Engaged alums and business leaders bring real-world acumen straight to students
Partner engagement was a main factor in the College of Business' new AACSB accreditation
By Janel Shoun-Smith |
The business world is changing so fast; it’s hard to keep up.
Fortunately, Lipscomb’s College of Business has a deep bench of business veterans who commit their
time and energy to transferring credible, relevant and timely knowledge into the next generation
entering the rapid-fire world of business today.
Throughout the 2021-22 school year, members of the COB Dean’s Board, Alumni Advisory Board and
Lipscomb’s alumni community poured into business students in a variety of ways.
Marty Kittrell (’77), business leader and Lipscomb Board of Trustees member, hosted small groups of
students and faculty this past school year for a steak dinner with a side helping of entrepreneurial
wisdom. That’s in addition to the annual Kittrell Pitch Competition, through which he provides cash
prizes for students’ entrepreneurial business ideas.
Marty Kittrell ('77), a Lipscomb accounting alumni who served as CFO for nine companies over 25 years, treated about 20 students and faculty for a dinner at Char and invited entrepreneurial guest speakers to share marketplace wisdom.
The Bison alumni network continues to be a valuable asset, volunteering their time to support students.
Justin Cook (’18, MAcc ’19), manager, internal audit at HCA Healthcare, volunteered to help out as the
“banker” in Perry Moore’s award-winning Monopoly simulation game for his auditing students. (URL
link to Monopoly story) “Typically, I have to turn some volunteers away since more sign up than I have space for,” said Moore.
“Even Kevin Monroe (former chair of the Tennessee State Board of Accountancy), our partner-in-
residence, served as a banker one year.”
Dean’s Board member Winston Justice, financial advisor at AllianceBernstein, provided his financial and
professional insight to the community at the College of Business’s “Being a Light in the Marketplace”
symposium at the presidential inauguration festivities in March. He spoke to and advised business
students last year in an entrepreneurship class and on a panel for the Declaration Dinner, held for the
first time last fall.
In an effort to provide every student with a milestone memory in each year of college, the College of
Business’ advisory board members and faculty gather to celebrate the latest group of junior-level
students to declare their majors in business during the fall.
The second Declaration dinner will be held on Nov. 15 this year. Each table of students includes a
veteran businessperson focused on building a relationship with the newly-declared majors, and each
student receives a padfolio for use in future interviews.
The Declaration Dinner is designed to introduce students to a “formal-style business meeting of
professionals,” where members of the Dean’s Board, the Alumni Advisory Board and faculty are
assigned specific groups of students to interact with during the event, said Beth Mangrum, alumni fund
and event director.
ustin Cook (’18, MAcc ’19), manager, internal audit at HCA Healthcare, volunteered to help out as the “banker” in Perry Moore’s award-winning Monopoly simulation game for his auditing students.
Cyntoia Brown-Long (’15, MPS ’19), founder and president of The Foundation for Justice, Freedom and Mercy, interviews Winston Justice, investment manager at AllianceBernstein, at the business college's symposium on how to be a light in the marketplace
The authentic, no-nonsense advice and insight of Sue Nokes, executive-in-residence and retired vice
chairwoman at Asurion Insurance, was a big hit with students as they lined up after the event to hear
more of her personal stories and tips about people management and leadership. Patrick Chaffin, EVP
and COO of Ryman Hospitality Properties and COB Dean’s Board member, was part of the event’s panel
discussion on spiritual life in the real working world.
CEO of Treemont Capital Inc. and CEO-in-Residence Phil Pfeffer also presented as part of the dinner,
giving students a sneak peek into what the next 24 months of their college career would entail. Pfeffer,
now a Lipscomb trustee, interacts with COB students each year by accompanying them on global
learning opportunities, the latest being a trip to Indonesia for international business and supply chain
students.
It’s this kind of commitment from external stakeholders that was an important building block to the
Lipscomb College of Business successfully earning AACSB International accreditation in March.
If you are interested in becoming involved and learning more about Lipscomb COB boards, contact Dean
Ray Eldridge, at ray.eldridge [at] lipscomb.edu.
Sue Nokes, executive-in-residence, and retired vice chairwoman at Asurion Insurance, was a big hit with students at the annual Declaration Dinner for juniors officially declaring their majors in business.