Fairfield University Awards Dinner to raise multicultural scholarship funds | Press Releases

Earl ("Butch") G. Graves Jr., CEO of Earl G. Graves Publishing Co. and publisher of Black Enterprise magazine, will be the keynote speaker and receive the Distinguished Leadership Award at the 2009 Fairfield Awards Dinner which raises funds for the Fairfield University Alumni Multicultural Scholarship Fund. Honored at the dinner will be three members of the Fairfield University community: Edward J. Deak, Ph.D., professor of economics, with the Distinguished Faculty/Administrator Award; Christopher C. Quick of Purchase, N.Y., with the Alumni Professional Achievement Award; and William J. Crean, Jr. of Hingham, Mass., with the Alumni Service Award.

Earl Graves joined Black Enterprise in 1988 after earning an MBA from Harvard University. In 2006 he became CEO of the magazine, which is a leading resource of business information and advice for African American professionals, corporate executives and entrepreneurs. Graves, who serves on several corporate boards, is a powerful advocate of doing business with minority media and advertising agencies.

Edward J. Deak, Ph.D., professor of economics and a resident of Monroe, Conn., is recognized as a primary source of information on the state's economy through his work as the Connecticut Model Manager for the New England Economic Partnership (NEEP). He has also served as an unpaid advisor to several Connecticut governors and congressional representatives. Known as a generous mentor to his colleagues and a lively, energetic teacher to his students, he was chosen in 2003 to be the first to hold the Roger M. Lynch Chair in Economics at Fairfield. He is also the author of numerous articles and two books - most recently, "The Economics of e-Commerce and the Internet" (Thompson South-Western Publishing, 2003), which was translated into Chinese.

Christopher C. Quick, a 1979 graduate of Fairfield with a B.S. in finance, has had a 30-year career in the securities and financial service industries. A former member of the NYSE Board of Directors, prior to his retirement he was vice-chairman of Global Wealth and Investment Management with Bank of America and before that, CEO of Banc of America Specialist. A member of the University Board of Trustees since 2005, Quick was chairman of the 1999 Awards Dinner. He and his family have been close friends and generous donors to the Fairfield University over the years. Two other family members are also Fairfield graduates, and two campus buildings are named for Quick's parents: the Leslie C. Quick Jr. Recreational Complex and the Regina A. Quick Center for the Arts. Quick also serves on the boards of trustees of The Alfred E. Smith Memorial Foundation Inc., The Boys Club of New York, Catholic Relief Services (CRS), Mutual of America and Saint Vincent Catholic Medical Center New York.

William J. Crean Jr. is a 1991 graduate of Fairfield with a B.S. in politics. Crean began his career in politics but later moved on to commercial real estate brokerage, where he is currently a partner in the Boston office of CB Richard Ellis. An active member of the Boston Alumni Club, in 2004 he initiated the Boston Briefcase Breakfast, a biannual event showcasing talented Fairfield alumni speakers on timely business, government, economic, and social topics. Networking during the event has resulted in numerous successful job transitions and business opportunities for Fairfield alumni. Crean also serves as secretary on the Executive Committee of the recently restructured Fairfield Alumni Association Board of Directors, where he will help evolve the Briefcase Breakfast model into other Fairfield alumni networking events across the country.

Last year, the event raised $1.1 million dollars towards the Multicultural Scholarship Fund within the University's endowment. This year's dinner has taken on additional importance in the current economic climate. "The Fairfield Awards Dinner is our flagship fundraising event," noted Stephanie Frost, vice president for Advancement. "Because of this event, the University was able to distribute $432,000 in much-needed scholarships last year. Obviously, the need is even greater this year."

Co-chairing the dinner are Fairfield alumni Patricia Glassford '85 and Andrew McMahon '89. The 2009 Awards Dinner will be held at the Grand Hyatt in New York on Thursday, April 2. Anyone interested in purchasing tickets should contact the Office of Corporate Relations, crusso@mail.fairfield.edu , or (203) 254-4000, ext. 2927.