Stan Z. Soloway, 1975
B.A., Denison University
President and Chief Executive Officer
Professional Services Council
District of Columbia
Citation awarded May, 2015
From his days at Denison and WDUB, Stan Soloway’s life has been characterized by a passion for public policy and public service.
Following 20 years as a public affairs consultant, he was appointed deputy undersecretary of defense and director of defense reform during the second half of the Clinton Administration. There he was responsible for far-reaching reforms to defense acquisition, logistics, and business processes and was awarded both the Secretary of Defense Medal for Exceptional Public Service and the Secretary of Defense Medal for Distinguished Public Service. He became the CEO of the 120 member Professional Services Council in 2001 and has since grown the organization to nearly 400 member companies, including global leaders like Amazon, Cisco, Microsoft, and IBM.
Today he is one of the most influential and knowledgeable leaders in government acquisition, technology and business policy. He testifies frequently before congress, writes regular columns for the Washington Business Journal and Washington Technology magazine, and has contributed to books published by Cambridge University, Harvard Law School, and the University of Pennsylvania. In 2013 alone he was recognized as one of the 100 most influential figures in the Washington business community (Washington Business Journal), 100 most influential leaders in U.S. defense (Gannett News), and was named the government technology industry Executive of the Year (1105 Media). He is also a two-time winner of the Federal 100 Award, given annually to the most impactful leaders in federal technology.
Soloway’s dedication to service extends beyond his professional life. After decades of involvement in local community organizations, in 2007 he was nominated by the President and confirmed by the Senate to the bipartisan Board of Directors of the Corporation for National and Community Service, the federal agency that oversees the nation’s service programs, including Americorps. And in 2014, Soloway, his wife Kathy Stevenson Soloway ’75, and their daughters, created The Ndarakwai Experience Foundation, through which inner city D.C. high school students will go on a unique service learning trip to Tanzania, where they will work on conservation projects and in local schools. The first trip departs in mid June 2015.
