Message from the New President

Sara Freedman, Dean, Mississippi State University

 

Sara Freedman, President of Beta Gamma Sigma, with W. Frank Fountain,
Senior Vice President, Government Relations at DaimlerChrysler Corporation (center),
and Dennis J. Weidenaar, Past President of Beta Gamma Sigma.

 

In a past issue of the BGS International Exchange, Dennis J. Weidenaar, immediate past president of this honor society, said “This is a very exciting time for Beta Gamma Sigma.”

As the new president of Beta Gamma Sigma, I couldn’t agree more. I am truly honored and humbled to be associated with the amazing collection of talent that makes up our Society’s membership. Together, we have the opportunity to build an even stronger organization by capitalizing on our past accomplishments and recognizing the opportunities that are before us.

Exciting times, indeed!

I have been privileged to serve on the Beta Gamma Sigma Board of Governors since 1996. It has been one of the great joys of my career to see how much this Society has grown and prospered in such a short time.

What’s more significant, however, is the bright future that lies ahead for Beta Gamma Sigma. We have been fortunate to positively affect the lives of more than 520,000 members in our first 91 years. We can only speculate on what the future holds, but I’m confident that the founders of the Society would be impressed if they could see what we’ve accomplished and what’s in store for the future.

I look to the next two years knowing that my predecessors have set very high standards of leadership. Dennis J. Weidenaar (2002-04), Quiester Craig (2000-02), Donald F. Parker (1998-2000), and Richard J. Lewis (1996-98) have, during my time on the BGS Board, demonstrated exceptional vision and a tremendous determination to make the Society a more valuable part of its members’ lives. We owe them all a great deal of gratitude.

Similarly, other Board members who have served with me deserve our thanks as well. Although I can’t name them all here, I would like to acknowledge the contributions of those who have completed their terms on the Board this year:

• George Daly, New York University
• Glenda B. Glover, Jackson State University
• John Lymberopoulos, University of Colorado at Boulder
• Albert W. Niemi, Jr., Southern Methodist University
• John F. Smith, Jr., General Motors Corp.

We will continue to rely on the invaluable contributions of others who deserve our thanks: faculty advisors and business school deans at our collegiate chapters; officers and members of BGS alumni chapters; our corporate partners who have assisted us in making BGS membership more valuable; and all the BGS members who have given generously of themselves, making possible the Society’s many programs and services. As president, I want you to know your efforts are recognized and appreciated.

One of our goals is to make your membership more valuable and we are constantly adding to our programs and services. Please review this newsletter and our website, www.betagammasigma.org, for more information on our activities and services. Beta Gamma Sigma membership places you among a very select group that has earned many benefits. We hope that you will take advantage of those that our Society provides.

Again, I want to thank all of you and encourage your involvement in Beta Gamma Sigma. I look forward to sharing my vision of the Society with you in future issues of the BGS International Exchange, and I welcome your suggestions and feedback.

I know that together we can continue to build Beta Gamma Sigma into the world’s preeminent honor society.

Exciting times, indeed!