Dean's Advisory Council

Providing Strategic Guidance to the Donald G. Costello College of Business Dean

To deepen the business community's participation in the development of future business leaders, the Costello College of Business at George Mason University maintains a strong tradition of building business partnerships through the Dean's Advisory Council.

The council's mission is to advise and assist the dean in achieving the college's mission of preparing graduates to be successful contributors to the economic, civic, and cultural life of an increasingly global community.

Comprised of business and community leaders from many different locations, the Dean's Council provides strategic guidance to the dean as the Costello College of Business seeks to align its programs to the needs of the business community.

Dean's Advisory Council members represent a variety of industries and companies ranging from startups to established, multinational firms.

Dean's Advisory Council Chair

Dean's Advisory Council Vice Chair

Dean's Advisory Council Members

  • George Mason University Costello College of Business Placeholder Image

    Retired, Chairman and CEO, Johnson & Strachan Insurance

    Jeffery Johnson is the retired chairman and CEO of Johnson & Strachan, Inc., a full service locally owned and operated independent insurance agency.
  • School of Business Community Partner |Brian E. Kearney

    Chief Operating Officer, Kearney & Company, P.C.

    Brian Kearney currently serves as the chief operating officer (COO) at Kearney & Company, P.C. (Kearney), a Certified Public Accounting (CPA) firm exclusively dedicated to serving the federal government.
  • School of Business Community Partner | Craig B. Kendall

    President and Founder, Financial Investments, Inc.

    As President and owner of Financial Investments, Inc. (FII), Craig Kendall has created wealth and established financial security for hundreds of clients, from individuals who entrusted their life savings to him to large institutional investors who see the value of his unique investment approaches.
  • Elaine Marion | School of Business Dean's Council

    Chief Financial Officer, ePlus Inc.
    Past Chair, Dean's Council

    Elaine Marion is the Dean's Council Past Chair. She has more than 20 years’ experience in accounting and finance including experience in the areas of corporate finance, risk assessment and management, strategic planning, human resources, business insurance, and information technology.
  • School of Business Community Partner | Scott Plein

    Founding Principal, Equinox Investments, LLC

    Scott Plein is the founding principal of Equinox Investments, LLC, a real estate investment, development, and management firm specializing in community planning and entitlements in Northern Virginia.
  • Costello College of Business Community Partner | Amit Puri

    President and CEO, Kurtek LLC

    Executive with strong general management and technical experience including sales, engineering, program management and business development.
  • Costello College of Business Community Partner | Susan Riel

    President and CEO, EagleBank

    Susan Riel is President and Chief Executive Officer of EagleBank, a community bank leading the charge in setting a new standard for banking, and its holding company, Eagle Bancorp, Inc.
  • George Mason University School of Business Partner Anil Sharma

    Chief Executive Officer, 22nd Century Technologies

    Mr. Anil Sharma is a serial entrepreneur, a technocrat-business leader, an angel investor, and a philanthropist with a successful career in building and supporting multiple innovative companies.
  • School of Business Community Partner | Sumeet Shrivastava

    President and CEO, Unissant

    Sumeet Shrivastava is an accomplished executive and proven business leader with more than two decades of experience in the government IT industry.
  • Costello College of Business Community Partner | Geoff Weber

    Principal, Federal Advisory Services, KPMG

    Geoff Weber is a principal in KPMG’s federal advisory practice in McLean, VA. He leads services associated with technology and risk for federal government clients.

Past Members

  • George Mason University Costello College of Business Placeholder Image

    Chairman of the Board, National Capital Bank of Washington

    Harold C. Rauner is chairman of the board at the National Capital Bank of Washington.
  • School of Business Community Partner | Mark D. Rothman

    President and Founder, MYTA Corporation/MYTA Technologies

    Until its sale in April of 2002, Mark Rothman owned and operated The MYTA Corporation, one of the largest IT Staffing firms in the Washington, D.C., area.
  • School of Business Community Partner | Bill Strachan

    President, Brown & Brown Insurance

    Bill Strachan has been a pivotal part of the fabric of the Northern Virginia insurance industry since 1992.
  • School of Business Community Partner | William L. Walsh, Jr., Esq.

    Partner, Hirschler Fleischer

    At Hirschler Fleischer, William Walsh concentrates on representing federal sector companies on issues including dispute resolution and bid protests before the U.S. Government Accountability Office, Federal Board of Contract Appeals, and executive agencies on contract administration matters, contract claims, contract terminations, teaming agreements, contractor qualification issues, organizational conflict of interest concerns, and small business matters.
  • George Mason University School of Business Partner Kenyon Wells

    Senior Vice President, Consulting Applications, Solutions and Technology, CGI Group, Inc.

    Kenyon Wells is Senior Vice President, Consulting Applications, Solutions and Technology at CGI Group, Inc.
  • Dale Wince | School of Business Community Partner

    Founder, Aligned2
    Immediate Past Chair, Dean's Council
    Greg and Camille Baroni Center for Government Contracting Advisory Board Emeritus Member

    Aligned2 Founder Dusty Wince weds his real-world business acumen with executive coaching and advisory services to help entrepreneurs excel and their companies grow.