Mahmood Khan (1972 MAST AGR, 1975 PHD AGR), professor and director of the Department of Hospitality and Tourism Management in the Pamplin College of Business at Virginia Tech Northern Virginia Center, was invited by the United Nations World Tourism Organization to serve as a keynote speaker at the international conference, Universal Values and Cultural Diversity in the 21st Century: How Can Tourism Make a Difference, held in Yerevan, Armenia. At the conclusion of the conference, leading Armenian tourism industry stakeholders signed the Private Sector Commitment to the United Nations World Tourism Organization Global Code of Ethics for Tourism. As a participant, Khan represented Pamplin College, Virginia Tech, and the U.S. Agency for International Development. Khan’s presentation was entitled “Comparative Overview of the Impact of Hospitality and Tourism Industry on a Nation’s Development: Opportunities and Constraints with Reference to Armenia.” As a result, Khan has been asked by the U.S. Agency for International Development to serve as a part-time consultant on curriculum development for four Armenian universities – Russian Armenian Slavonic University, Armenian State University of Economics, American University of Armenia, and European Regional Academy. He joined Virginia Tech in 1987. Oliver G. “Rick” Richard, III (1974 BACH MCOM, 1977 JD) has been elected to the American Electric Power (NYSE: AEP) Board of Directors. Richard was chairman, president, and chief executive officer of Columbia Energy Group from 1995 to 2000. Previously, he served as chairman,
president, and chief executive officer of New Jersey Resources Corp., as president and chief executive officer of Northern Natural Gas Co., and as vice president and general counsel of Tenngasco. He served as a commissioner on the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) from 1982 to 1985. Before joining FERC, he served as legislative assistant for energy issues to U.S. Sen. J. Bennett Johnston (D-La). Prior to that, he practiced tax law in Louisiana. Currently, Richard is president of Empire of the Seed, a consulting firm in the energy, management, and private investments industries. He serves as a director of Buckeye Partners L.P. and as chairman of CleanFUEL USA. He holds a master’s degree of tax law from Georgetown University.
1980s
Paul Coreil (1984 MAST AGR, 1995 PHD AGR), vice chancellor and director of the Louisiana Cooperative Extension Service for the LSU AgCenter since 2001, has been named interim chancellor at LSU Alexandria. Coreil has been with the AgCenter for more than 34 years, serving as an extension agent, specialist, assistant director, and vice chancellor. A national leader for the Cooperative Extension Service, he chaired the Association of Southern Region Extension Directors in 2006, a committee that developed a national Web-based extension information system called eXtension.org, and the Extension Committee on Organization and Policy, or ECOP, in 2009. Coreil has received numerous awards including the Association of Southern Region Extension Directors Excellence in Leadership Award in 2010. He earned a bachelor’s degree in zoology from the University of Southwestern Louisiana in 1976.
Robert J. “Bobby” Crifasi (1981 BACH BUS), general manager of the New Orleans Country Club, was elected to the Club Managers Association of America (CMAA) Board of Directors for a threeyear term. Crifasi, a Certified Club Manager (CCM), Certified Club Executive (CCE), and Certified Public Accountant (CPA), has been general manager of the club since 1992. He began his career at New Orleans Country Club first as the controller/chief financial officer and was then named clubhouse manager. A member of CMAA since 1991, he has served on many national committees and was twice host club general manager for the International Wine Society Dinner in conjunction with the world conference. At the chapter level, Crifasi served the Pelican Chapter as chair of legislative affairs, career services, and golf tournament committees and as secretary-treasurer, vice president, president, and local conference co-chair. He has served on numerous advisory boards for the University of New Orleans School of Hotel, Restaurant and Tourism, University of New Orleans College of Business, and the Louisiana State Society of CPAs. Crifasi serves as a guest lecturer at the University of New Orleans on club management. John D. Dalier (1986 BACH BUS, 1990 JD) moved with his wife and children to Charleston, S.C., in July 2011 to serve under the Telework Enhancement Act of 2010 as a trademark examining attorney with the United States Patent & Trademark Office (USPTO). Dalier is approaching his 19th year of service with the USPTO. This past March, he was recognized in Washington, D.C., by the Department of Commerce with the 2013 Exceptional Career Achievement Award,
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