Diversity Excellence Award

DEBRA SALBADOR, associate professor of accounting and Information Systems, received the Diversity Excellence Award. Salbador chairs the Multicultural Diversity Committee, is an InclusiveVT representative, and is SafeZone certified. She has been an advisor for the Virginia Tech student chapter of the National Association of Black Accountants and has chaired the Pamplin Multicultural Diversity Council for three years. She joined the faculty in 1994 after spending several years working in the tax department of a multinational company with operations in all 50 states and several foreign countries.

Pamplin Society Awards

Six alumni and one company were honored recently with the 2018 Pamplin Society Awards – Rising Alumni, Mentoring, Ut Prosim and Corporate Ambassador awards from the Pamplin College of Business.

The awards were initiated by the Pamplin Society, which was re-activated in 2016 to enhance alumni engagement by recognizing alumni contributions. The Society’s awards team created the criteria and nomination process, and recommended the award winners for the Dean’s endorsement.

Lauren Begley, Christine Damico, and Danielle Fazio received Rising Alumni Awards, which honor graduates within the last 10 years “who have achieved distinguished recognition in their career or in rendering service to Virginia Tech since graduation.”

Phil Moore and Rick Parsons received Mentoring Awards, which recognize a “distinguished individual who consistently embodies the spirit of mentorship of Pamplin students, graduates, and those in their local community.”

Jeremy Davis received the Ut Prosim Award, which honors an alumnus of at least five years who has a distinguished record of community service, reflecting the spirit of Virginia Tech’s motto.

The Corporate Ambassador Award, given to “a company that has demonstrated prolonged support of Pamplin’s mission and its students,” went to Accenture.

Rising Alumni Award

LAUREN BEGLEY received a bachelor’s in marketing management in 2009. A cyber risk services manager at Deloitte & Touche LLP, she has served Pamplin as a member of the Recent Alumni Board, the Master of Information Technology Advisory Board, and Collegiate Women In Business and as a guest speaker in classes. Begley was lauded for her management and technical skills and leadership in the workplace as well as her passion for giving back as a Hokie through guest lectures, recruiting, and student mentoring on campus.

Rising Alumni Award

CHRISTINE DAMICO received a bachelor’s in finance in 2010. A director of human capital at OLIO Financial Planning and a finance instructor in Pamplin, she worked as a financial planner for seven years in the metro Washington D.C. area and Minneapolis before relocating to Blacksburg in August 2017. Damico was praised for her exemplary leadership in the financial planning industry and her dedicated community service to a range of constituents, from low income and sight-impaired individuals to high-school and college students and others.

Rising Alumni Award

DANIELLE FAZIO received bachelor’s and master’s degrees in accounting and information systems in 2009 and 2010. A manager in financial services-assurance at Ernst & Young, she is active in EY’s Professional Women’s Network and recruiting at Virginia Tech. She is a member of Pamplin’s Recent Alumni Board and a mentor for the Collegiate Women in Business, serving on for its fourth annual panel, “Limitless.” Fazio was cited for her inspirational leadership, her active involvement in promoting alumni engagement, and her participation in recruiting events.

Mentoring Award

PHIL MOORE received bachelor’s and master’s degrees in accounting and information systems in 2000 and 2001. A partner and IT assurance practice leader at Kearney & Company, he has been active in mentoring and recruiting Hokies. He serves on two department advisory boards in Pamplin: accounting and information systems, and business information technology, the latter as chair. Moore was praised for the many different ways he is providing mentorship and guidance to faculty members and students through his board service, as a classroom speaker, and as a recruiter.

Mentoring Award

RICK PARSONS received a bachelor’s in accounting in 1978 and an MBA in 1979. Retiring from a 30-year career with Marriott International, he taught in Pamplin’s hospitality and tourism management program for seven years. He served on the department’s advisory board for several years, including two years as chair. He and his wife, Linda, also endowed a scholarship in the department. Parsons was lauded for his masterful matching of students’ skills and passions with industry partners and jobs and for helping hundreds of students with his career advising, even after retirement.

Ut Prosim Award

JEREMY A. DAVIS received bachelor’s degrees in management and in public and urban affairs from Virginia Tech in 2009. An assistant vice president for corporate social responsibility at Moody’s Corporation, he leads the company’s efforts globally to integrate and embed CSR initiatives. He is vice president of Manhattan Hokies and a board member of Virginia Tech’s 1872 Society. Davis was cited for his dedicated leadership and service as a student in the Virginia Tech Rescue Squad and his current work volunteering with the Robin Hood Foundation in New York City.

The Corporate Ambassador Award

Accenture Federal Services has been recruiting at Virginia Tech for three years. It has hired 106 Virginia Tech students, half of whom are from Pamplin. The company offers summer internships and a buddy program to prepare students for their career with the company and is one of the sponsors of the annual Global Entrepreneur Challenge, hosted by the Apex Center for Entrepreneurs. The company is working with the computational modeling and data analytics program in the College of Science to sponsor an analytics capstone project. The company offers summer internships and is a sponsor of the Global Entrepreneur Challenge at Virginia Tech.