Grace Pilot School of Business

President Emeritus Mark Foley, President Lonnie Burnett, Dr. Grace Pilot | Photo by Rovy Lopez

ANNOUNCING THE Grace Pilot School of Business

The University of Mobile School of Business is now the Grace Pilot School of Business. The new name honors Grace Pilot, the Mobile businesswoman who co-founded one of the nation’s largest catastrophe adjusting fi rms, Pilot Catastrophe Services Inc., and the Pilot family’s long-time support of the Christ-centered mission of the University of Mobile.

At a dedication ceremony Dec. 1, 2021, UM President Lonnie Burnett said Grace Pilot’s name on the School of Business will remind students of her example of faith-based leadership and generosity. “Grace Pilot and her family represent a tremendous business success story. More importantly, they represent a Christ-centered view in the way they have handled material blessings. They realize that every gift comes from God, and they have shared generously in so many areas to advance His kingdom,” Burnett said.

Pilot said she has always loved the mission of the University of Mobile and its emphasis on training students to be godly leaders.

“God has blessed our family to do God’s work. We must invest in the next generation so they can be leaders

of change for good. Our culture needs Christian higher education now more than ever. My hope is that University of Mobile business students will keep God first. If you do this and work hard, you will be successful,” Pilot said.

Dr. Kathy Dunning, dean of the Grace Pilot School of Business, said, “It seems like such a perfect fusion when a business and community leader of the stature of Grace Pilot aligns with the School of Business. Our programs create well-equipped leaders who make a difference in their respective communities by responding to their calling in the world of business, just as Dr. Pilot has done in Mobile.” Dr. Bruce Earnest, vice president for advancement, said the Pilot family has been an integral part of the University of Mobile for decades.

“Dr. Pilot and her family are generous contributors and a testament to hard work and living the faith out every day. Their commitment to our mission and students has played a vital role in our growth and success as a Christcentered institution of higher education. It is our prayer that the Grace Pilot School of Business will be a center of influence in preparing students for significant careers of service in local, state and national communities," Earnest said.

Meet Grace Pilot

Pilot Catastrophe Services, Inc., was founded in 1983 as Pilot & Associates in Mobile, Alabama, at the kitchen table of Grace Pilot and her husband, Walter Pilot. Today, the family-owned business is the nation’s largest catastrophe adjusting firm, with corporate offices in Mobile and locations spread across the United States. Since her husband’s passing in 1991, Dr. E. Grace Pilot and the Pilot family have continued to guide the business on its foundational values of honesty, integrity and quality control. As a family, the Pilots put their faith into action through a variety of philanthropic projects such as Camp Grace and Grace’s House of Hope. The Pilot family is a strong supporter of the Christcentered mission of the University of Mobile and in 2012 established the Dr. E. Grace Pilot Endowed Scholarship. Dr. Pilot was named the First Lady of Mobile in 2005 by Beta Sigma Phi for her commitment to others through daily acts of love, friendship and generosity. She was inducted into the Alabama Business Hall of Fame in 2012.

Good Work Agency Helps Churches, Nonprofits

The Good Work Agency is a student-run marketing agency in the University of Mobile’s Grace Pilot School of Business. It provides high-quality, low-cost marketing solutions for churches and non-profits while giving students practical experience in their field of study.

Services include website development, graphic design, photography and videography, email marketing, and social media management “for a price that will not break the bank,” says senior Avery Wilhite. The name Good Work Agency and the motto “We do good works for those who do good work” comes from Ephesians 2:10 – “For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared ahead of time for us to do.” Learn more or start a project with the Good Work Agency at goodworkagency.org.