September 30, 2005

College of Engineering Announces Campaign Cochairmen

Culberson, Day and McPherson are cochairmen for Achieve! The Campaign for NC State.

The College of Engineering has announced the leadership for Achieve! The Campaign for NC State: S. Frank Culberson, Fred N. Day IV and Thomas R. McPherson Jr.

S. Frank Culberson is president and chief executive officer of Rimkus Consulting Group. A Distinguished Engineering Alumnus for 2002, Culberson earned his bachelor’s degree in chemical engineering in 1960 from NC State University. He received a master’s in business administration from the University of Houston in 1966. A registered Professional Engineer in three states, he is a member of the American Institute of Chemical Engineers. He currently serves on the NC State Engineering Foundation Board of Directors and is a long-time supporter of the Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering.

A native of Siler City, Culberson began his career with Shell Oil Company/Shell Chemical Company as a process engineering and operations coordinator at the Deer Park Manufacturing Complex in Deer Park, Texas. After receiving his MBA, he joined the Pace Company–Pace Consultants, an energy-consulting firm.

In 1987 he joined the Rimkus Consulting Group, a forensic consulting company in Houston, Texas, as senior vice president, director and a founding shareholder. Culberson has been instrumental in building the company from a small firm with eight employees in 1987 to more than 300 employees in 18 offices, including more than 200 engineers.

Fred N. Day IV is president and chief executive officer of Progress Energy Carolinas, which includes six customer service and operations departments. Those functions include Progress Energy's three customer service centers, the distribution system in the Carolinas and four regional operations and service organizations.

Day received a bachelor of science degree in mathematics from Mars Hill College. He also is a graduate of Progress Energy's Management Institute at UNC–Chapel Hill.

His entire career has been with Progress Energy, formerly known as CP&L. He was named manager of Total Quality Performance and Compensation in 1990 and in 1995 was named vice president of the western region. In 1997 he was promoted to senior vice president of energy delivery and in 2000, executive vice president of that division. He was appointed to Advanced Energy’s Board of Directors in 2001. In 2003 he became CEO of Progress Energy.

Day serves on the board of the NC State Engineering Foundation and is the proud parent of two NC State engineering graduates. Progress Energy has been a long-standing supporter of NC State and the College of Engineering.

Thomas R. McPherson Jr. is chief executive officer of Cognio Corporation. A dedicated alumnus, McPherson serves on the advisory board for the Engineering Entrepreneurs’ Program.

In 1976 he earned a bachelor’s degree in physics from Davidson College and a bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering from NC State University. He received his master’s degree in electrical engineering from NC State in 1977.

A native of Mebane, McPherson began his career at Digital Communications Corporation. Later he cofounded PEL Corporation, which produced advanced video signal processors. McPherson led the growth of Network Equipment Technologies from its inception in 1983 through its initial public offering in 1987. He then joined Hughes Network Systems and started a satellite access business, DirecPC. In 1996 he cofounded Rapid City Communications. He later launched and served as CEO of Hatteras Networks Inc., a developer and manufacturer of high-performance broadband and optical communications equipment.

McPherson is a long-standing supporter of the College of Engineering as well as the Engineering Entrepreneurs’ Program. He was named Distinguished Engineering Alumnus in 2004.

Thanks to the dedication of these College of Engineering supporters, Achieve! The Campaign for NC State is off to a solid start. This historic, university-wide, $1 billion fundraising effort will ensure our ability to transform lives for generations to come through truly innovative teaching, research, extension and public service.

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