Top business leaders recognized with high ASU honor

November 07, 2008

They have contributed greatly to our community and our economy. Now, three top Arizona business leaders will receive the honor of being inducted into the W. P. Carey School of Business Homecoming Hall of Fame. Previous inductees include high-level representatives from JPMorgan Chase, APS, XM Satellite Radio, Motorola and the American Red Cross.<separator></separator>The school’s Hall of Fame was established in 1977 to honor successful alumni from the business programs who have made significant contributions to their profession, the community and the W. P. Carey School of Business. Three people will be inducted at The Ritz-Carlton in Phoenix on Nov. 14.<separator></separator>• Eric Crown is co-founder and chairman emeritus of Insight Enterprises, a global direct-marketer of computers and related products to small- and medium-sized businesses. The company provides information technology consulting services with offices throughout the United States, Canada and Great Britain. Insight Enterprises went public in 1995. Crown is now a principal or partner in several limited liability companies through which he makes investments or owns properties. He received his bachelor’s degree in computer information systems from Arizona State University in 1984.<separator></separator>• Geoff Edmunds has been regarded as a leading force in the local building community for more than 30 years. In 1971, he and a partner formed Murphree-Edmunds, Inc., which designed and constructed more than 100 custom homes, office buildings, warehouses, retail stores, 1,000 apartment units and a Sheraton hotel. In 1977, he founded Geoffrey H. Edmund & Associates, Inc., a family-owned business that was later purchased by Toll Brothers, the nation’s leading luxury home-building firm. Edmunds is also involved in a consulting business and other high-profile building projects. He has won numerous awards from the home-building industry and Arizona State University. He graduated from ASU with a degree in accountancy in 1963.<separator></separator>• Robert Hobbs Sr. is chairman of the board of Naumann/Hobbs Holdings, Inc., and president and CEO of B.T. Leasing Corporation. Naumann/Hobbs is the largest material handling company in Arizona. For more than 50 years, it has helped businesses to move materials and store products using forklifts, racks, shelving and related items. The two companies together have a total of 548 employees in Arizona and Nevada. Hobbs received a degree in marketing from ASU in 1963.<separator></separator>About 500 alumni, business leaders, and faculty and staff members are expected to attend the Hall of Fame Celebration this year. 2004 Hall of Fame inductee Doug Ducey, former president of Cold Stone Creamery and current chairman of the board of iMemories, will be the honorary chair of the event, which will also feature a silent auction and a student showcase.<separator></separator>The event will run from 6 to 10 p.m. For more information, including details on sponsorship or ticket prices, contact Brooke Duebler at (480) 965-3978 or <a href="mailto:Brooke.Duebler@asu.edu">Brooke.Duebler@asu.edu</a>.<separato… class="MsoNormal">

Business W. P. Carey School of Business