MEDIA RESOURCES

SMU Cox Welcomes Guest Speaker Barbara Thomas, President and CEO of the National Black MBA Association

Dallas (SMU) – SMU’s Cox School of Business is pleased to host Barbara Thomas, president and CEO of the National Black MBA Association, on Wednesday, March 29, 2006. Thomas will speak about the value of diversity in corporate leadership at a Cox Minorities in Business (MIB) Club event scheduled to begin at 3:30 p.m. in the James M. Collins Executive Education Center.

Established in 1970, the National Black MBA Association is dedicated to creating partnerships that result in increased intellectual and economic wealth in the black community through education, employment, and entrepreneurship. With more than 6,000 members representing 100,000 MBA graduates in 39 chapters around the country, the NBMBAA has strategic partnerships with more than 400 of the country’s top business corporations, organizations, universities, and colleges.

As president and CEO of NBMBAA, Thomas is responsible for the strategic direction and all operations for the organization. Prior to serving as CEO, Ms. Thomas served as vice president of finance and administration and CFO. She is a lifetime member of the NBMBAA, and served for four years as president of the Boston chapter.

Before joining NBMBAA, Thomas worked for 25 years in the broadcasting industry. While employed by CBS, she completed her undergraduate and graduate studies, and was the first black woman to complete the CBS School of Management. During her tenure at CBS, Thomas acquired training and experience in directing financial turnarounds. After taking an early retirement from CBS, she applied her turnaround skills to the non-profit industry, where she was able to transform and renew the financial status of several deteriorating organizations.

"The Cox School continuously strives to bring the unique perspectives of different business leaders to campus,” said Albert W. Niemi, Jr., dean of the Cox School.“As business becomes more international, it is essential for our students and graduates to reflect the diversity of today’s global economy.”

"We are excited to welcome a corporate and civic leader of Ms. Thomas’ caliber to the Cox School,” said Steve Denson, director of diversity for SMU Cox.“We look forward to a brilliant presentation.”

For additional information about the National Black MBA Association, please visit http://www.nbmbaa.org.

About SMU Cox
SMU’s Cox School of Business offers a full range of business education programs, including BBA, full-time MBA, Professional MBA (PMBA), Executive MBA (EMBA), Master of Science in Management (MSM), and Executive Education. The school also offers a number of unique resources and activities for students, ranging from its Business Leadership Center (BLC), Caruth Institute for Entrepreneurship, Maguire Energy Institute, and American Airlines Global Leadership Program (AAGLP) to its Associate Board Executive Mentoring Program and an international alumni network with chapters in more than 20 countries. SMU Cox is ranked among the top business schools nationally and internationally by major publications, including BusinessWeek, The Economist, Financial Times, Forbes, The Wall Street Journal, and U.S. News & World Report.