Hello and welcome! I’m Dan Sullivan, St. Lawrence Class of 1965 and
President of the University. It’s great to see you all here on this
wonderful, quintessentially North Country day. Spring does come to the North
Country—just on it’s own time, when it wants to!
Your visit today is much like mine in the spring of 1961 when I came to St.
Lawrence for a program much like the one you’re experiencing today.
While also accepted at Cornell, Rochester, Oberlin and Colby, I knew immediately
on that day that this was where I wanted to go to college. The rest, as they
say, is history. I’ve never looked back. St. Lawrence was just right
for me. I hope you’ll conclude that it’s just right for you.
Introduction of Mark Attarian ‘80
One of the things we’ve learned that prospective students find very
helpful at programs like this one is having the opportunity to hear from
alumni who have gone on from St. Lawrence to interesting and distinguished
careers, and who have also had time to reflect on how St. Lawrence prepared
them. We’re very fortunate to have with us today Mark Attarian, St.
Lawrence Class of 1980, who will share some of his observations on St. Lawrence
with you.
As an undergraduate, Mark was an extraordinarily active student and scholar,
including being president of his class. He is what we call around here a “chip,” for
his parents, Dr. Ed and Mary Lou Attarian were both members of the Class
of 1952. His connection to St. Lawrence is long and solid.
After graduating from St. Lawrence with a major in English literature (many
of our most successful entrepreneurs have majored in English, for some reason),
Mark began his career as a trainee with Mutual Life Insurance Company of
New York. In 1982, he joined Blue Cross Blue Shield of Virginia as an account
executive; in 1984 moved to Coopers & Lybrand in Dallas as a senior consultant;
and then in 1985 became an associate at Bankers Trust Company in New York
where, in 1988, he became vice president of corporate finance. In 1991, he
was named vice president, chief financial officer, and treasurer of Shields
Health Care Group, a new company which dealt with magnetic resonance imaging
(MRI) services. In 1994, he became chief financial officer at Diatide, Inc.,
a pharmaceutical company based in Londonderry, New Hampshire, which was involved
in the development of a novel line of diagnostic and therapeutic drugs. Mark
was responsible for taking Diatide public, after which in March of 1997 he
went on to be the vice president and chief financial officer of Bottomline
Technologies in Portsmouth, New Hampshire, helping to take it public. In
what you can see is a recurring theme, Mark is now chief financial officer,
vice president, and treasurer of iDolls Corp., a venture capital-backed Internet
retailer of dolls for collectors and girls that he also hopes to help take
public. How does this happen to an English major? I suspect Mark will tell
you in a moment.
In his spare time, Mark has stayed involved with St. Lawrence by serving
on his class reunion development committee, serving as a class agent for
the St. Lawrence Fund and as a telethon worker, and in the past as a member
of the President’s Associates Membership Committee. He is married and,
I believe, is parent of a newly-adopted daughter.
St. Lawrence alumni are passionate about their experience here. That describes
Mark. But he is also passionate about helping future students have the same
kind of St. Lawrence experience he had. That is why he agreed to be with
us today.
Please join me in welcoming Mark Attarian, St. Lawrence Class of 1980!
Remarks in Closing
Well, there you have it. All I want to say in closing is that, should you
accepted students choose St. Lawrence as the place to pursue your liberal
arts education, we will work with you day and night to help you get where
you want to go. You have an extraordinary adventure ahead. We’d be
delighted if you chose to have that adventure with us.
We’d like you now to join us in an informal reception. We can answer
your questions, and you will also hear a few selections by our outstanding
singing group, The Saints. It’s great to have you here!
