ATHENS, Ohio -- President of Woodland Venture Management David Wilhelm inspired more than 3,500 Ohio University graduates to live a life consistent with the values they take away from Athens, Ohio, during his address at the university's commencement ceremonies June 8 in the Convocation Center.
"Graduates of Ohio University pick themselves up and keep fighting. We live by our hopes, not our fears. We hang in there when others have thrown in the towel because we are middle-class, Midwestern kids who know something about the value of hard work. Our optimism and our energy carry us through," said Wilhelm, an Ohio University graduate.
Raised in Athens, Ohio, Wilhelm proudly identified himself as a "townie" and encouraged graduates to embrace the heritage of leadership and service instilled in their predecessors.
"Your obligation as a graduate of Ohio University is to be a carpenter, to be a builder, to create value, to make a difference. It's the tougher path, but it is the happier path. It is the moral path. It is the Bobcat way," he said.
Two honorary degrees were granted at the undergraduate commencement ceremonies to Wilhelm and Robert P. Axline, Jr.
Wilhelm was honored with the doctor of public service for his outstanding career in public service, loyalty to Ohio University and dedication to the Appalachian area.
Wilhelm's Chicago-based company is devoted to the development of investment vehicles focused on parts of the country and sectors of the economy that are underserved by the nation's financial industry. In that capacity, Wilhelm founded Adena Ventures, a $32 million venture capital fund targeting the central Appalachian region. The U.S. Small Business Administration has named Adena Ventures the nation's first "New Market Venture Capital Company."
Wilhelm is best known for his accomplishments in the political world. After former President Bill Clinton's successful run for the presidency in 1992, Wilhelm became the youngest person in U.S. history to lead a major political party when Clinton named him chair of the Democratic National Committee.
He earned his bachelor's degree in political science from Ohio University and a master's degree in public policy from the John F. Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University. He is a senior policy fellow at Ohio University's Voinovich Center.
Axline, a 1957 graduate of Ohio University, received the doctor of humane letters for his outstanding career as a businessman and entrepreneur and for his loyalty to the university.
He is founder, chairman and CEO of Plastic Card Systems, Inc., a family-run business that sells the systems that make plastic identification cards. Axline is former chairman of both the Ohio University Alumni Board and the Foundation Board.
Currently a member of the Cutler Scholars Board of Governors, Axline has been honored by the university's Alumni Association with a Distinguished Service Award and a Medal of Merit, and was named Alumnus of the Year in 1992. He received the Award for Achievement in Business from the College of Business in 1991 and the John C. Baker Founder's Award from the Ohio University Foundation in 1997.
