This past year, the USM School of Business celebrated 100 years of business education in Portland, beginning in 1924 with the first graduating class of Portland University’s College of Business Administration. Portland University was one of the two institutions in Portland (along with Portland Junior College) that became the University of Maine, Portland-Gorham and then the University of Southern Maine.
This past year, we commemorated 100 years of business education with two events:
- USM School of USM School of Business Centennial Showcase. Held on Monday, October 16th, at noon, on zoom. Moderated by Professor Richard Bilodeau and Dean Joanne Williams, this 75-minute program featured deans, faculty, alumni, and students from past and present, highlighting the School’s high impact and innovative teaching, research, internships, and community engagement.
Click here to view the recording of the centennial showcase!
- USM School of Business Centennial Celebration. Friday, April 19, 2024, at 5:00, in Portland: Faculty, students, and alumni was be joined by University President Jacqueline Edmondson and Dean Joanne Williams at USM’s new McGoldrick Center for Career and Student Success to recognize and honor School of Business alumni and students.
Click here to view the photo gallery from the nights event!
Alumni Awards Winners 2024:
Under 30 and Accomplished Awards recognizes younger alumni who have achieved significant success and made notable contributions to their field before the age of 30.
- Justin Pierce was a 2-year captain and 4-year letter winner for the Men’s Track and Field Program at USM. He is a product of the Sports Management Program graduating in 2019. Since graduation he has generated more than $2 Million in Ticket Revenue selling for organizations such as the New York Islanders, New Jersey Devils and Houston Texans. He currently runs the Ticket Sales Department for the AAA Affiliate of the St. Louis Cardinals where he oversees more than $6 Million in revenue.
- Ashley Tilas is originally from Brunswick, ME, and now resides in Charleston, SC, a proud alumna of the University of Southern Maine where she earned her degree in Marketing and Business Administration with a focus on Entrepreneurship in 2018. Ashley’s career took off at ACMA – the world’s largest trade association for composites and advanced materials – where she made a strong impact on the market growth & development and marketing departments while working to increase the adoption of composite materials across a range of industries. Ashley furthered her expertise by obtaining an MBA from the University of Maine in 2022 and subsequently starting her own venture, offering services in marketing and program planning. She attributes much of her professional success to the insights and network gained from her entrepreneurship professors at USM.
- Jacob Schoenberg studied marketing at USM and played on the men’s lacrosse team until he graduated in 2019. Since graduating Jacob has built a career in business. Launching his career in finance in Boston, he later moved to Austin, Texas and transitioned into corporate strategy to work on the impact of climate change to critical infrastructure and help guide the adoption of AI as a potential solution. Jacob is now leading his startup GrantWrite which uses AI to more effectively secure funding for researchers, nonprofits and various businesses.
Mentor and Business Champion Award honors alumni who have demonstrated exceptional dedication to mentoring and supporting the next generation of business leaders.
- Alice Cash began her employment at the University of Southern Maine in November 1988. After a very brief stint in Academic Advising she moved to Admissions until 1993, when she was hired as an administrative assistant in the School of Business. For several years Alice worked with the MBA Program and the graduate students. Her work was later expanded to support undergraduate business students as well. After her official retirement from the School of Business in June 2018, she came full circle by again working in Academic Advising for several years. These days, still in her “retirement,” you can find her at Lake Region High School in Naples as a long-term substitute.
Community Champion Award recognizes alumni who have made significant contributions to the community and to promoting diversity and inclusion within the business world.
- Tae Chong has advocated for immigrants, refugees and people of color for almost 30 years. As a USM student he worked with President Pattenaude to create a scholarship for students of color, he worked with the Portland NAACP Branch to sue the Portland Public Schools for equitable ESL access, he also helped to create the first statewide Interpreter and Translation certification program. He is the first Asian American elected to the Portland School Committee and Portland City Council. For the past dozen years he has been an advocate for New American Economic Development. He was a business counselor for CEI and three of his business he helped start and consulted have won SBA minority businesses of the year, he helped create the largest New American resume bank and referral system in Maine that has led to over 1000 New Americans with employment in the Greater Portland Area. He helped start the Office of Economic Opportunity at the City of Portland. He created a low barrier textile maker space program for Muslim Women and African Women to start their businesses because they were the least like start a business. As Director of Multicultural Markets and Strategies for the Maine State Chamber of Commerce, he is creating new business ecosystems to promote seafood, green crabs, ethnic herbs to multicultural populations in Maine and Northern New England.
Future Entrepreneur Award acknowledges a current student at the USM School of Business who has shown exceptional entrepreneurial promise and success in their early career.
- Nazari Hendersen is a highly driven and innovative student at University of Southern Maine who is currently pursuing his business degree in small business and Entrepreneurship at the University of Southern Maine. With a strong passion for Entrepreneurship Nazari has received awards such as the John & Pete Kelly Entrepreneurship and small Business Scholarship for demonstrating his Initiative and enthusiasm within the field. Formerly, a collegiate football player has used experience as a leader through both projects within the university as well as personal business ventures to demonstrate key entrepreneurial and business skills. Currently, he is finishing his bachelor’s degree this semester and works as a project Manager and Contractor. Nazari is currently launching his own Real Estate business that focuses on off market acquisitions and contract assignment. Nazari Is aiming to leverage his skills in opportunity recognition, value creation, and empathy to create a positive change and make an impact on the entrepreneurial landscape.
Trailblazer Award honors alumni who have been pioneers in their industry, breaking new ground and setting trends.
- Heather Paquette is guided by her unwavering leadership purpose – Always Press Forward, Always Give Back. As the President of Good Shepherd Food Bank of Maine, she leads a dedicated team of hunger-relief professionals to address the root causes of hunger by exploring innovative solutions, sourcing nutritious and culturally relevant food, and collaborating with a network of over 600 partnerships across Maine. Heather is a 1999 graduate of the University of Southern Maine’s School of Business, graduated with a BS in Business with a Finance concentration. She spent her first 24 years after graduation at the companies of Ahold Delhaize Supermarkets, with much of that spent at Hannaford. She launched the company’s first business resource group in 2014 and led it for 5 years, focusing on supporting, developing and championing women in the organization.
Entrepreneurship Award recognizes alumni who have demonstrated exceptional entrepreneurial spirit, innovation, and success in building, managing, and supporting business ventures in Maine.
- Peter DelGreco serves as President and CEO of Maine & Company, a privately funded business attraction and economic development organization. Charged with helping companies establish successful and profitable operations in Maine, Maine & Company’s Board of Directors consists of top executives from Maine’s business community. During Peter’s tenure, Maine & Company has attracted numerous companies to Maine that now employ thousands of people across the state. Through Peter’s leadership, Maine & Company has attracted companies from various sectors, growth stages, and sizes to locations throughout the state of Maine. Portfolio companies include: athenahealth, Sun Life Financial, Carbonite, Grand Rounds, and Wayfair. Prior to joining Maine & Company in 2004 as the Director of Client Services, Peter worked in Boston and Washington, DC in the food industry. Peter was responsible for building new operations in those geographies. Responsibilities included: general management, sales, relationship building, inventory management, and forecasting.
