James Beatty ’70 was the commencement speaker for both ceremonies on Saturday, May 17. His speech, titled “Make History” encouraged the graduates to impact the world around them — in their career and community.
Beatty is president of NCS International, a nationally recognized site selection and economic development firm based in Omaha, Nebraska. He is one of the nation’s top site consultants for call centers, shared service centers, mission-critical facilities and back-office operations. He has led numerous initiatives in rural and urban America and was named one of America’s top 50 consultants by Consultant Connection. James has worked on over 300 projects, representing 30,000+ jobs and $3 billion in investment.
He has written extensively on economic development, including the widely used “Technology-Led Economic Development” manual, published by Verizon and the International Economic Development Council. He contributes to industry publications and is a frequent national speaker. His work has been featured in the Wall Street Journal, Atlanta Business Journal, Nations Business, and the New York Times.
Beatty was appointed to the Congressional Office on U.S. Technology Assessment and is a former policy fellow and adjunct professor at the Docking Institute at Fort Hays State University. He also served as a national consultant on IT for the National Congress for Community and Economic Development in Washington, D.C.
He has delivered keynote speeches to the National Governors Association, the Aspen Institute, IEDC, and others, and has conducted workshops for thousands of economic development professionals.
Before founding NCS, Beatty worked for Northwestern Bell (AT&T), branding Omaha as the “Nation’s Capital for 800 and Toll-Free Numbers.”
He has served on many boards, including the Omaha Jaycees, Urban League of Nebraska, Durham Western Heritage Museum, Nebraska Economic Development Commission, United Way of the Midlands, and the Omaha Metro Transit Authority.
Beatty’s honors include induction into several halls of fame and Doane University’s Paul Kersenbrock Humanitarian and Honor “D” awards. Beatty was recruited by legendary Coach Al Papik and was on a track and academic scholarship during his Doane career. A 1970 Doane graduate and the first African American to major in mathematics, Beatty and his wife, Earlene, established the Grant Hatchett Scholarship. They have five children, 11 grandchildren and three great-grandchildren.
