Bob Justice, Ed.D.
Director
justiceb@mail.etsu.edu

Robert A. “Bob” Justice’s career counseling and coaching small business owners began in August 1980 immediately upon obtaining his MBA from Morehead State University and accepting the position of Small Business Specialist with the University’s Appalachian Development Center. In November 1982 Bob helped establish the Kentucky SBDC at MSU. During his tenure there he oversaw the establishment of service centers at Morehead, Ashland, and Pikeville.

In March 1986 Bob moved to Johnson City, Tennessee when he became the Assistant Director and first full-time staff member of East Tennessee State University’s TSBDC program. In May 1988 he was promoted to Director. By October of that year the TSBDC at ETSU added two additional full-time small business specialists.   During his tenure with the ETSU TSBDC he has become active in the development of business incubators and developing relationships for the TSBDC program. The ETSU TSBDC is now housed in the ETSU Innovation Laboratory, a bio-tech incubator developed to commercialize research from the University’s Colleges of Business & Technology, Medicine, Nursing, and Pharmacy. Bob has also located a TSBDC at ETSU Kingsport Affiliate Office at the Kingsport Office of Small Business and Entrepreneurship, a service arm of the Kingsport Area Chamber of Commerce. While at ETSU, Bob has earned a Doctorate in Education. His dissertation title was “Historic Preservation Leading to Heritage Tourism as an Economic Development Strategy for Small Tennessee Towns.”

Bob Graham
Assistant Director
graham@mail.etsu.edu

Bob Graham joined the staff of the TSBDC at ETSU in 1988. His prior business experience includes management in a wholesale distributorship and ownership of a retail store. Bob graduated from Davidson College with a Liberal Arts degree. At the TSBDC, Bob’s area of concentration is a business startups. He currently is an Enrolled Agent with the Internal Revenue Service. Bob is a veteran, having served in the U.S. Navy during the Viet Nam Conflict. He has been active in the Lions Club of Bristol. He lives in Bristol with his wife Mary Jane and has two adult sons also living in the immediate area. Golf, grandchildren and reading are a few of his non-professional interests.

Aundrea Wilcox
Senior Business Counselor
awilcox@tsbdc.org

Mark Bays
Business and Technology Counselor
baysml@mail.etsu.edu

Mark Bays joined ETSU’s Tennessee Small Business Development Center (TSBDC) in February of 2011 as their business and technology counselor. In his role with the TSBDC, he has created an innovative social media workshop and an ETSU/TSBDC web site.   Among his many responsibilities is the upkeep of multiple social media sites for the department and teaching various workshops as well counseling startups and aiding businesses with their technology needs.

Mark has owned his own business and because of his success it was soon evident that he had a personal passion and a special gift for assisting others in becoming successful business owners.   During Mark’s time as a business owner he greatly understood the importance of assisting non-profits.   He offered discounts to any non-profit needing his services as well as donating his time and technology talents.    

Mark graduated from ETSU and received his BBA in business management and plans to continue his studies this fall in order to obtain his masters.

Mark resides in Bristol, Tennessee, with his wife Misty.

Teresa Shipley
Executive Aide
shipleyth@mail.etsu.edu

Marybeth McLain
Administrative Coordinator
mmclain@tsbdc.org