Dick Sweeney
{{Notability|1=Biographies|date=August 2021}}
Richard Sweeney is an American businessman. He is a vice president at the coffee brewing system company Keurig.
Early life
Sweeney grew up in Roselle Park, New JerseyCanal, Christopher. [https://www.americaninno.com/boston/coffee-connoisseur-dick-sweeney/ "Coffee Connoisseur Dick Sweeney"], Bost Inno, October 28, 2014. Accessed July 18, 2018. "Life wasn't easy for the young Richard Sweeney who was raised by a widowed mother in Roselle Park, New Jersey." and graduated from Roselle Catholic High School in 1966.Staff. [http://www.nj.com/suburbannews/index.ssf/2014/02/roselle_catholic_hs_is_best_fo.html "Roselle Catholic H.S. is best for college prep"], Suburban News, February 21, 2014. Accessed July 18, 2018. "RC feels a special connection to the Keurig coffee maker, as it was invented by Keurig's co-founder and Vice-President for Manufacturing, Richard Sweeney, RC Class of 1966, and a loyal RC alumnus." Three months later he was drafted and served a 13-month tour of duty in Vietnam as a soldier of the United States Army. While in Vietnam, Sweeney served as a medic, then as a team leader on the Long Range Reconnaissance Patrols. Upon returning home to New Jersey, Sweeney received a Bachelor's degree from Newark College of Engineering (now known as the New Jersey Institute of Technology) in 1982, financed by the GI Bill. After graduation, he enrolled in graduate school and received an MBA from Fairleigh Dickinson University in 1986.{{cite journal | title= Dick Sweeney '66: Always Something Brewing | journal= The Lion Winter |edition=7 | publisher= Roselle Catholic High School | pages= 10 & 11 | date= Winter 2012 }}
Career
After returning home from Vietnam, Sweeney worked at United Parcel Service as a driver. After that, he went on to a factory job{{where|date=August 2021}} where he became fascinated with the process, and decided to pursue higher education. Sweeney completed his education with an MBA from Fairleigh Dickinson University in 1986 and continued to work in manufacturing.{{where|date=August 2021|reason=Please clarify where he worked and in what roles before becoming VP of Keurig in 1996. Also, was he pursuing his education full-time or was it while he was employed?}} He joined Keurig full-time in 1996 as its Vice President of Engineering.
Award recognitions
In 2006, the New Jersey Institute of Technology awarded Sweeney with their Entrepreneurial Leadership Award,{{cite web | title= NJIT Alumnus Dick Sweeney, Co-Founder of Keurig, Receives NJIT's Entrepreneurial Award | url= http://www.njit.edu/news/2006/2006-489.php | date= November 30, 2006 | website= New Jersey Institute of Technology | accessdate= 2012-02-18 | url-status= dead | archive-date= 2011-09-10 | archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20110910163109/http://www.njit.edu/news/2006/2006-489.php }} and in 2018 it presented him with an honorary degree.{{Cite web | url=https://www5.njit.edu/boards/sites/boards/files/Honorary-Degrees-Commencement-2018.pdf | title=Resolution approving awarding of honorary degrees to Leah Jamieson, Richard Sweeney | first=Ras J. | last=Baraka}}
Personal life
Sweeney has been married to his wife Els since 1986 and they have one daughter. The Sweeneys currently reside in Winchester, Massachusetts.