Guest Speakers, Faculty and Staff to Address Leadership at Celebration
ROHNERT PARK, CA. (May 25, 2022) – The Wine Business Institute (WBI) of the School of Business and Economics (SBE) at Sonoma State University (SSU) will be celebrating its 25th anniversary event (underwritten by Brown-Forman) on Tuesday, May 31st, 2022, from 5:30 to 7:30pm at the Wine Spectator Learning Center, home to the WBI on the Sonoma State University campus.
The following speakers including, Congressman Mike Thompson (5th District), Gary Heck of Korbel Champagne Cellars, Dean Jean-Francois (JF) Coget of the School of Business and Economics, Ray Johnson, Executive Director of the Wine Business Institute, Professor, Kyuho Lee, Ph.D., Marketing, Wine Business, & Operations Management Area Chair (SSU), Professor, Armand Gilinsky, Jr., Ph.D., Korbel Professor of Wine Business (SBE) and Stephanie Peachey, Alumni Liaison, Marketing and Growth Marketing Executive; will focus on what it means to be a leader with purpose.
“We are intentionally restructuring our graduate programs, beginning with our Master of Business Administration (MBA) to focus on being Purpose-Driven,” says Dean Coget. “What I have learned both in life and academia is that choices, both large and small, knowing that their decisions will better align with their leaders should put ethics first in all purpose and values in business.”
The event will also celebrate this year’s Wine Business Institute’s scholarship awardees for the following wine business scholarships; the Kistler Inclusive Excellence Program (KIEP), the Patrick Foley Inclusive Excellence Program, the Rabo AgriFinance Undergraduate Scholarship, Debbie Lewis Women in Wine Graduate Scholarship, the Vintage Wine Estates Women in Wine Scholarship, the Donn P. Reisen Wine MBA Scholarship, La Tosh Wine Scholarship, the Charles Woodson and O’Neill Family Scholarship, the Association of African American Vintners (AAAV) scholarship, the
Liz Thach Wine Industry Scholarship and the Napa Valley Vintners Scholarship. In total the amount of scholarships awarded is over $100,000.
Awardees of the Wine Business Institute Scholarship program have demonstrated achievements and professional goals related to the values and priorities of the School of Business and Economics including but not limited to; diversity and inclusivity, sustainability and environmental inquiry, connectivity and community engagement, entrepreneurship and innovation.
About the Wine Business Institute
The Wine Business Institute (WBI) serves as an intellectual and industry center for faculty, students, and the business community. Founded in 1996 as a partnership between the wine industry leaders and the School of Business and Economics at Sonoma State University, the WBI provides cutting-edge research that informs industry best practices and program curriculum. For more information about degree and certificate programs or wine business research https://sbe.sonoma.edu/winebiz.
About Sonoma State University School of Business and Economics
The SBE is a leading institution of business education in the San Francisco Bay Area, with an emphasis on preparing students to succeed in an economy that is global in nature. Our commitment to sustainable business, diversity, social justice, and global partnerships echoes our core philosophy of purpose-driven leadership. As one of the 50 top-ranked public universities, we have been recognized worldwide for our investments in diversity, social responsibility, and visionary academics. Many classes average fewer than 40 students, allowing close interaction between students and faculty.
