Enactus hires president for U.S. division

Springfield-based international academic and entrepreneurial nonprofit Enactus filled a position this month left vacant late last year.

Alex Perwich started March 3 as president of the nonprofit's U.S. division. He succeeds three-month President David Emerson, who left Enactus Nov. 1 to take a job as CEO of the Phoenix region of American Red Cross, said Nancy Bass, vice president of human resources for Enactus.

Perwich, who supervises 28 of the organization's 70 employees, reports to Chief Operations Officer Dan Booher, a January hire for the nonprofit, Bass said. Booher reports to Enactus President and CEO Alvin Rohrs.

Perwich most recently worked as the founding executive of Phycal, a startup bioenerngy company where he was a leader in raising $70 million in capital and grants. He also has past work experience as CEO of Golden Key International Honour Society, a global organization with more than 2 million members and offices in five countries as well as U.S. Army experience, rising to the rank of lieutenant colonel, according to a news release.

“Perwich is a leader, change agent and entrepreneur with a unique and exemplary record of leadership, excellence and innovation across myriad of sectors and industries," Booher said in the release. "The position at Enactus was a natural and timely fit for him."

Enactus, formerly Students in Free Enterprise, teaches concepts such as market economics, entrepreneurship and business ethics to some 66,500 student members in 36 countries, according to Enactus.org.