COSTA MESA, Calif. - January 28, 2004 -- Gregg Schwenk, senior vice president and director of market research and analysis for investment banker RSM EquiCo, has received the 2003 Henry W. Bloch National Award for Outstanding Community Service.
The award was bestowed by the H&R Block Foundation, a nonprofit organization committed to artistic and cultural endeavors, health and human services, education, community development and volunteerism. The Foundation annually recognizes one associate from each of three H&R Block companies: HRB Financial Advisors, Option One and RSM McGladrey (of which RSM EquiCo is an affiliate). David P. Miles, president of the foundation, said Schwenk was cited for his "exceptional volunteer work on behalf of individuals and organizations in California."
Schwenk was particularly recognized for his role as executive director and chief executive officer of the Newport Beach Film Festival, an annual 10-day event established to bring the best in classic and contemporary filmmaking to the local community. The festival attracts 20,000 cineastes to screenings of some 300 films, which range from 5-minute 'shorts" to full-length features and are selected from among 1,400 entries submitted by filmmakers around the world. The H&R Block Foundation will present a $5,000 grant to the festival in Schwenk's honor.
Schwenk's community involvement is not limited to the Newport Beach Film Festival. He also is a director of the Orange County Chapter of the British American Business Council, the world's largest transatlantic business organization; an at-large member of the Newport Beach Economic Development Committee, which advises the city on a variety of marketing, business retention and relocation issues; and a board member of the Protocol Foundation of Orange County, which promotes cultural exchanges between the county and the more than 90 governments operating consulates in Southern California.
Schwenk has more than a decade of experience in the field of middle market mergers and acquisitions. Prior to joining RSM EquiCo in 2002, he was a vice president with Strategic Mergers Group. Before that he spent almost 10 years as a senior research associate and vice president for the middle market M&A unit of Smith Barney. He received a bachelor's degree from the University of California, Berkeley and continued post-graduate studies at the University of Southern California.
Schwenk resides in Newport Beach, Calif.
About RSM EquiCo, Inc.
RSM EquiCo is a leading global investment banking firm serving private middle-market companies throughout North America. With more than 400 professionals and support personnel, the firm specializes in mergers, acquisitions and divestitures for non-public companies with up to $250 million in annual revenues. Based in Costa Mesa, Calif., RSM EquiCo is part of RSM McGladrey Business Services, a business segment of H&R Block Inc. For more information, log on to www.rsmequico.com.