Student Leadership Conference Feb. 16-17

The 16th annual Fairmont State Student Leadership Conference at Fairmont State University is a two-day event devoted to exchanging ideas about how to engage in creative leadership for innovation and sustainable growth regardless of age, race, ethnicity, class or gender.

The conference held on the main campus is designed for high school and college students, campus organization leaders, college faculty and staff, prospective leaders and multicultural leaders.

The conference begins Friday, Feb. 16, with registration and a reception at 6 p.m. Friday events continue with a keynote speaker at 7 p.m. and The Ultimate Icebreaker at 8 p.m. Events for Saturday, Feb. 17, begin at 7:45 a.m. with breakfast and registration. Concurrent sessions begin at 8:30 a.m.

Dr. Randal D. Pinkett, Ph.D., M.B.A., a winner of Donald Trump's "The Apprentice" TV show, will give the keynote address at 10 a.m. in the Turley Center Ballroom. This lecture is also part of the Celebration of Ideas Lecture Series, so the public may attend without an admission fee.

Pinkett has established himself as a scholar, entrepreneur and leader. He is the Founder, President and CEO of BCT Partners. He holds five degrees including a B.S. in Electrical Engineering from Rutgers University, where he competed on the track and field team as a high jumper and long jumper; an M.S. in Computer Science from the University of Oxford in England; and an M.S. in Electrical Engineering, M.B.A. and Ph.D. from MIT.

Pinkett has received numerous awards and has been featured in Black Enterprise magazine, Essence magazine and Ebony magazine, as one of their "30 Leaders Under 30." Most notably, he was the first African-American to be named a Rhodes Scholar at Rutgers University and was the winner of NBC's hit reality television show, "The Apprentice," with Donald Trump. He was selected as one of 18 candidates chosen from among 1 million applicants to compete for the opportunity to run one of Donald Trump's companies. He is currently overseeing both renovation and information technology projects for Trump Entertainment Resorts in Atlantic City, N.J.

Pinkett has received numerous awards and has been featured in Black Enterprise magazine, Essence magazine and Ebony magazine, as one of their "30 Leaders Under 30." Most notably, he was the first African-American to be named a Rhodes Scholar at Rutgers University and was the winner of NBC's hit reality television show, "The Apprentice," with Donald Trump. He was selected as one of 18 candidates chosen from among 1 million applicants to compete for the opportunity to run one of Donald Trump's companies. He is currently overseeing both renovation and information technology projects for Trump Entertainment Resorts in Atlantic City, N.J.

His book, "Campus CEO: The Student Entrepreneur's Guide To Launching A Multimillion Dollar Business," has just been released in bookstores nationwide. Copies of the book will be available for sale when he visits campus. He is also the author of the book, "Black Faces in White Places."

Saturday events will continue with lunch at 11:30 a.m., more concurrent sessions at 12:30 p.m., a panel discussion at 2 p.m. and a wrap-up at 2:45 p.m.

Other presenters include Felice Yeskel, founder and Director of Class Action; Michael Belmear, FSU Vice President for Student Affairs; Amena Anderson, West Virginia University Extension Agent; Daniel Gockley, FSU Director of Housing; and members of student organizations.

For more information about registration, call Persis Bates, FSU Director of Multicultural Affairs, at (304) 367-4950 or e-mail her at pbates@fairmontstate.edu. Registration is free for Fairmont State students and GEAR UP teachers and $35 for the general public.