Honors an alumnus/a who has made a significant impact on their community over their lifetime
When Chip Sollins graduated from Maryland with a criminology degree, he was struck by the weight of his experience.
“It was my first time leaving home, and Maryland taught me how to get around, how to maneuver, how to meet friends, and how to get out of my comfort zone,” he says. “It’s a place that gave me a great foundation.”
Which is why Sollins didn’t think twice about volunteering for his alma mater for 14 years after graduation. Starting in 1998 he served as a member of the Alumni Association Board of Governors, two years as president, and also as an Alumni Association regional alumni network leader. Additionally, he was an appointed and elected trustee of the University of Maryland, College Park Foundation, and he was a major donor to the Hall of Friendship in the Samuel Riggs IV Alumni Center.
“I’m a big believer in giving back, and so that’s why I made the decision to get involved with the school and to help in every way that I could,” Sollins says, noting that it’s a sensibility instilled in him by his parents. “You try to give back where you can.”
Sollins grew up in Baltimore and planned to go to law school after getting his undergraduate degree, but higher education is a journey of discovery, and he changed his trajectory. He decided instead to become a businessman.
Sollins lives in Palm Beach Gardens, Fla., where for 15 years he’s been president and CEO of Garden Home Management Services. The business manages high-end homes in Palm Beach County—mainly second homes—providing handyman services, hurricane preparedness, housekeeping, window washing and pressure washing, among other services.
