Introducing the New BGS President
John T. Wholihan
Dean, College of Business Adminstration, Loyola Marymount University
John T. Wholihan, Dean of the College of Business Administration at Loyola Marymount University, assumes the presidency of The International Honor Society Beta Gamma Sigma on July 1, 2006. He believes that lifetime membership in the Society helps both student and alumni members throughout their careers.
“Those involved with the organization are focused on (business school’s) reasons for existing – namely the students,” he said. “Not just students, but those dedicated to academic achievement.”
Wholihan has been Dean of the College of Business Administration since 1984. Prior to his arrival at Loyola Marymount University, he spent many years at Bradley University, serving five years as Associate Dean, and several years as the Director of the MBA Program and Director of the Small Business Institute. Wholihan was a Fulbright Scholar in Brazil in 1976.
Wholihan earned his bachelor’s degree from the University of Notre Dame, his MBA from Indiana University, and his Ph.D. from The American University. In addition to Beta Gamma Sigma, he is a member of several academic associations and honor societies including the Academy of Management, Small Business Institute Directors Association and Alpha Sigma Nu. He served as president of the Western Association of Collegiate Schools of Business, and is past president of the Association of Jesuit Colleges and Universities – Business Deans. He will join the Board of Directors of AACSB International – The Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business, on July 1, 2006.
A member of Beta Gamma Sigma’s Board of Governors since 1996, Wholihan’s leadership has been instrumental in growing the Society’s programs and services. He was one of the leading figures in the expansion of the Alumni Network Program, which has resulted in the establishment of BGS alumni chapters in 17 metropolitan areas in the U.S. and one in Hong Kong.
Wholihan believes in Beta Gamma Sigma’s ability to motivate all students of business, as well as business professionals long after graduation.
“Not everyone can be in the top 10 percent, numerically or intellectually, but those who can and do achieve this level of excellence deserve to be recognized,” he said. “It is true in most endeavors – sports, business, etc. – that recognition motivates us to achieve even higher goals throughout our lives. What could be more energizing?”
Introducing the New BGS Vice President
George E. Stevens
Dean, College of Business Adminstration and the Graduate School of Management, Kent State University
The International Honor Society Beta Gamma Sigma is proud to announce that Dr. George E. Stevens, Dean of the College of Business Administration and the Graduate School of Management at Kent State University, has been elected vice president/president-elect of the Society.
Stevens, a member of the Beta Gamma Sigma Board of Governors since 2002, will take over his new position July 1, 2006. He has served as an officer of the Board since his election as secretary-treasurer in 2004.
Prior to taking over as dean at Kent State in 1995, Stevens was Dean of the School of Business Administration at Oakland University (Mich.). He also served as Interim Dean of the College of Business Administration at the University of Central Florida.Stevens’ leadership has been instrumental to the honor society over the last several years, as programs like the Student Leadership Forum, Scholarship Program, BGS CareerCentral job board, and the Alumni Network have been strengthened and expanded. Beta Gamma Sigma is the honor society serving business schools accredited by AACSB International, and membership in the Society is limited to those ranking at the very top of their business school classes. Stevens has participated in the Board of Governors’ strategic planning sessions, and has represented the Society and the Board at numerous functions.
Stevens has long been an advocate of Beta Gamma Sigma, having been inducted into the Society upon completion of his doctorate at Kent State University in 1980. Stevens earned his MBA from Washington University, a Bachelor of Arts degree from Thomas A. Edison College, and a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration from Delaware State University.
In addition to his service to Beta Gamma Sigma, Stevens served a three-year term as a member of AACSB International’s Business Accreditation Committee and has participated on AACSB peer review teams as chair, advisor and member. He consults with many business schools, especially those at Historically Black Colleges and Universities, by helping them prepare for the accreditation process and continuous quality improvement.
Stevens is a member of the Graduate Management Admission Council’s Professional Standards Committee and a board member of the Cleveland Area Small Business Administration. At Kent State University, he serves on the Foundation Board and – as a former student athlete – as the Faculty Athletic Representative.
Stevens’ term as vice president/president-elect of Beta Gamma Sigma will run through June 30, 2008.
Introducing the New BGS Secretary-Treasurer
Robert D. Reid
Dean, College of Business, James Madison University
Beta Gamma Sigma is proud to announce the election of Robert D. Reid to the position of Secretary-Treasurer. He is scheduled to take over the position on July 1, 2006.
Reid is the Dean of the College of Business at James Madison University. Prior to becoming Dean in 1996, he was the Department Head of Marketing and Hospitality Management. While in this role, he held the first J. Willard Marriott Professorship in Hospitality and Tourism Management. Before arriving at James Madison University, he was an Associate Professor at Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University.
Reid is a member of the Maintenance of Accreditation Committee, 2006-08 for AACSB International. He served as President of SBAA for 2003-04, and Past President for 2004-05. He is actively involved in leadership positions with several professional and civic groups in which he has held various officer and board positions.
He earned both his bachelor’s and master’s degrees at the University of Wisconsin-Stout, and his doctorate at Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University.
Reid has conducted numerous professional workshops and seminars for both public and private organizations. He has consulted with such organizations as The Colonial Williamsburg Foundation, ARAMARK, ITT-Sheraton, R.R. Donnelley, West Virginia University, Volvo-White, Celanese and the National Restaurant Association.
Reid has served on the Beta Gamma Sigma Board of Governors since 2002. He has helped lead the Society as it has expanded benefit programs and services for its lifetime members.
Beta Gamma Sigma Board of Governors
David H. Blake
University of California, IrvineKaren E. Boroff
Seton Hall UniversityK.C. Chan
The Hong Kong University of Science and TechnologyWillie A. Deese
Merck & Co., Inc.John J. Fernandes
AACSB InternationalSara M. Freedman
Mississippi State UniversityCarl W. Gooding
Jacksonville State UniversityWilliam (Curt) Hunter
University of IowaSantiago Iñiguez de Onzoño
Instituto de EmpresaMicheál J. Kelly
University of OttawaTerry S. Maness
Baylor UniversityBernard J. Milano
KPMG FoundationMargaret D. Moore
PepsiCo, Inc.Karen L. Newman
University of DenverKenneth L. Stanley
Valdosta State UniversityOtis A. Thomas
Morgan State UniversityJames K. Weeks
The University of North Carolina at Greensboro