NC A&T’s Willie A. Deese College of Business and Economics was dedicated February 7th

Willie Deese
Willie Deese

By FRAN FARRER

March 9, 2020 1:43PM
Fran Farrer
Fran Farrer

Greensboro, NC – Quite deserving of the occasion; the dedication of the Willie A. Deese College of Business and Economics was much like an inauguration from beginning to the unveiling of the outdoor signage. From the welcome and greetings by Dean Kevin James and Chancellor Dr Harold Martin, Sr., respectively, to the occasion by Deese Scholar, Ariana Stewart, it was obvious that NC A&T State University alum, Willie A. Deese was worthy of the recognition.

Reflections from Merck & Co., Deese’s former place of employment, mentee, Jamarkus Swinson, his sister, Delores Deese-Black, as well as Eric Brandt, Board Chair - Dentsply Sirona; Dmitri Stockton – Executive Advisory Council member, and Dr. Quiester Craig, Dean Emeritus, added volumes to special remarks from the honoree himself.

The vision of the Willie A. Deese College of Business and Economics is to be a national leader in global business education that transforms students’ lives. The mission is to develop agile, culturally competent, and diverse leaders who use analytical skills to meet the challenges of the future. The mission is to be accomplished through evidence-based instruction, professional and community engagement, and high-quality impactful research.

The Deese College’s undergraduate degrees, its MBA and its Master of Accountancy degree are all accredited by AACSB International – The Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business. The business programs were first accredited in 1979 and the accounting program achieved separate accreditation in 1986. This dual accreditation places the Deese College in the top 1% of business schools worldwide.

Willie A. Deese College of Business and Economics
Deese is a native of Davidson where he resided with his parents and eight siblings. He graduated from Northwest Cabarrus High School and enrolled in NC A&T is 1973 and graduated with a BS in Business Administration in 1977, and his M.B.A. at Western New England University.

Civically engaged, Deese served on the NC A&T Board of Trustees from 2007-2015 and was Chair from 2011-2013. Currently, he serves as the Chair of the Executive Advisory Council to the College of Business and Economics at NC A&T. In addition, he currently serves on the Dentsply Sirona Inc. Board, CDK Global Inc., PSEG Inc, and most recently the GI Therapeutics Inc. Board.

Often referred to as the “Man Behind the Clock Tower,” Deese provided 300 scholarships to College of Business and Economics students over the past 15 years. He says his philosophy is pretty straight forward and simple “We have the responsibility to “Look Back, Reach Back, Lift Up and Always Lean Forward.” He credits his Dean, DR. Quiester Craig, and Department Chair, DR. Danny Pogue for believing in him, motivating him and inspiring him to believe he could compete and win in Corporate America.

Willie Deese has spent the past 20 years coaching, mentoring and inspiring young Aggies (and others) to believe they too can win and make a difference that is undeniable. He believes it is his responsibility to pave it forward because so many helped him with no strings attached other than to help someone else when he was able.

Deese has not only tried, but has lived up to that mantra, and he says he has “doubled down on A&T because over the course of his college and professional career, so many doubled down on me.”

Deese and wife Carol have one adult son.