Dick Durrance, Olympic hopeful ski racing champion, award-winning National Geographic photographer and successful business owner, shares his insights for entrepreneurial success in “Dream Like a Champion.” His motivational presentation will be held at 6 p.m. on Friday, Jan. 31, in Halpin-Harrison Hall, Stimpson Auditorium on the campus of Shenandoah University. This session can help attendees unleash the creative vision they need to transform changes into glorious opportunities. It is free and open to the public.
“People seem to get so much pleasure from hearing the stories and seeing the pictures that have emerged from a lifetime spent traveling the world,” said Durrance. “What I hope people take away is this thought: if we use the whole of our mind — the logical and visual parts of our minds — to unleash the creative vision we all have, we can bring to the world the very best that we have to offer.”
The son of an Olympic gold medalist, Durrance decided early on to make the change from ski racing to traveling the world as a photographer. He received his first National Geographic magazine assignment while still a college student at Dartmouth College. After serving as a U.S. Army combat photographer in Vietnam, he returned to National Geographic as a staff photographer.
Seven years later, he set out as an entrepreneur, founding a company to create photographs for global advertising campaigns and the world’s great golf courses. He is the only photographer ever named by his peers as both the Magazine Photographer of the Year and the Advertising Photographer of the Year.
“We are honored that Mr. Durrance will inspire our students and the community at large in this motivational presentation,” said Associate Professor of Management and Director of the Institute for Entrepreneurship Alesia Slocum, Ph.D. “His interactive presentation style is sure to engage each and every member of the audience.”
The event is hosted by the Harry F. Byrd, Jr. School of Business Institute for Entrepreneurship. A raffle will be held to generate income for the institute, which supports students in entrepreneurial business plan competitions. For more information, contact Dr. Slocum at aslocum@su.edu or Harry F. Byrd, Jr. School of Business Administrative Assistant Donna Fazio at 540/665-4572 or dfazio@su.edu.