Executive of year tied to GCSU

     One of GCSU’s own recently received the coveted title Executive of the Year for 2008. Hugh Peterson Jr. earned the title by being a successful businessman and active in the GCSU community, as well as giving back to the state of Georgia.
     “It is very flattering for me to be named Executive of the Year for 2008. It is an honor which I did not expect,” Peterson said upon receiving this award.
     The award recipient selection process is far from easy. It involves close competition between six or seven commendable business leaders and their companies.
     The board that selects the candidates consists of the dean and administration of the J. Whitney Bunting School of Business along with their cosponsor BB&T city president.
     “It’s nice to be able to honor one of our own,” said Dean Faye Gilbert of the J. Whitney Bunting School of Business. “His contributions are worthy of note even if he weren’t such a prominent member of the GCSU community.”
     Peterson practices walk-around management with his employees. He represents leadership in the sense that he gets his employees excited and helps them believe in the products they produce. His management abilities inspire those who come into contact with him.
     “What I most enjoy is getting out to talk with people in our company,” Peterson said. “I learn from these visits and come back with a deep appreciation for the talent, skill and professionalism of those who work in our company. I suppose that this is why I might be viewed as being ‘hands on.’”
     “This definitely enables the company to be more successful. Those on the ‘front lines’ often know best what is needed to get the job done. By listening to them we can achieve better results and higher quality.”
     He currently oversees several projects for many building materials businesses, and works to improve single family home builders. 
     “I am responsible for all aspects of the company and work closely with our President and Chief Operating Officer, Gary Campbell, who is in charge of day-to-day operations,” Peterson said.
     The details of his job include: regular meetings and conferences with both Mr. Campbell and those in charge of our various operations; regular review of financial and operational data; periodic field visits to Choo Choo Build-it Mart stores and other operations; making or approving key decisions; and monthly status reports to the Board of Directors.
     Peterson’s family involvement with GCSU dates back to 1887. His grandmother, a prominent figure in the early GCSU years, has the library named after her, Ina Dillard Peterson Library.
     His mother, another outstanding figure in GCSU history, earned the honor of being the third woman to serve on the  Georgia Board of Representatives and the Museum Education  Room is dedicated to her.
     His contributions have given back to the Georgia community with his constant involvement in his building businesses and contributions toward a school he inherited a love for from his mother.
     “I have been influenced by my Christian faith, my gratitude for what other have done to help me, and by the conviction that people working together toward a common aim can accomplish much more than any one of them could accomplish acting alone,” said Peterson.

Posted by Colonnade Archives on Mar 14 2008. Filed under News. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. You can leave a response or trackback to this entry