Center for Professional Sales ushers in a new era of leadership

SAN MARCOS, Texas — The Center for Professional Sales' new leadership team concluded a monumental spring semester at Texas State University's McCoy College of Business, marking a new era of student-focused initiatives and significant growth for the program.

Following the retirement of longtime director Vicki West in late 2024, Dr. Linda Alkire, an associate professor of marketing at McCoy College, assumed the director role at the start of the 2025 spring semester. Dr. Derrek Schartz, assistant professor of instruction in marketing, joined the center as assistant director in August of 2024.

The duo formed a dynamic leadership team that guided the center through a semester of swift transitions and noteworthy accomplishments.

"I couldn't be more grateful for [Dr. Schartz], our amazing assistant director, but also the rest of the sales faculty," Alkire said. “We have an amazing team. Everyone is on board. The whole team, faculty, students, everybody worked extremely well, extremely hard.”

The transition in leadership came during a particularly busy period of the academic year, coinciding with its flagship Interview Express event in February, which connected over 240 sales students with the center's corporate partners, and the National Collegiate Sales Competition (NCSC) — one of the largest and the longest-running university sales competitions worldwide — in Georgia, an event the center did not expect to attend.

"The plan was [that we] were skipping this year," Alkire said. "But then Dr. Schartz volunteered, and I'm so glad [he said] 'I'm going to take our top students anyway.'"

Schartz added that the effort required to prepare for the competition was challenging, but it was worth the experience for both faculty and students.

"We competed against all the top universities internationally," Schartz said. "We did really well in speed selling, and we had a couple of students that actually placed on the higher end of their bracket [but] we had a very short window to prepare because we were transitioning from old leadership to new leadership."

Despite the tight timeline, the team's participation was an opportunity to compete with the new leadership while also "strengthening the center's national visibility and reputation." It also gave new faculty member Juan Holguin, assistant professor of instruction in marketing, who will be handling the team moving forward, a chance to work closely with them before next year's competition.

Semester Highlights and Growth

The center also focused on enhancing its engagement with corporate sponsors, which included 49 classroom visits where a corporate partner representative visited sales classes, providing students with firsthand industry insights from some of the top companies in the U.S.

The team also organized seven site visits, during which students had the opportunity to visit corporate partners' facilities for insights into their operations and a chance to connect with industry experts.

Alkire said interest from companies seeking to partner with the center has rapidly increased, with the center welcoming three new corporate partners — Aramark, SWBC, and Berlin Packaging.

The team also introduced new curriculum options for students in other programs at McCoy College.

"One of the highlights is that — I call it the professional selling class — it is now being offered to non-marketing majors, which is a new thing," Schartz said.

Alkire emphasized the significance of this initiative: "One of our major accomplishments this semester was launching a dedicated sales class for non-marketing majors — and it’s already at full capacity for the fall. Building on this success, our next goal is to extend this opportunity to non-business majors as well. The ability to sell — whether it’s your ideas, your vision, or your expertise — is a critical skill for every professional, regardless of discipline."

Alkire said the sales faculty also has plans to implement the use of artificial intelligence tools in the classroom.

"We're trying to adopt the latest AI solutions to improve students' practicing abilities and interactions with the software so that it creates more opportunities for them to work on those skills and be as competitive as they can be in the market," she said.

The center's leadership is also hoping to expand its digital presence with the relaunch of its new website and the establishment of a LinkedIn Page, which now boasts almost 600 followers.

The Sales Ambassador program — a group of sales students who interact with corporate partners, respond to requests, and preside at special events — was also expanded to include "18 exceptional students, with a complete redesign [of the program] underway," Alkire shared in an email to corporate partners.

Student Success

The semester came to a close at the Stelos Alliance Banquet, which was held at the Paul and Pat Gowens Family Pavilion at UFCU Stadium in late April, where outstanding student leaders were awarded scholarships. All five members of the NCSC team received the Johnson Sales Award of Distinction scholarship to support the student team competing in the NCSC. Each student received $1,000, totaling $5,000 — doubling the amount from the previous year.

The center demonstrates high success in student outcomes with nearly 100% job placement for students with a sales concentration. Participation in the program requires students to complete an internship, ensuring that by the time they graduate, most have already gained hands-on experience or secured full-time positions.

Looking Forward

As the center prepares for the fall, its leadership remains focused on scaling with intention.

"We are experiencing significant demand for our program, and one of our primary focuses has been managing that growth effectively," Alkire said. "Ensuring the Center has the resources and infrastructure to support this demand has been a key priority for us."

From launching an internal sales competition to co-hosting the Fall 2025 University Sales Center Alliance meeting, the center continues to strengthen its academic dedication to supporting students' growth, building industry connections, and engaging with corporate partners.

The fall semester will introduce new courses and bold initiatives, increase visibility, and continue developing future sales leaders prepared to meet the demands of a changing workforce. ✯