December 13, 2011

Bailey to receive Distinguished Service Award

by Christi Mathis

CARBONDALE, Ill. -- Southern Illinois University Carbondale will honor alumnus Larry D. Bailey with a Distinguished Service Award.

The SIU Board of Trustees approved the award during its Dec. 8 meeting.

“Mr. Bailey’s lifetime of service in his professional endeavors and his dedication to non-profit work make him an obvious choice for this honor.  We are fortunate to benefit from his expertise on our External Advisory and Minority Boards and we are proud to claim him as an alumnus of our college,” J. Dennis Cradit, dean of the College of Business, said.

Bailey, who lives in Washington, D.C., earned his bachelor’s degree in accounting at SIU Carbondale in 1972.  He completed his MBA with a concentration in finance at the University of Pennsylvania’s Wharton School in 1976.  Bailey is one of the founders of the SIU Carbondale’s accounting registered student organization, Blacks Interested in Business (BIB), and received the BIB Global Business Leadership Award in 2011.

The College of Business and Administration, as it was known at the time, inducted Bailey into its Hall of Fame in 1991.  

He is a licensed CPA with more than 26 years of public accountancy experience.  He obtained the position of partner in the international firms of KPMG Peat Marwick and PriceWaterhouseCoopers and was the partner-in-charge of the Africa desk for PriceWaterhouseCoopers. 

Formerly an internal revenue agent for the U.S. Treasury Department, Bailey serves on the board of directors for CareFirst Inc., the regional Blue Cross Blue Shield insurance company.  He is also president of LDB Consulting, Inc.

In addition to a successful career in business and contributing in various ways to his alma mater, Bailey maintains numerous professional affiliations, serves on corporate boards and is involved with charitable organizations, including Africare.  He joined the executive committee for Africare, an organization working to improve the quality of life for people in Africa, in 2001.  The non-government organization partners with people from across Africa in a joint effort to address development and policy issues as they work together to build sustainable, healthy, productive lives and communities.  Bailey is vice chairman of the board and is also the former vice chair and treasurer of the board for Corporate Council on Africa. 

The College of Business anticipates awarding the Distinguished Service Award to Bailey at its May 2012 commencement.