Business and Technology inducts new Hall of Fame members
Their excellence has benefited others
East Tennessee State University’s College of Business and Technology inducted four people into its Hall of Fame at an awards ceremony earlier this month. The college presented awards in three categories: Horizon, Faculty Lifetime Achievement and Lifetime Achievement Awards, honoring inductees who have earned noteworthy achievements in business, technology and community service.
Lifetime Achievement Award: Dr. B.J. King and Morris Baker.
A seasoned financial executive and educator with more than 30 years of experience,
King served as the chief financial officer at ETSU from 2017 to 2023.
“Dr. King’s remarkable fiscal leadership enabled ETSU to effectively navigate the
financial challenges brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic through innovative solutions
and the strategic use of federal relief funding,” organizers wrote. “She also implemented
efficiency-enhancing reorganization in the finance division and expanded the tax and
revenue services office.”
Baker is a senior executive with over 25 years of experience in leadership roles within
the public sector. Presently, he serves as the president and CEO of Goodwill of Tenneva,
Inc., where he oversees the multifaceted organization that employs over 300 individuals.
“Under Baker's guidance, Goodwill of Tenneva has achieved remarkable growth, with
organizational assets increasing from $4.2 million to $13 million, and annual revenue
expanding from $5.7 million to $15 million,” said organizers. “His commitment to continuous
improvement has driven sales per square foot to rank ninth among all Goodwills.”
Faculty Lifetime Achievement Award: Dr. Richard Manahan.
Manahan, a higher education administrator and educator with over four decades of leadership
experience, retired after a distinguished 32-year career at ETSU. His roles included
serving as vice president for Finance/Administration and vice president for University
Advancement.
“His leadership at ETSU was marked by the successful completion of two major capital
campaigns, raising over $350 million for endowments, scholarships and academic programs,”
noted organizers.
The Horizon Award, presented to graduates establishing noteworthy careers: Robert Anderson.
Anderson, a 2009 graduate, began his career as an intern at PricewaterhouseCoopers,
specializing in auditing in the Tri-Cities region. He then transitioned to a legislative
auditor, responsible for auditing county governments within the Tennessee Comptroller
of the Treasury Office's division of Local Government Audit. In 2017, he led a significant
audit of Washington County, a rare occurrence for the office. Seeking to expand his
contributions, he became a CPA in 2018 and took on a senior auditor role supervising
teams across Northeast Tennessee.
“His commitment to growth continued with the attainment of the CGFM designation in
2019 and participation in the LEAD Tennessee program in 2021. In August 2022, he became
the finance director/town recorder for Jonesborough, before returning to the Comptroller's
Office as a senior auditor in September 2023,” said organizers.
ETSU is home to a vibrant academic community, with faculty and staff regularly earning
competitive grants and fellowships and graduating achieving success. To learn more about academic programs in the ETSU
College of Business and Technology, visit etsu.edu/cbat.
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East Tennessee State University was founded in 1911 with a singular mission: to improve the quality of life for people in the region and beyond. Through its world-class health sciences programs and interprofessional approach to health care education, ETSU is a highly respected leader in rural health research and practices. The university also boasts nationally ranked programs in the arts, technology, computing, and media studies. ETSU serves approximately 14,000 students each year and is ranked among the top 10 percent of colleges in the nation for students graduating with the least amount of debt.
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