“Stop looking for a position and get a job. Do that job well and to the best of your ability, then more and more opportunities will open up for you.” This is the advice Dr. Morris Baker ’63, psychology professor at McMurry, had for Austin Pittman ’91, who is currently President and CEO of United Health Care of the Carolinas. Austin credits his success to the leadership skills he acquired at McMurry. Austin’s positions held in Student Government, the football team and in Ko Sari men’s social club helped him not only in the business world, but in his local community. Austin is currently the Co-Chairman for the Guilford County Heart Association Annual Gala, and is on the Greensboro Chamber of Commerce Operating Group. He is also serves on the Board of Directors for Greensboro Partnership.

Austin took Dr. Baker’s advice to heart and started working the night shift at a hospital with the intention of going to graduate school during the day. During his spare time at the hospital, Austin began looking at marketing materials and saw ways to improve them. After successfully selling his ideas, he was hired at Baylor Health Care in Dallas. From Baylor Health Care he was hired by Pacific Care doing contracting, before becoming President of Pacific Care for the state of Texas and Oklahoma. Pacific Care merged with United Health Care and Austin was asked to be President and CEO of the Carolina states.

Some of Austin’s fondest memories are his involvement with Ko Sari and the football team. The friendships and rich experiences will forever be a part of his life. “Schools like McMurry are perfect for some and not for others,” says Pittman. He believes his McMurry experience helped shaped him into the leader that he is today. “McMurry encouraged students to hold leadership roles. The quality of professors and the interaction that you received on a day to day basis was priceless. McMurry taught me to learn how to learn.”