Title

Episode 09: The Liberal Arts: a Foundation for Purpose and Success with Troy Datcher ’90

Document Type

Audio

Publication Date

4-17-2020

Department 1

President’s Office

Abstract

In Episode 9 of Conversations Beneath the Cupola, podcast host, Gettysburg College President Robert W. Iuliano is joined by Troy Datcher ’90, senior vice president and chief customer officer at Clorox. Iuliano and Datcher discuss how the liberal arts prepares students to find purpose and success, while making a difference in the world.

The Episode begins with Iuliano congratulating Datcher for recently being honored on the 2020 EBONY Power 100 list, and the two transition into discussions about Datcher’s leadership role with Clorox. Datcher explains his wide range of responsibilities, which include ensuring the company is building strategies and outlining priorities and plans to drive its growth, and connects these responsibilities to the liberal arts. He says that the foundation for his leadership approach and his ability to think critically and innovatively was built at Gettysburg College.

Iuliano and Datcher continue the conversation by touching on the topic of diversity and inclusion. Graduating from Gettysburg in the ’90s, Datcher experienced a much different climate than what exists today, but he says he never looks back. His liberal arts experience opened his eyes to the world and the hard work that is needed to seize opportunity. He shares some words of advice to current students: take chances, don’t look back, and reinvent the box.

The episode concludes with an anecdotal “Slice of Life” from the president’s perspective. Iuliano spotlights a kind act from several Gettysburg parents in China. After learning about a need for masks, they shipped several thousand to campus. We’ve since been able to provide supplies to health care workers, the local school district, and emergency response teams in the extended community.

Comments

A full transcript of the podcast is available on the podcast website.

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