2017 Cameron School of Business Outstanding Alumni Honorees

Mike Barton '68, Hope Campbell '91 and Chris Dentiste '85 were honored as the 2017 Cameron School of Business Outstanding Alumni during CSB’s annual Business Week. The recipients joined other alumni and faculty for a recognition breakfast on March 29.

Mike Barton studied accounting and went on to found three companies in the fields of healthcare, hospital management and physician practices after earning an M.B.A. from Georgia Southern University. Though he currently resides in Tennessee, he never forgets his time at UNCW.

It was a few years after graduating with a degree in business management before Hope Campbell mustered the courage to tell her dad and uncle she wanted to join the family business. She is now the President of Clearwater Enterprises Inc., one of her family’s businesses that oversees Camp Clearwater, North Carolina’s largest family campground.

While earning his degree in economics, Chris Dentiste worked in what is now known as the Swain Center. Today, Dentiste is vice president and CFO of RSA, a division of Dell EMC that provides industry-leading cybersecurity products to more than 30,000 organizations worldwide. In addition to Hall’s mentorship, Dentiste credits UNCW’s small class sizes as one of the factors in his success.

Read more at We Are UNCW.

Pursuit of Professional Passions

Matthew Kane '16 did more than “talk the talk” as a young entrepreneur; he “walked the walk” by running his own business – a fitness center – before he graduated from UNCW’s Entrepreneurship and Business Development program in May 2016. His drive left an indelible mark at UNCW, where he was honored as the 2016 Outstanding Graduate in Entrepreneurship and Business Development.

This success came after a lauded career in the military. From 2008 to 2012, Kane served as a Scout Sniper Team Leader in the United States Marine Corps with tours in Afghanistan, Haiti, Oman, Kuwait and Djibouti. He garnered a number of recognitions, including a Combat Action Ribbon, a Marine Corps Good Conduct Medal, Afghanistan Campaign Medal, Sea Service Deployment Ribbon and Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary Medal.

Kane currently works as a requirements analyst for Deloitte Consulting LLP in Arlington, VA. The job allows him to combine two of his passions – problem solving and public-facing service – while also learning more about how businesses and agencies operate.

“My favorite part of my job is the ability to support multiple federal agencies as they work toward accomplishing their missions,” he said. “I also enjoy the fast pace and small-team aspects of consulting.”

UNCW will always be special to him because both he and his wife, Austin Kane ’09, are alumni. He is still in touch with Professor Stephen Harper, whom he credits for helping him see what it takes to become a successful entrepreneur and motivating him to work as hard as possible to capture the opportunities in front of him.

Read more at We Are UNCW.

UNCW Provided the Perfect Path

As a Pender County native, Stephania Bloodworth ’00 didn’t have to travel far for her college education – there was a place within commuting distance that fit her needs exactly.

“As I look back to my senior year in high school, really not knowing where I wanted to go to college, I think I had a fear of leaving home,” Bloodworth said. Nevertheless, she was determined to pursue a degree in accountancy, a field she was first introduced to in high school.


“The first and only college I applied to was UNCW, and it was the best choice that I have made,” she said. She attended classes in the Cameron School of Business as a commuter but also immersed herself in campus activities: the gospel choir, the Association for Campus Entertainment and more. “UNCW was small enough to feel like one big family, but also big enough to feel like you could meet people from various places.”

Read more at We Are UNCW.

Cameron School of Business 2016 Outstanding Alumni

Strong work ethics, integrity and commitment to lifelong learning are just a few qualities
shared by Charles Craft ’79, David Pirrung ’90 and Maurice Smith ’79, this year’s Cameron 
School of Business Outstanding Alumni.

Charles Craft

Craft is a partner at RSM US LLP (RSM), the largest provider in the nation of audit, tax and financial services with a focus on the middle market. Pirrung is the Chief Financial Officer (CFO) of IAT Insurance Group, a property and casualty organization headquartered in Raleigh. Smith is the president and CEO of Local Government Federal Credit Union (LGFCU), a cooperative serving the financial needs of those affiliated with local governments in North Carolina.

Craft, a Wilmington native, graduated summa cum laude with a bachelor’s degree in accounting and became a CPA in 1981.  He continued to accrue decades of experience in the industry, including ten years with a large regional firm. Craft ultimately became a founder and stockholder of Lanier, Whaley, Craft & Co. until they joined with RSM US LLP in 2013, where he now serves as a partner and CPA. Along with the leadership he currently provides the Wilmington tax practice, Craft serves on several boards, including the Executive Advisory Board of the Cameron School of Business and the MSA Advisory Committee at UNCW.

Craft credits his success to family, and to surrounding himself with people who challenge him to grow. "Seeing people around me succeed is part of success," he said.

David Pirrung

Like many, Pirrung took a more winding road before he ultimately settled on a school and a major. Originally from Pennsylvania, Pirrung first spent a year on a scholarship at Rochester Institute of Technology as a physics major, and then another year at community college. He arrived in Wilmington in the summer of 1988 to attend summer school, said Pirrung, “in a pick-up truck with a motorcycle strapped to the back.”

Pirrung said it was the magnetism of the faculty that got him really interested in school for the first time. Realizing he wanted to continue his education at UNCW, he worked first in real estate to his establish North Carolina residency, then returned to campus the following spring. He continued to work full-time in real estate while taking a full course load until he graduated with a Bachelor of Science. Not long after graduation he joined Ernst & Young in Raleigh, and was soon promoted to senior manager. He moved to a CFO position at a start-up insurance company, and ultimately landed at IAT Insurance, a global organization with approximately one billion of premiums written annually. Pirrung was named the CFO in 2005.

“Make yourself the expert,” he suggests, particularly to recent graduates transitioning to the business world.

Maurice Smith

Smith’s work ethic began with his family, and advice his father that he took to heart: “Nobody in the room better outwork you.”

Smith grew up on a small farm in Southport. Along with the value of hard work, he knew from an early age that he wanted to go into banking. When it became time to gain his secondary education to help fulfill that goal, he knew that as his parents' only son, he would need to go to college close to home so he could return to work on the farm on weekends. For this reason, UNCW fit the bill.

In 1979 Smith earned his Bachelor of Science degree in business administration, and upon graduation began his career with the State Employees Credit Union. He served in a variety of roles until 1992 when he joined LGFCU as executive vice president. In 1999 he was promoted to president.

His education did not end with UNCW. He earned a Juris Doctorate from the North Carolina Central University School of law and is licensed to practice in North Carolina, the District of Columbia and before the United States Supreme Court. He is also a North Carolina Certified Superior Court Mediator. Smith serves on numerous boards, including the Board of Trustees at UNCW.

His sage advice could apply to anyone: “Learn everything.”

-- Kimberly Falkenhagen

These award recipients will be featured in UNCW Magazine's next issue, coming out in July.

Seahawk Love: Creating a Legacy

Each step you take on UNCW’s campus showcases evidence of the generations of Seahawks who have created the student experience that the university provides today. When George Barnes ’82 remembers his own student days, he often thinks of his daily bike ride from his home off Rose Avenue.

In contrast to many students in their late teens and early 20s, Barnes shared his home with his bride, Leonora Barnes ’80. She completed her nursing degree prior to his attending UNCW. After his graduation, the couple used their education to propel their careers, giving them opportunities to move across the nation.

“I was really good at taking poor performing places and making them good,” recalls Barnes, a retired utility plant operations executive. It’s been four years since he’s worked, and his team’s record-breaking performance still hasn’t been matched.

The Cameron School of Business graduate quotes many professors on his path to success, and he recounts the text from tattered text-book pages that have helped shape his management style. His decades of experience could easily fill a book themselves, and it’s been more than once that he’s been asked to teach others what he knows.

However, Barnes prefers to give back and support our next generation in another way – a way that honors the woman who captured his heart and continues to hold it tight. The Wilmington Society member has created a legacy for Leonora at UNCW that echoes her passion.

“She was the most caring person I have ever known,” he said about Leonora, who passed away in May 2014.

George Barnes '82 shares memories and his plan for a new nursing scholarship.

Sitting across from Barnes, who has managed billion-dollar operations in the highly regulated utility industry, it’s easy to get overwhelmed with pride by his accomplishments. But when his face brightens talking about Leonora’s generous nature, it’s obvious who he’s most proud of.

He shares memories about Leonora, especially how she was always looking for a way to lend a hand to help others. She got a lot of personal satisfaction out of it, he says, and it’s likely the reason she pursued a degree in nursing at UNCW. “She did a lot. She always gravitated towards things that helped people,” Barnes recalls.

When asked if Leonora learned her hard-working ethic from his example, Barnes laughs and admits that influence is likely from her mother. He also remembers her devotion to their son Alex, and her willingness to pass up executive trips to take care of him, even personal tours of Germany, Leonora’s native country.

Now, she’s the reason that George is creating a new scholarship for nursing students. 

The new, endowed scholarship will provide $4,000 annually to a high-achieving student in need. As Barnes hopes, it will provide the hands-on experiences that Leonora wanted to support in the nursing program.

“The gift will allow our School of Nursing to recruit and retain an outstanding nursing student who will make a difference in the health and life quality of individuals, families and communities in southeastern North Carolina and beyond,” said Dr. Charles Hardy, Dean of the College of Health and Human Sciences.

Barnes has created a legacy for Leonora that will forever benefit nursing students at the University of North Carolina Wilmington.

“They need it,” he says of the gift in his late wife’s honor. “They need it right now.”

Congratulations 2013 Outstanding UNCW Cameron School of Business Alumni

The 2013 Outstanding UNCW Cameron School of Business alumni will be recognized at the CSB Outstanding Alumni Speaker Breakfast on Wednesday, March 20 in Madeline Suite at 7:00 am. Recipients will participate in a panel discussion following breakfast as part of Business Week.

Robin Diehl `90 is the chief financial officer and director of the Office of Fiscal Management in the NC Department of Administration. She graduated from NCSU with a master's degree in Accounting after receiving her bachelor's degree in Business Administration with a concentration in Accounting, from UNCW. Robin serves on the National Board of Directors for the American Diabetes Association, chairs the National Finance Committee for the American Diabetes Association and was chair of the local Board for American Diabetes Association for several years. She also served on the Utilities Board of Adjustment for the Town of Cary, NC.

Jean English `96 is currently the vice president of IBM Software Demand Marketing. She graduated with a bachelor's degree in Marketing. Jean is a member of IBM’s Global Marketing and Communication Leadership Team which includes the top 50 marketing professionals across IBM. She is also a member of the Junior League of Raleigh, where she has held multiple Junior League chair positions over the last five years, and currently serves as the Marketing Chair for the 2013 North Carolina Governor’s Inaugural Ball. In addition, Jean serves on the customer advisory board for ON24 and Alliance Tech.

Bill Mayew `97, `98M is an associate professor of accounting at the Fuqua School of Business at Duke University. Bill received his Ph.D. in Business Administration (Accounting) from the University of Texas at Austin in 2006, and later, his bachelor's and master’s degrees in Accountancy from UNCW. He received the 2008 Financial Research Association Best Paper Award for his work on the information content of managerial vocal cues during earnings conference calls and also teaching excellence awards in both the daytime and weekend executive MBA programs. Bill’s research has appeared in the Journal of Finance, Journal of Accounting Research, Review of Accounting Studies and Contemporary Accounting Research.

Tickets for the breakfast and panel discussion are $5 and can be purchased online until March 17. This event is hosted by the Cameron School of Business and the CSB Alumni Chapter.

UNCW Alumni Relations/Julianna Rubino, Intern

Congratulations Outstanding UNCW Cameron School of Business Alumni

The 2012 recipients are Carlton Fisher ’83; Jim Parker ’98 and Jason Wheeler ’99, ’03M. Each one has been chosen based on his successes following graduation from UNCW.

Carlton Fisher ’83 graduated with a degree in business. He now works at the family business, Coastal Realty Co. Carlton and his family have strong ties to the university in that both his parents and wife are graduates and his son is soon to be enrolled. Carlton is the past chair of UNCW Foundation Board of Directors and currently serves on the UNCW Board of Trustees.

Jim Parker ’98M graduated with a Master of Business Administration after receiving his undergraduate degree from University of Maryland College Park in accounting. He currently serves as the director of finance- internal audit with ConAgra Foods in Omaha, Neb. Jim has facilitated internal audit courses for the Institute of Auditors for more than 14 years. He started his career in audit by working for the Marine Corps Nonappropriated Fund Audit Service.

Jason Wheeler ’99, ’03M is CEO and wealth consultant for Pathfinder Wealth Consulting in Wilmington. He is very involved in the UNCW and Wilmington communities. He serves as an associate professor of corporate finance in the Cameron School of Business and is also a member of the UNCW Foundation Board of Directors. Jason is a member of the Greater Wilmington Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors and was elected to the Cape Fear Community College Foundation Board in 2012. He also received the 2004 UNCW Young Alumnus of the Year Award.

The three 2012 Outstanding UNCW Cameron School of Business alumni will be recognized and participate as the panel speakers during the CSB Alumni Speaker Breakfast & Panel Discussion. The event will be on Wednesday, March 28 in Madeline Suite at 7:00 am and is part of Business Week.

Tori Hamed/UNCW Alumni Relations Intern

CSB Business Week: A Student's Perspective

Business Week is personally my favorite event that the Cameron School of Business hosts and I am sure many of the business students would say the same. There are many reasons I enjoy these two days of the year so much and it is not just because we get two days off from classes!

Business Week includes over 100 sessions where presenters come into classrooms and speak with students about their career path, what it took to get to the position they hold now and what we need to know to make us more marketable when entering the workforce. The executives speak about their experiences so that students can relate. How they were just like us in college, how they messed around, and had a good time. Some mention that they did not have a set path once they graduated and how they were worried about not having a job lined up. But, eventually everything fell into place which led them to where they are today. These thought-provoking presentations are my favorite part of Business Week. The opportunity to speak with executives in this open forum is not common and we're fortunate to have them come to UNCW.

This week-long series of events also provides an opportunity to network with employers. Networking is one of the most stressed topics in the business school. Some students find it very simple to network with people while others find it difficult. Bringing executives from companies into the Cameron School of Business makes it easy to network. The speakers encourage us to stay after the sessions and talk to them, or ask questions. By doing this many doors open up and it is possible to land an internship, or even a job, by talking with the speakers about your career path.

Also, it is inspiring to see alumni come back and share their knowledge with the students. Not to mention, it is fun to see friends, who have already graduated, come back to our school and share their success stories.

The presentations give me, as well as other students, hope for the future. The speakers are encouraging and they assure us that even if we do not know exactly what is going to happen in the next six months, it is ok. Attending Business Week gives students encouragement while motivating them to be the best they can possibly be in order to succeed.

Melissa MacKay class of 2012, Alumni Relations Intern