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Sun about to rise on Legacy Hall era
Let this sink in: At the end of this month, Florida State University will gain access – with the codes or digital “keys” -- to state-of-the art Legacy Hall, giving the university possession of a world-class facility two decades in the making. Legacy Hall’s Aug. 30 “substantial completion” means that FSU Facilities can open the doors to furniture, artwork and refinements that will turn this breathtaking, five-story structure into what it will be for generations to come – home to the College of Business. College officials expect to gain access and to start moving faculty and staff into the facility in November, with classes beginning in January. A public open house is scheduled for January 6. “This spectacular achievement will fuel our rise, proclaim our preeminence, and forever commemorate our alumni and donors as architects of our future,” Dean Michael Hartline said. “We cannot wait to get the keys in November and take it for a spin!” |
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Next month, the College of Business launches a new executive education program at FSU’s new location in West Palm Beach, Fla., aimed at bolstering skills in the booming field of alternative investments. In just two decades, this sector has grown to nearly one-fourth of all global investible markets. “As more wealth managers choose to diversify their clients’ portfolios with alternative investments, they will need to expand their financial skills accordingly,” said Kelsey Syvrud, assistant chair of the college’s finance department, who is directing the new Alternative Investments Series. “They must learn new ways to assess risk, read alternative market trends and analyze private market product structures as they expand client portfolios and seek to gain a competitive edge for their practice.” Open to financial professionals from anywhere in Florida or beyond, the series begins with separate seminars in private credit and hedge funds. For a listing of offerings, dates and to register, visit business.fsu.edu/alts. |
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Jim Henderson (BS Accounting ’69; COB Alumni Hall of Fame ’22) told graduates of nine colleges, including the College of Business, during this month’s summer commencement: “What you have gained at Florida State is not just a degree, but the lifelong power of curiosity, critical thinking and perspective. Knowledge allows you to shape your story, to be the cause and not just the effect.” He also reflected on the value of giving back: “It’s never too early to give back. You may not have the financial capital to contribute, but you do have the empowerment of knowledge, your energy, your time and your unique talents.” In closing, he told students: “Dream boldly, move forward and carve new paths in every stage of your life.” Henderson, a member of the FSU Board of Trustees, is executive chairman and co-founder of Assured Partners, the ninth-largest insurance broker in the U.S. |
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Alumnus Brian Murphy (BS Accounting & Finance '00; COB Alumni Hall of Fame ’22) was appointed in July to the Florida State University Board of Trustees. Murphy, founder and CEO of Tampa-based ReliaQuest, joined five other business alumni on the university’s 13-member government body: chair Peter Collins (BS Finance ’92; MBA ’97; COB Alumni Hall of Fame ’21) and board members Maximo Alvarez (BS Management ’69); Jim Henderson (BS Accounting ’69; COB Alumni Hall of Fame ’22), Peter Jones (BS Accounting ’77; COB Alumni Hall of Fame ’18) and Drew Weatherford (BS Finance & Real Estate ’08). “Joining the Board of Trustees at Florida State University is a huge honor,” Murphy said. “FSU opened doors for me and gave me opportunities that changed my life.” |
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Fame on the way for three deserving alumni
The college continues to gear up for its grandest event of the year, the Oct. 2 College of Business Alumni Hall of Fame Gala. The event will celebrate the inductions of Gail Knight (BS Accounting ’82), Gregory Michaud (BS Real Estate ’91) and Steven J. Mudder (BS Finance '95), increasing Alumni Hall of Fame membership to 72. The gala will welcome about 250 people, including new Alumni Hall of Fame inductees and their guests, previous inductees, university leaders, FSU Board of Trustees members and college Board of Governors members, among others. The college thanks CNL Financial Group and its executive chairman, James M. Seneff (BS Business Administration ’68; COB Alumni Hall of Fame ’06), for CNL’s presenting sponsorship. |
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Three alumni to receive big FSU awards
FSU has declared three business alumni – Bob Sasser (BS Marketing '73; COB Alumni Hall of Fame ’09), James “Chef” Barlow (BS Marketing ’95; COB Alumni Hall of Fame ’24) and Kenneth Cagnolatti (BS Finance and Real Estate ’21) – as recipients of major FSU Alumni Association awards: Sasser, the Circle of Gold award; Barlow, the Grads Made Good award; and Cagnolatti, the Reubin O’D. Askew Young Alumni Award. They will be honored during an Oct. 31 ceremony and a Nov. 1 Homecoming breakfast. Sasser is retired, former president and CEO of Dollar Tree; Barlow founder and recently retired CEO of Blue Air Training Corp.; and Cagnolatti a private wealth client performance analyst with Wells Fargo Advisors. |
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As she prepares to accept another award, business alumna Abigail “Abby” Danis reflects not on triumph, ambition and attitude but on purpose, service and gratitude. All continue to mark her professional journey, with modesty guiding the way. “That’s been a key theme throughout my career — always maintaining humility and focusing on trying to be of service to others,” she said. “When that’s the leading theme for my life, doors seem to open.” Danis, an Orlando-based market development manager for endourology at Boston Scientific Corp. and a noted champion of FSU’s professional sales students, has been selected to receive the College of Business’ 2025 Recent Alumni Achievement Award. She will receive her award at the college’s Alumni Hall of Fame Gala in October. |
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Alison Cole graduated this month with an MBA from FSU and began work for Lockheed Martin’s Missiles and Fire Control department in Orlando. Raised in Jupiter, Fla., she found herself captivated by a nearby facility that assembled and tested military helicopters. “I grew up down the street from where they built the Blackhawks, and I’d always watch them get tested, and you could hear the engines going,” Cole said. “It was really fascinating to me.” She credits Larry Giunipero, a globally renowned professor of supply chain management in the Department of Business Analytics, Information Systems and Supply Chain, with helping to set her professional path. Without Giunipero, she said, “I don’t know where I would be. His connections and his love of the supply chain really helped me focus on where I wanted to go after graduation.” Visit mba.fsu.edu to learn more about Supply Chain Management and other MBA specializations. |
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Charles E. “Charlie” Rockwood, a Florida State University professor emeritus and a transformative supporter of FSU and the College of Business, passed this summer, four years after his trailblazing wife, Persis Rockwood. He was 93. The Rockwoods’ $10 million gift to the college in 2022 established the Dr. Persis E. Rockwood School of Marketing, the first U.S. marketing school named for a woman. Charlie Rockwood announced the gift a year after the passing of his wife, an FSU professor emerita who in 2018 became the first woman inducted into the College of Business' Charles A. Rovetta Faculty Hall of Fame. |
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Major fall events showcase students
The college is ramping up for a slew of major fall events, all within two months of each other, that will give students a chance to meet with representatives of business organizations and land internships or launch fulfilling careers:
“We’re excited to kick off another academic year with hallmark events that underscore why we do what we do – to help our students flourish after they leave FSU,” Dean Michael Hartline said. |
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Development team adds four key staff
John Held, the college’s chief development officer, has stayed busy during the summer with the hiring of Director of Development Rachel Simon, associate directors Carl Baum and Skylar Ball and Leadership Annual Giving Officer McKenzie Engel. Simon serves as liaison to the Department of Accounting and Baum (MBA ’22) is liaison to the Department of Management and the Dr. Persis E. Rockwood School of Marketing. Ball (BS Marketing ’20), who joined the development team from the FSU Real Estate Center, is liaison to the Department of Business Analytics, Information Systems and Supply Chain. Engel (BS Political Science ’17), who starts her new role Aug. 22, will support all academic programs as the development team works to increase donor engagement and philanthropic efforts. Held will add one more director, who will serve as liaison to the Department of Finance. Held leads development operations and serves as liaison to the Department of Risk Management/Insurance, Real Estate and Legal Studies. |
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Hello to new faculty members
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Alumni and Friends Tailgate sponsorships
Get in on the action as the college hosts its Alumni and Friends Tailgate, 75th Anniversary Edition on Saturday, Sept. 20, before FSU’s football game against Kent State. Become a sponsor and get your company’s name featured in promotional materials before and during the event, which the college expects to include hundreds of alumni and friends. The event, part of the college’s ongoing 75th anniversary celebration, will feature beverages, hors d’oeuvres and commemorative swag, plus prizes from a 75th anniversary COB-FSU football trivia contest. For more information, contact Sarah M. Collins, director of strategic engagement, at scollins@business.fsu.edu. |
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Swift swag helps celebrate 75 years
When it comes to staying hip to trends and popular culture, the college’s marketing and communications team aims to stay quick – you might say Swift – on the uptake, which explains its creation of an Eras (IYKYK!) 16-ounce cup among hip and trendy swag to commemorate the college’s 75th anniversary. “The Eras: 75 Years in Business” cup will pay tribute to the college’s six eras, specifically to the deans who led them – J. Frank Dame, Charles A. Rovetta, E. Ray Solomon, Melvin Stith, Caryn Beck-Dudley and Michael Hartline. At the college’s various 75th anniversary events, the college expects the cup to carry pop-star appeal. And to go Swiftly. May the first cup go to its designer, Tony Watts Jr., one of the college’s talented media specialists. |
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E. Ray Solomon, who served as dean of the college from 1974 to 1991, established a fundraising program, initiated a commitment to research and service and led the effort to build a new wing for the Rovetta Business Building (RBB) -- the Rovetta Business Annex (RBA). “We owe eternal gratitude to Dean Solomon for the course he charted – a path to growth and preeminence, with a laser focus on students, their success and our future,” said Michael Hartline, the current dean of the college. “Equally important, he created a family-style culture that embraced students, faculty and staff members, and alumni, and we’ve nourished that ever since.” Read more about Solomon’s contributions as the college continues its yearlong observance of its 75th anniversary. |
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The college seeks nominations through Oct. 3 for its Charles A. Rovetta Faculty Hall of Fame. This process allows college alumni, students, faculty and staff members to honor retired faculty members who made a significant and lasting impact on their students, university and community. Preference will be given to faculty members who retired while at the FSU College of Business. Posthumous nominations are accepted. Nominations must include a minimum of two recommendation letters. Visit the Faculty Hall of Fame page to see other requirements and criteria, and to submit a nomination. |
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Join us for a Master’s Virtual Info Session at 6 p.m. Tuesday, Sept. 24, to explore FSU’s top-ranked master’s business programs and get guidance on the application process. Register today! And keep in mind that Oct. 1 is the next application deadline for spring entry into the college’s part-time and online master’s programs in Management Information Systems (MS-MIS), Risk Management and Insurance (MS-RMI) and Business Administration (MBA), including the new Online MBA with a Major in Alternative Investments and Finance. For 2026, apply by the Jan. 15 priority deadline to secure early consideration for a spot in an on-campus master’s program and competitive assistantships. Learn more or request information at graduatebusiness.fsu.edu. |
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