Dean's Leadership Council

With over 20 years of HR leadership experience spanning startups and Fortune 200 companies, Courtney Atkinson currently serves as Chief People Officer at Nexus. She leads the people strategy and culture initiatives that empower team members, promote inclusivity, and align with Nexus’s mission to deliver better healthcare outcomes.

Courtney’s expertise covers talent acquisition, performance management, organizational development, succession planning, and large-scale HR transformations. She has played key roles in driving workforce growth and IPO readiness at Evo Global Payments and Atom Power, and served as an Executive Consultant at Vaco, guiding complex organizational change.

Her career began with 15 years at RNDC, the second-largest wine and spirits distributor in the U.S., where she developed leadership programs and forged impactful partnerships with Texas State University’s McCoy School of Business to connect academic talent with industry needs.

Courtney holds an MBA from Villanova University, a BA in Organizational Development and HR Management from the University of the Incarnate Word, and completed the Wharton Executive Cohort for Chief HR Officers. She is deeply connected to Texas State University through her daughter, a recent McCoy graduate, and her goddaughter currently enrolled.

Based in San Antonio, Texas, Courtney lives with her husband David and their dog Bella. She is passionate about fostering inclusive cultures where team members thrive and contribute to collective success.

A credit union veteran of more than 36 years, Howard Baker served the National Credit Union Administration (NCUA) for 14 years, followed by 15 years of service at Security Service Federal Credit Union in San Antonio. While working for the NCUA, Baker held high-level examiner and analyst positions, observing credit unions across the United States to assess and address risk to the National Credit Union Share Insurance Fund. During his time at Security Service FCU, Baker held various leadership positions including Executive Vice President, Chief of Staff for 12 years. Today, Baker is President & Chief Executive Officer of Greater Texas|Aggieland Credit Union, a nearly $1B financial cooperative operating across Texas.

Community stewardship and philanthropy have always been of high importance for Baker, who has served as chairman of numerous boards of directors including the North San Antonio Chamber of Commerce, LeadSA, New Braunfels Christian Academy, and Seton Home for Pregnant Women. Additionally, Baker served on the Boards of Back on My Feet, Ethics in Business San Antonio, San Antono Economic Development Foundation, and Greater New Braunfels Economic Development Foundation.

Baker is a member of the McCoy School of Business Advisory Board at Texas State University, and was a McCoy School Beta Gamma Sigma Chapter Honoree in 2020. Through credit union and personal donations, he supported the Texas State 3-Day Start-Up program. Baker helped create the Tommy Dee Seargeant/Greater Texas Federal Credit Union Endowed Scholarship for McCoy School students, in honor of retired credit union CEO and Texas State alum Tommy Seargeant.

Baker graduated from Texas State University with honors in 1986 with a Bachelor’s degree in Finance and Economics.

In 1989, Rick Couette, embarked on a career in real estate, buying, selling, and flipping properties, as well as engaging in construction. The Iraq War impacted his business, prompting him to relocate to Queens, NY, where he founded Bond Street Clothing. This venture involved selling high-end ladies' clothing directly to homes, catering to residents who lacked access to nearby malls and shopping centers.

A few years later, Rick returned to Texas and transitioned into the aerospace industry after meeting an owner of an aerospace company specializing in engine lab analysis. He was hired to manage Marketing and Sales for a new chemical fuel additive. Within a few years, Rick was leading the sales department, growing the team from 4 to 24 representatives and increasing business by 70%.

After encountering FAA-related challenges, Rick decided to establish his own company in 1995. This new venture focused on developing filters, hardware, and custom kits for the aerospace industry. Leveraging his extensive network of buyers and OEM companies, Rick's company quickly emerged as a specialized boutique manufacturer, catering to the needs of corporate and regional aircraft.

For much of his life, Dr. Seth Frei has been interested in business and operational improvements, which led him to focus on business communication and its crucial role in effective organizations. His career is dedicated to helping others enhance their managerial and communication skills while researching new methods for improving these processes.

Dr. Frei is currently the McCoy College Assistant Dean for Program Assessment and Global Engagement and a faculty member in the Department of Management at Texas State University. He also owns Elevation Consulting Partners. Through these roles, he works with students and employees across a range of companies, from small organizations to Fortune 500 firms. His objective in teaching and consulting is to help individuals develop plans to improve their communication skills, thereby enhancing their work experiences and opportunities.

Dr. Frei’s career also includes significant business research, focusing on the communication practices of employees as they start new jobs and careers. With the growing reliance on technology, he examines how interactions with new organizations have evolved. Additionally, he is interested in how training can serve as an effective communication tool between organizations and individuals.

Katie Harvey is the founder and chief executive officer of KGBTexas Communications, one the of the largest, woman-owned communications firms in Texas, with offices in San Antonio and Houston. Katie has grown her full-service marketing and communications agency from its origins as a boutique public relations firm to a debt-free, multimillion-dollar company with a team of over 50 professionals. 

One of Katie’s strongest beliefs is that her and her team’s work should have positive consequence in the communities in which they and their clients work, live, play and serve. In over 30 years in business, she has had the privilege to work on some of the most high-profile projects and campaigns that have shaped San Antonio and Houston and enhanced economic development and quality of life across the state of Texas. 

Katie is a proud graduate of Southwest Texas State University, a wife and mother of two sons. 

With over 20 years in public accounting, Anna Tallent, CPA (BBA ’01), is an assurance partner at Ernst & Young (EY). Her extensive experience includes serving clients in various sectors such as energy, technology, and real estate, with a focus on mergers and acquisitions, IPOs, and equity offerings. She spent two years in London, gaining expertise in SEC regulations and appreciates the technological advancements and learning opportunities in her field. Anna is also co-director of the EY Entrepreneur of the Year Gulf South program, finding fulfillment in supporting entrepreneurs and community growth.

Anna enjoys the opportunity to give back through chairing Junior Achievement of Central Texas and serving on the boards of the Jon Bromley Texas Venture Labs and the Swedish Women’s Educational Association.

As an Assurance Partner with over 30 years of experience, Steve Macicek has worked with companies ranging from large multinational corporations to smaller high-growth businesses. His extensive experience includes serving many of EY’s most complex and challenging clients across industries such as energy, oilfield services, manufacturing, distribution, construction, and private equity. Steve has developed deep expertise in areas such as revenue recognition, income tax accounting, mergers and acquisitions, divestitures, reorganizations, and other technical topics.

As the Southwest Region Leader of EY’s Center for Board Matters, Steve provided corporate boards and directors with distinctive, timely, and balanced insights on global disruptive trends and governance issues. The Center leverages EY’s comprehensive content to help directors navigate their increasingly complex roles and to assist them in asking the right questions.

Larry Mark is a global executive with 40 years of finance and leadership experience in the consumer products industry. During his 32 years with The Coca-Cola Company, he held multiple roles throughout its Global Finance organization. Until his recent retirement, Mark was the Global Vice President, Finance Operations, and had responsibility for driving the underlying results of the Company by working in business partnership with the President, Chief Operating Officer, and the Chief Financial Officer. This included oversight of a revenue base of $40 billion, operating income of $11 billion and an enterprise value of $270 billion.

Mark was previously the Vice President and Corporate Controller of The Coca-Cola Company with oversight of performance management, internal and external financial reporting, and internal controls for the global enterprise. Mark also previously served as the Chief Financial Officer for Coca-Cola North America and as Chief Financial Officer for the Coca-Cola Europe Group. Prior to his operating roles, Mark led The Coca-Cola Company’s Investor Relations activities and gained extensive experience working with Wall Street. Mark started his career with Price Waterhouse where he became an audit senior manager, gaining experience across multiple industries, and he spent two years in Johannesburg, South Africa.

In his current hometown of Atlanta Georgia, Mark serves as a member of the Board of Trustees of the Woodruff Arts Center and as a Board member of the Center for Puppetry Arts. Mark is currently on the Advisory Board of two software start-up companies, and he previously served on the Board of Fairlife LLC.

Rob Mason is a global IT executive with over three decades of experience transforming complex business functions to achieve sustainable value creation. Rob has experience across all life cycles of a business starting with Go to Market and Sales all the way through Supply Chain and Finance. 

Rob’s current role is SVP IT Supply Chain and Commercial Systems at Dell Technologies.  He is responsible for all technology and Infrastructure in Global Manufacturing, Logistics, Procurement, Product Engineering, Finance, and Human Resources.  Prior to Dell, Rob spent over 9 years at United Parcel Service in a variety of Engineering and Operational roles.

Pam Nemec is a keynote speaker and executive performance coach specializing in connecting and aligning organizations and building remarkable team and brand cultures. During her 20-year tenure at Whataburger, a multi-billion-dollar restaurant brand known for its high performing culture and fanatical customer following, she led a team of 200 people while successfully connecting an organization of over 50,000 employees and hundreds of franchisees, dispersed across 13 states. 

One of only two women on the senior leadership team, she successfully navigated working within a male dominated industry, winning multiple franchise and corporate awards for her leadership and results oriented approach to employee and customer communication. All of this resulted in loyal employees and fanatical customers.

Pam knows that a business can only be as good as the internal cohesion and satisfaction of its employees, hence her drive and continued advocacy for building leadership and communication systems that protect and promote the employee and customer experience. Pamnow speaks and consults on her proprietary model The Remarkable Brand Blueprint: 8 Steps to Building an Unbeatable Brand from the Inside Out. 

Jason Qualls has been in the finance industry for over 20 years. As a Senior Vice President at Frost Bank, Jason works with middle market commercial and industrial companies to provide solutions for various debt and deposit needs. Prior industry experience includes business banking, commercial work-out and personal banking. Outside of banking, Jason enjoys exploring Texas State Parks with his twin boys, young daughter, and wonderful wife.    

Dr. Sanjay Ramchander serves as dean of the McCoy College of Business at Texas State University. The McCoy College is home to nearly 4,500 students and spans five academic departments: Accounting, Computer Information Systems and Quantitative Methods, Finance and Economics, Management, and Marketing.

Dr. Ramchander is a professor of finance and holds the Darren Casey Endowed Professorship in Business. He leads the McCoy College in its student-centered approach to preparing graduates for successful business careers. He sees the college as a diverse, vibrant, and dynamic community devoted to the idea that business makes a world of difference.

Andy Russ began his career with H-E-B as a high school junior, working in various entry-level roles. While a full-time student at Texas State University, he continued working at H-E-B, moving up to assistant service manager. Now he serves as a Managing Director of Planning and Analytics for H-E-B.

Russ's path to success was influenced by his experience at Texas State, where he was awarded the University Scholars scholarship after a rigorous interview. This scholarship allowed him to complete dual degrees in accounting and computer information systems in just four years. His involvement at Texas State included leadership roles such as president of the Accounting Club and delivering the commencement speech in 2002. 

After graduation, Russ chose to stay with H-E-B, leading to a successful career. He remains connected to his alma mater as a member of the McCoy Advisory Board, where he contributes to the evolution of the business college. Russ credits his university experiences and mentors for his achievements and encourages others to embrace opportunities and effort.

Kristin Scholer is Senior Director of Marketing Science at Hearts & Science, a global marketing agency. She leads a team that solves complex business decisions using data and insights to support the strategic initiatives of the AT&T account. She has held multiple analytical roles since 2006 where she has developed a diversified knowledge across retail, energy, hospitality, e-commerce, automotive and telecommunication verticals for domestic and global organizations. She holds a B.S. and an MBA from Texas State University. Kristin currently lives in Dallas with her husband Zach, also a Texas State graduate, and their Great Pyrenees, Layla. 

Bruce Smith, a distinguished Houstonian, is a visionary entrepreneur and investor with an illustrious career. As the founder, President, and CEO of Safety Vision, LLC, Smith's leadership has propelled the company's ascent to becoming a global leader in Mobile Video Surveillance, boasting over 100 employees and a presence across the United States and beyond. With an extensive portfolio encompassing 54 companies collectively valued at over $1 billion annually, Smith's impact on the business landscape is profound.

Born in Santa Monica, California, he made his mark in Houston after moving there at the age of eight. Graduating from Stratford High School in 1981, Smith pursued Finance at Texas State University while simultaneously demonstrating remarkable leadership as President of the Kappa Sigma Fraternity and holding key positions in various campus organizations. His entrepreneurial journey began during college with the establishment of El Dorado Restaurant and Bar, setting the stage for his future successes. Following his tenure at Motorola, where he rose to the role of National Accounts Manager, Smith's trailblazing spirit led him to establish Safety Vision, LLC in 1993. 

Smith's commitment to growth extends to diverse sectors, from commercial and residential real estate to the co-founding of three banks, multiple startup companies, and investments in a multitude of private equity funds. A cherished family man, Bruce is married to his high school sweetheart Kelly, with whom he shares two children.

Beyond his business endeavors, Smithe's engagement with the Young Presidents Organization, Chief Executive Organization (CEO), his advisory role at Texas State University's McCoy Business School, and his philanthropic contributions, to organizations like Prepare 4 Life and KIPP Academy reflect his unwavering dedication to progress. The Smith family's membership in the Houstonian further underscores their deep-rooted connection to their community. With accolades such as being a Distinguished Alumnus of Texas State University, Smith's legacy as an entrepreneur, leader, and visionary continues to shape industries and inspire generations. 

Michael Smith is an Internal Audit and Enterprise Risk Partner in KPMG’s Advisory business with over 25 years of experience leading audit, risk and compliance programs. Michael leads a dedicated innovation team that works across our KPMG network to help clients’ execute against their core IA and SOX needs, drive risk management improvement and advance core internal audit capabilities. His approach focuses on connecting the enterprise and IA agendas — across culture, people, technology, and process - to create a more valuable and resilient IA team.  Michael serves as the U.S. Solution Lead for Internal Audit and previously served as the U.S. Lead of KPMG’s Intelligent Automation for Internal Audit and ICOFR Team. 

Annette Stewart is a financial services professional. For close to twenty years, she has worked in financial services firms such as Citadel, Goldman Sachs and is currently at Royal Bank of Canada.  Annette has spent her career focused on derivatives regulation, front-to-back trading process, overall firm process improvement, project management, legal trade confirmations & currently working on strategic risk & regulatory initiatives.  

Her perspective on finance and leadership is shaped by her experiences as both a financial services professional and involvement in multiple nonprofit organizations.  She is currently the President of the Financial Women’s Association. 

Overall, Annette has enjoyed new learning opportunities and has grown her career through her love for learning and collaboration.

Annette received her undergraduate degree from Texas State University and completed her Juris Doctorate at the University of Iowa College of Law where she participated in the University of Iowa's international law program in France and London. She is also a graduate of the University of Michigan Ross School of Business Executive Program for her MBA.  

Annette volunteers on the Board for the FWA, serves on the University of Iowa College of Law Foundation Board, Phi Chi Theta Foundation & participates as an advisor for several non-profit organizations which includes Sigma Kappa.

Annette enjoys traveling and free time with her husband, Jeff Fausey, and daughter Paige.

Jared Stout serves as the Managing Director of Risk for the Texas Permanent School Fund Corporation. He works closely with the CEO and Board on both investment and operational risk management. He provides leadership and oversight for operational due diligence, quantitative analysis and macro-economic research teams. He is responsible for strategic and tactical asset allocation as well as was instrumental in the corporate carve-out and merger to create the Texas PSF Corporation in 2023. 

Prior to being the Managing Director of Risk, he served in various roles on the Global Public Equity team ultimately as the Managing Director for the asset class. Before entering the public sector, he was the Due Diligence Analyst and an Investment Consultant for Kestra Financial (formerly NFP). Jared received an MBA from the University of Texas at Austin, McCombs School of Business. He also received a BBA in Finance from Texas State University, McCoy College of Business Administration with Cum Laude Honors.

Shari is a global executive with 25+ years of operations and risk management leadership contributions. She recently retired as Vice President and Head of American Express National Bank’s Control Environment Enhancements, where she drove multi-year roadmap consistency, managed operational framework, partnered with executives, and influenced 1,000+ staff while improving internal control consistency and strengthening enterprise internal controls. In previous roles at American Express, Shari served as Vice President/General Manager of Operational Risk Management—Global Commercial Payments, Corporate Card and Business Travel, and Vice President, Lead Risk and Privacy Officer—Enterprise Growth Group.

Shari holds a Bachelor of Business Administration from Texas State University. She serves on the board of the Shiner Gaslight Theater. Shari is a frequent speaker on women in the workplace and operational risk management. She is the custodian of the endowment for the Texas State University Berkovsky/Moseley Family Legacy Endowed Scholarship. Shari was a member of Women Executive 50 and a founding member of CREW business networking. She and her husband split their time between residing in Austin, Texas, and Shiner, Texas.

Jeff Willis received his BBA in marketing from Texas State University in 1985. In 1993, he joined the Roofing Supply Group (RSG), a small Texas wholesale industrial distributor of roofing and building materials.

Over the next 20+ years, his senior executive leadership and management skills were foundational in growing the company to over $1.1 billion in revenues at the time of its multiple private equity sales. Willis then joined another private equity sponsored wholesale industrial distributor in 2018 and, as president of seven business units, helped lead it to over $1 billion in revenues and its successful sale in 2020. He has been enjoying semi-retirement since then.

Willis is also known for giving back as he has held various committee leadership appointments within industry and trade groups. In 2016, he and his wife, Patty, established a scholarship endowment at the Texas State University McCoy College of Business, and he has enjoyed re-engaging with his alma mater by serving on the McCoy College of Business Advisory Board and on the Texas State University Leadership Advisory Council.