May 15, 2017 (Atlanta, Ga.) - Students from Belhaven's Atlanta campus will celebrate commencement on May 20, 2017. The graduation ceremony begins at 10 a.m. at St. Luke's Presbyterian Church, 1978 Mount Vernon Road.
The special commencement speaker will be Mr. Sunny K. Park. He is the CEO of Global Sun Investments, Inc., EVP of VetConnexx, CEJ of General Building Maintenance and board member of Brand Bank.
A native of South Korea, he served as commissioner of the White House Initiative on Asian Americans and vice chairman of Georgia Ports Authority. Mr. Park immigrated to the United States in 1974 with no money and now he has successfully achieved his goal of paying $1 million in annual income tax. Mr. Park is the 2000 USO Patriot Award recipient and one of Most Influential Atlantans by JAMES Magazine and Atlanta Business Chronicle for multiple years.
Mr. Park also serves on several nonprofit boards: National Guard's Youth Foundation, USO Georgia, National Center for Civil and Human Rights, Carter Center Board of Councilors, Atlanta Symphony Orchestra, Atlanta Rotary Club Board; WABE Atlanta Public Broadcasting, Advisory Board of Kennesaw State University and emeritus board member of Berry College.
He served as president of the National Korean American Federation and was chairman of the 1992 Overseas Korean Conference in Berlin, Germany. In 1996, he founded the American-Korean Friendship Society to strengthen the relationship between the two nations. Mr. Park founded the Good Neighboring Foundation; With his own program “If Sunny Can, I Can,” he mentors high school dropouts at the National Guard's Youth Challenge Program.
Mr. Park is a laureate of Atlanta Business Hall of Fame of Junior Achievements and KATUSA Hall of Fame in Korea. He was decorated with the People's Merit of the Republic of Korea; Service Award by the President of the U. S., Americanism Medal by the Daughters of American Revolution, Patrick Henry Trophy by National Guards, Small Business Person of the Year by Atlanta Chamber of Commerce, the Lifetime Achievement Award by the National Youth Foundation in 2007 and the VanLandingham Commitment to Economic Education Award by Georgia State University. He studied at information technology at the Institute of Korea, Indiana University, Purdue University at Indianapolis. Mr. Park and his family attend Johnson Ferry Baptist Church in Marietta, Ga.
If you need further information please contactMrs. Beth Ellison at bellison@belhaven.edu or 404-425-5590.