Business Advisory Council

The Business Advisory Council (BAC) assists the Craig School of Business in the fulfillment of its mission to educate tomorrow's business leaders and connect with the local business community. The BAC is composed of highly accomplished senior-level business executives and/or community leaders who make a personal commitment in support of the Craig School of Business. Highlights of the twice-yearly meetings are the industry reports given by members. These are designed to inform the Craig School and BAC members with cutting edge information on trends, activities, threats and opportunities in various industries. Faculty take this information directly into the classroom to provide current knowledge for students. Highly interactive discussions are held on the teaching, service and research activities of the various academic departments and school programs. The result is enhanced services to the various stakeholder groups and a tighter synergy between the Craig School and the business community. The BAC has taken a special interest in helping new faculty adjust to living and working in the San Joaquin Valley by helping them integrate into the local community through site visits, cooperative research ventures, and the development of teaching and service skills and opportunities.

The objectives of the BAC are to:

1. Provide advice and counsel to the Dean, faculty, and staff on strategy, important issues affecting the future of the Craig School of Business, curricula, and programs and external affairs;

2. Provide insights to the Dean, faculty and staff on how the Craig School of Business can enhance the impact of its services on various stakeholder groups;

3. Engage in, assist and support the fundraising efforts of the Craig School of Business;

4. Provide valuable contacts for faculty to provide access to the business community for research purposes, to increase the impact of their work on the business community, to inform their research and teaching, and to help them to further develop their research, teaching and public service skills;

5. Provide valuable contacts for students and advice in their careers selection decisions and job-seeking activities; and

6. Provide input to the Dean, faculty, and staff for assessing the progress of the Craig School of Business and charting future courses.

Business Advisory Council Members:

Raj Singh Badhesha
City of Fresno

Shelly Cha
Lighthouse Enterprise

Brad Fischer
Premier Valley Bank

Paul Gibson
Guarantee Real Estate

William Griffith
Central Valley Strategic Wealth Management

Heather Hammack
Famous Software

Fausto Hinojosa
Price, Paige & Company

Wendy Patrice Jackson
PwC

Dr. Cassandra Little
Fresno Black Chamber of Commerce and Chamber Foundation

Kim Mesfin
Affinity Truck Center

Caren Myers
Fresno Lexus

James G. Parker III
James G. Parker Insurance Associates

Doug Riede

Mark Riley
Bank of America

Agnes Saghatelian Wilson, Chair
Valley Lahvosh Baking Co.

Scott Shehadey
Shehadey Family Foods, LLC

Ranjit Sufi
Aristotle Capital Management, LLC

Wilma Tucker
City of Fowler

Rachel Telles
Wells Fargo

Bill Van Skike
Energy Consultant