Dillard to honor architect, businesswoman as Champions of the American Dream

The Dillard University College of Business will honor local entrepreneurs Paul Flower and Dorothy Perrault at the second annual Champions of the American Dream event on Thursday, March 29, at 5:30 p.m. in the Georges Auditorium of the Professional Schools and Sciences Building. Attendance is free and open to the public

Flower is the president and C.E.O. of Woodward Design+Build, the New Orleans architecture firm that helped build Dillard’s Professional Schools and Sciences Building. Perrault, a Dillard alumna from the class of 1960, was the first registered African-American nurse at Sara Mayo Hospital in New Orleans. Today she owns Perrault Kiddy Kollege, a pre-school program with locations in the Gentilly area. They were chosen for their success and persistence in business pursuits, their history of philanthropy, and their service as role models for the New Orleans community

At the ceremony, both honorees will lecture on business entrepreneurship and participate in an audience Q&A session. A reception will follow in the atrium of the Professional Schools and Sciences Building.

Champions of the American Dream is an initiative of the Dillard University College of Business designed to recognize local business leaders. The event honors one Dillard alum and one non-alum annually. In 2011, Dillard recognized Beverly McKenna and Larry Lundy at its inaugural Champions ceremony.

Flower and Perrault were nominated by a committee consisting of Dr. Christian Fugar, dean of the College of Business; Dr. Walter Strong, executive vice president; Kemberly Washington, assistant dean for student programs in the College of Business; Ronald V. Burns Sr. of the board of trustees; Troy Baldwin, assistant vice president for development; and Travis Chase, senior officer for advancement services. Interim President James Lyons and the senior cabinet approved the nominations.

This article was originally published in the March 19, 2012 print edition of The Louisiana Weekly newspaper