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School of Social Work Hosts Ribbon Cutting, Naming Ceremony

Special to The Truth

The Wayne State School of Social Work celebrated a $125,000 gift from Detroit entrepreneur, philanthropist and former Social Work faculty member William F. Pickard, Ph.D. at a June 5 ribbon cutting and naming ceremony for four spaces in the school’s new building. The event, which was open to the public, took place from 3 to 4:30 p.m. at 5447 Woodward Avenue.

President M. Roy Wilson joined Social Work Dean Cheryl Waites in thanking Pickard for his donation, which was given to the school by the Community Foundation for Southeast Michigan from the Pickard Family Fund, which it administers. In recognition of the gift, the school has named four spaces in honor of individuals who have encouraged and inspired Pickard throughout his life and career:
 


Paul Hubbard, Bill Pickard, Rev. Jesse Jackson, Oscar Britton

·         The Paul L. Hubbard Conference Room was named for the past director of economic development for the City of Toledo, past president of New Detroit and currently a consultant at Trivium Partners LLC. Hubbard earned his Master of Social Work from Wayne State in 1971 and serves on the school’s Board of Visitors.

·         The William H. and Victoria Pickard Lounge was named for Pickard’s parents, who nurtured and inspired their son’s success. They moved their family to Flint, introducing their son to the automotive world. While they worked on the assembly line at General Motor, Pickard attended school and began what was to become a long and successful road leading to multiple advanced degrees, great success in the business world and a lifelong interest in giving back.

·         The Maribodine Robinson Doctoral Research Room was named for the women’s suffrage and civil rights activist. In 2015, at the age of 105 and just months before her passing, Robinson received the Distinguished Warrior award from the Urban League of Detroit and Southeastern Michigan. She received a Bachelor of Science and a master’s degree in chemistry from The Ohio State University, where Pickard earned his Ph.D.

·         The Nick Scheele and Gary L. White Technology Conference Room and Research Lab was named for Scheele and White, both former executives at Ford Motor Company as well as friends and mentors to Pickard. Sir Nicholas Scheele, who passed away in 2014, was knighted by Queen Elizabeth II in 2001 for saving the Jaguar brand. Gary L. White was director of minority business development at Ford.

Author of the recently published “Seven Principles of Entrepreneurship,” Pickard has owned McDonald’s franchises, established the Global Automotive Alliance, LLC, invested in Real Times Media and is a co-managing partner of MGM Grand Casino Detroit and one of the owners of the Michigan Chronicle.

As chairman and CEO of both Global Automotive Alliance LLC and Vitec LLC, Pickard is an industry leader both nationally and internationally whose entrepreneurial endeavors have focused on innovative business development and long-term strategic planning. Pickard was named the first chairman of the African America Development Foundation by the United States Senate after receiving a nomination from President Ronald Reagan. Pickard was honored as Michiganian of the Year for his mentorship of entrepreneurs and leadership of Global Automotive Alliance in 2002.

Gary White and Paul Hubbard both expressed their admiration and respect for Pickard.

“Dr. Bill Pickard has demonstrated, as an entrepreneur, the true purpose of America’s corporations’ efforts in setting up a diversified supplier base and searching for ways to support urban communities where the minority population has access to training and good, taxpaying jobs,” White said. “My associates at Ford Motor Company and I are proud to have played a role in Bill Pickard’s success and his ‘giving back’ to the community as demonstrated in his latest activity at Wayne State University.”

Hubbard called it an honor to be represented at the university that both “prepared and propelled” him toward success.

“None of my career accomplishments would have been possible without the academic and hands-on training I received at Wayne State,” Hubbard said. “The profession of social work is more important now than ever before. Social workers are needed to solve social problems but also to empower people to solve them on their own.”

Approximately 100 people attended the ribbon cutting event including the Rev. Jesse Jackson.

 
   
   


Copyright © 2017 by [The Sojourner's Truth]. All rights reserved.
Revised: 08/16/18 14:12:35 -0700.


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