Monday, November 17, 2003

Wilmington, NC – Dr. Stephen C. Harper has been selected as the first Progress Energy/Betty Cameron Distinguished Professor of Entrepreneurship at the UNC Wilmington Cameron School of Business.

Established in November 2000 with a gift from the CP&L Foundation, now Progress Energy, to honor long-time CP&L director, Daniel D. Cameron, the private gift was given to be matched by the UNC Board of Governors and the State of North Carolina program for endowed professorships. For every $333,333 in private giving, the university applies for $167,667 in funds from the General Assembly to bring an endowed professorship to the $500,000 level. The endowment provides funds for a salary supplement. It also supports research and development. Mr. Cameron asked that the professorship be named to honor his wife Betty.

Larry Clark, dean of the Cameron School of Business, stated that the purpose of an endowed professorship is to attract and retain outstanding faculty. With this professorship, UNC Wilmington’s Cameron School of Business joins more than 40 universities, including some of the top business schools in the country, which have positions for distinguished professors of entrepreneurship.

Said Clark, “Because of Dr. Harper’s very strong national reputation, it is quite probable that UNCW would have lost Steve to one of these other professorship opportunities had Progress Energy and Dan Cameron not combined to make our new distinguished professorship a reality.”

“I am delighted to be selected for the Progress Energy/Betty Cameron Distinguished Professor of Entrepreneurship,” commented Dr. Harper, professor of management, who joined the faculty at UNCW in 1976. Dr. Harper has received numerous teaching awards and has written books on management and entrepreneurship. “The generosity of Progress Energy and Dan and Betty Cameron have made it possible for me to continue my career at UNCW.”

Dr. Harper commented that four years ago, he was invited to be a visiting professor at Duke University to teach entrepreneurship in its Executive MBA program. “I enjoyed the opportunity to teach in one of the top programs in this country, but that opportunity also reinforced my belief that UNCW provides an exceptional educational environment for our students. I am looking forward to being part of UNCW's future.”

The endowed professorship will allow Dr. Harper to direct even more of his attention to the field of entrepreneurship, the subject of his fifth book now nearing completion after more than 2,200 hours of research over the last four years.

“I will be increasing my teaching of entrepreneurship, leading emerging ventures, and fostering entrepreneurial initiatives in established companies, and I plan to bring more entrepreneurs to campus to speak to our students and faculty. I am also developing a SWAT (Swift Advisory Team) program, which may be a joint effort by the Cameron School of Business and the Coastal Entrepreneurial Council,” he said.

Dr. Harper noted that he will not be acting alone in fostering entrepreneurship education, research, and service. “The Cameron School of Business has numerous faculty who are interested in various facets of entrepreneurship. I am excited about what we may be able to do and how we can play an even greater role in fostering entrepreneurship and economic development in our region.

“It is an honor to be associated with Progress Energy and Betty Cameron. Progress Energy has played an integral role in the fostering economic development and the overall quality of life in our region. I had the pleasure of serving on Progress Energy's Customer Advisory Board as it faced the challenges associated with deregulation.

“Betty Cameron has been a leader -- many times behind the scenes -- in our community,” he said. Mrs. Cameron served on UNCW's Board of Trustees for seven years and also served on the Board of Trustees of Agnes Scott College in Atlanta for 10 years. She was the first alumna and the first woman graduate to serve as chair of Agnes Scott College's Board of Trustees.

Mr. Dan Cameron, in addition to his CP&L directorship, was president of Atlantic Telecasting Corporation (former owner of WECT, Channel 6), chair of Atlantic Bottling Company, mayor of Wilmington, and was a founder of Wilmington Industrial Development, Inc., formerly known as the Committee of 100.

Progress Energy has also funded the Progress Energy/Gordon Hurlbert Distinguished Professorship of Information Systems, yet unfilled. In addition, they provided funding for the Pat Moran Hurlbert Faculty Development Fund. Grants from this fund helped the Cameron School of Business plan and implement their e-Business concentration.

Progress Energy, headquartered in Raleigh, N.C., is a Fortune 250 diversified energy company with more than 23,000 megawatts of generation capacity and $8 billion in annual revenues. The company's holdings include two electric utilities serving more than 2.8 million customers in North Carolina, South Carolina and Florida. Progress Energy also includes non-regulated operations covering merchant generation, energy marketing, natural gas exploration, fuel extraction, rail services and broadband capacity.



Dr. Harper can be reached at 910/962-3517. Background information on him is listed below.



Current positions:

-Progress Energy/Betty Cameron Distinguished Professor of Entrepreneurship, The

University of North Carolina at Wilmington.

-Editorial Review Board, Journal of Business and Entrepreneurship. 1996-present.

-Wilmington Area Board of Directors, Wachovia Bank, 2000-present.

-Board of Directors, Coastal Entrepreneurial Council, 1995-present.

UNCW information:

I joined the faculty at UNCW in 1976.

I have served in various capacities including:

- Chairman of the Department of Management and Marketing on two different

occasions (total of six years)

- Director of the Small Business Institute for 18 years. Contract with U.S. Small Business Administration. Supervised 140 student teams that advised entrepreneurs and area businesses. Generated nearly $40,000 in grant income for the Cameron School of Business.

- Taught 20 different undergraduate and graduate courses.

- Director of the Management Center for four years

Academic and Professional Distinctions:

Recipient of the University of North Carolina Board of Governors' Award for Teaching

Excellence, 1997

-Recipient of the Distinguished Teaching Professorship Award, UNCW, 1995

-Recipient of the Board of Trustees Teaching Excellence Award, UNCW, 1980.

-Recipient of the Service To Entrepreneurs Award, Coastal Entrepreneurial Council, 1998

-Recognized for outstanding service by the U.S. Small Business Administration.

-Who's Who Among America's Teachers

-Finalist (twice) for the Innovative Education Award, Southern Association of Business Schools

-Finalist for Inc. Magazine's Entrepreneur of the Year" Award for North Carolina in the

"Supporter of Entrepreneurship" category, 1994

Previous experience and accomplishments:

-Speaker, Inc. Business Resources, 1996-2001.

-Visiting Professor of Entrepreneurship, Duke University Executive MBA Program, Summer,

1999

-Executive Director of the Coastal Entrepreneurial Council, 1995-1999.

-Editorial Board, North Carolina Entrepreneur Magazine. 1995-1998

-Consumer Advisory Panel, Carolina Power and Light Company. 1994-1998.

-President (co-founder) of the Coastal Entrepreneurial Council. 1995-97.

-Board of Directors, Wilmington Shipping Company, 1989-93

-President (co-founder) and Chairman of the Board, In-Ventures Inc., 1986-87.

-Guest Lecturer, U.S. Defense Intelligence Agency, Washington, D.C. 1986-87.

-Management Horizons Columnist, Carolina Business and Finance, 1984-86.

-President (co-founder) and Chairman of the Board, DARE Inc., 1979-80.

-Conducted over three hundred seminars for corporations, not-for-profit enterprises

-Guest Speaker for more than one hundred academic, business, and civic groups in the

United States and Canada.

-Board of Directors for numerous organizations.



Education:

-Doctorate in Business Administration (Ph.D.), Arizona State University, 1975.

-Master’s in Business Administration, The University of Arizona, 1971.

-Bachelor’s of Business Administration, The University of New Mexico, 1970.

Research and Publications:

-Presently working on a new book on entrepreneurship for professionals. Expected publication in

2004.

-Author of The Forward-Focused Organization: Visionary Thinking and Breakthrough

Leadership to Create Your Company's Future. American Management Association, 2001.

-Author of Managing Growth In Your Emerging Business. Originally published as The

McGraw-Hill Guide To Managing Growth In Your Emerging Business, 1995.

-Author of The McGraw-Hill Guide To Starting Your Own Business, 1991. A "Selection-

of-the-Month" for the Fortune Book Club and the Money Magazine Book Club. Latest edition of

this national bestseller published in 2003.

-Editor and Co-author of MANAGEMENT: Who Ever Said It Would Be Easy? 1983.

-Author of dozens of articles that have appeared in national and international magazines

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