Business and Technology inducts new Hall of Fame members

Their excellence has benefited others

East Tennessee State University’s College of Business and Technology inducted four people into its Hall of Fame at an awards ceremony earlier this month. The college presented awards in three categories: Horizon, Faculty Lifetime Achievement and Lifetime Achievement Awards, honoring inductees who have earned noteworthy achievements in business, technology and community service.  

Lifetime Achievement Award: Dr. B.J. King and Morris Baker. 

A seasoned financial executive and educator with more than 30 years of experience, King served as the chief financial officer at ETSU from 2017 to 2023.  

“Dr. King’s remarkable fiscal leadership enabled ETSU to effectively navigate the financial challenges brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic through innovative solutions and the strategic use of federal relief funding,” organizers wrote. “She also implemented efficiency-enhancing reorganization in the finance division and expanded the tax and revenue services office.”  

Baker is a senior executive with over 25 years of experience in leadership roles within the public sector. Presently, he serves as the president and CEO of Goodwill of Tenneva, Inc., where he oversees the multifaceted organization that employs over 300 individuals.  

“Under Baker's guidance, Goodwill of Tenneva has achieved remarkable growth, with organizational assets increasing from $4.2 million to $13 million, and annual revenue expanding from $5.7 million to $15 million,” said organizers. “His commitment to continuous improvement has driven sales per square foot to rank ninth among all Goodwills.” 

Faculty Lifetime Achievement Award: Dr. Richard Manahan. 

Manahan, a higher education administrator and educator with over four decades of leadership experience, retired after a distinguished 32-year career at ETSU. His roles included serving as vice president for Finance/Administration and vice president for University Advancement.  

“His leadership at ETSU was marked by the successful completion of two major capital campaigns, raising over $350 million for endowments, scholarships and academic programs,” noted organizers.  

The Horizon Award, presented to graduates establishing noteworthy careers: Robert Anderson. 

Anderson, a 2009 graduate, began his career as an intern at PricewaterhouseCoopers, specializing in auditing in the Tri-Cities region. He then transitioned to a legislative auditor, responsible for auditing county governments within the Tennessee Comptroller of the Treasury Office's division of Local Government Audit. In 2017, he led a significant audit of Washington County, a rare occurrence for the office. Seeking to expand his contributions, he became a CPA in 2018 and took on a senior auditor role supervising teams across Northeast Tennessee.  

“His commitment to growth continued with the attainment of the CGFM designation in 2019 and participation in the LEAD Tennessee program in 2021. In August 2022, he became the finance director/town recorder for Jonesborough, before returning to the Comptroller's Office as a senior auditor in September 2023,” said organizers.  

ETSU is home to a vibrant academic community, with faculty and staff regularly earning competitive grants and fellowships and graduating achieving success. To learn more about academic programs in the ETSU College of Business and Technology, visit etsu.edu/cbat. 

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East Tennessee State University was founded in 1911 with a singular mission: to improve the quality of life for people in the region and beyond. Through its world-class health sciences programs and interprofessional approach to health care education, ETSU is a highly respected leader in rural health research and practices. The university also boasts nationally ranked programs in the arts, technology, computing, and media studies. ETSU serves approximately 14,000 students each year and is ranked among the top 10 percent of colleges in the nation for students graduating with the least amount of debt.