Executive Advisory Council

The Willie A. Deese College of Business and Economics (Deese COBE) Executive Advisory Council (EAC) is comprised of 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.

EAC members – many of whom are North Carolina A&T alumni – are also ambassadors and advocates for the Willie A. Deese College of Business and Economics and strongly support students in their academic and professional endeavors by donating to scholarships, serving as guest speakers, and hosting networking and mentorship opportunities.

DANA L. ARMSTRONG
International Paper
Dana began her career with International Paper in 2001 as a Human Resource Associate in Memphis, Tennessee on a SAP project.  She also spent time as an Associate at the Texarkana, TX mill.  In 2003, she moved to a HR Generalist role at the Mansfield, LA mill and then in 2008, Dana began working with the former Shorewood Packaging Business based in Manhattan, NY as an HR Manager supporting the Tobacco Business.  In 2010, she was given additional responsibility as the Regional HR Manager with Shorewood supporting the sales organization, multiple business segments and international locations in Canada, Mexico, Wales, Poland, and China.  In June 2011, Dana moved back to Memphis as a Business HR Manager (BHRM) for the Finance organization as well as supporting the Temple-Inland corporate group integration in 2012.  In 2013, Dana became the Business HR Manager for the Corporate Staff Groups (Finance, Legal, Communications, HR, Government Relations, Business Development, and Aviation).  She completed a short-term assignment with IP Brazil as HR business partner, Packaging and Papers based in Sao Paulo in 2015.  Dana led the Weyerhaeuser Cellulose Fibers Manufacturing Integration and then worked as Manufacturing BHRM for the Global Cellulose Fibers Business.  Dana joined the HR Senior Lead Team in October 2018 as Director, Human Resources for Paper the Americas.  She is currently the Director of Human Resources for North American Container and is responsible for providing strategic HR support and developing and driving talent strategies.
Dana is originally from St. Louis, MO.  She earned her Bachelor of Science degree in Psychology from Tennessee State University and her Master of Human Resources and Industrial Relations from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign.  She enjoys spending time with her family, friends, and two dogs, reading, going to plays, concerts, and relaxing at the beach.

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.

THOMAS K. (TONY) BROWN
Retired – Ford Motor Company
During the 90s, Brown was an Executive Director, leading purchasing logistics for QMS then United Technologies. In 1999, he joined the Ford Motor Company. From 1999 until retiring in 2013, Brown held various purchasing management and executive positions. Most recently he was group vice president of global purchasing for Ford. During the 90s, he held various leadership positions at Digital Equipment Corporation. He currently serves on the board of 3M Corporation, ConAgra Foods, and Tower International Inc. and is a board member of the National Park Foundation. Brown has a Bachelor of Business Administration degree from American Int’l College.

JANET CHESS
Microsoft Corporation
Janet Chess serves as Global Alliance Leader for one of Microsoft’s 18 strategic partners. She is responsible for driving market growth through digital transformation leveraging Microsoft Cloud and Artificial Intelligence. Janet leads a cross-organization, cross-company team to deliver benchmark outcomes for partners and clients impacting a $3.6B relationship. 
Prior to this role, Chess held positions within Microsoft leading channel marketing and readiness, strategy, corporate responsibility and global operations.
Before relocating to the Pacific Northwest to join Microsoft, Chess spent 25 years with Xerox Corporation. Her tenure with the technology company, turned BPO-provider was highlighted by senior leadership roles in consulting, sales and marketing, strategy and Diversity & Inclusion.
Chess holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Economics from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, where she was a Joseph E. Pogue Merit Scholar. She has achieved executive certification from the London Business School, and is a certified Lean Six Sigma Green Belt.
Janet currently serves on the board of the Seattle Nativity School and the community board at Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta at Hughes Spalding. Past board service includes work with the Boys & Girls Club of Fulton County, Georgia Minority Supplier Development Council, and the advisory board for the Carolina Breast Cancer Study for UNC Gillings School – Global Public Health. She is a member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated.

JAMES CLAUSELL
Clausell & Associates, P.C.
James Clausell is the managing principal of Clausell & Associates, 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 now Truist, 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 of 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.

LANCE DE LA ROSA
Sam’s Club
Mr. Lance de la Rosa’s career began in 1987 with Walmart Stores, Inc., and he 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 the former Executive Vice President and President of the Merck Manufacturing Division, with responsibility for Merck’s worldwide manufacturing operations. He oversaw 85 manufacturing and distribution sites in over 25 countries around the world with 26,000 people reporting to him and with an operating budget of $9 billion. He was also responsible for Merck’s global procurement organization.
Mr. Deese serves as a member of Merck’s Executive Committee.

CHENAE W. EDWARDS
Philanthropic Practice Group
Chenae is a member of the Philanthropic Practice Group and focuses primarily on Endowment and Foundation clients. She is recognized as an asset allocation specialist and serves on NEPC’s Asset Allocation Committee, which oversees the development of asset class assumptions and general client actions for the firm. Chenae authored the white paper, Nonprofit Organizations: Annual Audit Survival Guide, focused on equipping nonprofit finance professionals with tools to prepare for their annual financial statement audits. She also co-chairs the firm’s Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Network. 
Prior to joining NEPC in 2013, Chenae worked at Goldman Sachs in Private Wealth Management and at Sovereign’s Capital as an Analyst focused on investments in frontier markets. Chenae also worked at PricewaterhouseCoopers as a Senior Associate in the Financial Services Audit Practice where she focused on the banking and asset management industries. 
Chenae holds an M.B.A. from Tuck School of Business at Dartmouth and a B.S. from North Carolina A&T State University. She is a Certified Public Accountant licensed in North Carolina and a Level III CFA candidate. Chenae serves as the co-chair, Tuck Association of Diverse Alumni and as an Executive Advisory Committee member for the Willie A. Deese College of Business and Economics at North Carolina A&T. She is also a member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated and serves as a board member of the Boston Pearl Foundation.

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 a team responsible for achieving Bank of America’s corporate commitment to spending $10 billion over five years with small, medium, and diverse suppliers.

RON EVERETT
Synchrony
Ron Everett is SVP, Direct to Consumer Operations and serves as the Hub Leader for the Synchrony-Charlotte location.  In this role, Ron is Global Operations Leader for the Direct to Consumer platform (this includes consumer bank, general purpose credit and emerging consumer products).  As Hub Leader he seeks to deliver an exceptional customer experience, in alignment with client commitments, while championing a culture of excellence for Synchrony employees. 
Ron previously held the role of Client Development Leader on the Sam’s Credit Portfolio and VP of Operations for the Lowe’s Credit Portfolio.  In the Client Development Leader role, Ron was responsible for ensuring successful delivery of key projects and initiatives that enhanced the credit relationship with Sam’s Club and its members.  As the VP of Operations for the Lowe’s Credit Portfolio, Ron was responsible for global operations and support for 500+ employees providing service on the Lowe’s Advantage Card, Lowe’s Visa and Lowe’s Business and Commercial Accounts. In addition, Ron worked directly with the Lowe’s Partner on operational priorities and performance across multiple channels.  Prior to supporting Lowe’s Credit, Ron held operations roles leading Amazon, Dick’s Sporting Goods, Phillips 66, American Eagle, and Stein-Mart.  
Ron joined Synchrony Financial in 2006 as a Front-Line Manager on the Lowe’s Credit Portfolio. Ron holds a Bachelor’s degree from the University of North Carolina at Charlotte and a Master’s of Business Administration from Winston Salem State University.
Ron has been an ardent supporter of Diversity and Inclusion during his tenure with Synchrony.  Ron currently serves as the Network Leader for the African American Network+.  In his free time, Ron enjoys spending time with family, smoking meats, traveling and volunteering in his community. Ron also mentors at-risk young men through his fraternity.

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 Master's 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.

TA-NIKKA HARRISON
Cisco Systems, Inc.
A 20-year veteran at Cisco, Ta-Nikka Harrison has led teams in a variety of roles and businesses across the company. Ta-Nikka is a Director of Supply Chain Operations where she is responsible for the end-to-end product lifecycle management (PLM) across all Cisco branded products. Ta-Nikka manages the development and implementation of policies, processes, and platform infrastructure to support new product launches and product transitions through end-of-life across the portfolio. Her role at Cisco will continue to help increase customer and business value through driving quality, cost, and delivery across Cisco’s Supply Chain.
Ta-Nikka has a Bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering technology from the Rochester Institute of Technology (RIT). Ta-Nikka is a long-standing volunteer, supporting the Junior Achievement of Eastern North Carolina organization. Ta-Nikka resides in Apex, North Carolina, with her husband, Chris, and two children (Sydney and Bryce).

CHRISTINA HOWARD
Dixon Hughes 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 A&T 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.

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 (WBR) 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's of Science degree in Business Administration (Management) from North Carolina A&T 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. 

KENNETH MERRITT
Senior Client Partner
Ken is a Senior Partner in Korn Ferry’s Organization Strategy practice and based in the Washington, DC Office. He advises clients through enterprise, functional, and initiative organization strategy. Mr. Merritt delivers value to clients as a transformation advisor to Board-level and C-Suite-level leaders. With nearly 30 years of strategic experience, Ken’s specific expertise includes aligning strategic goals, organizational capabilities, and leadership prowess. Ken has deep experience in Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion. He has advised several organizations on strategic and operational improvements required to advance corporate equality.
Mr. Merritt works extensively with clients in financial services. He also has consumer & industrial products, and private equity advisory experience. Prior to Korn Ferry, Ken was a leader at both large and boutique consulting firms. His consulting experience includes account executive, practice management, board leadership, and solution development.
Ken serves on multiple not-for-profit Boards. He has a BS in Accounting from the Willie A. Deese College of Business & Economics at North Carolina A&T State University, and a MBA from the Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University.

REGINALD MILLER
VF Corporation
As McDonald’s Vice President, Global Chief Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Officer, Reginald J. Miller oversees the company’s global I&D strategy with a focus on transformational change around the world.
Reggie began his career at McDonald’s in November 2020.  He joined McDonald’s from VF Corporation, where he served as Vice President, Global Inclusion and Diversity, building the company’s first I&D strategy and turning it into an award-winning program.
Reggie has worked in a variety of disciplines including supply chain, merchandising, international project management, and multiple specialties within human resources.  Prior to joining VF, he was the Director, Diversity Strategy and Support, responsible for the D&I strategy, reporting, and consultation for all Walmart stores in the U.S. and was a recruiter and D&I leader at Tyson Foods.  He also was an instructor and faculty administrator for the University of Phoenix for several years. 
A US Army Veteran, he served as a Supply Sergeant with deployments to Afghanistan and Uzbekistan. In addition, he holds a Bachelor's of Science degree in Education - HR Development and a Master's of Science in Education - Workforce Development from the University of Arkansas.  He also received an MBA from Webster University. 
Reggie serves on the Executive Advisory Committee for the Deese College of Business and Economics at North Carolina A&T State University; and serves as the Co-President for the Board of Directors for Camber Outdoors.  He is also on the Board of Directors for Paradigm for Parity; and on the Advisory Council for Diversity MBA.  The National Diversity Council named Reggie to the Top 50 Chief Diversity Officer list in 2020, and to the Top 100 Chief Diversity Officer list in 2021.

FENITA L. MOORE, ESQ.
Attorney at Law
Fenita Moore most recently served as Senior Counsel at Independence Blue Cross, the largest health insurance organization in southeastern Pennsylvania. Prior to joining Independence, Fenita held the position of Associate General Counsel for a U.S. based subsidiary of the largest global industrial gas company, where she advised the production, specialty gas and real estate businesses of the company, as well as provided legal support for the company’s major capital projects. Fenita is a former partner with Dilworth Paxson, LLP in Philadelphia, where she concentrated her practice in a wide variety of business and corporate matters, including mergers and acquisitions, complex commercial transactions, private equity offerings, entity formation, and corporate governance issues, and served on the firm’s Hiring and Diversity Committees. Fenita is a graduate of North Carolina A&T State University (B.S., Accounting, summa cum laude, 2001), and William & Mary School of Law (J.D., 2004). She is a native of Philadelphia and is licensed to practice law in Pennsylvania and North Carolina. 

LAFMIN C. MORGAN
Grifols Pharmaceutical Company
Mr. Morgan is the Chief Commercial Officer for Grifols, a $6 billion global healthcare company. Mr. Morgan leads a Global team of over 2,000 professionals in the Commercial function for all Grifols Divisions, Bioscience, Hospital and Diagnostics. Prior to Grifols, Mr. Morgan worked at GSK for 20 years. During that time, he held a variety of positions in several different functional areas. Mr. Morgan began his career with Touche Ross.
Mr. Morgan holds a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration and a Master of Business Administration from the University of North Carolina in Chapel Hill.

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
Dmitri Stockton’s career spanned a total of 30 years with GE Company where he was one of 20 Senior Vice Presidents and a member of the Corporate Executive Council. After spending over five years as Chairman, President and CEO of GE’s $120 billion asset management arm, he successfully sold the business in 2016 and became a Special Advisor within GE until his retirement in 2017. While at the company, Stockton held a series of escalating leadership positions including working abroad as a CEO for a decade. In his final assignment outside the US, he architected the restructuring of GE Capital’s 40,000 employee global banking unit during the financial crisis—restoring the business to stability and delivering record profitability in 2010 of $1.85 billion. Previously, he was President & CEO of GE Consumer Finance in Eastern Europe where he led the expansion of the platform’s earnings more than four-fold. 
Stockton has served extensively on both public and private boards across several industry sectors, including his current director roles at Deere & Company, Target Corporation, Stanley Black and Decker, and Ryder Systems. He is formerly a Board Member of American Family Insurance, Synchrony Financial and Garanti Bank.  Currently, Stockton is also an Advisor in private equity with Pine Brook Road Partners and The Vistria Group. He earned a Bachelor’s degree from North Carolina A&T State University in Accounting in 1986 and began his career with Arthur Andersen.  

JEFF TATE
Leggett & Platt
Jeff Tate is the Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer of Leggett & Platt (NYSE: LEG), a multi-billion dollar diversified global manufacturer that conceives, designs and produces a wide range of engineered components found in a variety of products for homes, automobiles, offices and airplanes.  In this role, Jeff leads the Global Finance, Treasury, Business Intelligence, and Investor Relations organizations.  Prior to joining Leggett, Jeff gained 27 years of senior-level global finance, operating, and management experience with The Dow Chemical Company.  In his most recent role, he served as VP and Business CFO for Dow’s largest operating segment, Packaging & Specialty Plastics, with annual revenue of $24 billion. 
Jeff is a member of the Board of Directors of TCF Financial Corporation (NASDAQ: TCF), serving as Chair of the Finance Committee and as a member of their Audit, Risk Management and Compensation and Pension Committees.  He also currently serves on the Executive Advisory Council of North Carolina A&T’s, Deese College of Business and Economics and is a member of Omega Psi Phi Fraternity, Incorporated.  
Jeff was recently named by Savoy Magazine as one of its 2020 “Top 100 Most Influential Blacks in Corporate America”.  He was also recognized as the 2020 Chief Financial Officer of the Year by the National Association of Black Accountants.
Jeff is a Certified Public Accountant, with a Bachelor's of Science in Accounting from the University of Alabama.  He has completed various executive education programs including the University of Chicago Booth School of Business Education Program for Prospective CFO’s, the Dartmouth College of Strategic Finance Leadership Executive Program, and the American Graduate School of International Management at Thunderbird.  He and his wife, Nicole, currently reside in Detroit with their daughter, Brandyn, and son, Malcolm. 

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's of Science in Accounting in 1991 and received her Master's of Science in Taxation from the University of Illinois of Urbana Champaign in 1993.