Spike of the Week 1/28/2011-2/3/2011

Ryan, on the right, outside the US Naval Academy

Congratulations to Ryan Wilhelms for being awarded Spike of the Week. Ryan was nominated by one of his professors to attend the 2011 United States Naval Academy Leadership Conference. The mission of the conference is to bring together the best minds in the practice and study of leadership in order to exchange ideas, experiences, and methodologies with both military and civilian students. For Ryan, it was a chance to learn from the students of 10 service academies and 30 universities (from 4 countries), as well as from accomplished leaders such as Ari Fleischer (former White House Press Secretary under President George W. Bush), Tom Ridge (Former Secretary, US Dept of Homeland Security and Former Governor of Pennsylvania), Colonel Bryan McCoy (USMC. Chief of Operations, US Central Command), Dan Akerson (Chief Executive Officer, General Motors), Vice Admiral Dirk Debbink (US Navy, Chief of Navy Reserve, Commander of Navy Reserve Force), Marcus Buckingham (renown leadership author), Brigadier General Howard Prince, (US Army (Ret.) and Director of The Center for Ethical Leadership in the LBJ School of Public Affairs at the University of Texas). We are extremely proud of Ryan for representing not only Texas Iron Spikes, but also the University of Texas, so well. 

From Left to Right: Capitan Angela Cyrus, US Navy, Director of Admissions, US Naval Academy
Ari Fleischer, Former White House Press Secretary under President George W Bush
Professor Joseph Thomas, Distinguished Military Professor of Leadership, US Naval Academy
Mrs. Deirdre Gehant, Assistant Vice President, Chicago Federal Reserve Bank
Walt Havenstein, Chief Executive Officer, SAIC