Two new members elected to BGS Board of Governors

Beta Gamma Sigma is proud to announce the recent election of two new members to its Board of Governors: Eli Jones and Marielle Heijltjes.

Elections for officer and board-member positions took place earlier this year. Jones will serve a three-year term; Heijltjes will serve for two years.

Eli Jones 

Jones has been a BGS member since 1997. He became dean at Walton College in 2012, where he also holds the Sam M. Walton Leadership Chair in Business.

Jones takes his board position at an integral time for Beta Gamma Sigma. The organization is currently in the midst of a strategic transition to revamp, rebrand and rejuvenate the society. Jones looks to aid the Society in enacting its new plan. In conjunction, he hopes to bring fresh perspectives to the table.

John M. Norwood, UA’s BGS chapter adviser and long-time Society advocate, is thrilled to see Jones take a leadership role, acknowledging all he has done for the organization.

“Through his efforts, the Walton College chapter of Beta Gamma Sigma will continue to be recognized as one of the most outstanding BGS chapters in the country,” Norwood said. “I’m sure Dean Jones will bring the same passion for Beta Gamma Sigma to his service on the board of governors.”

Jones holds a doctoral degree in marketing, a Master of Business Administration and a Bachelor of Science in Journalism, all from Texas A&M University. He is the author, or co-author, of four books and nearly 50 academic papers.

Prior to his academic career, he served in leadership positions for Frito-Lay, Nabisco Foods and Quaker Oats.

“Dean Jones brings a wealth of experience and knowledge to the Board of Beta Gamma Sigma,” said Jim Viehland, BGS executive director. “We are pleased that he will assist us in shaping our second century of scholastic achievement in business schools.”

Marielle Heijltjes

A Netherlands native, Heijltjes was integral in helping to launch a Beta Gamma Sigma chapter at Maastricht, which eventually came to fruition in 2005. Now, she’s excited to be a part of the Honor Society’s board.

“I hope to be the voice of many of the Western European schools, students and alumni and help translate the tradition of an honor society also to different cultural and educational contexts,” she said.

Heijltjes takes her board position at a pivotal time for Beta Gamma Sigma. The organization is currently in the midst of a strategic transition to revamp, rebrand and rejuvenate the society. 

At Maastricht, Heijltjes is a professor of managerial behavior, associate dean of strategic development and internationalization and director of postgraduate education.

 In addition to her current roles at Maastricht University, she serves on the supervisory board of a Dutch primary school consortium and on the international advisory board of a French business school. She is also a member of the International Advisory Board at IESEG School of Management in Lille, Paris.

Until recently, Heijltjes was a board member of the Globally Responsible Leadership Initiative (2010-2013), a member of the Conseil d’Administration of a French business school (2010-2012) and a member of the advisory board of a British business school (2009-2012).