The COBE Executive Advisory Council (EAC) is comprised of successful senior executives, entrepreneurs, and industry leaders from a wide variety of organizations from the corporate and non-profit sectors. These professionals serve as advisors to the administrative and academic leadership of the College. The EAC members–many of whom are A&T alumni–are also ambassadors and advocates for COBE and strongly support students in their academic and professional endeavors through donating to scholarships, serving as guest speakers, and hosting networking and mentorship opportunities.
KEN BOUYER
Ernst & Young, LLP
Ken Bouyer is responsible for developing and implementing the global EY organization’s recruiting strategy to build and attract diverse and inclusive talent pools for member firms in the Americas. The organization strives to reflect the changes in world demographics, taking into account the new mix of cultures and individual characteristics that build its talent pool. Prior to his current role, Bouyer was a Director in the firm’s Advisory
Services practice, supporting various global internal audit clients. Additionally, Bouyer is currently the Chair of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants’ (AICPA) National Commission on Diversity and Inclusion; and a Board Member and the Chair of the Audit Committee for the American Accounting Association. He is a lifetime member of the National Association of Black Accountants (NABA) and the ALPFA (Association of Latino Professionals in Finance and Accounting) organization. Bouyer has a Bachelor of Science degree in Accounting from Manhattan College in Riverdale, New York. He is a Certified Internal Auditor and AICPA member. He currently resides in New Jersey with his wife, Shorn, and their daughter, Kelsie.
Angela Cain
Delta Air Lines
Angela Cain is a Manager of Strategic Initiatives at Delta Air Lines.
She leads a global supply chain optimization initiative for Delta’s Onboard Services. Prior to joining Delta Air Lines, she held a position as a Senior Associate in the Advisory practice of PricewaterhouseCoopers. At PwC, she helmed several projects, yielding multi-million dollar returns, in the areas of strategy development, operations management and project management for numerous Fortune 500 companies. She holds a Masters of Business Administration from the Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University and a BS in Marketing from North Carolina A&T State University.
JAMES CLAUSELL
Clausell & Associates, CPA’s, P.C.
James Clausell is the managing principal of Clausell & Associates, CPA’s, P.C. with its main office located in Atlanta, Georgia. The firm is a full-service firm specializing in auditing, forensic services, accounting, tax advisory, management consulting and financial services in the Southeast and Midwest USA. He also serves as a business advisor to many clients in industries such as colleges and universities
non-profit organizations, employee benefit plans, and tax planning for professionals. He serves on a number of board of directors and board of advisors (including BB&T, The Institute of Student Financial Aid and Administrative Services, Inc., Clausell Developers and Contractors, Inc., G.B.E. LLC, etc.). He is also an active peer reviewer for other certified public accounting firms and is currently serving on the AICPA Executive Peer Review Committee in the State of Georgia. He has a Masters of Business Administration (emphasis in Finance, Forensic Accounting, and strategic planning) and a Bachelor of Science degree in accounting (summa cum laude). He is a practicing CPA in the Southeast and Midwest. He is one of few Certified Forensic Accountants in the USA. He is a Diplomat and “Fellow Member” of the American College of Forensic Examiners, a member of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants, the Georgia and Alabama Society of Certified Public Accountants.
DARRYL CROOMS
John Deere
Mr. Darryl Crooms is a Senior Financial Analyst, Treasury, at Deere & Company, a position he
has held since April 2014. Crooms joined Deere & Company in 2009 as a financial analyst in the International Finance Group. A native of Jacksonville, Florida, Crooms earned a bachelor’s degree in Finance from Florida A&M University. He is a member of the Chicago chapter of the Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) Program, the National Association of Black Accountants (NABA) and also serves as a board member for Live By Ministries. He has successfully completed the Level 2 CFA exam as well as the four exams required to become a Certified Public Accountant (CPA).
LANCE DE LA ROSA
Sam’s Club
Mr. Lance de la Rosa’s career began in 1987 with Walmart Stores, Inc., and is a recognized retail leader and innovator. Lance progressively grew his skills and leadership roles within the organization with accolades based on his exceptional contributions and diverse portfolio of experiences within the broader corporation. In 1999, Lance joined the International division of Walmart working for two years in Germany as District Manager Advisor. In 2001, he returned to the corporate office in Bentonville, Arkansas and assumed the position of Divisional Manager for the Optical division. No surprise that Lance would continue to grow his career, and in 2011 Lance assumed his current role as Senior Vice President of Operations for Sam’s Club, responsible for the eastern division, covering 333 Clubs in 23 states and Puerto Rico, overseeing millions of Business and Household Members and tens of billions of dollars in revenue.
WILLIE DEESE
Merck & Company, Inc.
Willie Deese is Executive Vice President and President of the Merck Manufacturing Division, with responsibility for Merck’s worldwide manufacturing operations. He oversees 85 manufacturing and distribution sites in over 25 countries around the world with 26,000 people reporting in to him and with an operating budget of $9.0 billion. He is also responsible for Merck’s global procurement organization. Mr. Deese serves as a member of Merck’s Executive Committee.
TIFFANY EUBANKS-SAUNDERS
Bank of America
Tiffany Eubanks-Saunders is a Senior Vice President and Enterprise Services, Executive. In this role, Ms. Eubanks-Saunders leads a team that drives global commodity purchasing, operations and vendor management strategies for portfolios in excess of $10 Billion. She also serves as Bank of America’s Supplier Diversity and Development Executive. In this role, she leads the team responsible for achieving Bank of America’s corporate commitment to spending $10 Billion over five years with small, medium, and diverse suppliers.
MELANIE GLOVER
PWC
Melanie Glover is a Director within the Risk Assurance practice of PwC, where she specializes in assisting clients with internal controls assessments, regulatory and contractual compliance attestations, third-party assurance and information technology audits. She holds Bachelors of Science degrees in Accounting and Business Administration – Management Information Systems, from North Carolina A&T State University and a Masters of Business Administration from the Stephen M. Ross School of Business at the University of Michigan. She is a Certified Public Accountant, in the state of North Carolina, and a Certified Information Systems Auditor.
KEVIN GRAY
GFS Investments
Kevin Gray is Managing Partner of GFS Acquisition Partners GP, LLC, President and founder of GFS Investments, Inc. GFS Investments, Inc. is a Financial Services holding corporation specializing in acquiring and managing privately held companies that provide financial services. Holdings include two Investment Banking franchises, Mortgage Brokerage, Registered Investment Advisory, and Direct Access Trading software platforms. Mr. Gray is instrumental in creating entities and managing workforce. He was Managing Principal of the offices of Barron Chase Securities and RJ Steichen franchises. As consultant to private and public companies, he is engaged in various activities including, business development, structuring of mergers, PIPE funding, Cost Reduction, and Strategy Development. He has conducted mergers with corporations to provide them with listing on the NASDAQ OTC and Frankfurt markets and structured borrowing facilities on equity securities. For the past four years Gray has been an active private investor, investing his own capital in emerging companies in the United States and Europe.
TYRONE HEATH
John Deere
Mr. Ty Heath holds the position of Director Supply Management, Turf and Utility Platform at Deere & Company since June 2012. Heath joined the company in 1997 as a Production Unit Leader with John Deere Turf Care. He has held several positions during his 18 years of service at John Deere. Ty has a Bachelor of Industrial Engineering from Georgia Institute of Technology, and the Executive MBA from Duke University. His family life includes his wife Wanda, and 3 children, Devin, Kennedy, and Jayden. Ty enjoys coaching youth sports team, running, bicycling, golf and weight training.
CHRISTINA HOWARD
Dixon Huges Goodman, LLP
Christina brings nearly 15 years of accounting and business consulting knowledge to Dixon Hughes Goodman LLP’s clients in the market, including a proven track record serving the Risk Advisory industry’s largest public and private companies. She is a Certified Public Accountant, licensed in North Carolina and is a member of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants and the North Carolina Association of Certified Public Accountants. She is also a Certified Fraud Examiner. Christina is a graduate of the University of Virginia (Masters in Accountancy) and a graduate of North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University (Bachelors of Science in Accounting and Bachelor of Arts in Spanish).
JANICE BRYANT HOWROYD
ACT-1 Group
Janice Bryant Howroyd is the Chairman and CEO of the Act•1 Group, a global leader in the staffing and human resources industry. Building on an international scope and resources, her company creates and implements innovative technologies and business services that allow firms to optimize their talent pools and bottom line through optimal/innovative resource management. Her expertise on the subjects of workforce optimization and entrepreneurship has made her a much sought-after speaker. She is also the author of The Art of Work: How to Make Work, Work for You!, in which she distills over 30 years of experience into a work/life balance guide for individuals wishing to further their personal and professional success.
BEN HUME
Deloitte
Mr. Ben Hume is a director in Deloitte’s Charlotte audit practice, serving public and private companies in the real estate, hospitality, manufacturing, construction and retail industries, as well as working with his clients on initial and secondary public offerings, shelf offerings and acquisition due diligence. He is the audit champion for the Carolinas’ DGES (Deloitte Growth Enterprise Services) practice. Ben earned a Bachelor of Arts with Honours in British and French Accounting from the University of Kent at Canterbury. As part of that degree he also studied for one year at Jean Moulin University Lyon III in Lyon, France, earning an MSTCF (masters in accounting).
GARY KERSEY
Wells Fargo Retirement
Mr. Gary Kersey is a Senior Vice President and Chief Risk Officer for the Retirement line of business within Wealth, Brokerage & Retirement 9WBR) for Wells Fargo Bank. He is an executive with over 35 years of broad financial services business and risk management experience; including consumer banking, commercial lending, wealth management, private banking, personal trust, institutional trust, ERISA, investment management, insurance, and reinsurance. Gary has a Bachelor of Science degree in Business Administration (Management) from North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University and has graduated from the University of NC at Chapel Hill in the School of Banking Program and Young Executive Program. He is also a graduate of the Duke University Leadership Program.
MITCHELL MARTIN
Martin, Harps, Syphoe & Co.
Mitchell Martin, CPA, MBA, is the Managing Partner of Martin, Harps, Syphoe & Company, Certified Public Accountants (MHS & CO), and founder of Global Concessions Inc. (GCI), both of which are located in Atlanta, Georgia. MHS & CO was established in 1986. GCI is a multi-franchise concept owner/operator and employs in excess of 650 people with revenues in excess of $30 million annually.
BERNARD J. MILANO
KPMG Foundation
Bernie Milano is president and a member of the boards of directors of three nonprofit organizations; the KPMG Foundation, the KPMG Disaster Relief Fund, and The PhD Project. He joined KPMG (then Peat Marwick Mitchell &Co.) following his graduation from Temple University in 1961. He held positions of National Partner in Charge of University Relations followed by National Partner in Charge of Human Resources. He holds two honorary doctorates one of which is from North Carolina A&T State University.
SCOTT MORRIS
3M Industrial & Transportation Business Services
Scott Morris is the National Manager for 3M Design Solutions and a Global Key Account Leader for 3M’s Appliance Market initiative. In addition to managing a U.S. based team, he has developed the strategic vision, solutions process, and metrics for this new 3M Business Model, which is being replicated globally. This motivational leader has created and is certified to teach an array of sales, leadership, and personal equity workshops. Morris sits on the 3M African American Network Leadership Council.
DMITRI L. STOCKTON
GE Asset Management
Stockton is currently President and CEO of GE Asset Management, a global asset manager with $115 billion in assets under management for GE’s U.S. employee pension and benefits plans and a wide range of other institutional investors, including plan sponsors, sovereign wealth funds, insurance companies, and endowments. In this role he oversees an array of investment strategies managed by the firm, spanning U.S. and international equities, fixed income, real estate, private equity and hedge funds. Stockton is a former Board Director of Garanti Bank in Turkey, Bank BPH in Poland and BAC Credomatic Bank in Central America, and is currently on the non-profit boards of A Better Chance, GE Foundation and the Thurgood Marshall College Fund. He is also a member of the Parents Advisory Council at the Georgetown University McDonough School of Business. Stockton has received numerous recognitions and awards in his career including his selection as one of Black Enterprise Magazine’s 100 Most Powerful in Corporate America in 2009 and 75 Most Powerful on Wall Street in 2011. In 2012, he was chosen by Savoy Magazine as one of the Top 100 Most Influential Blacks in Corporate America. Stockton is an inductee in the National Black College Hall of Fame and was chosen by the Beta Alpha Psi Honor Society as the Business Information Professional of the Year in 2005 and the Beta Gamma Sigma Honor Society for the Business Achievement Award in 2007. He has also been the recipient of the North Carolina A&T State University Alumni Excellence Award.
Jeff Tate
DOW Chemical Company
Jeff Tate is vice president and business finance director for the $20 billion Packaging and Specialty Plastics segment of The Dow Chemical Company. In this role, he directs and oversees all global finance activities to provide strategic and financial counsel for the businesses. He is a member of the Financial Executives International, the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants, and Omega Psi Phi Fraternity, Incorporated. Jeff is a CPA and serves on the Board of Directors of Chemical Financial Corporation, the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board’s Standing Advisory Group, and the Corporate Advisory Boards of both Consortium and National Association of Black Accountants.
Jini Davis Thornton, CPA
Envision Business Management Group
Jini Thornton is the Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Envision Business Management Group, which is located in Atlanta, Georgia. Envision has been in business for 19 years and provides accounting, tax, financial planning, tour accounting and logistics, and other financial related services to individuals and businesses in the entertainment industry. She created and served as the host of the award winning Money Talks, a financial commentary segment, which aired Monday through Friday on the Atlanta Radio One station WHTA-FM, Hot 107.9 and the Macon station WFXM-FM Foxie 107.1 for over eight years. Jini frequently contributes to the nationally syndicated Rickey Smiley Morning Show providing financial advice to listeners throughout the Southern United States. Jini attended North Carolina A&T State University where she earned a Bachelor of Science in Accounting in 1991 and received her Master of Science in Taxation from the University of Illinois of Urbana Champaign in 1993.
Marcus Tyrance
Streamline, a Union Pacific subsidiary
Marcus Tyrance is a Sr. Business Director in the Marketing & Sales Department, where he leads the Commercial Team for Streamline, a Union Pacific subsidiary that provides door to door intermodal services. Marcus holds a BA in Journalism and an MSM in Transportation and Business Logistics. Immediately after college, Marcus was a production assistant at a small talk radio station. Prior to joining the railroad, he was also an Operations Manager at a third party logistics company and a dispatcher at a small trucking company.
In 2006, Marcus graduated from the MSM program at NC A&T and joined Union Pacific Railroad as an Account Representative at the Market Development and Sales Center in Omaha, NE. In that position, Marcus managed the commercial relationship between Union Pacific and several small Intermodal Marketing Companies. Marcus subsequently held several roles with increasing responsibilities in the Marketing & Sales department in Omaha, Philadelphia, and Los Angeles.
MICHAEL WASHINGTON
Shell Oil
Michael A. Washington is currently the Continuous Improvement Expert for Global Commercial Americas. In this role, he is responsible for the deployment of Lean/6 Sigma practices and cultural shifts for operational assets and supply-chain functions in North America and Latin America for the Lubricants Supply Chain organization for Shell Oil. Prior to this assignment, he was Vice President of North American Logistics Operations
for Shell Oil Products US supporting the transportation and distribution of ~350 million gallons of finished lubricants across the US and Canada. Prior to these roles, he was President and CEO of Pedes, Inc a supply chain company supporting several Fortune 500 clients in the Mid-West. Lastly, he spent almost 15 years at Procter and Gamble in the Packaged Soap Division in various roles in engineering and R&D. Michael earned a Chemistry Degree from Fisk University and a Chemical Engineering Degree from Tuskegee Institute. He is married with two children and resides in Houston, Texas.