American College President to Receive Lifetime Achievement Award

NEW YORK, Sept. 29 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The Round Table of New York, the nation's most prestigious organization of insurance field leaders, announced today that it will recognize one the financial services industry's top thought leaders and present Larry Barton, Ph.D., President and Chief Executive Officer of The American College with its Lifetime Achievement Award at its annual black tie dinner this December.

"Since the day he arrived, Dr. Barton's energy and vision propelled The College forward," said Louis P. DiCerbo II, CLU®, ChFC®, Chairman, P.C.P. Benefit Plans Ltd.  "Thanks to his leadership, this world-class citadel of learning is now completely reinvigorated.  He galvanized support from every major company in the industry and reshaped how students learn.  The College now boasts top faculty, has the nation's first endowed chair in women and financial services, and a new digital studio now connects faculty with students on virtually any mobile device." 

Each year the Round Table of New York presents its Lifetime Achievement Award to an individual that has made significant contributions to the insurance and financial services industry. The award recognizes individuals for their accomplishments in the areas of professional ethics, education and industry leadership.  Past industry luminaries that have received this award include David F. Woods, CLU®, ChFC®, LUTCF, CEO Emeritus of NAIFA (2007) and Sy Sternberg, CLU®, Chairman of the Board, New York Life Insurance Co. (2008). 

James J. Nemec, CLU®, ChFC®, Managing Partner, Northwestern Mutual Financial Network and Chairman, Round Table of New York stated, "Dr. Barton's devotion to education and his tireless efforts to rally the profession and rekindle the spirit of The College's founder, Dr. Solomon Huebner, has earned him the respect of his peers and the admiration of an entire generation of practicing professionals. He has been passionate about elevating professional designations, the need for an understandable and practical fiduciary standard and he has been outspoken about the need for stronger compliance," he adds.

Dr. Barton is the eighth president and chief executive officer of The American College.  Leading the institution into its 83rd year, Dr. Barton has a long and distinguished career spanning both education and industry. 

A former professor of management and business at Penn State University, Boston College and Harvard Business School, he is also the O. Alfred Granum Chair in Management at The American College.  A prize-winning teacher, he has is widely recognized as one of the world's leading experts in risk and threat management.  He has written over 40 peer reviewed articles on risk management, presented at over 200 university and industry conferences globally and teaches threat management at The FBI Academy as well as the University of Chicago MBA Program.

When Dr. Barton joined The College in 2003, much work had to be accomplished. The College had no meaningful online learning and the nine designations and two master's degrees offered by the institution needed a renaissance.  Since then, The College has embarked on a massive online learning program, has retired its debt and now offers an innovative masters degree in leadership that is being offered inside leading companies around the country.  An Alumni Association was created in 2006 that now boasts nearly 40,000 members, and The College has launched TheWealthChannel.com, the nation's first video on-demand website designed to help consumers and practitioners.

As a scholar, Dr. Barton is the author of four textbooks devoted to crisis management: Crisis In Organizations (1990: Thomson); Ethics: The Enemy in the Workplace (1995: Thomson); Crisis in Organizations II (2001: Thomson); and Crisis Leadership Now (2008: McGraw Hill.)  He has recently published new work on threat management for The American Bar Association and on public health and risk management for Oxford University Press.

In his unique role as a scholar/consultant to industry, he has helped world-class industry leading organizations, including members of the Fortune 100.  He received a coveted Fulbright Scholar Fellow award to Japan to work with the Japanese National Police on domestic terrorism and threats from the notorious Aum Shinri Kyo cult.

His articles have appeared in the New York Times, Boston Globe and USA Today.  Dr. Barton has been interviewed on CNBC, CNN, public radio's Marketplace and other network programs on issues related to financial services, business insurance and crisis prevention.  He has been profiled in The Wall Street Journal and other publications.  In 2009, for the sixth consecutive year, Insurance Newscast recognized Dr. Barton as "One of the 100 Most Powerful People in the Insurance Industry."

Dr. Barton holds an A.B., magna cum laude, from Boston College in speech and communications, the MALD (Master of Arts in Law and Diplomacy) degree in international business from the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy at Tufts University, and a Ph.D. in public affairs and international communications from Boston University.  He is married to Eliza Alden and they have two grown sons.

Information on the black tie dinner, to be held December 7 at the Union League Club in New York City, is available by contacting Louis P. DiCerbo at [email protected] or by phone at (212) 697-1355 ext 500.

Established in 1919, the Round Table of New York was initially organized by 28 General Agents and Managers representing 22 life insurance companies. The organization seeks to raise the level of professionalism in the financial services industry through adherence to ethical conduct, continuing education and meaningful service to the public. Members of the Round Table of New York support the work of local, state and national organizations including NAIFA, LUPAC, MDRT and GAMA. In addition, the organization supports the advanced education available through The American College including its LUTCF, CLU® and ChFC® designation programs, and every member of the Round Table of New York is also a proud member of The American College Alumni Association. Some of the financial services industry's most prominent business, professional association and community leaders have been members of the organization.

SOURCE The American College