Williams Executive-in-Residence Speaker, Nicole G. Small
Nicole G. Small, Austin College’s 2016 Williams Executive-in-Residence lecturer, presented “Where Profit Meets Purpose” to gathered faculty and students on November 8 in Mabee Hall of Wright Campus Center.
Small is president of LH Holdings, Inc., and CEO of the Lyda Hill Foundation where she oversees strategies to fund advances in science and nature, empower non-profits, and improve communities. Since 2014, she has directed the financial and investment activities of both the entities and their philanthropic initiatives. Prior to that, Small served as the inaugural Eugene McDermott Chief Executive Officer of Dallas’ Perot Museum of Nature and Science. She worked with the board, the community, and the museum team to raise $200 million more than a year before the museum opened.
Small received an undergraduate degree from the University of Pennsylvania and an MBA from the Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University.
The Williams Executive-in-Residence Lecture was established in 2007 by Austin College alumnus Todd Williams, Class of 1982.
Austin College, a private national liberal arts college located north of Dallas in Sherman, Texas, has earned a reputation for excellence in academic preparation, international study, pre-professional foundations, leadership development, committed faculty, and hands-on, adventurous learning opportunities. One of 40 schools profiled in Loren Pope’s influential book Colleges That Change Lives, Austin College boasts a welcoming community that embraces diversity and individuality, with more than 40 percent of students representing ethnic minorities. A residential student body of approximately 1,275 students and a faculty of more than 100 allow a 13:1 student-faculty ratio and personalized attention. The College is related by covenant to the Presbyterian Church (USA) and cultivates an inclusive atmosphere that supports students’ faith journeys regardless of religious tradition. Founded in 1849, the College is the oldest institution of higher education in Texas operating under original name and charter.