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More About The Leon Hess Business Council

Mission Statement

The Business Council consists of established business professionals with a common interest in Monmouth University and the Leon Hess Business School. These business professionals volunteer their time, talents and resources towards supporting the success of students in their transition into careers of their choice.


The purpose of the Business Council is to provide support and advice to the Dean of the Leon Hess Business School on matters relating to academic programs, student development, societal impact, and strategic planning. The Business Council is chartered with five primary functions:

  1. Providing the University with a source of practical business experience and expertise across diverse industries and business disciplines.
  2. Advising on curriculum and learning approaches that best prepare students with the knowledge and skills desired in the marketplace.
  3. Providing mentoring, training, experiential learning opportunities, internships and hiring opportunities.
  4. Providing financial support for continuous faculty development and supporting fund raising efforts for Leon Hess Business School.
  5. Developing the availability and use of the Leon Hess Business School as an educational and advisory resource to the business community.

Link to Business Council By-Laws

Business Council Organization

Student Engagement Committee

Chair: Joe Rice

Objectives

  • Provide students with informal networking opportunities, internships and employment
  • Provide financial support to student-led organizations
  • Support individual students with financial awards

Key Initiatives

  • Executive Mentoring Program
    • Refresh program and increase student participation
  • Internship Program
    • Develop guidelines and engage more Council members 
  • Financial Support
    • Provide support for student organizations     (Beta Gamma Sigma, Future Business Leaders, Enactus, Dean’s Student Advisory Council)
    • Increase Council sponsored student awards

Faculty Support Committee

Chair: Natasha Chandler

Objectives

  • Advise and council on curriculum and learning approaches that will help prepare students for successful careers
  • Partner in experiential learning sessions involving executives and students to share best practices, innovative approaches and emerging trends
  • Support faculty scholarship through research grants

Key Initiatives

  • Curriculum Advancement Initiative
  • Experiential Learning
  • Faculty Summer Research Grant Program

Communications, Marketing & Events Committee

Chair: Ken Young

Objectives

  • Increase awareness for Business Council initiatives across key stakeholder groups
  • Increase awareness for Council members on how to engage and contribute
  • Recognize members, students, faculty contributions and engagement

Key Initiatives

  • Website Redesign
  • Social Media Presence
  • Member Engagement Campaign
  • Support Student & Faculty Communication Initiatives
  • Video Initiative
  • Spring Social
  • Day at the Races

Membership Committee

Chair: Richard Ricciardi

Objectives

  • Create opportunity to introduce Monmouth University and Leon Hess Business School to business leaders and broader community
  • Grow membership base to 50 through recruitment of experienced executive members and development of associate members
  • Engage more members in Council initiatives
  • Ensure the Council is inclusive and supportive of diverse membership

Key Initiatives

  • Membership Directory
  • Membership Pipeline
  • New Member Onboarding Program

Budget & Finance Committee

Chair: Pooja Shah

Objectives

  • Manage Business Council affairs including stewardship over collection and allocation of member contributions
  • Develop measures of Business Council contribution and value to LHBS and broader University

Key Initiatives

  • 2023 contribution campaign Business Council impact

Business Council History

The Business Council was formed in 1985 by businesspeople to assist the School of Business Administration maintain its sense of relativity within the business community. The
Council in turn provides business with a voice in the activities of the school resulting in better-prepared graduates and future employees. In short, the mission is to stimulate an ongoing relationship between faculty and business, thereby maximizing the utilization of both as a resource to assist the other. Founding members were Arthur F. Kelly Jr., Charles W. Ritscher, and Paul W. Corliss.

Past Chairs:

  • Arthur F. Kelly Jr. 1988- 1992
  • Sheldon Drucker 1992 – 1994
  • Paul Corliss 1994 – 1998
  • Charles Ritscher 1998 – 2000
  • Gloria Nilson 2000 – 2002
  • Karl Gordinier 2003 – 2005
  • James S. Vaccaro III 2005 – 2007
  • James Ferris 2007 – 2009
  • Joseph Adelhardt 2009 – 2010
  • Jeana Piscatelli 2010 – 2013
  • Richard L. Ricciardi 2013 – 2015
  • Deb Mannix 2015 – 2017
  • William MacDonald 2017 – 2019
  • General John DiNapoli 2019 -2021
  • Deb Clay 2021 – Present