Honored Alumni

The Honored Alumni Award is the highest honor bestowed upon Cal Poly alumni by the university’s Alumni Association. The award was established more than 40 years ago to provide recognition for outstanding graduates and former students of Cal Poly.

2017 Honoree Lisa Hufford

CEO and author Lisa Hufford (Business Administration, ‘93) has been named the 2017 Orfalea College of Business Honored Alumna. Hufford built her career in tech sales at RR Donnelley, Modus Media International and Microsoft. In 2006, she founded Simplicity Consulting, a Seattle-based firm supporting a thriving network of hundreds of marketing professionals.

In her latest book, Navigating the Talent Shift, Hufford outlines the movement around building on-demand marketing teams as an alternative to traditional staffing or agency models for corporations. She is an advocate for experienced and savvy marketing professionals — especially women — in search of choice, impact and success in their work.

Hufford has been a long-time supporter of the Orfalea College of Business, the Women in Business club and Cal Poly’s Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurship (CIE). She joined the CIE Founder’s Circle in 2014, providing financial support to student programs and giving her time to mentor young entrepreneurs. She also serves as a member of the college’s Dean’s Advisory Council.

Past Honored Alumni