“Excellence on the Chesapeake”

“Excellence on the Chesapeake” (EOTC) took place at the Annapolis Waterfront Hotel in Annapolis, Maryland on Oct. 18-19, 2016. An audience of 54 business owners, company executives and thought leaders attended the event that featured a series of excellence-themed presentations from several nationally-known personalities and unique experiential elements that creatively leveraged the diverse Chesapeake Bay landscape.

Hall of Fame President David Baker appeared at the conference as a special guest speaker. He commented, “the Game of football teaches so many lessons about life. The Hall of Fame is a mission driven organization that focuses on five core values learned from the game: commitment, integrity, courage, respect and excellence. The Excellence on the Chesapeake event served as a great forum to discuss values that impact people’s lives.” 

EOTC represents the third experience as part of the “Excellence” series. The initial conference debuted at the Pro Football Hall of Fame in Canton, Ohio in 2015 followed by an event hosted at the Lodge at Torrey Pines in La Jolla, California this past May.

Vice Admiral Walter E. “Ted” Carter, Jr., Superintendent, U.S. Naval Academy, served as the EOTC Keynote Speaker for the Fireside Chat segment held the first evening. The SEAL Legacy Foundation and Michael Phelps Foundation were recognized as EOTC’s Non-Profits of Excellence for their contributions in the national and global communities, respectively.

Some of the highlights throughout the experience included visits to the Michael Phelps Swim School; the U.S. Naval Academy; the Under Armour Innovation Lab, headquarters, and retail store; and Charm City Cakes. Attendees had the opportunity to hear from and interact with numerous notable individuals including: Sam Rutigliano, former head coach of the Cleveland Browns; Mark McGinnis, Executive Director, SEAL Legacy Foundation; and Swen Nater, retired National Basketball Association player.

Also on hand at EOTC were two Hall of Fame executives, George Veras, executive vice president, chief revenue officer & executive producer; and Anne Graffice, vice president of development and strategic adventures. Graffice is leading the development of The Center for EXCELLENCE, a key component to the $550 million Hall of Fame Village project under way in Canton. The “Excellence” series is being considered as potential programming for the world-class center that slated to open in 2018.

 “The EOTC was an incredible opportunity to experience EXCELLENCE with unique venues and platforms not accessible to the general public. From the intimate and behind the scenes tour at Under Armour’s innovation lab where pictures are not permitted, to sharing time with Debbie Phelps at her son’s swim school learning about the building of an Olympic champion, the time spent was packed with inspiration and wonderful information. The fireside chats were a personal favorite of the experience as we were able to hear stories from some of the world’s most fascinating people about what EXCELLENCE means to them. The experience is one I will not soon forget,” Graffice shared.

Other notable participants included:

• Craig Lucas, Founder, Authenica
• Mark Pimpo, Global Supply Chain Chief of Staff, Under Armour
• Deborah S. Phelps, Director, The Education Foundation of Baltimore County Public Schools, Inc.
• Cathy Bennett, Swim School Director at Michael Phelps Swim School
• Phil Olsen, President, Know Your Strengths and former NFL player
• Tiffany Baumann-Cantelupe, Former Miss Ohio
• John Sutherland, President, Ennova, Inc.
• Mary Ann Stropkay, Chief Revenue Officer, First Federal Lakewood
• Mark Tripodi, Executive Directors, Cornerstone of Hope
• Sam McCleery, Vice President, Open Innovation and Commercialization Lab, Under Armour
• Tiffany Black, Charm City Cakes
• Joanne McAvoy, Charm City Cakes

The next experience as a part of the “Excellence” series is scheduled for June 2017 in Bozeman, Montana.