As a former member of RIT’s Board of Trustees and a life-long learner, 2016 Saunders College of Business Distinguished Alumni Henry Navas MBA ’74, MA ’77 was keenly focused on the education of all those who attend RIT and, perhaps even more so, of those who have since graduated. “Education cannot end when you get your sheepskin, shake hands with the dean, and walk off the dais. That’s just the beginning,” Navas said. “Part of the question that RIT is asking is ‘How do we continue to make educational opportunities available to alumni in their technical fields and, more broadly, teach crucial life skills?’” Navas’ desire for this type of continuing education is due to the lessons he learned beyond the classroom. While he credits his education for providing him with excellent technical skills, Navas wishes additional skill sets had been built into his programs at RIT. “I’ve had to acquire critical thinking, ethical reasoning and unambiguous communication over time. You need them not only in your career, but in life outside of your job.” These skills have proven more than beneficial for Navas.
 
After working at Xerox for more than 12 years, he left Rochester to pursue a career in Silicon Valley. He eventually found his way to Cisco, when it was a company of just 50 employees. While there, Navas became treasurer and helped to launch Cisco’s successful initial public offering in 1990. Navas wasn’t consumed with balance sheets and profit and loss statements, though because he felt strongly that people need to infuse the technical side of their education and careers with the social sciences and humanities. His continuing education included taking courses in anthropology, cosmology, physics and poetry. He envisioned RIT offering the same type of opportunities for its alumni in the future. “I can imagine the time when, in major cities, alumni will gather together for a course in Western Civilization or Faulkner. RIT will get people together to have those kinds of conversations with its professors,” Navas said. “RIT can continue to broaden their [alumni’s] views of life.” Furthermore, Navas believes that a little bit of fun should be had as well. “You’ve got to work hard and you’ve got to party hearty. You really do. It’s not enough to be a grind. You’ve got to get into the social relationships that will be fundamental to your success, both in your career and in your life outside your work.” Navas more than lived up to his mantra. He made four cross-country motorcycle trips and carried a tuxedo wherever he went because “you never know when you might need one.” Navas sported his tuxedo on April 15, 2016 when he was honored, along with his fellow DAAs.