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Press Releases | |
April 30, 1998
Contact: Jane Finalborgo
Bellport Resident Thomas Cullen to Receive Distinguished Alumnus Award from Southampton College
Joe Dionisio
(516) 287 8313
Fax: (516) 283 4081
(SOUTHAMPTON, NY) -- Thomas K. Cullen, vice president of government and industry relations for King Kullen Grocery Company, Inc., will receive the Distinguished Alumnus Award at Southampton Colleges' 32nd annual commencement ceremonies on May 17.
Long Island University President David Steinberg, Chancellor Robert F.X. Sillerman and Provost Tim Bishop will honor Cullen at an 11:00 a.m. pre-commencement brunch at the Publick House in Southampton. Starting at 2:00 p.m., Dr. Steinberg will confer degrees upon 274 undergraduates and 23 graduate students.
Cullen, who is considered one of the region's leading businessmen, earned his bachelor of arts degree in business management at Southampton College in 1973, and went on to complete a master of business administration degree at Long Island University's C.W. Post Campus in 1981.
Cullen also serves as a board member of King Kullen, which is the oldest supermarket chain in the nation. Established in 1930 by his grandfather, the company was "America's First Supermarket" and revolutionized how the nation purchased food.
Since 1970, Cullen has served in numerous capacities at King Kullen, moving into his current position in 1989. Although it is a family-run business, Cullen acknowledges that, "I had to learn the business from the bottom up, just like everyone else." During his tenure, the Long Island-based business has grown to 48 stores from the East End of Long Island to Staten Island, and has annual sales of more than $700 million.
As executive director and secretary of the James A. Cullen Memorial Fund, a non-profit organization established in 1983 in honor of his late father, Cullen has helped raise more than $2 million to benefit Little Flower Children's Services in Wading River and Brooklyn for which he is currently acting as president.
In addition, Cullen is a board and committee member of numerous organizations, including the Long Island Association Environment Committee, the Food Industry Alliance of New York State, the Nature Conservancy of Long Island, Brookhaven Memorial Hospital, and the Food Marketing Institute of America. Cullen is a member of the America-Irish Historical Society of New York City. He also serves as chairman of the board, president and CEO of Crown Advertising Agency, Inc., a $14 million company in Westbury, which represents many local, national and international clients.
Cullen resides in Bellport with his wife, Kathleen Penney Cullen. They have a grown son, Scott.
Also receiving the Distinguished Alumnus Award will be Dave Krasnow, a successful patent and trademark attorney from Raleigh, North Carolina.