Maine West alumnus recognized

Don Maruska, nationally recognized business leader, returned to his alma mater, Maine West High School, to receive the 2010 Maine West Distinguished Alumnus Award.

Maruska spent the day at Maine West on June 3, touring his former school, visiting business, design, and science classes, eating lunch with students, and addressing faculty and student leaders. Maruska shared his personal story, including what he learned from his undergraduate years at Harvard, his work on Capitol Hill and his experiences starting several successful Silicon Valley companies.

For the past 17 years, however, Don has been helping others with their companies and their careers as a columnist, author and business coach. He explained to staff and students how he came to realize that the key to any group's success is the means by which they make decisions.

He shared his book, "How Great Decisions Get Made," and demonstrated through a simulation just how easy it is for a group to jump into solutions before really studying the problem and listening to everyone. Faculty and student leaders came away from the session with a vivid and valuable lesson they can apply to school and to life.

Maruska attended a dinner in his honor at the Rosewood Restaurant Thursday evening and the Senior Awards Assembly on Friday morning.

The Maine West Distinguished Alumnus Award is sponsored and selected by the Maine Township High School District 207 Educational Foundation. A committee of faculty, students, and alumni reviews applications, and the Educational Foundation names the winner and presents both the recipient and Maine West with a commemorative plaque.