Faculty present about economic development in Highlands Leadership spring programs
This article features an event that occurred in the past.
SCHEDULE CHANGE: The first event – “The Impact of Charlanta on Western North Carolina” – has been postponed to Tuesday, March 9, due to anticipated winter weather on Tuesday, March 2. (Update posted Monday, March 1)
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Western Carolina University’s College of Business and the Leadership Highlands program will offer three presentations addressing economic development and related issues this spring.
The series will begin Tuesday, March 9, as Chancellor John W. Bardo will present “The Impact of Charlanta on Western North Carolina,” where he will discuss the economic impact of WNC’s location in the midst of the rapidly growing mega-region between Charlotte and Atlanta, an area often called “Charlanta.”
Bardo has been the chancellor of WCU since 1995. He has written articles for more than 70 professional publications and two books on a variety of topics, including community development, technology in education, social and psychological adjustment to migration, and higher education policy. He speaks widely on issues of technology in education and the role of higher education in economic and community development.
A panel discussion led by Louis E. Buck, Kenneth E. Flynt, Ronald A. Johnson and William “Tilt” Thompkins will be held Tuesday, April 6, when they will discuss “After the Crisis: Where are the North Carolina and Western North Carolina Economies Going?”
Buck, a former chief financial officer for the competitive businesses of Consolidated Edison in New York, joined WCU in 2007 as the Wesley R. Elingburg Distinguished Professor of Business Innovation and director of WCU’s Center for Entrepreneurship and Innovation.
Since 2008, Flynt has been associate dean of advancement in WCU’s College of Business. During his 36-year career, Flynt has served as chief executive officer of Workmen’s Savings Bank in Mount Airy, was the founding CEO of both Enterprise Bank in Raleigh and Independence Bank in Kernersville, and was CEO and co-founder of Equity Services Inc. in Raleigh and of 1st Medallion Mortgage Corp. in Greensboro.
Johnson has been dean of WCU’s College of Business since 2007. He has served as chief strategist and head of research for Americas Trust Bank in Miami, division chief of domestic financial markets for the Federal Reserve Bank of New York, and director of global fixed income research and senior portfolio manager for Templeton Worldwide Inc. in Fort Lauderdale, Fla.
Thompkins, professor of accounting, finance, information systems and economics, and director of the Center for Information, Technology and Assurance at WCU, has more than 25 years of experience in enterprise infrastructure management, information architecture development, technical consulting and university teaching. He has served as associate director of the National Center for Supercomputing Applications for Integrated Decision Technologies and associate vice president for infrastructure at Purdue University.
Wrapping up the series on Tuesday, May 4, James Walker Busbin, Carroll Anne Brown and Sandra S. Grunwell will co-present “Tourism Potentials and Marketing the Highlands Experience.”
Busbin, a professor of marketing, joined WCU’s faculty in 1991. He has produced more than 100 papers and articles on marketing, with a particular focus on new product development and competitive strategy. Busbin also has extensive consulting experience with a wide range of firms, from food companies and hospitals to nonprofit organizations.
Brown, assistant professor of hospitality and tourism management, came to WCU in 2002. She has worked in the hospitality and tourism industry for more than 25 years in a variety of roles. Her primary research interests are special interest and event tourism, serious leisure and successful aging, and sustainable community tourism development.
Grunwell, associate professor of hospitality and tourism management at WCU, has teaching and research focus areas in lodging and resort management, club management, festival events, fashion retailing, entrepreneurship and sustainable tourism. She also has been a consultant for small businesses and community agencies and worked in industry as a market analyst.
Launched in 1999, Leadership Highlands is designed to identify existing and emerging leaders from the community. It provides program participants opportunities to gain the skills and knowledge needed to become community leaders.
The events are free and open to the public. All three events will be held from 4 to 6 p.m. at the Highlands Conference Center.
For more information about the College of Business, contact the college via e-mail at business@wcu.edu or at 828-227-7412. For more information about Leadership Highlands, contact the Highlands Chamber of Commerce via e-mail at president@highlandschamber.org or at 828-526-5841.
