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

  • Elaine Marion | School of Business Dean's Council

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

    Elaine Marion is the Dean's Council 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.

Dean's Advisory Council Vice Chair

  • George Mason University Costello College of Business Placeholder Image

    Board Chairman and Principal, Everest Care Management

    Nancy Collins is the Board Chairman and Principal of Everest Care Management (ECM) - a medical services company focused on workplace injuries. In this role, Collins sets the strategic direction for the company’s business expansion.

Dean's Advisory Council Members

  • School of Business Community Partner | Anne K. Altman

    Co-founder and CEO, Everyone Matters Inc. 

    Anne Altman is the former general manager of IBM Corporation's U.S Federal Government and Industries sector and the co-founder and CEO of Everyone Matters Inc.
  • Costello College of Business Community Partner | Stefan Becker

    Senior Vice-President, Regulatory Agencies, CGI Federal

    Stefan Becker leads the Regulatory Agency Programs (RAP) business unit within CGI Federal, a wholly-owned U.S. operating subsidiary of CGI Group, Inc., which serves CGI’s clients across civilian, defense and intelligence sectors of the U.S. federal government.
  • School of Business Community Partner | Marcelo Brutti

    President and Chief Executive Officer, Hyundai Capital America

    Marcelo Brutti is President & Chief Executive Officer at HCA, a $50 Billion auto finance company supporting the financial services needs of Hyundai Motor America, Genesis Motor America, and Kia America.
  • George Mason University Costello College of Business Placeholder Image

    Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer, Leidos

    Chris Cage has held a number of finance and management roles since first joining Leidos (formerly SAIC) in 1996. In his current role, Cage leads the global accounting and shared services organization for the $12 billion government technology services provider.
  • School of Business Community Partner | Michael Creasy

    Partner and Audit Practice Leader, Grant Thornton LLP

    Michael Creasy is a partner and regional audit practice leader for Grant Thornton's West & Atlantic Coast regions. In this role, Creasy leads over 500 audit professionals.
  • School of Business Community Partner | Paul Cusenza

    Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Nodal Exchange and Nodal Clear

    Paul Cusenza is the Chairman & CEO of Nodal Exchange and Nodal Clear. Nodal Exchange is a commodities exchange listing futures and options for trading and Nodal Clear acts as a central counterparty clearing house.
  • George Mason University School of Business partner Mary Davis Holt

    Executive Coach and Speaker, Mary Davis Holt Enterprises, LLC

    Executive coach and speaker Mary Davis Holt helps women achieve the career of their dreams. Her qualifications begin with her 30-year career in publishing at Time Warner where she became COO of Time Life Inc.
  • School of Business Community Partner | Michael Gallagher

    Executive Chairman, The Stevie® Awards

    To honor the millions of business executives and workers worldwide who quietly accomplish innovative and extraordinary things in the workplace every day, Michael Gallagher founded the Stevie® Awards in 2002.
  • School of Business Community Partner | Kaylene H. Green

    President and Chief Executive Officer, Flagship Government Relations

    In early 2009, Kaylene Green led the formation of Flagship Government Relations, Inc., an organization focusing on government relations to provide legislative strategy, federal budget insights, and strategic marketing analysis.
  • George Mason University School of Business Partner Manesh Gupta

    Founder, President, and CEO, NikSoft Systems Corp. 

    Manesh Gupta (MS ’91) is the Founder, President, and CEO of NikSoft Systems Corp. Founded in 1998, NikSoft is focused on digital transformation across a broad spectrum of federal government agencies, including the Department of Defense, US Customs and Border Protection, Defense Health Agency, and the US Postal Service.

Past Members

  • School of Business Community Partner | Shaza L. Andersen

    Chief Executive Officer, Trustar Bank

    Shaza L. Andersen is the Chief Executive Officer at Trustar Bank. Prior to that, she served as vice chair of the board of Sandy Spring Bank.
  • School of Business Community Partner | Marc E. Anderson

    Senior Partner, Ernst & Young LLP

    Marc Andersen is a highly regarded influencer and connector of people in the greater Washington community. Having key relationships and longtime experience serving both the public and the private sector allows Andersen to easily navigate the complex dimensions of D.C. and global communities.
  • School of Business Community Partner | Kristina J. Bouweiri

    President and CEO, Reston Limousine

    Kristina Bouweiri is the majority owner of the Washington D.C.'s largest luxury transportation provider, Reston Limousine.
  • School of Business Community Partner | Debi Beck Corbatto

    Deputy Athletic Director, Internal Operations/Risk Management, George Mason University Athletics

    Debi Corbatto is the deputy athletic director, Internal Operations/Risk Management, as well as the NCAA athletics healthcare administrator for George Mason University Athletics.
  • School of Business Community Partner | James C. Fontana

    Founder, Fontana Law Group 

    James C. Fontana has over 35 years of experience as an attorney specializing in government contracts, commercial transactions and related litigation, as well as ethics compliance and corporate governance issues.
  • School of Business Community Partner | R. Jerry Grossman

    Retired, Houlihan Lokey

    Jerry Grossman completed his career at Houlihan Lokey's Washington, D.C. office in 2014. He was co-head of the ADG group, a premier investment banking practice representing leading industry companies in merger, acquisition and divestiture transactions, providing fairness opinions and sourcing capital.
  • School of Business Community Partner | Lillian T. Heizer

    President, LCH Consulting Services

    Bringing 25 years of hands-on leadership experience and established success in leading large IT organizations to consistently positive results to the table, Lillian Heizer's firsthand experience employing best practices makes her stand out as a consulting professional.
  • School of Business Community Partner | Allen F. Johnson

    President and CEO, Allen F. Johnson & Associates

    From April 2001 until September of 2005, Allen Johnson served as ambassador and chief agriculture negotiator in the Office of the United States Trade Representative (USTR) entity of the Executive Office of the President.
  • Global Managing Partner, Squire Patton Boggs

    Ed Newberry is Global Managing Partner of Squire Patton Boggs and serves as a member of the firm's Global Board.
  • 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.