Wendy's owner to address WVU Parkersburg's Honors College.

CONTACT:   Gregg Busch, assistant professor of sociology and Honors College director, 304-424-8253.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

The owner of 15 area Wendy's restaurants will be the keynote speaker for West Virginia University at Parkersburg's Honors College Seminar to be held Wednesday (April 30).

Ray Blackburn of Belpre will speak at the 6 p.m. seminar in the college's theatre.  His presentation, "Key Components of Leadership in Today's Competitive World," is free and open to the public.

Founder and president of Wendpark and Wendraven, Blackburn began his career as a counter clerk and cook at 16.  He was a manager by the time he was 18 and a general manager at 21.  In 1996, he purchased his first five store franchises.  In the next 10 years, he more than tripled his operation to become one of the most significant Wendy's markets in the United States.   He owns Wendy's restaurants in Parkersburg, Marietta, Pomeroy, Vienna, Mineral Wells, Spencer, Ravenswood, Ripley, Belpre, St. Marys, and New Lexington, OH.  A strong advocate for education and leadership, Blackburn is a former WVU Parkersburg student.

As part of the spring seminar, WVU Parkersburg honor students will display their semester project exhibitions from 10 a.m. until 8 p.m. in the college's Community Room where a reception will be held following Blackburn's presentation.

WVU Parkersburg's Honors College is designed to provide enhanced learning opportunities for talented students in both academic and career programs in an effort to enable them to develop to their fullest potential, said Gregg Busch, director of the Honors College.

cd04/24/08