American Studies Faculty and Staff

"From 1968 until 2001, my career was as a manager and executive in several business and government organizations. I began in personnel mangement with the accounting firm of Coopers and Lybrand, now Pricewaterhouse Coopers, where I was responsible for the hiring, training and management of the professional staff in the Boston and New England offices. After nine years, I decided to leave the firm to pursue a path into general management.

In 1977 I was appointed Director (CEO) of the Mass. Employment Security Agency which employed 3,000 people at that time. The agency was in the process of updating all of its major computer systems. This gave me my first exposure to information technology.

In 1979, I joined a small computer software firm, Stewart Systems, as Vice President of Customer Service and became its President and CEO in 1981. This firm specialized in developing and selling business management software for a vertical market made up of small printing companies. This experience provide me with great insights about entrepreneurship.

In 1983 I left and spent a year developing my own entreprise while engaged in management consulting.

In 1984 I became the President and CEO of the Massachusetts Technology Development Corporation (MTDC). This firm was established by the Mass. State government in 1978 as an early stage venture capital firm whose mission was help finance new technology based start-up companies that would creat new jobs. By the time I retired from MTDC in 2001, the corporation had invested in over 110 companies and established a very successful track record both in terms of job creation and financial returns.

I retired early after 22 years as a CEO in order to spend the rest of my working years teaching entrepreneruship and helping organizations that deal with education and training. My goal is to help build and maintain the talent pipeline that will continue to replenish and revitalize our society.

In addition to teaching at Tufts in 2002 I agreed to become the first Howard P. Foley Professor for High Tech Workfoce Development at the College Of Engineering at UMASS Lowell. In this part time role, I am working on a statewide initiative to encourage more young people to prepare for and enter careers in science, technolgy and engineering.

I have been a School Committee member in the Town of Brookline and helped to found two local education foundations. I serve on the board of directors of three nonprofit organizations that have missions to address education and worforce training.

My only child is a successful professional writer and comedic televsion personality (the Daily Show's Resident Expert and the PC in the Mac ads). More importantly, he is a wonderful husband and father of my two grand children.

In the past ten years that I have been teaching at Tufts, I have had the pleasure of working with a remarkable group of students. It has been a gift for me to be able to share my experiences and knowleged with a new generation of leaders and witness their growth. I have been especially pleased to see the growth and development of the Entreprenerial Leadership Program at Tufts and to have a small part in its success.

I am a consistent reader of history and biography. Over the last two years, I have been focusing on 18th century American history and personalites, interspersed with two books about the crusades. My reading helps me to keep current events in perspective.

Finally, I have been blessed to have married two women who have been terrific life partners. My first wife died in 2000 after we had been together for 35 years and I remarried in 2004. Both of these women were/are remarkable nursing educators and leaders. My long indirect experience with the nursing profession has caused me to view nurses with the highest regard."

AMER 0142 / ELS 0101 - American Entrepreneruship

Social Entrepreneruship and Innovative Nonprofits