ESU Names New Dean for College of Business and Management

Joanne Z. Bruno, J.D., provost and vice president for academic affairs at East Stroudsburg University of Pennsylvania, announced the appointment of Dr. Sylvester Williams, J.D., as the dean of the College of Business and Management effective January 1, 2019. The appointment replaces a role within the division that was previously vacated.

Dr. Williams brings more than 30 years of experience in foreign affairs, banking and education to his new role at ESU. Prior to accepting his position at ESU, Williams was employed at Elizabethtown College in Elizabethtown, Pa. in a variety of roles, including the co-director of the interdisciplinary center for data analytics, program manager for the interdisciplinary data analytics minor, designer of corporate partners program in the College’s department of business, and associate professor and chair of the department of business. Throughout his career, Williams held faculty positions at a number of colleges and universities along the East Coast and held executive positions with banking, entertainment and legal firms. He also served as a legislative assistant to several U.S. Senate Committees and as the staff attorney for the Federal Communications Commission, Mass Media Bureau in Washington, D.C.

“It’s an exciting time for our business and management programs,” said Provost Bruno. “The depth and breadth of Dr. Williams’ experiences are certain to help us as we redefine some of our course offerings. In the past year, we’ve added two new majors to the College of Business and Management – one in accounting and one in marketing. Dr. Williams has a proven track record of successful academic collaborations, the establishment of advisory groups and development of learning communities aimed at enriching student preparation.  Dr. Williams created the M&M Mars Executive Lecture through a partnership he established with the Mars Corporation.  Over the past six years, he has recruited over 125 senior level executives to speak in the lecture series.   He’s also been involved in the development of deep-rooted corporate partnerships and I am eager to utilize those talents to increase the opportunities for our students to take the knowledge of the classroom out into the field.”

Williams earned his bachelor’s degree from Howard University and was a visiting law student at The Catholic University of America, Institute of Communications Law Studies prior to receiving his master’s degree in business administration and his jurist doctorate from Wake Forest University. He completed the Harvard University Executive Leadership Training and is a current member of the Federal Communications Bar Association, the Academy of Legal Studies in Business, and the Mid-Atlantic Academy of Legal Studies in Business. While at Elizabethtown College, Williams was also an active member of the Elizabethtown Downtown Business Round Table, the Elizabethtown Downtown Business Partnership, the national Black MBA Chapter, the Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity (Zeta Theta Lambda Chapter), the Dale High Family Business Center, and a founding member of the Elizabethtown College Social Enterprise Institute and board member of the Category Management Association (Higher Education Division).

Early in his career, Williams was appointed to and served on the National Advisory Committee on Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention by President Ronald W. Reagan and was also selected, and represented, the United States at the World Conference on International Youth Year at the United Nations. He worked in a myriad of leadership roles on numerous political campaigns including Regan/Bush 1984 Presidential Campaign, Jim Broyhill for Senate in North Carolina, and Don Sunquist for Govenor in Tennessee.

Williams is an accomplished author, presenter and speaker, contributing numerous articles to national and international peer reviewed journals, textbooks and conference proceedings. He has also served as a peer reviewer. As an educator, he developed new course curriculum while at Elizabethtown and was responsible for establishing the Elizabethtown College Washington Summer Institute in 2006. Most recently he established a minor in data analytics at Elizabethtown College and partnered with SAS to include a joint certificate with SAS in data analytics.  Williams has also been acknowledged for working collaboratively with the faculty and administration in the development of new teaching methodologies while offering significant service to Elizabethtown College as a keynote speaker, presenter, advisor and committee member.

In his new role, Dr. Williams will lead ESU’s College of Business and Management in developing strategic planning and implementation of programs within the College of Business and Management. The College consists of five departments: business management; hospitality, recreation, and tourism management; sports management; digital media and technology; and, leadership studies and military science. He will also be the principal spokesperson and advocate for the College and is expected to formulate and implement policies and strategic plans; develop and review curricula and programs; manage the human, financial and physical resources of the College; and oversee the College’s budget.

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