third facilities in Erie, Michigan and Toledo, Ohio. Today, Nu Tek Steel serves clients throughout the world and employs over 165 full time workers. Under her direction and leadership, the company has received numerous awards including being named #1 Steel Supplier to Daimler Chrysler and was ranked among the top 100 Minority Business Enterprises in America by Minority Business News.
Sarah has served on a variety of boards and leadership councils including the Association of Women in Metals Industry, Michigan Minority Business Development Council, Northern Ohio Minority Supplier Development Council and the Women's Business Enterprise Council – Great Lakes affiliate. She also helped establish the Norman and Louise Jones Foundation of Toledo, Lucas County, Inc. and the Women's Business Enterprise National Council (WBENC) in the United Kingdom. Sarah has been named among Michigan’s Top 10 Business Women and was previously featured in Fortune magazine.
Sarah Harrison – Senior Program Officer, Toledo Community Foundation
Sarah Harrison, PhD, is a Senior Program Officer at the Toledo Community Foundation. While working at the Foundation for the past seven years, Dr. Harrison has actively been involved in the distribution of grant funds to the nonprofit sector and has helped coordinate and research grant proposals in the areas of arts, education, the environment and social services. Prior to joining the Toledo Community Foundation team, Dr. Harrison worked in the nonprofit field as manager of a homeless shelter, afterschool and family support service program and a child care resource and referral agency. She has also served as an instructor at Bowling Green State University.
John F. Meier – CEO / Chairman, Libbey Glass, Inc.
As CEO of the second largest manufacturer and marketer of glass tableware in the world, John Meier’s experience in the industry includes a broad range of international accomplishments. For more than 30 years, John has been a catalyst in Libbey’s growth and presence abroad. Previously, he served as Marketing and Sales Manager of a foreign subsidiary of the company in Belgium and has been involved in a number of international initiatives including the acquisition and divestiture of Libbey Canada, as well as the creation of Libbey’s joint venture in Mexico. In 2002, John assisted the company in acquiring glass tableware producers Royal Leerdam in the Netherlands and Crisal, in Portugal. Most recently, John was involved in the opening of Libbey’s newest facility in China.
An active member of the Toledo community, John has served as a member of the Board of Directors for the Cooper Tire and Rubber Co. and Applied Industrial Technologies and is an emeritus Board member at Wittenberg University.
The Leadership Summit will be held in the Franciscan Theatre & Conference Center on April 13, from 7:30 a.m. to Noon. Light refreshments will be served. Cost is $15 for Lourdes alumni and $25 for community members. Students with a Lourdes ID can attend free. For more information, contact Alumni Relations Officer Shannon Polz at 419-517-8971 or email [email protected].
Lourdes College serves more than 2,600 students enrolled in programs such as Business, Education, Environmental Science, Nursing, Social Work, Criminal Justice and the Arts & Sciences. In addition to undergraduate and pre-professional programs, Lourdes offers Master degrees in Education, Nursing, Organizational Leadership and Theology through its Graduate School. Lourdes’ Community Outreach Programs include the Appold Planetarium, Lifelong Learning Program, the Life Lab and Theater Vision. Discover us online at www.lourdes.edu or by phone at 419-885-3211. Lourdes College is a sponsored ministry of the Sisters of St. Francis of Sylvania.
Press Release Contact Name: Heather Hoffman
Press Release Contact Email: [email protected]
Organization Name: Lourdes College