Emeritus Club honors Stanley Motta with Lifetime Achievement Award

The Emeritus Club of Tulane University has honored Stanley Motta (BBA ’67), chairman of Copa Holdings, the parent company of Copa Airlines, with its Lifetime Achievement of the Emeritus Class Award for the Class of 1967. The award, which was presented by Tulane President Mike Fitts at an event on May 19, recognizes members of the 50-year class who have demonstrated outstanding scholarship, excellence in their career field and loyalty to Tulane over the years.

A native of Panama, Motta graduated from Tulane University’s A. B. Freeman School of Business in 1967 with a Bachelor of Business Administration degree. In addition to chairing Copa Holdings, Motta’s business interests include banking, wholesale distribution, broadcasting and insurance. He also works with nonprofits like ANCON, which promotes biodiversity, and business and trade groups in the Americas and Spain.

Over the past several years, Motta has served as both an organizing force and catalyst for the Tulane Alumni Association in Panama, frequently hosting alumni events to highlight the accomplishments of Panamanian Tulanians. This alumni group has collectively raised a full-tuition scholarship to send a student to the LLM program at Tulane Law School for four years running. They have effected these gifts through the vehicle of Motta’s philanthropic foundation and continue to look to him for leadership in deepening Tulane-Panama connections.

“From his achievements in business to his service to the community, Stanley Motta embodies the very best of Tulane University,” said Ira Solomon, dean of the Freeman School. “I can't think of a more deserving recipient of this year’s Emeritus Club Lifetime Achievement Award.”

The Emeritus Club of Tulane honors members of the 50-year class and strives to keep members of the class and earlier classes, as well as faculty, engaged with the university. This year’s awards presentation, which also honored Walter Blessey (E '67, L '70), CEO of Blessey Marine Services, took place in conjunction with Tulane University's Reunion Weekend.