JOHNSON CITY – East Tennessee State University's College of Business and Technology and the ETSU Foundation unveiled the newly named Andrew CBAT Leadership Academy following a three-year endowment commitment totaling $150,000 from two local business leaders, Dewey Andrew and Scott Andrew.
The Andrew CBAT Leadership Academy Scholarship Endowment is a generous gift that will support the college's Leadership Academy and fund scholarships
aimed at empowering students to become the next servant leaders in the Appalachian
Highlands and beyond.
“The Andrew CBAT Leadership Academy enhances the professional development of selected undergraduate and graduate students through educational experiences and service leadership opportunities,” said Dr. Tony Pittarese, dean of the College of Business and Technology. “Each fall, the Leadership Academy brings together a diverse cohort of students, engaged faculty and external sponsors to provide learning opportunities unique to ETSU and foundational in developing our future leaders.”
The first cohort of leadership academy students, coupled with the program’s mission to develop and mentor the region’s future entrepreneurs, inspired members of the Andrew family to step up and open doors for more ETSU students.
"The Andrew CBAT Leadership Academy is another example of what ETSU is doing to bring world-class experiences to the
Appalachian Highlands. The opportunities we have to work with ETSU to empower students
for their future is an exciting and humbling endeavor that we cherish,” said Dewey
and Scott Andrew.
From left to right: ETSU President Dr. Brian Noland; Jim Harlan, AFG Industries chair
of excellence College of Business and Technology; Dewey Andrew; Scott Andrew; Provost
and Vice President of Academics Dr. Kimberly D. McCorkle; and Dean of the College
of Business and Technology Tony Pittarese
“We are pleased to have these two great examples of leadership and entrepreneurship in Dewey and Scott investing in our students and the Andrew CBAT Leadership Academy,” said Jim Harlan, AFG Industries chair of excellence, College of Business and Technology. “Their partnership will help develop successful leaders that have servant hearts.”
Generous gifts from Goodwill Industries of Tenneva, Inc. and ETSU Board of Trustees member Steven DeCarlo will advance the work of the Andrew CBAT Leadership Academy. Goodwill Industries will serve as the Service Leadership Sponsor and will work in partnership to mentor the region’s future servant leaders.
"We look forward to being a part of an outstanding program that enhances leadership development and being able to provide a service-learning experience for ETSU students that we hope will have a lifelong impact on participants and our team members,” said Morris Baker, President and CEO of Goodwill Tenneva, Inc.
“The Andrew Family, Goodwill Industries and Trustee DeCarlo are true partners in helping the College of Business and Technology enhance education, collaboration, innovation and inspiration within our university and across our region," said Pittarese.
Mr. Dewey Andrew
Mr. Dewey Andrew is a graduate of Elon University and UNC-Chapel Hill. He played collegiate basketball at Elon University and professionally in Bologna, Italy. He was an associate professor at Elon and assistant basketball coach before joining Smoky Mountain Distributors in Asheville, N.C., and eventually purchasing the company. Smoky Mountain Distributors represented 30 breweries and other beverage suppliers from around the world. Andrew helped form First Commercial Bank in Asheville and served as Chairman of the Board until the bank was sold to Centura Bank and then to Royal Bank of Canada, and he continued to serve on their boards. Additionally, Andrew has served on multiple industry, business and non-profit boards and continues to serve on the Eblen Charities Board.
Mr. Scott Andrew
Mr. Scott Andrew is the founder and CEO of Retail Service Systems, Rugged American Spirits and Rugged Holdings Corp. and is the author of the book “The Rugged Entrepreneur.” After graduating from North Carolina State University, Andrew worked in corporate banking before embarking on his journey as a serial entrepreneur. Andrew and his wife, Daphene, have founded numerous companies spanning multiple industries, including beverage manufacturing (wholesale and retail), real estate development, multi-model franchising, construction, advertising, rodeo production, mass media, restaurant, consulting and internet marketing and distribution in retail and B2B. Andrew has served on several state, industry and corporate boards, is a member of the ETSU CBAT Executive Committee and served on ETSU President Dr. Noland’s 125 Chapter II vision team.
Mr. Morris Baker
Mr. Morris Baker has worked in the non-profit, social enterprise and local government arenas in northeast Tennessee and southwest Virginia for over 30 years. During his career, Baker received nearly $30M in competitive grant funding for a variety of not-for-profit organizations. Baker has served as an invited grant reviewer for various federal and state programs focusing on economic development, education, health-related services and community capacity building. Baker serves on several local community boards, including the YMCA of Greater Kingsport, Kingsport Chamber of Commerce, Salvation Army Advisory Committee, Kingsport Tomorrow and United Way of Greater Kingsport, and boards with local government. Baker was named president and CEO of Goodwill of Tenneva, Inc. in January 2017.
Mr. Steve DeCarlo
Mr. Steve DeCarlo serves on the ETSU Board of Trustees. DeCarlo is the CEO of AmWINS Group, Inc., a global specialty insurance distributor. DeCarlo serves on several boards in the financial services and insurance industry and has been a supporting member of the East Tennessee State University Foundation. A resident of Charlotte, N.C., DeCarlo holds a bachelor’s degree in accounting from ETSU.