Drucker Connection
Executive MBA and member of the Alumni Board
Education
BS Electrical Engineering, Rutgers University; MS Space Technology, Johns Hopkins University plus graduate work at University of Maryland and UCLA Engineering Management Program
Current Employment
California Institute of Technology / Jet Propulsion Laboratory and Board of Directors of DBH Graphics and Fine Arts, Vero Beach; & Owner/President of HDL Systems, a technical consulting firm in automation and control.
Former Positions
Senior Technical Staff, Booz-Allen Applied Research, Bethesda, MD
Community Involvement
Board of directors and Secretary, Claremont Symphony Association; member of the Claremont Chamber of Commerce; Musician with the Claremont Symphony Orchestra, Musician with the Orchestra of Christ-By-the-Sea Church, Vero Beach, FL
Family
Married to Carol who is past president of the Assistance League of Pomona Valley; One son, Brian, President and Owner of DBH Graphics and Fine Arts, Vero Beach, FL, One daughter, Laura, Mother, homemaker and real estate agent. Formerly, a junior developer with Forest City Land Development of Los Angeles
Residence
Resident of Claremont, CA and Vero Beach, FL
Why did you choose to attend Drucker?
I came upon the Drucker School more by accident than anything else. I certainly was aware of Drucker, but never had any intentions of attending classes or getting a degree. That was until my wife and Louise deKlyver, spouse of then Dean deKlyver, both members of assistance league, thought it would be unusual to offer a course at Drucker as a live-auction item at the Assistance League annual fund raiser. I bid on the auction and won. The original course offering did not work out because it was not well subscribed and subsequently withdrawn. I was offered any other course I might want, and as luck would have it, selected the course on Innovation taught by Peter Drucker himself. It was the last course that he would teach full time. By the end of that course I was hooked and had to come back for more. It was one of my life changing experiences.
How has the Drucker program helped you in your career progression?
I was not looking to change careers, being fairly satisfied in the one I am in, working or CalTech’s jet Propulsion Laboratory. Also, I have to admit that I came upon Drucker somewhat late in my career. However, the course work and open discussions opened my eyes to a way of seeing things I had not considered. My work environment and my ability to effect that environment markedly improved, which has, in effect, made me even more satisfied with my career. As a secondary benefit, I have been able to help my son’s growing company with decisions from marketing to understanding the return on investment for major equipment purchases.
What are the benefits of the Drucker alumni network?
I think that networking within your work environment can be too narrow and focused. Not that connecting with like minded staff working toward a common goal is a bad thing, it is simply that the opportunities to obtain new knowledge and to be able to see a much bigger picture, are constrained and confined. Networking with the Drucker community is broadening because its across all industries and endeavors for which the alumni represent. And as Drucker himself would so eloquently describe, it provides common connections within the diverse community because which in the end are common to all. It expands your way of seeing.
What does the Drucker School represent to you?
The Drucker difference has been promoted and expanded into a course to give everyone the opportunity to experience the school’s namesake. I feel extremely fortunate to have had a course by Peter, and although I can’t say that I was one of his star students, that experience made me realize the broader base of knowledge available for consumption. I also came to realize that my goal was not the degree but the experience of the journey, because it is through that journey that we grow. Drucker’s philosophy was about the journey and the ability to see beyond what others see, to be able to peel back the layers of business, management, and society’s veils in an attempt to answer fundamental personal questions. What is my life goal, why am I here, what should I accomplish. I believe this is what, later in life, lead him to focus on non-profit organizations. But it is through Drucker’s teaching and vision that we find a unique educational opportunity that is probably not replicated anywhere else. It is this characteristic along with a faculty that is committed to the Drucker philosophy that keeps me enthusiastic about the school.
