Frank Venegas Jr., Chairman/CEO of Detroit-based Ideal Group, Accepts Honorary Degree from Dartmouth College
Frank Venegas Jr., Chairman/CEO of Detroit-based Ideal Group, Accepts Honorary Degree from Dartmouth College
Frank Venegas Jr – Honorary Degree Recipient
Detroit, June 30, 2016 – Dartmouth College presented Frank Venegas Jr. with an honorary Doctorate degree during its Commencement Ceremony on June 12, 2016 for his philanthropic and entrepreneurial efforts in southwest Detroit. Mr. Venegas is chairman and CEO of The Ideal Group, a construction services, manufacturing, and indirect material management company based in Detroit, Michigan.
Dartmouth College, an Ivy League research university in Hanover, N.H., is regarded as one of the most prestigious universities in the United States. Through its highly ranked Tuck School of Business, Mr. Venegas is a graduate of the Tuck School’s Minority Business Executive Programs. Forming a lasting connection with the Tuck School of Business, he has sponsored emerging entrepreneurs to attend the same Minority Business Executive Programs he completed.
An innovative business leader for more than 20 years, Mr. Venegas has developed seven diverse companies that share common corporate values and cultures. The Ideal family of companies continually meet and exceed customer needs in construction, facilities management, manufacturing, indirect material management, and surplus sales. “I’ve just reached a goal that I never ever thought I would reach,” Venegas says. “Our involvement at Dartmouth will not only help our companies expand our network of people, but we will be able to share out commitment to our community with other civic-minded businesses.”
Leonard Greenhalgh, professor of management at the Tuck School of Business, nominated Mr. Venegas for the Doctorate of Humane Letters. Mr. Venegas sits on the university advisory councils for the Tuck School of Business at Dartmouth College as well as the University of Michigan-Dearborn, CASL. In July, Professor Greenhalgh will accompany Mr. Venegas to the Oxford Business Poverty Conference 2016 at the Saïd Business School in Oxford, England where Mr. Venegas will present his educational neighborhood model.
Philip J. Hanlon, president of Dartmouth College, issued the following statement as part of the degree selection. “Frank Venegas, we marvel at your extraordinary journey from humble origins to a career as a prominent entrepreneur, philanthropist, and leader for social responsibility. …Yours is a practical and inventive career, built on the belief that all individuals are capable of success, regardless of background. Your vision is giving Detroit’s underprivileged Hispanic youth a running start in higher education.”
Mr. Venegas sits on the boards of several Detroit organizations, including the Detroit Regional Chamber, Michigan Science Center, and Detroit Riverfront Conservancy. He also serves as board chairman of Detroit Hispanic Development Council, where he sponsored the opening of the First Robotics Build Center, and is active at Community Health and Social Services and LA SED. In addition, he facilitates access to educational opportunities, internships, and mentoring programs for Detroit Cristo Rey High School and its students.
Frank Venegas Jr – Honorary Degree Recipient
The Ideal Group, Inc. is headquartered in southwest Detroit with an additional location in Howell and Lansing, Michigan and offices in Florida and Arizona. The Ideal Group consists of seven companies with approximately 500 employees and sales approaching $300 million. Included in The Ideal Group are: Ideal Contracting, Ideal Shield, Ideal Setech, Ideal Setech Share-the-Spare, Ideal MRO Surplus Now, Ideal Utility Services, and Ideal’s newest company, Ideal Steel. For more information on Ideal, visit www.weareideal.com.
The Oxford Business Poverty Conference 2016 is the Second Annual Conference on Business and Poverty, being held on July 4-5 at Saïd Business School at the University of Oxford. The conference will focus on business, social impact and growth. Co-hosted by Business Fights Poverty and supported by Diageo, the Conference will bring together over 300 experts and practitioners and will include an interactive mix of expert panels, delegate-led sessions and action-focused workshops. Over 80 Speakers will address topics as diverse as the social impact of supply chains; how impact investment can bring new resources to create jobs and fight poverty; and the role of educational institutions in interrupting cycles of poverty. A special feature of this conference is that lunch sessions are set-up so that participants can talk and plan in small groups about what can be done to address issues of poverty through business. On both days, Business Fights Poverty will be running parallel action-focused sessions around specific challenges to harnessing and scaling the positive impact of business on people and planet. Learn more about Business Fights Poverty’s Challenges here: http://businessfightspoverty.org/challenges/
CONTACTS:
Sylvia Gucken (734) 674-5118 sgucken@weareideal.com