Filemon Lopez Honored with Distinguished Alumnus Award at VSU

Filemon Lopez and President Richard A. Carvajal

VALDOSTA — Filemon Lopez is the recipient of Valdosta State University’s 2017 Distinguished Alumnus Award for the College of the Arts. 

Lopez earned a Bachelor of Fine Arts in theatre, radio, television, and film from VSU in 1981. He retired from Comcast Corporation in 2016 as the senior vice president of strategic operations for Comcast after 30 years with Comcast and its predecessor companies.

“VSU gave me the opportunity as an international student to not only learn academics but also improve my English and my understanding of American culture,” Lopez said. “The class sizes and the fact that you could get to know your professors was a big plus for me. VSU's environment was warm and friendly. From the administration to the staff, professors, and students, everything was a terrific experience for me.” 

Recognized as the first Hispanic Comcast executive, Lopez held a leading role in the company’s diversity efforts, where he focused on building relationships and growing community-based projects. He served as a key advisor and strategist to David Cohen, Comcast’s chief diversity officer, and worked intimately with the new Corporate Diversity Organization. Lopez also worked with NBCU/Telemundo to explore synergies between Telemundo and Comcast as a member of the Hispanic Action Team.

Prior to that role, Lopez was the regional senior vice president for Comcast’s Florida East Coast with over 4,000 employees serving an estimated 1.5 million customers. Under his leadership, Comcast’s Florida East Coast region achieved significant growth due to his unique ability to focus on the strengths of individuals and teams.

Prior to that position, he was president of Comcast University, the center for performance improvement, learning and development, and employee communications for Comcast Cable Communications. Lopez was instrumental in the development of Comcast’s signature leadership programs. He was also responsible for ensuring that the company’s culture and values were communicated throughout the organization.

Prior to joining Comcast, Lopez held sales leadership positions with Cox Cable and Storer Cable Communications. He has been involved in the cable industry since 1983 and has served on several industry boards.

Lopez is the recipient of numerous awards and recognitions, including the Comcast President’s Award and Hispanic Engineer & Information Technology Magazine’s Most Important Hispanics in Technology and Business Award. He was also named in Hispanic Business Magazine’s 2013 list of top 25 Hispanic business executives in the United States.

The importance of building strong local partnerships has been a top priority for Lopez. He currently serves on the Board of Governors for the Wayne Huizenga School of Business at NOVA Southeastern University as well as the board for The Zoological Society of Florida. He is an accomplished wildlife and nature photographer and enjoys traveling to some of the world’s most beautiful locations to capture his images.

The Distinguished Alumnus Award for the College of the Arts, presented each year by the VSU Alumni Association, recognizes an exceptional VSU graduate who has made significant contributions to his or her community. Lopez was recognized during Homecoming Week, Oct. 30-Nov. 5.