Lowcountry Lives P. George Benson — A Man of...
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CHARLESTON MERCURY CYAN-AOOO MAGENTA-OAOO YELLOW-OOAO BLACK 01/29/08 Page 10 February 24, 2011 Born: Lewisburg, Pennsylvania. Hobbies: Golf, Broadway musicals. Favorite Book: Built to Last by Jim Collins and Jerry Porras. Best Lowcountry Memory: Being recruited to the College of Charleston by Buddy Darby on the first tee of Cassique at the Kiawah Island Club. BY PEG EASTMAN D r. P. George Benson will continue to serve as president of the College of Charleston for at least four more years, fol- lowing a recent unanimous vote by their Board of Trustees to offer him a three- year extension of his contract. Benson became the College’s 21st president in 2007, and his original five-year contract had been set to expire in 2012. Benson arrived in Charleston bearing an impressive array of accom- plishments, the most recent being his highly successful tenure as Dean of the University of Georgia’s Terry College of Business. And Terry’s loss is Charleston’s gain. Benson was well prepared to take the reins of the his- toric College of Charleston, for he had grown up in another college town, Lewisburg, Pennsylvania, the home of Bucknell University. His father was a popular sta- tistics professor, his mother taught math at Bucknell, and his grandfather had been the head of Bucknell’s music school from 1908 to 1948. One of Benson’s fondest childhood memories is of sit- ting at the kitchen table as his father’s students shared their hopes and dreams for the future. He played the games young boys played and attended the local football games. Watching his entre- preneurial father operate his own bookstore at Bucknell and a camp in New Hampshire made Benson aspire to be president of his own company one day. Benson received a mathe- matics degree from Bucknell in 1968. As a result of the military draft, he was prohib- ited from accepting a Rotary International Fellowship in Sweden. He did, however, find a job in the U.S. Army Security Agency as a manage- ment analyst in the area of personnel planning. After a year with Army Security, Benson became a computer program design engineer with AT&T’s Bell Telephone Laboratories, and from there he did graduate studies at New York University. He went on to earn a doctorate in decision sciences from the University of Florida. Somewhere along the aca- demic way, he discovered that he loved being in the class- room, and he changed his career path. The new professor joined the faculty at the University of Minnesota and taught sta- tistics and quality manage- ment and eventually became the director of the Operations Management Center. He later became Dean of the Graduate School of Management at Rutgers, the state university of New Jersey, where he spearheaded the merger of three different business schools within Rutgers. He also established executive MBA programs in China and Singapore and started off-campus/part-time MBA programs in Princeton and Morristown. In 1996, Business News New Jersey named Dean Benson one of the “Top 100 Business People in New Jersey.” The follow- ing year he was appointed as one of nine judges for the Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award that is pre- sented annually by the President of the United States to organizations that demon- strate excellence in quality and performance. Benson went on to accept the position of Dean of the University of Georgia’s Terry College of Business in 1998. During his eight plus years at Terry, he led the development of several innovative MBA and executive education pro- grams. Capstone students went out into the community to gain leadership skills, and the Atlanta business commu- nity became actively involved in the effort. In all, Benson and his development team raised over $45 million for Georgia’s business school. Terry has become a perennial top 20 finisher on the U.S. News & World Report list of the nation’s best public busi- ness schools. Since his arrival at the College in February 2007, the new president has “lived strategically for the College, working 24-7,” as he put it. He has been so busy that, to date, he has not had the opportunity to visit many of the attractions that make the Lowcountry a tourist Mecca. He has methodically done his research and launched numerous initiatives to improve operations and fundraising, and he is justifi- ably proud of the progress over the past four years. One of Benson’s first orders of business was to ini- tiate a strategic planning process that involved the College’s faculty, staff, stu- dents, alumni, friends, legisla- tors and other important constituents across the state and the nation. It took two years to develop a compre- hensive strategic plan that incorporates core values, envisioned future goals and a new financial model aimed at integrating the College into the social and economic fab- ric of Charleston and the Lowcountry. The plan was approved by the College’s board in October 2009 and is now in the implementation phase. But Benson said the College is reevaluating the timing for some of the plan’s goals, given the continued decline in state funding. The College receives less than nine percent of its operating budget from the state. Many more things have occurred under President Benson’s leadership. In recent years, the community has witnessed the completion of new campus facilities: the handsome Carolina First Arena on Meeting Street, the state-of-the-art Cato Center addition to the Albert Simons Center for the Arts, and the new School of Sciences and Mathematics building on Calhoun Street with its cutting-edge labora- tories and classrooms. The President’s House has been renovated to make it more accommodating for hosting campus functions and enter- taining donors. Senior administrative staffing has been streamlined, an MBA program has been instituted, a diversity initiative has been launched and a performance- based merit review system for faculty has been adopted. In addition to his academ- ic oversight, Benson serves on the board of directors of NBSC and three other com- panies based in Georgia. His publications span several fields; he is the co-author of the textbook Statistics for Business and Economics. On a personal note, he is married to Jane Oas. Accomplished in her own right, she has a master’s degree in business adminis- tration from the University of Minnesota, and while a stu- dent she was a Big Ten Sprint champion and participated in the 1972 and 1976 Olympic Trials. The Bensons have three children. Jeff and Laura are graduates of the University of Georgia, and Alison is a 2010 graduate of the College of Charleston. Peg Eastman recently pub- lished “Hidden History of Old Charleston” with Edward F. Good and has written several other books about the Charleston scene. Lowcountry Lives P. George Benson — A Man of Vision PHOTOGRAPH PROVIDED George Benson. Sponsors Jadonna and Jon Robinson flaunt their face wear at the Second Annual Charleston Mardi Gras Ball on Saturday, February 12. Bill Roethger and Dorothy Williamson smile for the camera at the sec- ond annual Charleston Mardi Gras Ball on February 12. Dean Popma joins festively-dressed Angela Kirk and John Bordeaux for drinks before the start of ceremonies at the 2011 Krewe of Charleston Mardi Gras Ball. Charleston School of Law students Ashton Vetas and Brittany Dunne enjoy the festivities at the February 12 Mardi Gras Masque at the Charleston Marriott. Phyllis Sheffer and Robin Gossett look beautiful in ball gowns at the Charleston Mardi Gras Ball on Saturday, February 12. OUT & ABOUT PHOTOGRAPHS BY G. CLAY WHITTAKER
Transcript of Lowcountry Lives P. George Benson — A Man of...
CHARLESTON MERCURY
CYAN-AOOO MAGENTA-OAOO YELLOW-OOAO BLACK 0011//2299//0088
Page 10 February 24, 2011
Born: Lewisburg,Pennsylvania.Hobbies: Golf, Broadwaymusicals.Favorite Book: Built to Lastby Jim Collins and JerryPorras.Best Lowcountry Memory:Being recruited to theCollege of Charleston byBuddy Darby on the first teeof Cassique at the KiawahIsland Club.
BY PEG EASTMAN
Dr. P. George Bensonwill continue toserve as president of
the College of Charleston forat least four more years, fol-lowing a recent unanimousvote by their Board ofTrustees to offer him a three-year extension of his contract.Benson became the College’s21st president in 2007, andhis original five-year contracthad been set to expire in2012. Benson arrived inCharleston bearing an
impressive array of accom-plishments, the most recentbeing his highly successfultenure as Dean of theUniversity of Georgia’s TerryCollege of Business. AndTerry’s loss is Charleston’sgain.
Benson was well preparedto take the reins of the his-toric College of Charleston,for he had grown up inanother college town,Lewisburg, Pennsylvania, thehome of Bucknell University.His father was a popular sta-tistics professor, his mothertaught math at Bucknell, andhis grandfather had been thehead of Bucknell’s musicschool from 1908 to 1948.
One of Benson’s fondestchildhood memories is of sit-ting at the kitchen table ashis father’s students sharedtheir hopes and dreams forthe future. He played thegames young boys played andattended the local footballgames. Watching his entre-preneurial father operate his
own bookstore at Bucknelland a camp in NewHampshire made Bensonaspire to be president of hisown company one day.
Benson received a mathe-matics degree from Bucknellin 1968. As a result of themilitary draft, he was prohib-ited from accepting a RotaryInternational Fellowship inSweden. He did, however,find a job in the U.S. ArmySecurity Agency as a manage-ment analyst in the area ofpersonnel planning. After ayear with Army Security,Benson became a computerprogram design engineer withAT&T’s Bell TelephoneLaboratories, and from therehe did graduate studies at
New York University. Hewent on to earn a doctoratein decision sciences from theUniversity of Florida.Somewhere along the aca-demic way, he discovered thathe loved being in the class-room, and he changed hiscareer path.
The new professor joinedthe faculty at the Universityof Minnesota and taught sta-tistics and quality manage-ment and eventually becamethe director of theOperations ManagementCenter. He later becameDean of the Graduate Schoolof Management at Rutgers,the state university of NewJersey, where he spearheadedthe merger of three differentbusiness schools withinRutgers. He also establishedexecutive MBA programs inChina and Singapore andstarted off-campus/part-timeMBA programs in Princetonand Morristown. In 1996,Business News New Jerseynamed Dean Benson one ofthe “Top 100 Business Peoplein New Jersey.” The follow-ing year he was appointed asone of nine judges for theMalcolm Baldrige NationalQuality Award that is pre-sented annually by thePresident of the United Statesto organizations that demon-strate excellence in qualityand performance.
Benson went on to acceptthe position of Dean of theUniversity of Georgia’s TerryCollege of Business in 1998.During his eight plus years atTerry, he led the developmentof several innovative MBAand executive education pro-grams. Capstone studentswent out into the communityto gain leadership skills, andthe Atlanta business commu-nity became actively involvedin the effort. In all, Bensonand his development team
raised over $45 million forGeorgia’s business school.Terry has become a perennialtop 20 finisher on the U.S.News & World Report list ofthe nation’s best public busi-ness schools.
Since his arrival at theCollege in February 2007,the new president has “livedstrategically for the College,working 24-7,” as he put it.He has been so busy that, todate, he has not had theopportunity to visit many ofthe attractions that make theLowcountry a tourist Mecca.He has methodically done hisresearch and launchednumerous initiatives toimprove operations andfundraising, and he is justifi-ably proud of the progressover the past four years.
One of Benson’s firstorders of business was to ini-tiate a strategic planningprocess that involved theCollege’s faculty, staff, stu-dents, alumni, friends, legisla-tors and other importantconstituents across the stateand the nation. It took twoyears to develop a compre-hensive strategic plan thatincorporates core values,envisioned future goals and anew financial model aimed atintegrating the College intothe social and economic fab-ric of Charleston and theLowcountry. The plan wasapproved by the College’sboard in October 2009 andis now in the implementationphase. But Benson said theCollege is reevaluating thetiming for some of the plan’sgoals, given the continueddecline in state funding. TheCollege receives less thannine percent of its operatingbudget from the state.
Many more things haveoccurred under PresidentBenson’s leadership. In recentyears, the community haswitnessed the completion of
new campus facilities: thehandsome Carolina FirstArena on Meeting Street, thestate-of-the-art Cato Centeraddition to the AlbertSimons Center for the Arts,and the new School ofSciences and Mathematicsbuilding on Calhoun Streetwith its cutting-edge labora-tories and classrooms. ThePresident’s House has beenrenovated to make it moreaccommodating for hostingcampus functions and enter-taining donors. Senioradministrative staffing hasbeen streamlined, an MBAprogram has been instituted,a diversity initiative has beenlaunched and a performance-based merit review system forfaculty has been adopted.
In addition to his academ-ic oversight, Benson serves onthe board of directors ofNBSC and three other com-panies based in Georgia. Hispublications span severalfields; he is the co-author ofthe textbook Statistics forBusiness and Economics.
On a personal note, he ismarried to Jane Oas.Accomplished in her ownright, she has a master’sdegree in business adminis-tration from the University ofMinnesota, and while a stu-dent she was a Big Ten Sprintchampion and participated inthe 1972 and 1976 OlympicTrials. The Bensons havethree children. Jeff and Lauraare graduates of theUniversity of Georgia, andAlison is a 2010 graduate ofthe College of Charleston.
Peg Eastman recently pub-lished “Hidden History of OldCharleston” with Edward F.Good and has written severalother books about theCharleston scene.
Lowcountry Lives
P. George Benson — A Man of Vision
PHOTOGRAPH PROVIDEDGeorge Benson.
Sponsors Jadonna and Jon Robinson flaunt their face wear at theSecond Annual Charleston Mardi Gras Ball on Saturday, February 12.
Bill Roethger and Dorothy Williamson smile for the camera at the sec-ond annual Charleston Mardi Gras Ball on February 12.
Dean Popma joins festively-dressed Angela Kirk and John Bordeaux fordrinks before the start of ceremonies at the 2011 Krewe of CharlestonMardi Gras Ball.
Charleston School of Law students Ashton Vetas and Brittany Dunneenjoy the festivities at the February 12 Mardi Gras Masque at theCharleston Marriott.
Phyllis Sheffer and Robin Gossett look beautiful in ball gowns at theCharleston Mardi Gras Ball on Saturday, February 12.
OUT & ABOUTPHOTOGRAPHS BY G. CLAY WHITTAKER
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