Gregory R Nelson Sr.

Gregory R Nelson Sr

Gregory R Nelson Sr. is the cofounder and former senior executive at two of the nation’s leading orthopedic bracing companies, DonJoy, Inc. (now DJO) and BREG, Inc. (now a subsidiary of Orthofix). He is chairman and CEO of United Orthopedic Group.

Business/career

Nelson cofounded DonJoy, Inc.,[1] a company that manufactures and sells orthopedic devices, in 1978. The company was eventually traded on the New York Stock Exchange as DJO.[1] Nelson sold the vastly successful company in 1987 but remained president until 1995. In 1989 he cofounded BREG, another orthopedic company. Nelson sold BREG in 2003 retired for a couple of years.

Nelson is chairman and CEO of United Orthopedic Group, a global corporation that has since acquired 14 companies specializing in noninvasive orthopedic products and services. In October 2007, United Orthopedic Group employed over 1,000 people and it operates in 18 states and the Dominican Republic.[2] Nelson has also made contributions to his community. Gregorio’s, an Italian restaurant owned by Nelson and located in Carlsbad, California, donated 100% of profits to the Boys & Girls Club of Carlsbad from 2010-2011.[3]

Current endeavors

Nelson and his wife, Barbi Nelson, are co-chairs of the Boys & Girls Clubs of America’s capital campaign to build a new clubhouse and have donated $1 million towards the project, the largest donation in the club's history.[4] Nelson was named Carlsbad’s “Citizen of the Year” in 1991 and “Philanthropist of the Year” in 2006.[5] The Nelson Charitable Foundation is a supporter of the Fellowship of Christian Athletes, and has made it possible for 25 students to attend institutions of higher education while also supporting summer camps, church camps, and San Diego State University Aztec Athletics. The foundation aids many charities in the greater San Diego area, but their efforts are especially concentrated in Carlsbad.

In 2006, Nelson published Half Time, a book of poetry on the subjects of winning attitudes, thankfulness, family, children, love, and God. After having accumulated his inspirational poetry over the course of 25 years, Nelson was pleased to share his poems with another poetry enthusiast; former UCLA head coach John Wooden.[6] In 2008, Nelson was inducted into the Boys & Girls Club Alumni Hall of Fame, joining the likes of fellow inductees Steve Young and Steve Largent, actors Cuba Gooding and Danny Glover, Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa, Starbucks CEO Howard Schultz, and actress/singer Dana Owens (aka Queen Latifah).

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 "Gregory Nelson BusinessWeek Profile". BusinessWeek.com. 2010-05-21. Retrieved 2011-09-13.
  2. ↑ "American Values Are Alive and Well in Carlsbad Business". Carlsbad Business Journal. 2006-04-01. Retrieved 2011-09-12.
  3. ↑ "Building For the Future: Greg Nelson Learns from the Boys and Girls Club". South Coast Magazine. 2006-04-01. Retrieved 2011-09-12.
  4. ↑ "Boys and Girls Club, Greg Nelson Lifetime Honorary Board Member". Wellness Hour. 2011-06-30. Retrieved 2011-09-12.
  5. ↑ "Full Nelson". ClickOnCarlsbad.com. 2011-06-30. Retrieved 2011-09-12.
  6. ↑ "How I Remember Coach John Wooden". csmonitor.com. 2010-06-05. Retrieved 2011-09-12.