Howard C. St. John Distinguished Lecture Series

The Howard C. St. John Distinguished Lecture Series was established in 1991 with a gift from the Ulster Savings Bank in recognition of Howard C. St. John’s many contributions to Ulster County. Mr. St. John served as Ulster County District Attorney, partner in the law firm that bore his name, board member and then chair of Ulster Savings Bank, as well as President of Ulster Savings from 1965 to 1992. This annual lecture series features speakers who address issues of government, business, law, or public policy.     

2016 Guest Speaker

Mike Caslin 
Founder of the Global Center for Social Entrepreneurship Network Foundation (GCSEN)

October 4, 2016
7:30 a.m. – 9:00 a.m. in the Student Life Dining Hall

Mike Caslin, founder of the Global Center for Social Entrepreneurship Network Foundation (GCSEN) will present this year’s Howard C. St. John Lecture entitled, Make Meaning, Make Money. Making it Happen in Ulster County and Beyond! on October 4th from 7:30 a.m. – 9:00 a.m.in the Student Life Dining Hall on the Stone Ridge Campus. This series is sponsored by the Ulster Community College Foundation and endowed by Ulster Savings Bank.

Lorraine Salmon, Executive Director of Institutional Advancement and External Relations For the Ulster Community College Foundation says of the lecture, “Don’t miss this opportunity to learn from a global expert as we embrace Social Entrepreneurship! Please also join us as we continue the celebration of our 6th president, Alan P. Roberts, and as we celebrate 40 Years of Philanthropy at our Foundation Gala on October 7th.  Please see our website for more details. ”

Mr. Caslin will be presenting; "A Prac-Ademic Perspective"; on Social Entrepreneurship offering practical and academic insights for action to accelerate Social Entrepreneurship in Ulster County and beyond. With the aim of inspiring, intriguing, and energizing his audience, he will speak to the exciting positive trends in our collective Spirit of Social Enterprise and the shared generational values that drive it.  He will also share his global perspective on how it is vital to the success of the millennial-driven economy both globally and locally and how we can each join in the movement. 

Mr. Caslin is recognized both as an accomplished entrepreneur in the for-profit and non-profit sectors and as a social entrepreneurship thought leader thru his acclaimed years of lecturing, teaching and leadership with Babson College, Bangkok University, Columbia Uris, CUNY-Baruch, Dartmouth Tuck, Duke Fuqua, Harvard and Stanford Graduate Business Schools and Wheaton College, Investor’s Circle, SJF Institute, STRIVE, Rising Tide Capital, The Fund for American Studies and as co-founder of the internationally recognized Network for Teaching Entrepreneurship (NFTE) . He is experienced in and lectures on all stages of venture development- ranging from Pre-Revenue R&D, Start-Up, Early Growth, Rapid Growth and Scale to Corporate Turnaround, Renewal, M&A and Harvest. He also serves on numerous for and nonprofit boards.

Professor Caslin believes that Social Entrepreneurship’s purpose driven Triple Bottom Line approach (people first, with essential profit and environmental stewardship) is the most practical, pragmatic and peaceful way forward to a more productive, prosperous and just society- especially for the millennial drive economy that will be with us thru at least 2060.  GCSEN’s mission is to accelerate Social Entrepreneurship through innovative programs and learning technologies for Higher Education and Adult Learners (both accredited and professional certification).  GCSEN’s vision is to promote greater peace and prosperity by increasing the rate and impact by Social Entrepreneurs in local community economies and eventually regional, national and international economies.  GCSEN achieves this by supporting a growing community of its Certified Social Entrepreneurs, the faculty and mentors who support them and the entrepreneurial philanthropists, impact investors and sponsors who seek to invest in them.  

Learn more about Mike Caslin by visiting his website, gcsen.com.

Past Howard C. St. John Guest Lecturers

2012: Michael Oates, President & CEO, Hudson Valley Economic Development Corporation
'Diversifying the Economy: The Importance of Industry Cluster Development in the Hudson Valley'

2011: Francis J. Murray, Jr., President & CEO, NYSERDA
'Toward a Clean Energy Future'

2010: The Honorable Joseph J. Traficanti, Jr., Deputy Chief Administrative Judge for All New York State Courts (Exclusive of NYC)
'Fostering Good Governance and the Rule of Law in Newly Emerging Democracies'

2008: Kathleen M. Fisher, SVP & Sr. Portfolio Manager of Bernstein Global Wealth Management
'The State of Capital Markets and the Global Economy'