WAYNE E. WILBOURN II, ’10 Deputy Chief Information Officer, Robert E. Bush Naval Hospital Twentynine Palms
The Park Promising Young Professional Award recognizes a Park University alumnus/a who shows exceptional promise of leadership and contribution to his/her profession and/or community. The recipient of this award will have graduated from Park within the last 10 years and be under the age of 40.
RARE GRADUATE MADE A WORLD OF DIFFERENCE
When asked what he does for a living, Wayne Wilbourn II often casually replies “computer stuff.” But as the deputy chief information officer at the Robert E. Bush Naval Hospital Twentynine Palms (Calif.), it’s hardly that simple.
“There is always something to admire and respect in every individual you encounter.” — Alex Dorofeev, M.P.A. '11 (1985-2015)
In 2014, Wilbourn was appointed to lead a team of 20 to oversee network systems at the hospital to ensure efficient operations and services — from admissions to electronic health care records, lab equipment, surgery, clinics and the pharmacy. “It’s important to ensure military members and their families receive proper care and their health records are secure and accurate, particularly as they are relocated and deployed around the world,” Wilbourn said. Classified computers Born and raised in Alabama, Wilbourn entered the U.S. Marine Corps in 2002 and was stationed at Camp Pendleton, Calif. Though stationed in the sunny West Coast, he spent most of his five years of service with a Marine expeditionary unit, traveling the globe — including three deployments to Iraq.
PROMISING YOUNG PROFESSIONAL AWARD
It was during his military service that he was exposed to computer network, working as a technician on combat and tactical communications systems. “If you’d have told me when I was in high school that I’d work in computers, I’d have said there’s no way,” he said. Yet Wilbourn has been on an information technology career fast track since earning his Bachelor of Science degree in management at Park University and going on to earn a Master of Business Administration degree.
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Wilbourn attributes his career growth to a fundamental desire to learn. “I’m constantly learning, which is critical in the IT world. My career in the computer field is ultimately rooted in my business education,” he said. “Working in IT should not be considered an isolated expertise. It’s critical to understand how computer systems support business processes and goals.” Adapt to change He brings to his deputy CIO role a wealth of diverse experience. After the Marines, he worked for several government contractors, including QinetiQ North America, one of the world’s leading defense and security technology companies. He then served as a network engineer for the U.S. Army Network Enterprise Center at Fort Irwin, Calif. As an IT operations officer at the Barstow (Calif.) Marine Corps Logistics Base, he supervised unclassified and classified networks. When he’s not leading hospital operations, Wilbourn enjoys spending time with his wife of seven years, Samantha, and their growing family of three children. Looking to the future, Wilbourn considers himself a perennial student. “Whatever I know today probably won’t be relevant five years from now,” he said. “If you don’t adapt to change, it’s nearly impossible to survive in this industry. Being open to change and always learning is the key to success.” Photo by Kenny Johnson
Rare is someone like Alexey “Alex” Dorofeev. The 2011 graduate of Park University’s Master of Public Affairs program was a leader, humanitarian and student of the world — all from a young age. Born in a small town in Russia in 1985, Dorofeev came to this country by way of a scholarship and exchange program. While pursuing his postgraduate work at Park, Dorofeev devoted himself to public pursuits — ones that kept him deeply rooted in understanding the world around him. He was a leader in Park’s chapter of People to People International. He took an active role in Operation International Children helping deliver school supplies to children in war-torn countries. He represented Park at Model United Nations conferences and, as a nonprofit professional, he led summits on diplomacy in Saudi Arabia and China, worked for the World Bank Group and was last employed with Development Gateway, an international nonprofit, where he was a highly regarded guest speaker in world forums. His sister Sveta recalled Dorofeev’s smaller acts of humanity — chatting up strangers on world events and any other subject his eclectic mind meandered to, explaining later to his sister the things he admired in each person. Family and friends remember Alex saying, “There is always something to admire and respect in every individual you encounter.” And he frequently shared his vision for professional and personal success. “The most meaningful fairy tale for me would be to help others, those whom I love, so that they have more opportunities and more joyful moments.”
Dorofeev’s most meaningful fairy tale ended when he died on Nov. 7, 2015, in his homeland of Russia. He was 29 years old. But with his passing, Dorofeev’s Park friends are working to keep his vision alive. Fellow Park graduates Rachel Dryden, ’13, and Charif Hamidi, ’11, have established The Alex Dorofeev Memorial Scholarship to benefit graduate students in Park’s Hauptmann School of Public Affairs. “It was a natural and intuitive reaction to Alex’s passing. What better way is there to honor a beautiful mind than with a scholarship?” Hamidi said. “Both Rachel and I are grateful to Park’s Office of University Relations and Development staff for their encouragement and help to set up a donation portal, and to current and former members of Park’s Board of Trustees for their generous donations.” “Those who had the pleasure of knowing Alex would agree that he was the epitome of academic excellence and an inspiration,” Dryden said. “The scholarship fund donation page on Park’s website shines a bright light on Alex’s life. It includes a direct online giving form. We hope you will join us in continuing his legacy by sharing it with Park alumni and friends to help us meet our $30,000 scholarship goal. We kindly ask you for your pledge — no matter how big or small — to help pass Alex’s torch to future generations of public affairs scholars at Park who will continue his life’s mission to make the world a better place through public service.”
“What better way is there to honor a beautiful mind than with a scholarship?” — Charif Hamidi, ’11 To contribute to The Alex Dorofeev Memorial Scholarship, visit www.park.edu/alexmemorial.
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