Turner Business

CSU alum Sharai Brown  graduated from the Turner College with a degree in marketing in 2019. Since then, she has worked as Brand Advocate Analyst for Home Depot, a management consultant with Accenture, and most recently as a customer experience management consultant with A&MPLIFY by Alvarez and Marsal. Sharai recently posted some advice on "advice" to her LinkedIn page that Turner Business decided to pass along. "I’ve been thinking a lot about hindsight lately.  There have been moments in my life where I was given solid advice — advice that, if applied sooner, could have led to stronger relationships, better decisions, and more stability. But at the time, I didn’t fully act on it.  Not because I didn’t value it — but because I wasn’t always equipped to apply it yet.  Sometimes advice is like being told to make peanut butter from scratch — valuable, even better for you — but difficult to execute if you don’t yet understand the process, tools, or steps to begin....

Two-time Turner College grad Ashley Woitena  recently visited  Columbus & the Valley magazine for "Conversations on the Couch." In March of this year, Woitena was named President and CEO of VisitColumbusGA. Her educational experiences in the Turner College come up in the first question posed to her by the magazine. The entire interview is inserted below. 

As reported here last month , a recent issue of  Georgia Trend magazine echoes what many in the Columbus area already know about two-time Columbus State University alumna Hayley Henderson Tillery—she’s among the state’s “best and brightest” leaders. T he 35-year-old is one of the 40 professionals who comprise this year’s “40 Under 40” list compiled annually by Georgia Trend . According to reporting by CSU's Michael Tullier, the publication seeks nominations for impressive, hardworking and community-minded people under 40 who are making a difference in the state. Current and past honorees span the gamut of public service and private companies; they are CEOs and lawyers, culinary experts and medical professionals, educators and executive directors. Tullier writes that  Tillery was 26 years old when she began her role in 2017 as the first woman to serve as executive director of the Columbus Georgia Convention & Trade Center. Her duties range daily from sales, marketing and e...

Today we are excited to celebrate Desteni Durrah , who earned both her bachelor's and master's degrees from Columbus State University.  Desteni shares, “I would definitely recommend someone to attend CSU. I received both my bachelor's and master's degrees from CSU, and I truly love this school. The quality of education, supportive faculty, and vibrant campus community have made my experience incredibly rewarding. I believe others would benefit from the same opportunities and positive environment that CSU offers.”  With a passion for higher education, Desteni is focused on a career in student affairs and housing. Her long-term goal is to build a meaningful career that fosters supportive, inclusive environments for students. “My goal is to make a lasting impact on the student experience while continuing to grow and learn throughout my career,” she says.  We are proud to see Desteni continuing on her path of success and pursuing her vision of enhancing student success. Con...

In her role as Senior Marketing Specialist at Centricity Research, Turner College alum  Kayra Velez , collaborates closely with senior leaders and executives to comprehend business needs and brand implications,  directs strategic efforts for brand-focused digital marketing campaigns to strengthen brand identity and presence, and  develops branding materials using diverse tactics that effectively articulate key brand messages to target audiences. Her ability to perform these tasks successfully has been developed over the course of her professional career, which began during her senior year in the Turner College when she completed an internship in marketing and planning with the River Valley Regional Commission (RVRC). That experience propelled Kayra into the position of Marketing Manager for at RVRC, which she held for more than two years. Kayra transition from RVRC into the post of Associate Director of Alumni Engagement at CSU, wherein she  co-led the...

As a MyLife Associate at ADP, Ayana Owens  assists the company in providing  industry-leading online payroll and HR solutions, in addition to tax, compliance, and benefits administration. In this position she is honing her skills in customer relationship management and complex problem solving. A solid foundation for these experiences was built by Ayana in CSU's Turner College of Business and Technology. She  earned a BBA in management from the Turner College in 2021, while working as a sales assistant at Orangetheory Fitness. From there she worked as a management trainee at Enterprise, and later as a Student Admissions Representative for the Legacy Holistic Health Institute. Each of these professional experiences has been enhanced by Ayana's philanthropic pursuits, as she  has served as a mentor for both Ambassadors of Compassion and Big Brothers/Big Sisters of America.  Turner Business salutes Ayana and wishes her continued professional success.

Turner College alum  Rashel Asfour has had  quite an interesting career in  higher education management and  academic affairs . After earning a BS in applied mathematics from CSU in 2011, Asfour entered the MBA program in CSU's Turner College. She earned that degree in 2012 while working as a resident assistant on CSU's main campus. Equipped with her CSU education, Asfour then took a research position in  the Suliman Olayan School of Business at the American University in Beirut. In this position she a ssisted the Executive Director of Undergraduate Programs in various research and student services-related projects. From there Asfour took a research role at Lebanese American University wherein she  assisted the Dean of Graduate Studies and Research in research development projects. After filling this role and being about two years beyond earning an MBA from the Turner College, Asfour worked for almost seven years as a lecturer at both Lebanese Canadian Univ...

After working as a physical education teacher at Westminster Christian School in Columbus for five years,  Jacy Williams  earned a paralegal certificate from the University of Georgia and made the move to a public sector position with Columbus Consolidated Government. Near the end of her three-year tenure at this post, she earned a BBA in marketing from CSU's Turner College. That degree jumpstarted what has since been a very successful marketing career as shortly thereafter Williams moved to LEAD Digital,  a professional digital marketing agency based in Columbus where she worked as a multimedia marketing consultant. After two years with LEAD Digital, Williams became the Director of Marketing and Development for the Boys and Girls Club of the Chattahoochee Valley. While in this position, she began graduate business studies at CSU, eventually earning an MBA from the Turner College in 2022.  By this time Williams was, and still is, a marketing account executive with Mc...

Turner College graduate Ashley Woitena , currently Senior Vice President at VisitColumbusGA was recently named to Georgia Trend magazine's 40-under-40 for 2023, which recognizes 40 of Georgia's best and brightest under the age of 40. Since joining the team at VisitColumbusGA 15 years ago, Woitena has distinguished herself with service and achievement. While working fulltime she completed her MBA at Troy University (in 2008) and served two terms as president of the Georgia Association of Convention & Visitors Bureaus (GACVB) in 2022 and 2023. A native of LaGrange, her enthusiasm for showcasing the Chattahoochee Valley area extends to caring for those in the most vulnerable communities; for over 14 years she has worked with a local chef to deliver freshly made Thanksgiving dinners to those in need. The charity evolved into a partnership with local food bank Feeding the Valley Inc., creating “The Big Gobble” holiday event benefiting over 2,000 area residents. Her community se...

Turner College grad Ashanti Cogdell believes ". . . [that] people are the most valuable assets for any company and a successful company should be measured by the success of its people." That philosophy describes her 20 years in the financial services industry, where she expertise in IT and business management has helped her thrive. Cogdell is currently the Head of Enterprise Products at Synovus, where her responsibilities include execution of corporate business initiatives, from strategic concept to realization, portfolio management, and resource management solutions. She has been with the company for more than six years now, and prior to her current position she was an enterprise business architect and Senior Manager of Modernization.  Prior to joining Synovus in January of 2018, Cogdell was the Associate Director of Project Management at TSYS from 1999 through 2017.  Her educational background includes a BBA in management information systems from CSU's Turner College i...

The CSU Alumni Association  will bestow its top alumni awards  during an awards dinner on Thursday, Oct. 19 as part of the university’s annual Homecoming Week  celebration.  The awards dinner  will include the Alumni Association’s marquee awards — the Thomas Y. Whitley Distinguished Alumni Award and the Frank D. Brown Achievement & Leadership Excellence Award. Other awards will be presented in the following categories: Alumni Service, Young Alumni, Distinguished Alumnus in Military/Public Service, and Honorary Alumni Status.  The Young Alumni Award honors alumni who have graduated in the last 15 years and recognizes them for their commitment to excellence through their post-collegiate efforts and their significant or ongoing commitment to extraordinary work, research, volunteerism or service to their alma mater. One of the Young Alumni Awards will be awarded to Turner College graduate Evan McGill .  An actor since the age of 6, McGill recently won ...

CSU's Young Alumni Council is offering a chance for recent graduates of the Turner College to meet & greet CSU's newly appointed President, Stuart Rayfield. Attendees will have the opportunity to mix and mingle with President Rayfield, participate in a moderated Q&A, enjoy conversation, and partake in appetizers and drinks.  For questions about Meet & Greet, contact Alumni@ColumbusState.edu or call (706) 565-1340.

Autumn Palmer , a Trust Specialist II at Synovus, began her professional career with that banking company in 2015 as a part-time teller.  She stayed in that role for three years, and then moved into the part-time position of Recon Specialist with Synovus, which she held for two years.  At that point, in 2020, she graduated from CSU’s Turner College of Business with an undergraduate degree in management.  This achievement propelled Autumn into a full-time role at Synovus as an Operations Specialist.  She filled this role for a year before moving into her current position with Synovus.  Later, in 2022, Autumn earned an MBA from the Turner College, equipping herself for the next milestone in her professional career.   While we do not yet know what that will be, Turner Business will be on the sidelines cheering for Autumn and other Turner College alumni.    

With more than 25 years of experience in the healthcare and real estate development industries, Denise Kendust has a proven track record of accomplishment for growing and increasing brand awareness and market share in complex environments.   Since August of 2021, Denise has worked in Tallahassee, Florida, as the Assistant Vice President for Community Engagement at HCA Healthcare, which is one of the nation’s leading providers of healthcare services, comprising 182 hospitals and approximately more than 2,300 sites of care, including surgery centers, freestanding ERs, urgent care centers, and physician clinics, in 20 states and the United Kingdom.   Prior to holding this position, she was a director of communications and community engagement for HCA Healthcare in the Fort Walton-Destin market, where she supported and led the community relations team at Twin Cities Hospital and the communications team at Fort Walton Beach Medical Center.   Denise’s impressive business caree...

For more than 25 years Turner College alumna Jennifer Slaughter has worked closely with business and IT executives across all industries in order to help them transform their business and achieve their objectives through the use of technology.   Much of this work has been done by Slaughter under the banner of some of the world’s most recognizable companies.   She is currently the Area Vice President for Strategic Accounts at Adobe, a position she has held for almost three years.   In this position, Slaughter formally launched Adobe’s consumer goods vertical.   Prior to that she achieved 132% attainment, driving customer success across the entire business.   In her first position with Adobe – Senior Enterprise Account Executive – Slaughter was named Digital Experience Sales Executive of the Year for achieving 445% of her business quota. Slaughter came to Adobe in 2014 from a senior account executive position with Zimbra, which she joined in July of 2010.   ...

As CEO of Carthage Financial Group, a Boston-based independent fee-based registered investment advisor (RIA) firm, Ralph Mitchell devotes much of his energy to the education of his clients about two activities – financial literacy and financial services.  Mitchell describes financial literacy as the sense that proven financial strategies are indeed relevant to individuals, families and businesses, while financial services are defined as the implementation of these strategies through the use of insurance, annuities, mutual funds, stocks, bonds, commercial real estate and foreign securities.  His own sense about these financial topics was first established from 1973 through 1977, during which time he earned an undergraduate degree from the Turner College of Business.  Mitchell’s dedication and discipline to engaging in these two activities over more than 30 years with Carthage Financial Group was likely honed during his 30 years of service, beginning in 1977 and ending in ...

In her current position as Product Manager for Business Strategy at DeVry University, Carina Marzari is responsible for managing the institution’s $130 million business programs portfolio .  She assumed this role in early this year (2022), after previously working as a senior business analyst for DeVry University for almost six years (2016-2022).  Marzari’s professional career prior to joining DeVry University began in 1999, as a marketing assistant at John Deere (1999-2002).  Her work experience also includes service as a marketing team leader at Syngenta (2002), a senior marketing analyst at Kepler Weber (2002-2005), and a market research analyst at CME Group (2007-2008).  As one would expect, Marzari’s impressive professional career has been facilitated by some noteworthy educational milestones, beginning with receipt in 2000 of an undergraduate degree in business administration and management from the Universidade Federal de Santa Maria.  The Turner College...

After earning a bachelor’s degree in history from Ball State University in 2006, Matthew Murawski entered the U.S. Army as an airborne platoon leader.  Over a seven-year career in the Army, Matthew rose to the position of company commander, in which he c losely worked with the Afghan National Army Soldiers, Afghan National Police, and the National Directorate Service to supply logistics to over 500 Afghan National Security Forces (ANSF) personnel.  After being honorably discharged in 2013, he co-founded Maltitude, a craft beer market in Uptown Columbus.  After selling the business in 2014, Matthew began pursuit of an MBA from the Turner College, which he earned in 2015.  This achievement helped propel Murawski to a new role as a fixed income sales associate at Drexel Hamilton, a 100% veteran owned and operated investment bank headquartered in New York City.  After a little more than two years with the company, Matthew moved to Goldman Sachs, the multinational i...

Having already begun her professional career as a market service analyst for Aflac in 2005, LaGeisha Fifer gave it a boost when she earned a BBA in marketing from the Turner College in 2007.  After graduation, she completed another 10 years with the company, where she reviewed, analyzed, negotiated, and communicated various operational exceptions to/from internal and external customers.  During that time, Fifer earned an MBA from Troy University, an achievement that would help propel her into her current position as Senior Sales Recruiter for Technical Solutions at the Atlanta office of ABM Industries, a facility management provider founded in 1909 in San Francisco, California, that provides a broad range of services and solutions to building owners, such as energy management and reduction, system design, equipment installation, and preventive maintenance .  In this positi on since 2019, Fifer is responsible for hiring top talent across the U.S. to join ABM’s Technical ...

Education backgrounds in both science and business administration have served Nancy Swartout well during her professional career.  After graduating with a bachelor’s degree in chemistry from Shippensburg University of Pennsylvania, Nancy became an R&D chemist with the iconic American multinational oil and gas corporation, ExxonMobil.  Nancy held that position for 6.5 years when, in 1995, she became a procurement manager for Vulcan Materials Company, a Birmingham-based producer and distributor of construction materials.  The transition from research and development to management, or from science to business, is where the Turner College enters Nancy’s professional journey.  As it turns out, she earned an MBA from the Turner College at CSU in 1994, thus providing Nancy with a smoother path to career advancement in corporate management.  After five years with Vulcan Materials Company, she returned to ExxonMobil as a procurement manager.  Over the next 22 y...