Accomplished Business and Civic Leaders Selected for Prestigious 2017 Horatio Alger Award

WASHINGTON, Dec. 6, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Horatio Alger Association of Distinguished Americans, Inc., a nonprofit educational organization honoring the achievements of outstanding individuals and encouraging youth to pursue their dreams through higher education, today announced the recipients of its 2017 Horatio Alger Award. Bestowed annually for the last 70 years upon exceptional corporate and philanthropic leaders from across the country who have succeeded despite facing challenges, this award recognizes the new Members' ongoing commitment to higher education and their continued charitable efforts in their local communities.

Horatio Alger Association will honor the following 11 individuals, all of whom represent its core values – perseverance, integrity and a commitment to excellence – with lifetime membership into the organization:

• Alain Bouchard, founder and executive chairman of the board, Alimentation Couche-Tard Inc.
• John Elway, executive vice president of football operations/general manager, Denver Broncos
• Mellody Hobson, president, Ariel Investments, LLC
• Harold B. Matzner, chairman, CBA Industries Inc.
• Dr. Valerie Montgomery Rice, president and dean, Morehouse School of Medicine
• Roger S. Penske, chairman, Penske Corporation
• Byron Pitts, chief national correspondent, ABC News and co-anchor, 'Nightline'
• John H. Scully, co-founder and managing partner, SPO Partners & Co.
• Richard J Stephenson, founder & chairman, Cancer Treatment Centers of America and founder & chairman, International Capital & Management Company
• Marcia G. Taylor, president and chief executive officer, Bennett International Group, LLC
• Lenard B. Tessler, vice chairman and senior managing director, Cerberus Capital Management, L.P.

"The Horatio Alger Association was established in 1947 to dispel the mounting belief among citizens that the American Dream was no longer attainable," said Tony Novelly, chairman, Horatio Alger Association and 2000 Horatio Alger Award recipient. "As we celebrate our 70^th Anniversary in 2017, we continue our efforts to reaffirm and reinforce that anything is possible in this country with hard work and the drive to succeed. The 11 individuals we are inducting as new Members truly embody all that the Association represents. Through challenges and trying times, these impressive men and women remained determined to achieve great things – and they have. My fellow Members and I could not be more pleased to welcome them into our organization and we look forward to all that they will contribute to the Association and its Scholars."

Through its Members, Horatio Alger Association aims to educate young people about the limitless opportunities afforded to them by the free-enterprise system. To further this goal, the organization awards scholarships to outstanding high school students who are committed to pursuing higher education and giving back to their communities. Like Association Members, Horatio Alger Scholars have faced significant adversities, but have also displayed unmatched resilience in overcoming their challenges. Since the scholarship program was established in 1984, Horatio Alger Association has provided more than $125 million to more than 25,000 students in need. Scholarships are privately funded solely through the generosity of Association Members, Life Partners and friends.

"Each year, the Horatio Alger Association honors a select and highly accomplished group of individuals from modest backgrounds who have risen to great success in their fields and I am proud to welcome the Class of 2017 to the Horatio Alger Association," said Byron Trott, president, Horatio Alger Association and 2011 Horatio Alger Award recipient. "These 2017 Award recipients are committed to helping deserving young people achieve their dreams by providing college scholarships and serving as inspirational role models and mentors to our Horatio Alger Scholars."

The 2017 Horatio Alger Award recipients will be formally inducted into the Association on March 30–April 1, 2017, during the Association's 70^th Horatio Alger Award Induction Ceremonies in Washington, D.C. The annual three-day event honors the achievements of both Members and National Scholars, affording both groups the opportunity to meet and interact as well as exchange stories of hardships and triumphs.

For more information about Horatio Alger Association and its Member Class of 2017, please visit www.horatioalger.org and/or follow the organization on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram using the hashtag #HoratioAlgerAward.

About Horatio Alger Association of Distinguished Americans:

Founded in 1947, the Horatio Alger Association of Distinguished Americans, Inc. is dedicated to the simple but powerful belief that hard work, honesty and determination can conquer all obstacles. The Association honors the achievements of outstanding leaders who have accomplished remarkable successes in spite of adversity by bestowing upon them the Horatio Alger Award and inducting them as lifetime Members. Horatio Alger Members support promising young people with the resources and confidence needed to overcome adversity in pursuit of their dreams through higher education. Through the generosity of its Members and friends, the Association awards more than $12 million annually in undergraduate and graduate need-based scholarships across the United States and Canada and provides college support and mentoring services to its Scholars. Since 1984, the Association has awarded more than $125 million in college scholarships to more than 25,000 deserving young people. For more information, please visit www.horatioalger.org.

CONTACT:

McKenna Young
484-385-2913 (office)
[email protected]

SOURCE Horatio Alger Association of Distinguished Americans, Inc.

Related Links

http://www.horatioalger.org