College of Business

Alumni Feature Stories

Alumni from the College of Business have been very successful, enriching both business and community organizations and giving back to their alma mater. Click the links below to read some of their stories. 

Click here for the most current COB News.


John Aylworth sitting at a table with bottles of serum and several injectors.

Business Alumnus Brings Biotech to Chico

August 12, 2019

Alum John Aylworth pivoted from orthopedics to his own blossoming biotech company–then moved it back to Chico. 


Professional Attire Fund recipient Rodaisha James

Professional Attire Fund Helps Students to Dress for Success

February 18, 2019

A generous donation from alumna Marti Sutton ('92) helps recipients of the Professional Attire Fund dress for success. 


Josh and Aaron Leavy smiling during their Camp Fire relief fundraiser in San Francisco. Click to read more.

Alumnus Josh Leavy, Founder of San Francisco Brewing Co., Joins Sierra Nevada's Resilience IPA Camp Fire Relief Efforts

January 2, 2019

Josh Leavy (Business, '03) has joined more than 1,400 breweries across the nation to participate in the Resilience IPA Camp Fire relief efforts.


Ashley Casey poses for a photo.

It All Adds Up for Award-Winning Accounting Alumna

July 18, 2018

As Ashley Casey has taken on greater challenges in her career as an accountant—making a professional name for herself on the state and national levels—she has also developed a love for giving back. 


Max Dickstein

Standout Student Feature | Max Dickstein

May 16, 2018

Senior Max Dickstein has proven to be a standout student through his activity with the Seufferlein Sales Program and the American Marketing Association.


Elizabeth Konecny smiles for a photo. Click to read more.

'It's Important to Know You're Not Alone': A Star Student's Success Through Struggle

May 7, 2018

Elizabeth Konecny has endured repeated personal struggles on the way to being a standout student. One of her greatest challenges was not doing it alone. 


Tom Tognoli (BS, Business Administration, '88) hiking in the Andes Mountains in Peru.

Founder, President, and CEO of Intero Real Estate Tom Tognoli Selected as 2018 Distinguished Alumnus

February 22, 2018

Every year the College of Business selects one alumnus to celebrate for their professional accomplishments. This year's distinguished alumnus award winner is founder, president, and CEO of Intero Real Estate Services Tom Tognoli ('88).


Black and white photo of Fred and June Lucchesi from 1949. Click to read more.

College of Business Receives $50,000 Gift to Establish Scholarship for Accounting Students

 January 31, 2018

  The College of Business has received an endowment of $50,000 to establish the Fred and June Lucchesi Memorial Accounting Scholarship. 


Sean Berry gives his presentation at the Stock Pitch Competition. Click to read more.

Center for Excellence in Finance Hosts Chico State's First Ever Stock Pitch Competition (PNG)

December 15, 2017

Four teams of CSU, Chico students put their analytical skills to the test at the first ever Chico State Stock Pitch Competition.


Next-Gen Wildcat team

Next-Gen Wildcats Helps High School Students Discover Business Information Systems

November 30, 2017

Nearly 70 high school students visited Chico State, giving them the opportunity to discover and experience first-hand business majors and careers in the information systems field.


Kyungmin Yeo (left) tutors student Mohammed Khan (right) in the Business Student Success Center. Click to read more.

New Offerings from the Business Student Success Center

September 14, 2017

Three specially designed programs have been incorporated into the center this fall, bolstering student support with an emphasis on supporting low-income students, students involved in business clubs and organizations, and international students.


Alumna Leslie Thole teaching in the classroom as part of Executives on Campus.

College of Business Alumni Inspire Students in the Classroom

May 12, 2017

Executives on Campus gave students a chance to meet and network directly with CEOs, vice presidents, partners, and other high-profile alumni who have grown to be experts in their field since graduating from Chico State.


Steve Goodall (left) with Dean Judy Hennessey (right)

Former President & CEO of J.D. Power and Associates Selected as 2017 Distinguished Alumnus

January 26, 2017

Every year the College of Business selects one alumnus to celebrate for their professional accomplishments. This year's distinguished alumnus award winner is former President & CEO of J.D. Power and Associates Steve Goodall ('78).


A shot of espresso sits next to a keyboard. Click the photo to read more.

CSU, Chico Alumni and Entrepreneurs Build Connections with Coffee

June 1, 2016

Thanks to alumni Kris Rudeegraap ('08) and Braydan Young ('09) companies can now easily send a cup of coffee to clients, partners, and employees through their San Francisco-based startup business CoffeeSender.


Alumnus Jeff Gutsch (left) and accounting professor Jeff Decker (right)

Endowment to Student Organization Enables Career Success

March 25, 2016

Alumnus Jeff Gutsch ('87), along with his firm Moss Adams, recently made an endowment toward international honors organization for accounting students and professionals Beta Alpha Psi (BAP).


Andrew Gazdecki in mid-conversation at the Center for Entrepreneurship with director Peter Straus in the background intently listening.

Bizness Apps Helps Student Entrepreneurs Build Mobile Apps For Free

February 22, 2016

Alumnus Andrew Gazdecki ('10) of Bizness Apps offers free access to its app builder for Chico State students interested in mobile app development.


Peter Straus, Director for the Center for Entrepreneurship gives advice to a student in the Center for Entrepreneurship.

Entrepreneurship at Chico Shines in Forbes

January 6, 2016

In two recent Forbes articles our entrepreneurship program and several alumni are highlighted.


Glen Thomas and Joyce Densmore-Thomas pose for a photo outside Kendall Hall.

Endowment to Support Accounting Program Is First of Its Kind

October 5, 2015

Establishing the first faculty endowment in the College of Business is one way Glen Thomas (’83) and Joyce Densmore-Thomas (’82) are repaying CSU, Chico for all the good it has brought to their lives.


A crowded PAC 144 theater with

Executives Talk Career Success and Emerging Opportunities

June 1, 2015

Biz Talks offered a series of executives vignettes - each presentation was conducted in a TED Talk format - and speakers were asked to present ideas to help students get focused on their goals and find the right career path.


2015 Distinguished Alumnus Len Jessup posing for a photo.

UNLV President Len Jessup Selected as Distinguished Alumnus

March 10, 2015

Every year the College of Business selects one alumnus to celebrate for their professional accomplishments. This year's distinguished alumnus award winner is University of Nevada, Las Vegas President Len Jessup ('83).


Chuck and Luke Seufferlein posing for a photo.

Seufferlein Sales Program: New name, even bigger results

March 9, 2015

A recent major gift from the Seufferlein family has helped raise our capacity for delivering this signature program and maximizing results.


Bizness Apps team at their San Francisco office.

Bizness Apps - A Chico Story

November 20, 2014

We are a society smitten by the proliferation of mobile apps that have flooded the market in recent years, and we are growing evermore dependent on these apps to manage the details of our lives.