Meet Members of the National Board of Advisors
Rich Biggs
’90 Recreational & Leisure Studies/Sport Management
Biggs Insurance Services, President
Insurance and Risk Management Board
Why Do You Volunteer Your Time to Be a Member of the National Board of Advisors?
WSU provided me with so many opportunities, both academically and socially, that I feel a strong desire to give back to a school that had such an impact in my life. As a Cougar, you are part of something so much bigger than the classrooms, the sporting events, or the places where you lived and socialized on campus. You are part of a family and network of thousands of other Cougs who, like me, have a desire to make sure all Cougs are successful in whatever they wish to pursue. Being able to connect with the teams of Cougar supporters who all are pulling together to drive those successes is very satisfying to me.
How Has Your Education Helped You Meet an Important Milestone or “First” In Your Career?
I minored in insurance and knew I had access to being part of an industry with many different avenues to benefit from. My insurance professor, Irv Fields, was very instrumental in helping me to better understand what opportunities were ahead for me in the insurance industry. His ability to network with insurance contacts and supporters was very valuable to his students. I have had the opportunity to share my talents as an industry supporter with the WSU Insurance and Risk Management advisory board for over 20 years.
What Advice Do You Have for Current Students?
Connect with leaders in the field you want to pursue. Ask questions, and get your feet on the ground doing internships in those areas you think you have a passion to pursue. Experience is so valuable and can either confirm your career ideas or allow you opportunities to try other areas you might not have thought of before. Find mentors or centers of influence you can reach out to that will allow you some insight to your career and personal development.
Jesse D. Lyon
’92 Agricultural Economics
Davis Wright Tremaine LLP, Partner and Chair, Nationwide Food + Beverage Industry Group
Hospitality Business Management Board
Why Do You Volunteer Your Time to Be a Member of the National Board of Advisors?
WSU provided mentorship, opportunity, and vision for my career. I want to give back; I’m a Coug forever. I’m especially committed to helping underrepresented undergraduate and certificate students find opportunity in beverage business management and other sectors.
How Has Your Education Helped You Meet an Important Milestone or “First” In Your Career?
My WSU advisor helped me find my first summer internship after my freshman year, which led to being a step ahead of most peers for more competitive and even more focused opportunities in following summers and graduate school scholarships.
What Advice Do You Have for Current Students?
Get involved in all that WSU offers outside of class: clubs, volunteering, jobs. Someday you’ll realize how all those dots connect for you, and for your career—even if it doesn’t make sense today.
Dave Grant
’76 Business Administration, Accounting
Catalyst Storage Partners, Managing Partner
International Advisory Board
Why Do You Volunteer Your Time to Be a Member of the National Board of Advisors?
The education, both in and out of class, I received while attending WSU was absolutely essential to my landing a great job after graduation with a large public accounting firm. The NBoA provides a great vehicle to interact with professors and students through various events and activities. With such strong support from WSU, it was easy to want to stay involved with the college and its students and give back. Frankly, the Carson College of Business expects its graduates to circle back and help later generations of students with mentoring and advice for their future careers. We all had the benefit of that at one time or another.
How Has Your Education Helped You Meet an Important Milestone or “First” In Your Career?
In particular, the business school’s emphasis on “practical” education as a complement to theoretical education was instrumental in my passing the CPA exam. My broad WSU education, coupled with a good starting job, is what allowed me to progress to my ultimate career in real estate investment and development.
What Advice Do You Have for Current Students?
I would say do not underestimate the importance and power of staying connected to the school after graduation. You will find it richly rewarding, educational, and you never know when your alma mater might come to your aid again later in your career.
Jon Morgan
’92 Business Administration
Senior Executive Recruiter, Providence St. Joseph Health
Human Resources Board, Chair
Why Do You Volunteer Your Time to Be a Member of the National Board of Advisors?
For years, I had been looking for a way to reconnect with WSU in some way more than just rooting for our athletic teams. When I was asked to be on the board, I saw it as a great opportunity to give back to WSU by sharing my background and experience with students.
How Has Your Education Helped You Meet an Important Milestone or “First” In Your Career?
Earlier in my career, I was a human resources consultant for one of our hospitals and helped with employee and labor relations. The first time I participated in union negotiations, I appreciated the human resources and collective bargaining courses I was able to take at WSU. The projects and mock negotiations the instructor had us do really made a lot of the concepts and strategies sink in and helped me during the complex parts of the process. That was a very challenging and interesting role for me.
What Advice Do You Have for Current Students?
Take full advantage of any opportunity you can to listen to and learn from experienced professionals in careers and industries that might interest you. Finding a mentor, entering internships that expose you to as much as possible, and fully engaging with your instructors and fellow students while you can will pay dividends for the rest of your career.