Advisory Board Members

Advisory Board Chair / Retired Executive

Bill Schulz has international work experience in the tobacco, food, automotive and furniture sectors. He successfully completed full-time leadership assignments in General Management, Operations and Human Resources in USA, China, Switzerland, Puerto Rico, Kazakhstan and Tanzania. Most recently, Bill has been on Japan Tobacco International’s Executive Committee for over 10 years as Senior Vice President, Global Supply Chain, leading 10,000+ employees in 47 sites. Born in Buffalo, NY and raised in Edinboro, PA, Bill holds a BS in Industrial Engineering/Furniture from N.C. State and an MBA from Wake Forest. He can be reached at Schulz.Bill.Jr@gmail.com.

Ellen Carr

Advisory Board Vice Chair / Weaver C. Barksdale and Associates, Inc.

Ellen Carr is a Fixed Income Portfolio Manager and the firm’s Senior Credit Analyst at Weaver C. Barksdale and Associates (WCB), a boutique institutional fixed income money management firm based in Nashville, TN. She specializes in the construction and management of high yield bond portfolios. Prior to joining WCB, she served as Senior Vice President and a High Yield Portfolio Manager at the Capital Group Companies/American Funds in Los Angeles. She began her career as an Investment Analyst in the Fixed Income Group at Capital in 1999. In addition, Ms. Carr is an adjunct professor of finance at Columbia Business School, New York, NY. She holds a BA from Harvard College, a Master in Management from the Kellogg School at Northwestern University, and the CFA designation. Ms. Carr lives in Asheville, NC, where she enjoys hiking, yoga, and craft beer, generally not at the same time.

Jon Beck

Ex-Officio, Student Representative (19-20) UNC Asheville

Jon Beck, a Junior Accounting major, is a recipient of the North Carolina CPA Foundation Scholarship. Jon tutors his peers in accounting, works at a local virtual reality startup business assisting with the accounting and operations, and runs a business selling his woodworking. In addition, Jon is the treasurer of the University’s Accountancy Association, where he seeks to promote interest in accounting. Jon attended Charles D. Owen High School in Black Mountain, where he was vice-president of the student body, lettered in basketball all four years, and graduated with highest honors.

Taylor Bell – MGMT ’13

Colton Groome & Company

Taylor is a long-time Asheville resident and is proud to be an alumni of UNC Asheville after receiving a Bachelor of Science in Management with a concentration in Business Administration. She co-owns a family business with her father in which she remains active in the major functions of financial operations, project management, and strategic planning. Beginning in August of 2016, she joined the Colton Groome and Company team as an Operations Specialist. She is known as the “process expert” and enjoys bringing leadership and ideas to assist the operations of the firm to run effectively and efficiently. Taylor is an active supporter of her community with organizations such as United Way, YMCA of WNC, Mountain Area Pregnancy Services, member of Lake Hills Church, and a committee participant for a local non-profit called Orbie for Orphans. In her spare time, she enjoys spending time with her husband, Jordan, and loving on her two daughters, Evelyn and Lyla.

Celeste Collins

OnTrack Financial Education Counseling

Celeste Collins is the Executive Director of OnTrack Financial Education Counseling, formerly Consumer Credit Counseling Service of Western North Carolina. OnTrack WNC is a nonprofit, which serves the western 18 counties of NC helping people reach their money and housing goals through education, counseling and support. Celeste joined the agency in 1993 and over the years has been a credit counselor, housing counselor, educator, grant writer, marketing director, and fundraiser. Prior to joining the agency, Celeste spent 10 years with First Union National Bank; her last position with the bank was Vice President, Regional Sales & Marketing Manager for the 88-branch western region. A passion for helping people manage their money and credit better inspired Celeste to leave her job in banking to work with OnTrack WNC. Celeste graduated from UNC-Chapel Hill with a BS in Business Administration with a concentration in accounting. Celeste’s community involvement includes: UNC Asheville Department of Management and Accountancy Advisory Board, WNC Nonprofit Pathways Advisory Committee member, Buncombe County’s Aging Plan Steering Committee, Asheville Downtown Rotary Club, Asheville Homelessness Initiative Finance Committee, Friday Fellows Wildacres Leadership Initiative, and First Baptist Church. Celeste received the Asheville Chamber of Commerce Athena Leadership Award in 2010 and was a YWCA 2011 TWIN honoree in the Empowerment category. Celeste is married to Asheville native, Carleton Collins, who is an architect. They have two children, Kathleen and Garrett.

Henry Dozier, CMQ/OE

Thermo Fisher Scientific

Henry Dozier is Senior Manager for Global Supplier Quality and Laboratory Products (LPD) at Thermo Fisher Scientific. Henry has spent his entire career in manufacturing operations and quality serving multiple organizations and industries. Henry’s experiences are primarily in Quality Assurance and Supplier Quality Management. As the Global Supplier Quality Manager at Thermo Fisher Scientific, Henry is responsible for managing the supply chain at the divisionally level to assure suppliers provide products and services that comply with established engineering, organizational, regulatory, and industry standards. His day to day management role consists of standardizing processes, driving quality improvements, identifying and addressing opportunities for improvement, leading a global team, and building strong alliances in all internal departments and with vendors and customers. Prior to joining Thermo Fisher Scientific, Henry was a Purchasing Manager at Mitsubishi Electric Automotive America for their manufacturing location in Kentucky.  His earlier roles include Senior Buyer and Quality Engineer, also for Mitsubishi. He began his career in operations and quality for Barco as part of their Avionics and Defense business throughout the 90’s. Henry enjoys participating in basketball and football, listening to music (Jazz, R&B, and Hip Hop), watching action and Sci-Fi films, and spending time with his family – specifically his wife and two teenage children. Henry is active in the African-American local community. He has his MBA from the University of Phoenix, and Bachelor’s degree from the DeVry University.

Kenya Edwards – ’00

Smith Edwards group, LLC

Kenya Edwards (Marketing & Management ’00) runs her own business, Smith Edwards Group, LLC. where she is a Marketing Consultant and a Realtor with PalmerHouse Properties. Her professional emphasis is on marketing, digital marketing, sponsorships, strategy, public relations, and more. Kenya is also Chair of the UNC Asheville Alumni Board of Directors.

Giovanni Figaro, CPA – ACCT ’15

UNC Asheville

Giovanni Figaro is a native of Asheville and an alumni of UNC Asheville.  Right after obtaining his undergraduate degree in Financial Accounting from the university, he went on to complete the CPA exam before heading back to his alma mater to work as an Accountant in the Finance Department. While working full-time he earned his Masters in Accountancy from Western Carolina University and acquired his CPA licensure during his final graduate semester. He currently handles a wide range of responsibilities at UNC Asheville related to month-end close, fiscal year-end financial reporting, payroll, accounts payable check writes, and day-to-day journal entries and reconciliations to name a few areas. In his free-time he loves trying new restaurants in Asheville and hiking with his siblings.

Wendolyn Forbes – LIT ’00

Merril Lynch, Wealth Management

Wendolyn Lea Thurston Forbes serves the Western North Carolina community as a Financial Advisor for Merrill Lynch.  A native of southwestern Virginia, Wendolyn attended Antioch College in Yellow Springs, Ohio, prior to transferring to UNCA in 1998. As a 2000 graduate of UNC Asheville, Wendolyn holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Literature. Wendolyn has over 11 years of experience in financial services and over 23 years of experience in retail sales and customer service. Wendolyn is a member of the Rotary Club of Asheville and a member of the Haywood Chamber of Commerce. She is also a charter member of the Lions Clubs International Asheville Professional Women Lions Club.  In addition to her service to the community, Wendolyn is a mother to two children and partner of 14-years to Timothy Daniel Forbes, a Licensed Optician for Visionworks of Asheville. She resides in Waynesville where she and Daniel are restoring a 1940s house that was unoccupied for 20 years.

Murphy Funkhouser-Capps

Kudzu Brands

Murphy is the CEO and chief brand strategist at Kudzu Brands. She is also a consultant, speaker specializing in creativity and storytelling in business. Murphy attended the North Carolina School of the Arts, Brevard College and the University of Tennessee. Murphy worked for over a decade in corporate training, marketing and operations with Vail Resorts, in Colorado. She has also worked in regional media, strategizing ad campaigns for Beverly-Hanks, Harrys Cadillac, Ingles Markets, Lifestyle Homes and Pardee Hospital. She is a graduate of Leadership Asheville, Class 29 and a member of the United Way Women’s Leadership Group. She is also an award-winning playwright and actress. Today, Murphy is raising two strong girls into tomorrow’s confident women. In her quiet time, she can be found doing yoga (adequately), gardening (badly) or trying to read Mary Oliver without interruption.

Hunter Goosmann

Adjunct Assistant Professor, Management

Hunter Goosmann is the Executive Director and Chief Executive Officer of the Education & Research Consortium of the Western Carolinas, Inc (ERC, dba ERC Broadband). With twenty plus years in IT/Telecom leadership roles and fifteen years leading the ERC, he is responsible for building, operating, and supporting broadband Internet access across western North Carolina via the award winning ERC middle mile network and data center. Under his leadership, the ERC has expanded its coverage footprint by more than 5000 percent. Goosmann has worked nationally and internationally in the Telecommunications and Information Technology fields gaining specific expertise in strategic planning, customer support/service delivery, and program management. He is a requested speaker and frequent panelist on topics from middle-mile networks, rural broadband access and expansion, to community networking. Additionally, he is a strong community advocate and serves on the Board of Directors for the North Carolina Technology Association and is the Board President of the Bob Moog Foundation. In his free time, he is a photographer, a soccer referee, and guitarist.

Terry Houck, Jr. – ECON ’96

Advanced Manufacturing Performance Connection (AMP-Connect)

Terry is the Founder and Account Manager for Advanced Manufacturing Performance Connection (AMP-Connect), a quality inspection, component assembly, product packaging, and systematized storage company that serves the Western North Carolina market.  Previously, Terry was a managing partner for Industrial Technology Service Group, and Single Source Industrial Solutions, Account Manager for 3M and a Branch Manager for Wells Fargo.  He has received many honors and awards in leadership, innovation, and sales.  His interests include student mentorship and projects. Terry is a 1996 graduate of the University of North Carolina at Asheville, with a BA in Economics.  He was inducted into Beta Gamma Sigma in 1994.

Jeff McKeehan

Viking Mergers & Acquisitions

Jeff is a Senior Vice President with Peoplelink (a Groupe Crit company). Peoplelink acquired Jeff’s company, EHD Technologies, in 2017. Under Jeff’s leadership as a co-owner, EHD Technologies was recognized three consecutive years on Inc. Magazine’s list of fastest growing private companies. A leading provider of support services to automotive OEMs and suppliers, EHD Technologies was a top ranked growth company within the industry sector. In his prior career Jeff worked for Tyco Electronics as a Director of Manufacturing Operations where he managed several plants that produced electronic components.    Jeff’s expertise includes sales and operations management, strategic decision-making, tactical planning, leadership training, organization development, acquisition integration, entrepreneurship, human resources, and process improvement.  Jeff earned a BA in Business Administration from Belmont Abbey College and an MS in Organizational Management from Pfeiffer University.

George Morosani

W. Morosani & Associates

George is President of an Agency that has over 100 years of combined experience in Commercial, Industrial, and Residential Real Estate. Asheville Resident and Licensed Commercial Realtor for over a quarter of a century. Licensed Realtor in North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, and Tennessee. Secretary/Treasurer of the Asheville Commercial Investment Realty Association. Accepted into Who’s Who in America 6 years in a row. Multi-Million Dollar producer. Asheville’s Commercial Real Estate Specialist and Certified Commercial Investments Member-Candidate.

Bill Norris

Ex-officio, Senior Director of Major Giving UNC Asheville

Shon Norris – ACCT ’00

Gould Killian

Shon P. Norris started with the firm as an intern in May 2000. He received his bachelors degree from the University of North Carolina at Asheville and his masters in accounting from Western Carolina University. A native of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, Shon was recruited to play baseball for UNCA. After his junior year there, Shon was drafted by the Boston Red Sox organization, however Shon continued to work on his degree during the offseason and graduated with honors from UNCA. Active in the community, Shon serves as treasurer on the board of Asheville Hatchfest, as board member of the Western Carolina Chapter of the North Carolina Association of Certified Public Accountants, and on the advisory boards for both the UNCA accounting and management department and the WCU accounting department. Shon is also an active member of the Asheville Downtown Rotary Club and has recently served as treasurer on the board of the North Carolina Stage Company. Shon’s practice focuses on income tax planning and preparation for small businesses and individuals. He has extensive experience in the real estate, construction, and hospitality industries. Shon has been the driving force behind the firm’s conversion to electronic workpapers and other areas of technological improvement. He also holds a general aviation private pilot’s license.

Terry Poling

The Poling Group, Inc.

Terry Poling has 30+ years of diverse and comprehensive experience in Leadership Development, Change Management, Organization Development and Training. He spent eighteen of those years in senior-level positions with Motorola, Fidelity Investments, Blue Cross Blue Shield and Honeywell.  As a Manager for Motorola University, he managed the New England Regional training function.  He was responsible for leading the design and implementation of Fidelity’s first executive development and succession planning process. He was also responsible for establishing BCBS University for BlueCross BlueShield of Massachusetts. Terry is currently President of two independent consulting, coaching and training firms. For the past 20 years, Terry has been President and Managing Partner with MetaDynamics, Inc. a Michigan-based organizational development consulting and training firm specializing in change management and leadership development.  A partial list of clients includes Abbott Laboratories, Eaton, Ascension Health, Johnson & Johnson, and Robert Bosch LLC. Terry is also President of The Poling Group, Inc. a North-Carolina based executive coaching and senior leadership team development consulting firm.  A partial list of clients includes Teleos, Bath Consultancy, Unilever, and BorgWarner. He also lived in Africa working for the government of Ethiopia to redesign their telecommunications business and define the new leadership competencies and learning curriculum needed for their new organization. Terry has taught communication, human resource management, and organization behavior courses for Texas A&M University, Northeastern University, Stonehill College, and Oakland University.  He has an undergraduate degree in Education.  He has a Master’s degree in Organizational Communication from Miami University and a second Master’s degree in Counseling Psychology & Organizational Studies from Boston College.  He has authored several articles and publications and spoken on a variety of topics at both national and regional conferences.  Terry is currently VP of Programming elect for the Western North Carolina Human Resource Association and a recent inductee to the NC Society of Human Resource Management’s 2018 Hall of Fame.  He is also Chairman of the Board for Integral Leadership in Action. Terry is an Accredited Associate of the Institute for Independent Business with access to a network of 4,000+ business advisors worldwide.

Meg Ragland

Plum Print

Meg Ragland is the co-founder and president of Plum Print (www.plumprint.com). Plum Print transforms your children’s artwork into professional digital galleries, custom coffee table books and a suite of personalized gifts. The company was founded in New York in 2012, and the headquarters moved to Asheville, North Carolina in 2013. The company is building a social selling channel as well as partnering with schools to bring Plum Print directly to parents. The company raised a seed round of $1M in early 2015, led by Brooklyn Bridge Ventures and included investments from the Asheville Angels. Before launching Plum Print, Meg was the senior health editor at Family Circle magazine. A seasoned editor and writer, Meg has been published in Glamour, Self, Fitness, Health, Marie Claire, Child, and the Boston Globe. She regularly appeared on morning television discussing health, nutrition, fitness, psychology and parenting issues. She’s the author of Get A Freelance Life, published by Random House. Meg graduated from Cornell University and lives in Asheville with her husband and three children.

Matt Raker – ENVI ’03

Mountain BizWorks

Matthew joined Mountain BizWorks in 2015 after leading entrepreneurial development at the state-sponsored economic development agency AdvantageWest for 5 years, during which he managed $2.5m in agency funds, secured partner funds exceeding $5m, and led projects generating over $150m in regional investment and 400 jobs. At Mountain BizWorks, Mathew leads business development programs and fund development efforts. He is a former small business owner and has degrees in Economics and Natural Resources Management from UNC Asheville.

Isaac Rowles

Johnson Price Sprinkle PA

Isaac Rowles is an accountant and CPA for Johnson Price Sprinkle PA.  Before becoming an accountant and CPA, Isaac was a professional chef earning degrees in Professional Cooking and Professional Baking from Baltimore International College.  Isaac is a 2013 graduate of UNC Asheville with a degree in Accounting and Business Management.  Before graduating, Isaac worked as an accountant in the hospitality industry.  After graduating he obtained a position at Johnson Price Sprinkle PA in the assurance services department, where he has worked since 2014 as an associate, senior associate, and supervisor. The assurance department provides financial statement audit, review, and compilation services, and other agreed upon procedures for a variety of local and regional businesses. Isaac spends half his year working with non-profits in industries ranging from affordable housing, health care, fire departments, and early care for children. The other half of the year Isaac works with a variety of small businesses including manufacturers, construction contractors, leisure clubs, and franchisors. In 2019 Isaac was given the opportunity to assist in the fight to end homelessness with Homeward Bound of WNC by serving on the board of directors. In his free time, Isaac enjoys spending time with his children, cooking, cycling and surfing.

Dixon Hughes Goodman, LLP

Bill Smith is an Audit Director for Dixon Hughes Goodman in Asheville. His responsibilities primarily include the delivery of audit, consulting and other related services to our dealership, manufacturing and distribution, and construction clients. Bill is involved with all facets of the attest engagements. That involvement includes initial planning, staff scheduling and supervision, engagement review and completion, and client communications. Bill has been with the firm for the past 20 years and has been an integral part of our attest service team.

Rick Sommer

Chairman of CDI Global

Rick holds a B.S. degree in Chemical Engineering from Cornell University. He has worked with CDI for the past 25 years. Prior to joining CDI, Rick was an executive with Exxon Chemical Company and also CEA. He concentrates on acquisitions and divestitures in chemicals, pulp, paper and packaging, high technology, machinery and equipment, energy and environmental, and heavy industry. Clients have included: ABB, BASF, BP, Brady, Exxon, GE, International Paper, Kone, Lubrizol, Sandvik, and Thales. Rick has served as U.S. delegate to the Coal Industry Advisory Board of the International Energy Agency in Paris, as Arbitrator with the American Arbitration Association, and as a member of the Executive Advisory Committee for the Columbia University Graduate School of Business Administration. He currently serves as a member of the Advisory Board of Lynn University Graduate School of Business, and as director of several companies. Rick’s nationality is American.

Micheal Stratton, Ph.D.

Ex-Officio, DMA Chair / AACSB Unit Head UNC Asheville

@MichealStratton / @mgmt_unca Dr. Stratton joined the UNC Asheville faculty in 2010 and was appointed Department Chair and AACSB Unit Head in 2014. In addition to teaching in the Department and in the Humanities Program, he is a passionate teacher-scholar with interdisciplinary expertise in the areas of management pedagogy, organizational politics, emotions in the workplace, electronic monitoring, and qualitative methodology. He is a member of the Academy of Management, Society for Human Resource Management, and American Society for Public Administration. More notably, Dr. Stratton is also a senior leader in the Management and Organizational Behavior Teaching Society (MOBTS). He currently serves as President-Elect of MOBTS (2018-2019; President 2019-2022). From 2016-2018, he served as an elected Board Member and he served as OB1 (Vice President) for MOBTS from 2013-2016. As OB1, Dr. Stratton was primarily responsible for advising the President and maintaining the culture of the Society by keeping it consistent with its traditional values and magic of pedagogical innovation and teacher-scholar development. In addition, he chaired the Finance and Awards Committees, along with the Member Engagement, the Peter Frost Mentoring Award, the New Educator Award, and the Mid-Career Distinguished Educator Award committees. The mission of MOBTS is to enhance the quality and promote the importance of teaching and learning across the management disciplines with a focus on the dynamics within and at the interface of individuals, groups, organizations, and cultures. Alongside a group of talented group of volunteers, he also coordinated the society’s 40th annual MOBTS Conference at UNC Asheville in June 2013. He also serves on the Editorial Board (and former Associate Editor) of the Journal of Management Education (JME), one of the top-ranked publications in the scholarship of teaching and learning in the management discipline. Dr. Stratton is also on the Editorial Board for the Organization Management Journal (OMJ), a publication of the Eastern Academy of Management, and serves as a Co-Editor for the Academy of Management Learning & Education (AMLE) Special Issue on the Rhythms of Academic Life (forthcoming in 2019). Education Ph.D. in Public Administration and Policy (concentration in Organizational Theory and Behavior), The Nelson A. Rockefeller College of Public Affairs and Policy at the University at Albany, SUNY M.P.A., The Nelson A. Rockefeller College of Public Affairs and Policy at the University at Albany, SUNY B.A. in Integrated Liberal Studies (Political Science and Management), Western New England University Courses Taught MGMT 230 – Organizational Behavior & Theory MGMT 326 – Managing Human Capital MGMT 423 – Seminar in Public Management and Leadership MGMT 424 – Seminar in Organizational Power and Politics MGMT 481 – Leadership in Organizations MGMT 499 – Undergraduate Research HUM 414 – The Individual in the Contemporary World Awards and Honors In 2017, Dr. Stratton was honored with the UNC Asheville Distinguished Service Award for his contributions to the Department, University, Community, and the fields of management education and organization studies. In 2010, Dr. Stratton received The New Educator Award, which is awarded annually by the Management and Organizational Behavior Teaching Society (MOBTS). He was cited for his creativity in linking emotion and technology to pedagogy, his dedication to student learning, and excellent teaching evaluations. This award recognizes an individual early in her or his career who has demonstrated significant promise for creating new ways of thinking about and practicing management education. Select Publications Clayton, R., Thomas, C., Stratton, M., Garrison, E., Schaffer, B., and Mathews, L. G. (2017). Exercise and Work-Family Conflict: A field experiment. Journal of Managerial Psychology. 32:3, 225-238. Julien, M., Stratton, M. T., and Clayton, R. (2017). History is not Boring: Using Social Media to Bring Labor History Alive. Management Teaching Review. Clayton, R. Stratton, M. T., Julien, M., and Humphreys, J. (2015). Beverly Matthews. Organization Management Journal. 12:4, 221-234. Julien, M. and Stratton, M. T. (2014). Are you privileged? In C.P. Harvey and M.J. Allard (Eds.), Understanding and Managing Diversity (6th Edition). Pearson Education. Stratton, M. T. Julien, M., and Schaffer, B. (2014). GoAnimate. Journal of Management Education. 38:2, 282-289. Stratton, M. T. and Julien, M. (2014). Xtranormal Learning for Millennials: An Innovative Tool for Group Projects. Journal of Management Education. 38:2, 259-281. Stratton, M. T. (2012). James Michaels (A) & (B). Organization Management Journal. 9:1, 34-48.

Jeff Willmott

Retired Executive

Mr. Jeffrey F. Willmott is a senior level executive with over 35 years experience in diverse industries, both domestic and international in scope. He began his business career at Avon Products and later worked at Westinghouse in all phases of sales/marketing, eventually being promoted to direct the entire Southeast Region. Mr. Willmott later joined the investment banking firm of Dillon Read and Company (now UBS) in 1991, spending the next 12 years in financial services business development and marketing. In 2002, he joined the Board of Directors of RCG Companies (d/b/a One Travel Holdings), an Amex traded travel/technology holding company. He was elected Chairman of the Board. In 2005, Mr. Willmott retired from the position of Chairman, remaining a Director until the company was acquired by private equity in 2006. Currently, he serves on the Board of Directors for Naracamicie USA, a designer and manufacturer of blouses and shirts, affiliated with Naracamicie-Milan, Italy. Mr. Willmott is active currently as an Adjunct Professor of Business for Wingate University, focusing on Marketing, Branding, International Business and Ethics. Mr. Willmott holds both a Bachelor of Science and MBA in Marketing. In July of 2016, Mr. Willmott was recruited and joined the volunteer program of the Asheville Economic Development Council-Venture Asheville. Prior to relocating to the mountains of western North Carolina, he taught at New York University in the Masters Degree Program for Leadership/Human Capital, in addition to teaching graduate/undergraduate Marketing at Fordham University, where he also sat on the Board of Advisers. Mr. Willmott is a long term member of both The University Club of New York, and the Army and Navy Club of Washington, DC. A graduate of R.O.T.C., Mr. Willmott served as a commissioned officer in the U.S. Army (Armor Branch). In Spring 2018, Mr. Willmott became an honorary inductee into the UNC Asheville Chapter of Beta Gamma Sigma (BGS).