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School of Public Policy Graduation 2008
The School of Public Policy will hold its 2008 commencement ceremony at Alumni Park on Friday, Apr. 11, at 10:30 a.m. on the Malibu campus. Stephen Olson, chair and chief executive officer of the Olson Company, will receive the Honorary Doctor of Laws award. SPP alumnus Andrew Weathers will be honored with the Alumni of the Year award.
About Stephen Olson
Stephen Olson is the chair and chief executive officer of the Olson Company, which designs and develops new-home communities throughout California. Founded in 1988 by Olson and headquartered in Seal Beach, Calif., the Olson Company strives to provide affordable housing solutions in urban settings that are "in town, in style, and in reach." Olson has over 25 years of experience in home building and real estate finance. Prior to starting the Olson Company he was a vice president at Dean Witter and Company, president and CEO of Signet Scientific Company, and launched a now publicly-traded manufactured housing company.
Olson is a highly regarded leader in his industry and was named America's Builder of the Year in 2000 by Professional Builder magazine. He is active in the wider corporate community serving on the boards of First Consulting Group, First Bank of Beverly Hills, Flowline, Inc., C Enterprises, and King's Seafood Company. Actively involved in the region's civic and cultural life, Olson has served as a former chair of the Aquarium of the Pacific in Long Beach, Calif., as a trustee of the University of Redlands, and as a member of the Los Angeles County Housing Commission.
Olson received his bachelor's degree from the University of Redlands, and received his MBA from Pepperdine University in 1973. He is a recipient of the Graziadio School's Distinguished Alumnus award and remains highly involved at Pepperdine as a member of the University Board and of the School of Public Policy (SPP) Board of Visitors. He holds the distinction of being part of SPP's Founders Cabinet and has funded many initiatives at the Davenport Institute. Olson has also completed postgraduate work at the Claremont Graduate School. He lives with his wife Brenda in Seal Beach, Calif.
About Andrew Weathers
Andrew Weathers is a public health advisor with the office of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) located in Atlanta, Georgia. The CDC is a component of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services that seeks to promote health and the quality of life by controlling disease, injury, and disability. In this appointment which he has held since 2003, Weathers manages activities relating to field epidemiology, laboratory training, and disease surveillance specifically in the regions of Brazil, Ghana, Kenya, Southern Sudan, Tanzania, and Uganda.
Most recently Weathers has been instrumental in supporting the CDC's programs in Central Asia and in start-up operations in Ethiopia, West Africa, and Pakistan. Weathers has held positions of increasing responsibility at the CDC since joining the agency in 2000, dealing with issues including the anthrax emergency responses of 2001-2002 and the African HIV/AIDS crisis.
During his tenure at the CDC, Weathers has received numerous commendations including CDC/ATSDR Employee of the Month (2007), Coordinating Office for Global Health Award for Volunteer Services (2006), the CDC Safety Award for Service from the Occupational Health and Safety Committee (2003), and the CDC Service Award for Anthrax Response (2001).
Weathers received his bachelor's degree from Seaver College in 1998 and his master of public policy degree from Pepperdine University School of Public Policy in 2000. While at the School of Public Policy, he was selected into the prestigious Presidential Management Fellows Program. He resides with his wife Helen in Lawrenceville, Georgia.
