Latest news with #Rainey
Global News
19-07-2025
- Health
- Global News
Shine Foundation makes dream come true for Halifax teen
See more sharing options Send this page to someone via email Share this item on Twitter Share this item via WhatsApp Share this item on Facebook It was a dream come true in Halifax as the Shine Foundation helped make a teen's wish a reality. For Malcom Rainey, being active and playing sports has always been one of his favourite things. But after surgery last year for hip dysplasia, his physical abilities have declined. Get breaking National news For news impacting Canada and around the world, sign up for breaking news alerts delivered directly to you when they happen. Sign up for breaking National newsletter Sign Up By providing your email address, you have read and agree to Global News' Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy The 16-year-old has another hip surgery scheduled for later this year. The Shine Foundation, which fulfils the dreams of young people with severe physical disabilities, gave Rainey the opportunity to film his very own spy ninja 24-hour YouTube challenge video. 'The challenge day is about re-engaging excitement for activity and the things that he loves and getting him active again,' said Marissa Izma, the foundation's national programs manager. The 24-hour ninja challenge involves spy-like Nerf gun obstacle courses, dancing and fun mini-games. Rainey's parents say it's heartwarming to see him having fun and living his dream. Story continues below advertisement 'He's a pretty happy-go-lucky guy and I think that's reflected today,' said his father, Jan Rainey. For more on this story, watch the video above.
Chicago Tribune
03-07-2025
- General
- Chicago Tribune
Lake Forest College's longest-serving president, Eugene Hotchkiss, remembered by family, friends, colleagues
Family, friends, and colleagues are reminiscing about the life and impact of Eugene Hotchkiss, Lake Forest College's longest-serving president, and his tireless efforts to improve the school as well as the greater community. Hotchkiss, who presided over Lake Forest College from 1970 through 1993, died June 26 in Lake Forest after a brief illness, according to his daughter, Ellen Rainey. He was 97. 'He was a real people person and was genuinely interested in the people he came into contact with, whether they were students, faculty, staff, or alumni,' recalled David Spadafora, who succeeded Hotchkiss as president. 'He wanted to get to know them, and he took their passion seriously.' Raised in Highland Park, Hotchkiss received an undergraduate degree from Dartmouth College and then served as a Navy intelligence officer during the Korean War. Afterward, he earned a Ph.D. from Cornell University. One day, he received a telegram from the Dartmouth dean proposing that he come to work at the Ivy League school as dean of fraternities. He accepted the position and continued into the world of higher education, becoming the first dean at California's Harvey Mudd College in California. He was later named a dean at Chatham College in Pittsburgh. In 1970, Hotchkiss received the offer to lead LFC. 'This was an opportunity obviously to be a president and to be closer to family because his parents were in Highland Park at the time and his brother was in Hinsdale,' Rainey said. 'It was a bit of a trip home.' However, he was taking over at a difficult time for LFC on multiple levels. Financially, the school faced a $1.5 million deficit, and the school's endowment had plunged to a record low, according to a 1993 Chicago Tribune article. Plus, as was the case at many college campuses throughout the country at the time, tensions were high among students due to the Vietnam War and the racial strife engulfing the nation. In a 2020 interview with the History Center of Lake Forest-Lake Bluff, he remembered those times and wanted to improve the situation, noting he had allowed opening up a pub on campus when the drinking age was still 18. Hotchkiss tried to reach out to students, often riding his three-speed Raleigh bicycle on the campus from his house, seen as a welcoming gesture. 'Students, faculty, and staff saw him on a daily basis,' noted LFC emeritus history professor Michael H. Ebner. 'He maintained a high degree of visibility while he was leading Lake Forest College. He was leading it to a different place. That is his great distinction. He had a vision of what a fine liberal arts college should be.' In addition, Hotchkiss and his wife, Suzanne, often welcomed students to the president's house. 'My father was one of the most extroverted people I know,' Rainey said. 'So he loved being and talking with people. I think every student at Lake Forest was invited twice to our house during their four years on campus.' She added that her parents would entertain the parents of freshmen at the start of the school year. As part of the effort to improve the school's finances, the Hotchkisses sought to create deeper ties within the overall Lake Forest community, again using their home, often with faculty members present. 'That was exciting, we met interesting people. We got to know the town,' Hotchkiss told the History Center in 2020. 'It was fun.' In another way of increasing LFC's presence, Hotchkiss forged an agreement with the Chicago Bears allowing the team to practice on campus starting in 1976, despite the objections of some neighbors. That led to the construction of the first Halas Hall at LFC. 'This was an opportunity to build the visibility of the college without in any way, shape or form compromising its academic goals,' Ebner said. (The Bears used that facility until 1997 when they moved their operation to the Conway Park office complex in western Lake Forest.) Away from LFC, Hotchkiss looked to contribute to the greater community. In 1980, he was a founding board member of CROYA (the Committee Representing Our Young Adults), and he remained active in the organization for the rest of his life. CROYA Manager Todd Nahigian described him as one of the main mentors on situations such as funding or strategic planning. 'He was always the one I could go to for an outstanding perspective on what was best for CROYA,' Nahigian said. 'He was an intelligent problem solver and an empathic listener. He always knew what you needed to get through a challenge and to set the course of CROYA in a positive direction.' In 1993, with LFC's endowment greater than $40 million, Hotchkiss retired as president, stating that his proudest accomplishment was reversing the school's financial troubles. 'I happen to love college administration,' he said. 'It served me well, and I think it served the college well,' he told the Tribune in 1993. Upon his retirement, LFC named what had been known as the North Gym after both Gene and Suzanne Hotchkiss. He later served as Senior Fellow of the Association of Governing Boards of Colleges and Universities and served as interim president of Eckerd College in St. Petersburg, Florida, for approximately a year, according to his daughter. Locally, he was on the board of Bravo Waukegan, a not-for-profit agency that uses music to assist public school students, and was the co-founder of an organization that interviews people to tell their life stories. He was also a board member of the History Center. 'Gene Hotchkiss was an incredible supporter of so many organizations in Lake Forest, and he personally spearheaded building a close relationship between Lake Forest College and the local community during his presidency at the college,' Executive Director Carol Summerfield said. 'We were fortunate to have him as a dedicated board member at the History Center. He was instrumental in getting the museum up and running in our new location on Deerpath. He was always a vibrant, insightful voice and provided grounding to our efforts. We were pleased to honor him as our Local Legend in 2020. And in true Gene fashion, he was adept at shifting to a Zoom presentation, as COVID shut down our ability to host the event live.' Away from work, the Hotchkisses frequently went on canoeing trips in Illinois and Wisconsin, along with traveling all over the world. They also enjoyed going to the theatre and Ravinia before Suzanne died in 2013. Up until recently, Gene Hotchkiss was still going out with friends and loved reading and discussing current events. Survivors include his daughter and her husband, Terry, plus their daughter, Sarah. A memorial service is being planned for later this year.
Business Insider
26-06-2025
- Business
- Business Insider
Defense companies need to 'quit trying to sell us pieces of the puzzle' and work together, says top US general
US defense firms need to "stop selling us pieces of the puzzle" and work more closely together to counter threats around areas like drones and Artificial Intelligence, a top US general said. Gen. Jim Rainey, the head of Army Futures Command, discussed emerging threats and the US military's capacity to counter them in an episode of the War on the Rocks podcast, released on Wednesday. The deployment of AI in warfare and drones are "the biggest two places we need to close the ground quickly," he said. Rainey identified technologies like microwaves, lasers, and electronic warfare as ways to counter these threats, but said weak spots remained and called for the defense industry to "self-organize" to identify solutions. "What we really need is people to quit trying to sell us pieces of the puzzle, and somebody to pull that team together with the sum of those capabilities," he said. Drones have emerged as a key weapon in the war in Ukraine, where both Russia and Ukraine have used them for surveillance and fitted them with bombs to be used as remotely-controlled explosives. China and the US are also experimenting with sophisticated AI-enabled drones that can operate independently of human control, including some that can be deployed as part of a "swarm," operating autonomously and in coordination. The Pentagon has been urgently seeking ways to combat drones, with then-US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin releasing a counter-drone strategy in December. Private sector companies, including the likes of California-based Anduril, are also rolling out new tech solutions. In his remarks, Rainey called for "a bunch of companies to come together, go find the best high-power microwave guy or two, get the best radar people," and then bring them together into an "integrated, data-centric AI-driven capability."
Yahoo
24-06-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Walmart CFO talks private brand, delivery growth
This story was originally published on Grocery Dive. To receive daily news and insights, subscribe to our free daily Grocery Dive newsletter. As Walmart looks to broaden its grocery assortment, private brands are playing a major role, the company's CFO said at a recent conference. In particular, the company is seeing success with its Bettergoods grocery line, which launched last year and focuses on trendy and affordable items. 'Bettergoods has been a big success story for us,' John David Rainey, executive vice president and CFO of Walmart, said at the Oppenheimer Consumer Growth & E-Commerce Conference early this month, according to a Seeking Alpha transcript. The brand features approximately 400 items and has racked up almost $500 million in sales, Rainey said, noting that roughly 70% of that brand's items are priced below $5. 'What's exciting to me about this is 40% of the customers that buy a Bettergood[s] item are coming back as repeat customers. … I think it really speaks to the quality of the overall assortment,' Rainey said. Along with improving its stance on fresh foods, Walmart is also focused on convenience for its customers, he added. Pharmacy delivery, which is available at the majority of the retailer's stores, is promoting 'sticky behavior' among customers, Rainey said. Last fall, Walmart launched same-day pharmacy delivery nationwide. '[With] pharmacy delivery, we can easily provide the opportunity for customers to add in additional food items or add in general merchandise or maybe there's other items within the pharmacy that they want to have delivered … and there's no company that can do all three of those: [general merchandise], food and pharmacy,' he said. E-commerce, especially delivery, is another key growth driver for the company. Reliable and fast delivery is the 'single most compelling part of the value proposition' for its Walmart+ membership program, Rainey said. Walmart is encouraged by consumers' willingness to pay for speedier delivery. Walmart has almost doubled the number of deliveries done in under three hours from the first quarter of last year, Rainey said. In recent weeks, express delivery has accounted for as much as 40% of delivery orders, he said, noting that this quick delivery option accounted for one-third of delivery orders in the company's most recent quarter. 'We continue to see that customers are willing to actually pay for that expedited delivery,' he said. Recommended Reading Walmart adds new grocery line to private brands portfolio Sign in to access your portfolio
Miami Herald
23-06-2025
- Business
- Miami Herald
Walmart CFO talks private brand, delivery growth
As Walmart looks to broaden its grocery assortment, private brands are playing a major role, the company's CFO said at a recent conference. In particular, the company is seeing success with its Bettergoods grocery line, which launched last year and focuses on trendy and affordable items. "Bettergoods has been a big success story for us," John David Rainey, executive vice president and CFO of Walmart, said at the Oppenheimer Consumer Growth & E-Commerce Conference early this month, according to a Seeking Alpha transcript. The brand features approximately 400 items and has racked up almost $500 million in sales, Rainey said, noting that roughly 70% of that brand's items are priced below $5. "What's exciting to me about this is 40% of the customers that buy a Bettergood[s] item are coming back as repeat customers. … I think it really speaks to the quality of the overall assortment," Rainey said. Along with improving its stance on fresh foods, Walmart is also focused on convenience for its customers, he added. Pharmacy delivery, which is available at the majority of the retailer's stores, is promoting "sticky behavior" among customers, Rainey said. Last fall, Walmart launched same-day pharmacy delivery nationwide. "[With] pharmacy delivery, we can easily provide the opportunity for customers to add in additional food items or add in general merchandise or maybe there's other items within the pharmacy that they want to have delivered … and there's no company that can do all three of those: [general merchandise], food and pharmacy," he said. E-commerce, especially delivery, is another key growth driver for the company. Reliable and fast delivery is the "single most compelling part of the value proposition" for its Walmart+ membership program, Rainey said. Walmart is encouraged by consumers' willingness to pay for speedier delivery. Walmart has almost doubled the number of deliveries done in under three hours from the first quarter of last year, Rainey said. In recent weeks, express delivery has accounted for as much as 40% of delivery orders, he said, noting that this quick delivery option accounted for one-third of delivery orders in the company's most recent quarter. "We continue to see that customers are willing to actually pay for that expedited delivery," he said. Copyright 2025 Industry Dive. All rights reserved.
