Like many graduates from The Citadel, Peter Sulick had relatively little contact with the school after his graduation. He spent years building a career first in accounting and later in media and technology.
Things changed just over a year ago when he joined the Citadel School of Business Administration's Advisory Board. He is now working to find where his expertise fits into the stacked deck of successful professionals that make up the board which helps guide the business school.
Sulick had the military in mind when he enrolled at The Citadel, he said, although he was also drawn to Charleston. "I liked the school," he said. "I had a wonderful time when I came down for a weekend visit, and didn't completely understand, I think, what I was about to get myself into."
While a freshman he did experience the difficulties inherent in being a cadet, but Sulick did well in his business classes, focusing on accounting. After graduating, he earned his Master's in finance from the University of Massachusetts, then began his career with Arthur Andersen & Co. in New York City. Following this, he joined International Telephone & Telegraph Corporation. He later became a financial officer for Cablevision Systems Corporation where he participated in the company's IPO, numerous large debt and equity financings, a $350 million leveraged buyout, cable franchising and a host of other transactional activities.
Over the past 25 years, Sulick has founded four companies, including Independence Broadcasting Corporation, PowerFone Inc., SSPCS Corp., and, most recently, AmeriSite LLC, a real estate investment and development company he started in 1998 with his children. He now serves as president and CEO of AmeriSite LLC, with development projects both in his home town of Naples, Fla., and in Nashville, Tenn.
While he didn't have direct contact with The Citadel until recently, Sulick paid attention to its progress over the years. With the help of Dean Earl Walker, he finally reconnected with his alma mater. "I came to the conclusion that there were actions taking place at the school that were going to be beneficial overall," he said. "I decided to re-engage when they asked me to."
He attended one of the Advisory Board meetings to see if it was something that would work for him and would give him the opportunity to have a positive impact on the school. He said he found "there were some really wonderful people on the board that I would enjoy spending time with, and the board was going to have some influence on what is going on."
His first meeting as a member of the Advisory Board was in October, and Sulick said he is taking things as they come. He spent the first several meetings acclimating himself to the setup and to the other members, but he said he is optimistic about the help he can give the business school in the future. "We'll see what I have to offer. Visiting Charleston for several days around the board meetings is a wonderful added bonus.”
