ECU alum returns with 'people first, business second' mindset

Students and faculty gathered at the Hilton Greenville last Thursday afternoon for a presentation by Tommy Spaulding as a part of the Beta Gamma Sigma Distinguished Lecture Series.

The lecture, "Put People First and Business Will Follow," is a mantra that Spaulding has used throughout his career.

Spaulding, an ECU graduate and former president and CEO of the non-profit global leadership organization, Up with People, has recently been named the first Leader in Residence at ECU.

While most students' attendance seemed to be required for various classes, at least one student came with the intentions of gaining valuable insight.

"I want to open my own assisted living business," said Anissa Cooper, junior nursing major. "But I would have come even if it wasn't required for my Finance 1904 class."

Dr. Frederick D. Niswander, the dean of the College of Business, introduced Spaulding to the audience.

"He majored in political science during his time here," Niswander said. "He's since made up for it."

Before beginning his presentation, Spaulding showed the now infamous YouTube video featuring Susan Boyle, a contestant from "Britain's Got Talent." Described as a "homely" woman by several news outlets, the show's three judges as well as the audience appeared skeptical of Boyle's talent because of her appearance. However, the Scottish native proved she did have talent, singing "I Dreamed A Dream," garnering nothing but surprised admiration from the crowd and the judges, one of which includes the notorious Simon Cowell.

Upon the video's completion, Spaulding said, "I am Susan Boyle [because] no one believed I could do it either. I'm dyslexic. School was really tough for me."

He revealed that he received a 620 on his SAT, graduated with a 1.9 GPA from high school and graduated in the bottom five percent of his class.

After being introduced to Up With People, an international leadership non-profit group, he decided to spend a year touring the world. Eventually, he came back home and decided he wanted to give college a try.

After being accepted into ECU, he worked hard as a student and as a busboy and waiter at Chico's.

His first friend at ECU was Chad Harris, a quadriplegic. They ended up being roommates and Spaulding took care of him every day.

"I washed him, dressed him, everything," Spaulding said.

He graduated with a 2.0 and then decided that he wanted to go to law school.

With his grades, he knew there wasn't much of a chance to get into a law school, so when he came across the Rotary Ambassador Scholarship that offers automatic admission to any university and free tuition, he gave it a shot.

He was chosen as one of the 10 finalists and once the interviews were done, it came down to him and another person who had a 4.0 from Harvard. The tie was broken by the bartender, who Spaulding had talked to before going into his interview. He turned out to be the only person who even talked to the bartender, and that conversation ended up being his saving grace.

"You don't know who, in your life, is going to bless you or help you," he said.

He went on to Bond University in Australia where he earned an MBA that led to a job at IBM, but ended up leaving the company after deciding he wasn't happy there.

"I walked away from a $300,000 salary," he said. "My mom thought I was crazy."

He went on to start The Leader's Challenge, a leadership and civic program in Colorado.

His most moving speech involved a family he met in Japan.

Spaulding eventually earned the Most Outstanding Alumni Award from ECU and continues to speak highly of the faculty at the university.

"I'm honored to be a part of this," he said.

After the lecture, Spaulding received a standing ovation from the audience.

Spaulding is working on a book due out early 2010 and lives in Colorado with his wife and children.

This writer can be contacted at news@theeastcarolinian.com.