Page 5 - Sigma Chi - DePauw Winter2018-19

University to Name Ethics Center After Alum
Alumni Spotlight:
Originally published by IndyStar
David Dietz ’11
A new ethics center will be opening at Marian “Frank believes deeply that ethical companies are
University. more profitable,” Elsener said. “They attract better Imagine being a 21-year-old junior
employees, greater loyalty from those employees
The university has commitments of nearly $9M and they attract more customers and more loyal in college, and working under
to open the Walker Center for Applied Ethics at customers because they’re perceived to do things President Barack Obama in the
Marian University, named for Indianapolis busi- the right way.” White House as part of an intern-
nessman Frank Walker, a DePauw Sigma Chi ’57. ship. That is where Xi alumnus David
It’s not just the right thing to do, it’s good business. Dietz’s story begins.
Walker, chairman emeritus of Walker Information
and the Walker Family Foundation, has donated It can also be complicated, especially when it This internship has led to a fruitful
the bulk of the money raised for the center so comes to data. Elsener said businesses look to hire career for this young alum. After
far. Having spent most of his life thinking ethics employees with ethics training but can find it hard. spending his media fellows intern-
and furthering their The Walker Center ship at the White House as an
place in business, for could change that. advanced associate, David was able
Walker, the center to secure a full-time position in
will be the beginning That prospect inter- the White House, fulfilling several
of a dream realized. ests people like Steve different vital roles. During the first
Guymon, senior four years of his post-graduate life
It will open next adviser for ethics and outside of DePauw, David helped
year, with an execu- compliance at Eli Lilly. organize several internal opera-
tive director and Lilly has been named tions within the White House, most
endowed chair of one of the most notably as special assistant of the
ethics. Some of ethical companies by office of public engagement.
Marian’s existing Ethisphere Institute,
ethics work will likely an organization David’s time in the White House lead
move under the Frank and Jane Walker. that defines and to his current role as a manager of
auspices of the new measures corporate social responsibility for the National
center but eventually ethical standards. Basketball Association (NBA), where
new programming will be added – new majors Still, the world of business ethics is just starting David organizes different social
or minors for Marian students and possibly ethics to mature and finding young people with formal awareness initiatives and campaigns
training for employees, available to businesses. It training in ethics is rare. for the entire league. The most
will also conduct research. notable campaign that David has
“Most people do not say, ’I want to grow up and worked on is NBA Voices, the NBA’s
“The center will be putting out information that will become an ethics compliance professional,’” initiative to address social injustice,
show, not only how organizations can do better, Guymon said. “I never thought I’d get myself into promote inclusion, and bridge
but will track trends in ethics,” Walker said. that. divides in our communities.
He hopes it will become a go-to source for infor- “Now that the profession is maturing, when we can On September 17, the McDermond
mation about ethics regionally and nationally. find young professionals coming out of programs Center at DePauw hosted David
who can step in and help us, it’s really important.”
“It’s a big dream,” he said. as part of the McDermond Center
Guymon said many ethics and compliance profes- Lecture Series. During David’s
Walker took his proposal to seven colleges and sionals are older and have learned along the way, speech, he attributed much of
universities before settling on Marian. Walker said rather than through a formal education in ethics. his success to his experience at
he liked Marian’s vision for the center and the uni- Companies, he said, would like to be able to talk to DePauw, and the opportunities that
versity was already doing a lot of work in that area. universities like Marian that have ethics programs he was given as part of the media
Marian students are required to take an ethics and identify students who’ve done well and might fellows program. A lot of the skills
course before they graduate and the university be a good fit as an employee. that he uses in his career today
hosts the Central States regional ethics bowl every were skills that he learned while at
year. All of this is exciting to Walker, who got his start DePauw; he attributes DePauw to
in ethics as a child in lessons from his mother,
“We were thankful he chose us,” said Daniel helping him develop the important
Elsener, president of Marian. Dorothy “Tommie” Walker. They weren’t formal leadership qualities that have driven
ethics lessons, Walker said, but it was the start of his success.
Elsener also has been working with leaders from his lifelong interest in the topic. He maintained
several area businesses over the last year or so as that interest as he ran Walker Information, the David’s ambitious attitude and desire
they formed the Business Ethics Indiana group. customer strategy consulting firm started by his to change society for the better make
Ethics compliance officers from some of the area’s mother. Today the privately-owned firm is run by David a great role model for many
largest companies have been meeting regularly to his son, Steve Walker. One day, Frank Walker said, current undergraduates at DePauw.
talk about the role ethics play in their workplaces he sees his grandson, Jack, at the helm. —Contributed by Charlie Nash ’19
and trade notes and best practices.
By then, Walker said, maybe his full dream of the
Marian has given them space to hold meetings. Walker Center will be realized.
When Walker came to him with the idea for the “I tell Jack he’s the one,” Walker said. “He’ll see it PAGE 5
ethics center, it seemed a natural fit, Elsener said. in all its glory.”