It goes without saying that Chapman University is home to some of Orange County’s greatest business leaders.

Helen OCBJ 2017

Photo taken from OCBJ event site gallery
http://www.ocbj.com/bizevents/gallery-oc-wib17/

IS&T is especially proud of our very own Vice President and CIO, Helen Norris, for being nominated as one of the top business leaders by the Orange County Business Journal (OCBJ). Being recognized in this group of distinguished leaders is an honor in itself.

To put this in better perspective let’s take a look at some numbers.  According to the United States Census Bureau,  the estimated 2016 population in Orange County, CA was almost 3.2 million people, 50.6% of which are female.  In 2012, there were 340,116 firms recorded in Orange County, where only 119,431 of the were “Women Owned”.

The OCBJ picks 5 nominees from about 250 other nominees for the “Women in Business Award” each year. Well over 750 people attended the awards luncheon on May 2nd, and all nominees were recognized.

Reggie Gilyard

Photo provided by CU’s Strategic Marketing Team.

Reginald (Reggie) Gilyard, Dean of the Argyros School of Business, has been involved with the Orange County Business Journal (OCBJ) for the past four years.   Here is what he had to say about Helen:

“Helen has an exceptional combination of capability, professionalism, leadership, and “CEO Level” communications skills.  I spent 16 years working with C-Level executives and boards for Fortune 500 companies and Helen easily ranks well in the top 5 percent of individuals in this comparison group.”

 

Helen With Colleagues

IS&T colleagues (Left to right)
Jay Fabio, Helen Norris, Lori Deterding

Helen not only is an amazing mentor for both men and women, but also a major advocate for women in business and leadership. She participates in many professional organizations within Orange County, and is a board member for the National Endowment for Financial Education. Through these activities, she is able to share her experience with others to encourage them to become great leaders.   Please join us in congratulating Helen Norris for her many successes.  Chapman University is truly fortunate to have her to help guide us to the next level.