The Swanson School presents alumnus David Motley with the 2016 Distinguished Alumni Award for Mechanical Engineering and Materials Science

PITTSBURGH (March 16, 2016) … More than 300 faculty, staff, alumni and friends of the Swanson School of Engineering gathered last night to recognize this year's Distinguished Alumni Award recipients at the School's annual banquet in the University of Pittsburgh's Alumni Hall. Gerald D. Holder, US Steel Dean of Engineering, presented awards honoring alumni from each of the School's six departments, as well as for the Swanson School overall. This year's recipient for the Department of Mechanical Engineering and Materials Science was David L. Motley, BSME '80, Senior Managing Director of Headwaters SC Life Science.

"David is one of our exceptional alumni who has utilized his engineering expertise and business acumen to launch medical technologies, help startup companies succeed, and find new ways to develop the rapidly changing urban real estate market," Dean Holder said. "It's an honor to recognize his impact on the industry and throughout the Pittsburgh community." 

About David Motley
In 1980, David Motley received his BS in mechanical engineering from the University of Pittsburgh and in 1988, graduated from the Harvard Business School with an MBA. Since then, Mr. Motley has spent 20 years garnering a diversified portfolio of experience in corporate America. The bulk of Mr. Motley’s early career was spent with PPG Industries, where he advanced to senior-level positions that included: Director of Corporate Investments; Director of Plant Operations and Engineering; Director, Global Sales and Marketing, Specialty Chemicals; and Director of Sales Commercial Glass. Mr. Motley also held the position of Vice President and General Manager at Covidien, Inc. Surgical Devices, a medical device company acquired by Medtronic.

From 2006 to 2008, Mr. Motley led corporate strategy and venture activity for Respironics, Inc. He was part of the 12-person management team that helped grow the company from $800 million to $1.4 billion and achieve its acquisition by Philips for $5 billion in 2008. Mr. Motley now serves as a board member for: First National Bank; ALung, a University of Pittsburgh-founded medical device company; Optimal Strategix Group; and the University of Pittsburgh’s Coulter Foundation Initiative Investment Committee.

Mr. Motley’s civic and community activities include: Executive Director, Inner City Junior Tennis Program (2014 USTA Community Tennis Association of the Year-Mountain District); Founder of the University of Pittsburgh Minority Engineering Endowed Scholarship Fund; and Founding contributor, Thomas A. Motley KAY Endowed Scholarship Fund.

Currently, Mr. Motley is involved in three companies. He is Co-founder and General Partner in the BlueTree Venture Fund, a Pittsburgh based venture capital firm, investing in med-tech and IT companies at the Series B stage. He is Senior Managing Director for Headwaters SC, a mid-cap investment banking firm that provides sell-side and buy-side transaction support, advisory services, and growth capital to business-owning families. Finally, Mr. Motley is Co-founder and Partner in Acclivity Development, LLC, a real estate development company partnered with Walnut Capital and PJ Dick that focuses on Pittsburgh’s complex urban in-fill opportunities.

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Pictured above from left: Dean Holder, David Motley, and Brian Gleeson, the Harry S. Tack Professor and Chair of Mechanical Engineering and Materials Science.