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2007 Distinguished Alumni and Service Awards

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Five business executives were honored May 4 as the Moore School's 2007 Distinguished Award recipients.

The awards were presented at the school's 12th annual Business Leadership Dinner and Awards Program, held at The Zone at the University of South Carolina's Williams-Brice Stadium.  This was the 22nd anniversary of the awards themselves.

Recipients of this year's Distinguished Alumni Awards are William R. Horton (BS '73), and D. Roger Nanney (BS '80, MACC '82).  The Distinguished Young Alumni are Kellie Cooper Johnson (MBA '91) and J. Chad Odom (BS '92). M. Edward Sellers received the Distinguished Service Award.

William R. Horton is president and chief operating officer, Government Programs Division, BlueCross BlueShield of South Carolina, the state's largest private-sector employer.  Under his leadership, BlueCross's government sector businesses have grown tenfold since 1993, generating nearly $1 billion in revenue in 2006.  Horton is the senior executive responsible for four BlueCross subsidiary companies that are nationally recognized for expertise in administering the Medicare and Tricare federal health benefit programs.  A licensed certified public accountant, he heads up the BlueCross BlueShield of South Carolina internal fundraising campaign for the Moore School of Business.  Horton joined the company as a financial auditor in 1974.  He held several professional and management positions prior to his executive appointment in 1985.

D. Roger Nanney is vice chairman and regional managing partner, Mid-America, for Deloitte & Touche USA LLP.   He also has leadership responsibility for the organization's marketing and business development function, including its operations in India. A member of the first class to complete the Moore School's professional accountancy program in 1982, Nanney has 25 years of experience in professional services.  He is a certified public accountant and a member of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants, the Texas Society of Certified Public Accountants, and the Institute of Management Accountants.  He recently served as a member of the leadership team responsible for developing Deloitte & Touche's  "refreshed people strategy" and related initiatives.  He recently led a trade delegation to China sponsored by the Greater Dallas Chamber of Commerce, the Fort Worth Chamber of Commerce, and the Greater Dallas Asian-American Chamber of Commerce.

Kellie Cooper Johnson is senior product manager for GlaxoSmithKline.  Based in Research Triangle Park, N.C., she is responsible for the strategy group on the Boniva brand team.  (Boniva is a prescription product for the prevention and treatment of osteoporosis in postmenopausal women.)  Johnson has also led the direct-to-consumer efforts for Flonase nasal spray and Advair.  Previously, she worked for Bayer Consumer Care; she has also worked for an advertising agency and as a finance manager for several magazines. 

J. Chad Odom is CEO for Innovative Container, Palmetto Restorations, and Pickwick Pharmacy - all based in Greenville, S.C.  A member of the Board of Advisors for the Moore School's Business Partnership Foundation, Odom in 2001 started his own company, Innovative Container, which manufactures and reconditions industrial containers.  The company was named the fastest-growing company in South Carolina in 2003; in 2004, Odom was named Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year for manufacturing and services.  In 2005, Odom started another company, Palmetto Restorations, which specializes in automotive restorations, particularly on "muscle" and classic cars.  His third business is the family business, Pickwick Pharmacy. Odom and his brother Kelly are the third generation of the Odom family to own and manage The Pickwick, where they are bringing back the soda foundation that was a popular fixture in the 1940s and '50s.

M. Edward Sellers is chairman and CEO of BlueCross BlueShield of South Carolina and The Companion Group of Companies, positions he has held since 1987.  He is responsible for general management of the various businesses of BlueCross BlueShield and Companion, including health insurance, administrative services contracting, Medicare intermediary functions, Department of Defense TRICARE intermediary functions, a life insurance company, a property and casualty insurance company, computer technology businesses, and an HMO.  The company has more than $3.5 billion in revenues and more than 13,000 employees in 11 states.  Before coming to BlueCross BlueShield of South Carolina, Sellers worked for The Boston Consulting Group and Westinghouse Electric Corporation.    He is chairman of the South Carolina Council on Competitiveness, former chairman of The Palmetto Business Forum, vice-chairman of The Palmetto Institute, a member of the S.C. State Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors, a trustee of the ETV Endowment of South Carolina, a board member of the National Institute for HealthCare Management, and a director of The National Bank of South Carolina.  He was named 2002 Business Leader of the Year by the S.C. State Chamber of Commerce.

Distinguished Alumni and Service awardees with Dean Joel Smith View more 2007 photos and list of sponsors

View the 2006 Distinguished Awardees and photo gallery.