Programs
Foundation Leadership
Education
Gary Stuart
Arizona Board of Regents
Regent Gary Stuart is retired from the law firm of Jennings, Strouss & Salmon, where he practiced trial and appellate litigation. Over the past 20 years, Gary has served as faculty for national continuing legal education programs throughout the country. He also served as independent counsel for the Arizona House of Representatives and the City of Mesa in matters of statewide interest and served as judge pro tempore at both the trial and appellate levels in Arizona. He served as president of the Arizona chapter of the American Board of Trial Advocates, as founding fellow of the Arizona Bar, and as chairman of the Arizona State Bar Committee on Professional Ethics. Regent Stuart earned a bachelor’s degree from the University of Arizona and a law degree from the University of Arizona College of Law. Stuart was appointed to the Board of Regents in 2000.
Michael Mokwa, Ph.D.
Chairman and Professor of Marketing
Director, ASU MBA Sports Business Program
Michael Mokwa is Professor of Marketing, Founding Director of the ASU MBA Sports Business Program, and Chair of the Department of Marketing in the W.P. Carey School of Business at Arizona State University. He has been department chair for sixteen years.
Michael is past-president of the American Marketing Association (AMA) Academic Division. He serves on the Advisory Boards of the Center for Services Leadership, the Nonprofit Management Institute, the Lincoln Center for Ethics, and the Sports Marketing Association (SMA). He was co-chair for the AMA Faculty Consortium addressing the topic of Strategic Marketing Management and was a member of the AMA Finance Committee. He is the co-chair for the 2005 national Sports Marketing Association Conference and will serve as president for the SMA starting in 2006. He also serves on the Faculty Athletic Board at ASU.
Michael's primary teaching and research interests focus on strategic marketing and management issues, strategic brand management, and sports business. He often works as an advisor or consultant to business, sports and nonprofit organizations. He is contributing editor of three texts, Marketing Classics, Marketing the Arts, and Government Marketing Theory and Practice. His research has been published in the Journal of Marketing, Strategic Management Journal, Journal of the Academy of Marketing Science, Journal of Retailing, Journal of Business Research, Health Care Management Review, Journal of Advertising, and elsewhere. He has served on the editorial review boards of the Journal of Public Policy and Marketing, Journal of Macro-marketing, Journal of Health Care Marketing, Journal of Marketing Education, Marketing Management and was section editor for the Marketing Education Review. He is a frequent reviewer for the Journal of Marketing.
Michael's recent research and publications investigate the effectiveness of managers implementing important strategic initiatives for their organizations, the market competencies and performance of sports organizations, the role and nature of service driving business performance, and the economic impacts of major sports events.
Michael has been recognized for his exceptional teaching performance with the Burlington Foundation Faculty Achievement Award given by ASU, the MBA Teaching Excellence Award from the W. P. Carey School of Business, and the Outstanding Mentor Award from the Graduate College at ASU. He earned his MBA and Ph.D. at the University of Houston--University Park, and formerly served on the faculty of the University of Wisconsin--Madison.
Foundations
Doug MacMillan
Former Executive Director - Todd Beamer Foundation
Jim Richard
Boys and Girls Club
Finance
Steve Martini
Accountant
Kurt Carrasquilla
Vice President - Wealth Management
Smith Barney
Kurt Carrasquilla was recruited to Smith Barney in 1993, and works with clients on issues ranging from financial planning to investment management. Originally from the Bay Area, he received a BS in Finance (San Jose State University), an MBA in Finance (Golden Gate University), a Certificate in Personal Financial Planning (University of California, Berkeley), and was honored to be in the first graduating class of the Private Wealth Management Program (University of Pennsylvania - Wharton School of Business).
Since 1998, Kurt has taught the Investments course in the CFP Program for the University of California, Berkeley. He lives in San Jose, California with his wife Christy and their two sons, Kyle and Connor.
Government
John McCain
US Senator
U.S. Senator John McCain has a long career of public service.
After graduating from the Naval Academy in 1958, John McCain began his career as a Naval aviator. In 1982, he was elected to Congress representing what was then the first congressional district of Arizona. In 1986, he was elected to the United States Senate to take the place of Arizona's great Senator Barry Goldwater. Senator McCain is currently the senior senator from Arizona.
In 2000, McCain ran unsuccessfully for the Republican nomination for President of the United States. He is currently the Chairman of the Senate Committee on Indian Affairs, and serves on the Armed Services, and Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committees.
Senator McCain has seven children and four grandchildren. He and his wife, Cindy, reside in Phoenix.
Sports
Jake Plummer
Quarterback Denver Broncos
Jason (Jake) Steven Plummer was born in Boise, Idaho. Plummer captured the hearts and imagination of college football fans nationwide with his exciting, improvisational style that carried Arizona State to an undefeated 1996 regular season and a trip to the Rose Bowl.
Plummer continued his last minute heroics in the NFL where he was drafted in 1997 as Arizona's second-round draft choice In 2003, he signed with the Denver Broncos as an unrestricted free agent.
Plummer created the Jake Plummer Foundation in 1999, which was founded to provide opportunities for children's causes as well as raise funds and generate awareness for Alzheimer's disease organizations.
He owns two Bassett hounds named Willis and Shelby, and is an avid golfer.
Mike Bidwill
Vice President & General Counsel
Arizona Cardinals
Michael Bidwill has been the Arizona Cardinals vice president and general counsel since 1996. He joined the organization after practicing law for six years as a federal prosecutor. Bidwill also serves on numerous committees and boards for a variety of Phoenix-area community and charitable organizations.
A licensed pilot and flying enthusiast, Bidwill also donates his time and resources as a volunteer for "Flying Samaritans," a group of volunteers including doctors and other medical personnel who offer free medical clinics in Mexico.
He earned a bachelor of science degree in finance from St. Louis University in 1987 and in 1990 earned a degree from Catholic University in Washington, D.C. Born in St. Louis, Missouri, Bidwill resides in Paradise Valley, Arizona.
Ronnie Lott
NFL Hall of Famer
Ronnie Lott, an All-America from Southern California, was the San Francisco 49ers' first round draft pick and the eighth player chosen overall in the 1981 National Football League Draft. The 6-0, 203-pound defensive back made an immediate impression and was named the starting left cornerback from his first day in training camp.
The versatile defensive back earned 10 Pro Bowl invitations at three different positions – cornerback, free safety, and strong safety. It was, however, at free safety, where he had the freedom to cover the whole field, that he may have been most effective.
In 1986, he played 14 games at the free safety position before an injury sidelined him for the final two games of the season. Still, he led the league with a career-most 10 interceptions, recorded 77 tackles, three forced fumbles and two quarterback sacks. It was perhaps his finest season. During his career with the 49ers (1981-1990), Los Angeles Raiders (1991-1992), and the New York Jets (1993-1994) Lott recorded 63 career interceptions and twice led the league.
A complete player, he surpassed the 1,000-career tackle mark in 1993, and had five seasons of at least 100 tackles. In his ten seasons with the 49ers, San Francisco won eight NFC Western Division titles and four Super Bowls. In 20 playoff contests (all starts), he recorded nine interceptions, 89 tackles, one forced fumble, one fumble recovery, and two touchdowns.
It has been said that Lott had the uncanny ability of being able to sense the direction a play was about to take and then somehow disrupt it. "He's like a middle linebacker playing safety," Hall of Fame coach Tom Landry once remarked. "He's devastating. He may dominate the secondary better than anyone I've seen." Named All-Pro eight times, All-NFC six times, and All-AFC once, Lott was also named to the NFL's 75th Anniversary Team.
Brent Jones
Leland High School Graduate
Brent Jones is a former tight end who played his entire career with the San Francisco 49ers (1987-1997). Jones won 3 Super Bowl rings with the 49ers and was selected to the Pro Bowl 4 times, from 1992 to 1995. He finished his 11 NFL seasons with 417 receptions for 5,195 yards and 33 touchdowns.
Shortly after his playing career ended, Jones became an analyst for The NFL Today. Jones worked for The NFL on CBS from 1998-2004. Jones decided to leave CBS Sports prior to the 2005 season in order to focus on his business out in California.
Jones was drafted in 1986, round 5, by the Pittsburgh Steelers.
Jones attended Leland High School in San Jose, California, where he played baseball and football. In baseball, he was a first team All-League selection.
Jones attended Santa Clara University, where he was a three time All-Western Football Conference selection, and as a senior, was also selected as an All-American by the Associated Press, Football News, and Kodak.
Dave McGinnis
Coach
Dave McGinnis, a 32-year coaching veteran, enters his second season with the Titans as the club's linebacker coach. McGinnis has 19 seasons of NFL experience, including three and a half years as the head coach for the Arizona Cardinals. One of the most respected defensive minds in the game, McGinnis directed the Cardinals defense as their defensive coordinator from 1996 to 2000.
Last year, McGinnis led a group that was decimated by injury – losing Peter Sirmon for the season during training camp and both Rocky Calmus and Rocky Boiman missing significant time as well. Keith Bulluck continued his development as one of the finest linebackers in the NFL. Bulluck led the team in tackles and posted a career-high five sacks. McGinnis helped Brad Kassell become an every down linebacker and rank second on the team in tackles.
As defensive coordinator in Arizona, he led a group that produced three Pro Bowlers in CB Aeneas Williams, DT Eric Swann and DE Simeon Rice. Rice also earned AP Rookie of the Year honors in 1996 and tallied 51.5 sacks in his tenure with the team, including a franchise record 16.5 sacks in 1999. His 1998 defense helped lead Arizona to the playoffs and ranked third in the league in takeaways with 39. He totaled 16 wins (16-33) in three full seasons as head coach.
McGinnis built his reputation and knowledge during a 10-year (1986-95) stint with the Chicago Bears as a linebackers coach, where he worked with one of the best linebacker corps in the game: Mike Singletary, Wilber Marshall and Otis Wilson. He coached Hall of Famer Mike Singletary for seven of his 12 years in the league with each ending in a trip to the Pro Bowl. During his tenure in Chicago, the Bears advanced to the playoffs six times and the defense finished in the top six of the NFL in defense six times, including a first or second place ranking three times.
Prior to joining the NFL ranks, McGinnis spent 13 years in college football with stops at his alma mater Texas Christian University (1973-74, '82), Missouri (1975-77), Indiana State (1978, '80-81) and Kansas State (1983-85).
McGinnis was a three-year starter at TCU as a defensive back where he graduated in 1973 with a degree in business management.
Born in Independence, Kan. (8/7/51), and raised in Snyder, Texas, McGinnis resides in Nashville, Tennessee, with his wife Kim.
Bruce Snyder
Coach
Longtime college head coach Bruce Snyder was introduced as the newest member of UNLV's football staff on Jan. 13, 2003.
After one season, the former national coach of the year, who led teams to six bowl games and compiled a record of 126-106-5 at three schools, was named offensive coordinator.
"I have known Bruce Snyder for a majority of my life and I have great admiration for his coaching abilities," head coach John Robinson said. "He has had a highly successful career as a head coach and I think he will bring an organized style to our offense that is extremely efficient. He will also add a toughness that will benefit our team greatly."
Snyder and Robinson have a long relationship, which includes working on the same coaching staff at Oregon as well as at USC and the NFL's Los Angeles Rams.
Snyder returned to the field after having spent the previous two seasons adding his analysis to college football radio broadcasts, including all 12 Rebel games in 2002. In 2001, he voiced national broadcasts from games across the country. While sending no less than 90 players to the NFL, Snyder spent 14 years as a head coach in the Pacific-10 Conference. He led the University of California program from 1987-1991 before being lured to the desert to lead Arizona State from 1992-2000.
The 1996 winner of the Paul "Bear" Bryant Award was the consensus national coach of the year after leading the Sun Devils to an 11-1 record and Rose Bowl appearance in a season that ended just a few plays short of a national championship. During his tenure, ASU also made trips to the Sun Bowl after the 1997 season and two consecutive trips to the Aloha Bowl in 1999-2000.
Snyder had also turned Cal's program around, earning Pac-10 coach of the year in 1990 en route to a Copper Bowl victory over Wyoming, which was the school's first postseason victory since 1938. His 1991 Golden Bears posted a 10-2 record that included a win over ACC champ Clemson in the Citrus Bowl. From 1976-82, he was head coach at Utah State, compiling a 39-37-1 record at the former UNLV rival, including being named PCAA Coach of the Year in 1978.
Widely respected in his profession, Snyder served as head coach of the South squad in the 1998 Hula Bowl and led the West team in the 2000 East-West Shrine Game.
Born March 14, 1940, in Santa Monica, California, Snyder graduated from Elmonte High School before going on to the University of Oregon. A 1963 graduate of the school, he twice lettered in football for the Ducks, including starting both ways as a linebacker and fullback for the 1960 squad that earned a trip to the Liberty Bowl.
Snyder and his wife, Linda, have three children: Jennifer, Tracy and Paige, who served as the Rebels' radio sideline reporter for the 2003 season.
Public Relations
Gordon James
Gordon C. James Public Relations
Gordon C. James is a community leader well-known for his public relations and government affairs accomplishments.
Before forming Gordon C. James Public Relations, Gordon spent 20 years in a variety of business and political positions including lead advance representative to President George H.W. Bush at the White House. After the 1988 presidential election, Gordon joined President Bush's staff at the White House.
In 1990, he established Gordon C. James Public Relations as a full-service media relations, event management and governmental affairs agency. His agency played an integral role in the 2000 and 2004 presidential election effort for President George W. Bush; as a result, Gordon was named director of special events for the 54th and 55th Presidential Inaugural Committees. He continues, through his agency, to be actively involved in event management for the Bush Administration.
In addition to his work on political campaigns, Gordon has vast experience in developing successful strategic media campaigns and government affairs services for a variety of clients such as Masterfoods USA, Boy Scouts of America and Intel.
Early last year (2005), Gordon spent five months in Baghdad serving as the advance director for the Coalition Provisional Authority and director of the Presidential Palace Studio. He advised Ambassador Paul Bremer and was directly responsible for the ambassador's interactions with the Iraqi people. He worked closely with the US military and the Iraqi Interim Government to successfully complete the ambassador's mission to Iraq. From February to July 2004, he oversaw the establishment and operation of the Palace Studio, which was used for outreach to Western and Pan-Arab television media.
In February 2005, Gordon served as Lead Advance Representative for President George H.W. Bush and President William J. Clinton's tour of the Tsunami affected region of The Maldives.
Among his other community involvements, Gordon is a member of the Veterans Medical Leadership Council of Arizona and China Mist Tea Company Executive Board.
Business
Richard Essigs
Director, IBM Sales & Distribution, Consumer Products Industry -
IBM Corporation
Richard Essigs is a Marketing and Business Development professional with fifteen years of increasing responsibility at industry leaders including Procter & Gamble, Ford Motor Company and IBM Corporation.
Throughout his career, Richard has demonstrated aptitude in understanding market dynamics, developing actionable insights and successfully translating into Marketing strategy and plans in a way that exceeds business goals. Richard has a consistent record of success in engaging senior executives on issues of strategic importance, helping them understand the implications of these issues and articulating a business case for change.
Richard is a 1990 graduate of the W.P. Carey School of Business at Arizona State University, graduating with a Bachelor of Science degree in Business Management and Strategic Planning. While attending Arizona State University, Richard was an active member of Pi Kappa Alpha Fraternity, serving as President for two terms.
Born in Glen Ridge, New Jersey and raised in Phoenix, Arizona, Richard currently resides in New Canaan, Connecticut with his wife, Jennifer, as well as their two sons Will and Nate.
Doug Ducey
President and CEO - Coldstone
Doug Ducey is the leader in charge of guiding the future direction of Cold Stone Creamery®. His unwavering, singular focus is that the world will know Cold Stone Creamery as the Ultimate Ice Cream Experience® by making them the #1 best selling ice cream brand in America by December 31, 2009. Doug has been the rallying force behind Cold Stone Creamery's unmatched success. Now Doug is poised to lead Cold Stone Creamery to even higher reaches as this monumental milestone draws near. An Ohio native and graduate of Arizona State University, Doug's career spans nearly 20 years including executive sales and marketing positions with Procter & Gamble and Anheuser-Busch. His continual quest for best business practices and his willingness to embrace change make Doug a true empowerer of people who has faith in his team and who challenges them to perform and deliver results to Cold Stone Creamery's partners and customers: the franchisees. To Doug, a true measure of his success is the success of the franchisee community.
Favorite Ice Cream Creation™: Sweet Cream Ice Cream with Black Cherries and Graham Cracker Pie Crust.
John Bebbling
President - TDC Interiors
Venture Capitalist
Boots Del Biaggio
President and CEO - Sand Hill Capital
Mr. Del Biaggio founded Sand Hill Capital in 1996 and has raised three funds to date, investing more than $200 million in 130+ technology companies. Prior to starting Sand Hill Capital, Mr. Del Biaggio founded Heritage Bank of Commerce (NASDAQ: HTBK) a public community bank, which today has in excess of $1 billion in assets. Mr. Del Biaggio was also a co-founder of Pacific Business Funding, a factoring company, which was purchased by Greater Bay Bancorp in 1998.