The purpose of the academy is to give honor and recognition to a select group of our outstanding graduate and undergraduate alumni. It is with great pride and enthusiasm that we honor them – and thank them for their willingness to give back to our school.

School of Communication
2005 Alumni Academy Inductee

Lawrence C. Winston

BA, Communication, 1987

Larry graduated from Western Michigan University in 1987 with a Bachelor of Science degree in Communication and a minor in Marketing.

Larry began his career working for Toshiba in downtown Chicago and after two and a half years with the company, was recruited to work for Dictaphone where he was Government/Education Manager and a District Sales manager. After five years with Dictaphone, Larry was recruited and hired by International Paper to develop a national account team. While at International Paper, he was responsible for cross-divisional selling within the company, successfully implemented strategic plans that resulted in the company's significant growth in product sales, and was involved in creating and instituting a sales and marketing solution-based training program for all the company's sales professionals .

Larry was promoted to Vice President of Xpedx, a division of International Paper. In his new position, he directed and oversaw more than 100 distribution centers both domestic and international. Among his accomplishments with Xpedx was the successful creation of customer alliance teams, resulting in significant percentage growth in revenues.

With an ongoing interest in personal and professional development and over fifteen years of corporate experience, Larry completed an Executive Management Curriculum from Xavier University, did coursework with the American Management Association, served as a Board Member for the Strategic Account Management Association (SAMA), was a lifetime member of the NAACP, and actively participated with and supported the Minneapolis based nonprofit organization, Urban Ventures.

Most recently and prior to his untimely passing in the summer of 2005, Larry served as the vice president of sales for the five hotel brands of Carlson Hotels Worldwide, which include: Regent International Hotels, Radisson Hotels and Resorts, Park Plaza Hotels and Resorts, Country Inn and Suites by Carlson, and Park Inn. In this position, Larry was responsible for the development and implementation of sales strategies and the administration of the worldwide sales team representing the company's hotel brands.

Larry is survived by his wife of thirteen years, Daphne, and their twin daughters Ariel and Alana. His family, friends and colleagues all over the world will miss him in his hometown of Plymouth, Minnesota.