By Kristen Simpson

S tudents at Georgia College & State University saw leadership firsthand through the College of Business and Technology’s new Business Executive-in-Residence series.

“By initiating our Business Executive-in-Residence program, we are allowing our students to hear directly from individuals in the field,” said interim dean Dr. Tanya Goette. “Students start to understand how the concepts they learn in class are used in the business world, because the executive is on campus for more than a class presentation.”

The fall semester executive, Barry Wolfe, J.D., is the former director of labor and employee relations for Dean’s Foods and Dairy Farmers of America. He met directly with students and participated in a campus-wide panel on salary negotiations last week.

“I am so impressed with Georgia College, with all the things they do to help prepare students for the next step,” Wolfe said in his interview with GC Bizcast. “It seems to me that if a student leaves Georgia College without taking advantage of all those opportunities, then they've really missed out.”

The four-day series kicked off with Wolfe offering guest lectures, lunches, speaking events and meet and greets to Georgia College students. Since the program is designed to improve student opportunities and build academic partnerships, Wolfe also met with faculty across disciplines to share his expertise related to labor relations. 

Following a panel discussion, Wolfe was interviewed by student-run podcast GC Bizcast. The podcast series interviews prominent business professionals and makes their expertise accessible to the Georgia College community. 

The CoBT is continuing the program with a new executive each semester. Over time, the business executives invited to Georgia College will provide examples of life experience to CoBT students and contribute chances for both mentoring and networking.

“One young man came and talked to me on Monday, and he was going for an interview. He was unsure and nervous about it, so I talked to him,” Wolfe said. “He came back and said he’d gotten the job, and that our conversation helped him. That made my day."

The spring semester Business Executive-in-Residence is Irish businessman Kevin Neary, co-founder and CEO of OrcaWise, an AI solutions company. Neary is the keynote speaker for the 2025 Executive Forum at 5 p.m. Monday, Jan. 27. Ticket information for the event is available here. Neary will also speak to students from 5 to 6 p.m. Tuesday, Jan. 28, in the A&S Auditorium.

Cover Image: The J. Whitney Bunting College of Business & Technology's first Business Executive-in-Residence, Barry Wolfe (Photo by Kristen Simpson)