As Vice President of Global Security and Trademark Protection
for one of the leading cosmetic companies in the world, Lewis Rice
Jr.’74SVC knows first hand about being a member of a global
society. Lewis is responsible for leading a worldwide team of
security executives in charge of the protection and safety of all
Estée Lauder Companies’ employees and products. He says that in
order to make yourself marketable after graduation, students must
take advantage of the study
abroad opportunities at St. John’s: “Most companies are now
expanding into global markets, so in order for students to be
successful in any field they have to take advantage of every global
opportunity presented to them. Global experience says to
prospective employers that you have no problem embracing new
cultures and are successful at adapting to change.”
Prior to his position at Estée Lauder, Lewis was a Special Agent
with the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA). During his
26-year career with the DEA, he developed expertise in national
program areas, policy and management. In 1998, he was awarded
the rank of Meritorious Executive in the Senior Executive Service
of the DEA by former President William J. Clinton. However, it was
his experiences at St. John’s University's College of
Professional Studies that made his career in criminal justice
possible, “It was at a St. John’s career fair that I was first
introduced to DEA. The agents came to recruit college
graduates and I felt prepared because I knew that my undergraduate
courses and professors had prepared me for the job as a special
agent.”
During his career with the DEA, Lewis held numerous assignments
in Kingston, Jamaica; Washington, D.C.; Philadelphia; and Detroit.
In 1997, he was promoted to the position of Special Agent in Charge
of the DEA office in New York. Outside of DEA Headquarters in
Washington D.C., the New York office is the largest DEA Office with
a staff of more than 800 employees and an operational budget of
more than 50 million dollars. Lewis was responsible for the
management of all DEA’s investigative, administrative, training and
drug prevention programs for the State of New York.
Described by St. John’s University in one of its publications as
an “exceptional alumnus,” Lewis is held up to present and future
students as an example that hard work and dedication will yield
success in the future. He demonstrates this dedication when he
says, “
Criminal Justice is an extremely rewarding career because your
job is to help people and there’s always a good feeling associated
with helping people for no other reason than it’s the right thing
to do.”