ELECTRIC BOAT MANAGEMENT ASSOCIATION
March Program, Patrick Kuhse, Ethics Chair at Suffolk University
Speaking at the Groton Inn and Suites
March's EBMA meeting was held at the Groton Inn & Suites in Groton on Thursday March 18, 2010. Patrick Kuhse (pronounced KOO-zee), was the evening’s guest speaker. Mr. Kuhse was a fugitive from the FBI for several years after becoming involved with financial irregularities associated with pension investments made on behalf of the state of Oklahoma. He illustrated his talk with real-life examples, drawn from personal experience, before, during and after his crime. He talked about his life in prison, its impact on his family, and his new life lecturing on business ethics. He provided members with a unique first-hand perspective of the potential pitfalls of poor ethical choices.
But first, EBMA President, Joe Rossi brought the meeting to order. He welcomed members and recognized retirees in the audience. He previewed upcoming events including the April 29th Dinner meeting - Scholarship Night with EB VP General counsel, Joe Chontos, as guest speaker. EB Night will follow on May 25th with John Casey as the principal speaker. The Kids’ Easter Party will be held on March 21st (volunteers, he said, are still needed.) As always, details of all future events can be found on the EBMA web site. He announced the availability of two members’ scholarships, the Robert Januska and James Brown awards. The EBMA Golf tournament and the Lake Compounce excursion are also looming in the near-term future. He then called Carrie Pfieffer and Bob Rasmussen to the stage to discuss the Board of Director elections and to take nominations from the floor.
He recognized Victor and Laura Sottile for their help with the evening’s table assignments and singled-out Judy Bogue for her efforts planning tonight’s dinner. He thanked Carrie Pffiefer, D455, for her continued service on various committees. Anita Kaiser, D330 then led the Pledge of Allegiance and Tom Plante, D686, recited the prayer.
After dinner, Joe introduced Patrick Kuhse, former Financial Planner, convicted felon, and current holder of the Ethics Chair at Boston’s Suffolk University. Members welcomed him with polite applause.
Patrick thanked Joe and began by recapping his illegal escapades. Charged with bribing a public official, he had spent four years on the run in Costa Rica, followed by four years in prison. A former mover & a shaker, and a self-described “pretty boy”, the prospect of jail terrified him. Still, he said, As my father used to say, when one door shuts another one opens. Every crisis in life, he said, disguises an opportunity. In prison he finished his education and helped 100 fellow inmates continue theirs. He learned a lot about his fellow man (he conducted more than 4,000 “interviews” in prison) and even more about himself. He had a lot of time to revisit his past and analyze where he had gone wrong. He developed a list of 8 critical errors he and many other prisoners held in common: Entitlement, Super Optimism, Affection Disconnection, Seemingly Unimportant Decisions (SUDs), Rationalization, Situational Ethics, Victimization, and Laziness. Throughout his talk he referred back to this list to illustrate his theory of bad behavior..
He talked about his childhood in Southern Iowa and his college days at Arizona State. He spoke of his married life in San Diego and his career on Wall Street. He opened a branch office in Oklahoma City where the bribery eventually took place. At each juncture in his life he illustrated how one or more of the eight errors clouded his judgment and led him down the slippery slope to incarceration. He described his journey as a series of small mistakes that in their aggregate ensnared him in a web of deceit. He lost his wealth, his family and his freedom; although later in life he was able to reconnect to his wife and sons.
The scariest phone call he ever received, he said, was the one from Ted Kopple informing him that his hidden crimes were to be outed on Nightline. “Did you do it or not?” His wife asked. “Yeah, but…” he replied. He’d answered so many questions that way, so many times, he began to characterize himself as a “but head”. Faced with imminent arrest, he ran away to Costa Rica chiefly because of that country’s lack of a meaningful extradition treaty with the US. During that time he was visited by both the FBI and INTERPOL. He had been chased and shot at. He had little hope of returning to a normal existence. Eventually he missed his family more than he feared prison, and he voluntarily returned to the states. His picture was plastered in all of the wrong places. .
His 20 year sentence was reduced to six in lock-up with three years probation. But even that was too long for his two sons who told their friends that their father was dead. He studied in his cell at night and eventually finished his degree. His proud parents cried the day the mailman delivered his diploma. (But Mom, he said, I’m in jail! But you’re finally doing something with your life, she sniffed.)
Now he travels extensively sharing his experiences with hundreds of business people and thousands of college students. He once had 6 Million dollars in the bank, he said, now he has very little, but “I’ve never felt better.” He spoke about the value of sharing his experiences with students and urged audience members to try something similar. Visit area schools for an hour each year, he said, and tell the kids your story. You too will make a difference in the lives of others. It’s not income or possessions that define one’s true wealth, he said, but the relationships you have forged and the choices you’ve made. He thanked members for attending his talk.
Mr. Kuhse was given a spirited round of applause and then he answered a few questions from audience members. After that a motion to adjourn was made and seconded, members left the building a little bit wiser about the dire consequences of poor choices compounded by uncertain footing on ethically slippery slopes.
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