The Albert E. Cinelli Enterprise Faculty Chair Is Established
In a move that gives the Law School’s program in law and business great
momentum, Albert E. Cinelli ’55 has made a pledge to
create the Albert E. Cinelli Enterprise Chair.
“It’s my desire to help Columbia students get a combined legal
and business education that will put them on a career path of becoming ethical
leaders in the business world,” said Mr. Cinelli, who is founder and chairman
of the telecommunications company Q-Comm Corporation.
The goal of the chair, according to Mr. Cinelli, is to “support curricular
innovation by the faculty.” The chair will rotate among members of the
faculty. The holder will have a special mission to teach innovative courses
that train leaders for the business world. Key subjects will include corporate
culture and ethics, strategic business planning, employee or associate relations,
negotiation, and the decision-making process.
“Al’s gift is not only generous, but also perfectly timed, as the
Law School continues to broaden and strengthen its business law curriculum,”
said Dean David Schizer. “It reinforces our ability to
train ethical leaders for the business world to broaden our economy and continue
the growth of opportunities in the United States.”
Q-Comm is a holding company operating through four subsidiaries to provide
video voice, data, and Internet services (including e-commerce, web page design,
and custom programming services) to residential, commercial, and wholesale customers.
Its KDL subsidiary operates a fiber-optic network of 8,500 route miles in 14
states. KDL sells communications capacity to large enterprises and telephone
and cellular companies. The Kansas-based company was founded in 1984. Previously,
Mr. Cinelli served as international general counsel for American Home Products
Corp. (now Wyeth Pharmaceuticals) and vice president and general counsel for
Marion Laboratories. Right out of law school, he was a trial attorney for the
DL&W Railroad Company.
“This professorship,” Dean Schizer said, “is a fitting tribute
to Al Cinelli’s extraordinary career.”
