Athens State University is pleased to announce that Dr. Jim Kerner has been appointed as the Interim Dean of the College of Business and Dr. Lionel Wright has been appointed as the Interim Associate Dean of the College of Business. The two will divide the duties of the Dean so that each can continue to lead and grow their respective home departments. Former Dean of the College of Business, Dr. Kim LaFevor, was recently announced as the new Interim Vice President for Academic Affairs.
Dr. Kerner brings a wealth of experience to the position of Dean with 18 years of service to the University. In addition to moving through the faculty ranks to Professor, he has also been a long-serving Department Chair and has been elected to multiple terms as Faculty Senator and Presiding Officer of the Faculty Senate. His portfolio includes extensive business experience, including 14 years of serving as a Director in Environmental Services within the healthcare industry. He holds an EdD in Educational & Organizational Leadership from Nova Southeastern and an MS in Human Resource Development and Administration from Barry University.
Dr. Wright has been at Athens State for four years but has quickly established himself as an effective administrator. He serves as the Graduate Program Manager for College of Business graduate programs and Business & Workforce Development and Department Chair for the graduate Logistics faculty. Dr. Wright also has 26 years’ tenure with the Army of which the last 13 were in leadership roles with the Army Materiel Command as Logistics Operations Manager and Inspector General. He holds a DBA in Global Supply Chain Management from Walden University and an MS in Logistics and Supply Chain Management from Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University.
“Dr. Kerner and Dr. Wright are two highly capable and established leaders in the College of Business,” stated Dr. Philip Way, President of Athens State University. “I believe that they will both be very successful in their new roles.”