Key Points
- Florida State University’s Herbert Wertheim College of Business on Thursday inducted two new members into its Alumni Hall of Fame in William C. Lloyd (B.S. Real Estate ’86) and Brian K. Williams (B.S. Finance ’97).
- The Wertheim College of Business also recognized Cody Lewis as the recipient of its 2026 Recent Alumni Achievement Award.
Florida State University’s Herbert Wertheim College of Business on Thursday inducted two new members into its Alumni Hall of Fame.
Enshrined during a black-tie gala were William C. Lloyd, a proven and prolific real estate developer whose projects feature some of the most recognizable food, pharmacy and retail chains in North America; and Brian K. Williams, a distinguished leader and entrepreneur who has spent more than two decades driving transformative growth and change in the receivables management industry.
The event marked the first Alumni Hall of Fame gala to take place in the world-class Herbert Wertheim Center for Business Excellence, which opened in January.
In their acceptance speeches, Lloyd and Williams thanked their friends, families, colleagues and communities, among others, all of whom Lloyd referred to as families.
“All of my families, I can’t thank you enough,” Lloyd said. “I can’t imagine what today would look like without all you in my life. I’m so blessed and so honored in all the ways from the impact that you have and to be in the (Alumni) Hall of Fame.”
Williams told attendees: “What a tremendous honor and privilege it is to stand before you this evening. To be included among an extraordinarily accomplished group of (Alumni) Hall of Fame members, several of whom have become close friends over the years, it’s still difficult for me to comprehend.”
The two spoke to a crowd that included Dr. Herbert Wertheim, the college’s namesake and largest benefactor. Dr. Wertheim spoke briefly and pledged, to a standing ovation, additional future support for the college.
Also present were FSU President Richard McCullough, FSU Board of Trustees Chair Peter Collins, Wertheim College Dean Michael Hartline and other university officials and alumni. Collins (BS Finance ’92; MBA ’97) was inducted into the of the Alumni Hall of Fame in 2021.
The college bestows Alumni Hall of Fame recognition on graduates who have excelled in their careers and made a significant impact on FSU and the Wertheim College. The new inductees increased the Alumni Hall of Fame membership to 74 since its creation in 2003.
Hartline, the ceremony emcee, hailed Lloyd and Williams for embodying “vision, innovation, integrity, excellence and the FSU grit we seek to inspire in our students and in one another.”
Hartline also noted that the gala took place as FSU observes its 175th anniversary and boasts an eighth straight year as a Top 25 public university.
He added: “Our college is entering an unprecedented era of preeminence, propelled by the world’s most loyal alumni and the visionary generosity of Dr. Herbert Wertheim.”
“Our college is entering an unprecedented era of preeminence, propelled by the world’s most loyal alumni and the visionary generosity of Dr. Herbert Wertheim.”
– Michael Hartline, dean of the FSU Herbert Wertheim College of Business
Also Thursday, the college recognized Cody Lewis as the recipient of its 2026 Recent Alumni Achievement Award. Lewis, who earned FSU bachelor’s degrees in real estate and management in 2008 and an MBA in 2011, is CEO of T&C Holding Group and TopCat Markets, which owns and operates niche convenience stores in western North Carolina.
Here is a look at the two new Wertheim College inductees:
William C. Lloyd (B.S. Real Estate ’86)
William C. Lloyd remains a proven and prolific real estate developer whose projects feature some of the most recognizable food, pharmacy and retail chains in North America.
Lloyd is the owner and president of RKM Development, a full-service retail real estate development company specializing in single-tenant projects and development of neighborhood-based and regional shopping centers. Based in St. Petersburg, Fla., RKM operates throughout the Southeast.
Under Lloyd’s leadership, RKM Development has completed more than 100 Walgreens locations, nearly three dozen 7-Eleven stores and multiple Publix-anchored shopping centers. He has also overseen projects involving nationally recognized brands such as CVS, Circle K, Aldi, Hobby Lobby, TJ Maxx, Petco, Dollar General, Family Dollar and Goodwill. In all, he has led the development of more than 3 million square feet of retail space, representing an estimated total project value of more than $2 billion.
“I’ve had a fun and fulfilling career,” Lloyd said. “There’s always satisfaction in the jobs you create and the difficulty in getting these projects done.” Construction of a retail chain or shopping center requires enormous steps, including, just for starters, feasibility studies, land acquisition, entitlement and permit applications, municipality approvals and public hearings.
“So, delivering everything at the right moment for your tenants is a challenge,” Lloyd said. “And then to see it open and to see it generating sales is very satisfying.”
Lloyd earned a bachelor’s degree in real estate from FSU in 1986. After graduating, he landed jobs in appraisal, leasing/property management and real estate investments.
In 1989, he joined fellow Wertheim College alumnus Richard Maloof (BS Real Estate ’85) at RKM Development and became president and a partner in 1999.
Lloyd and Maloof later made an investment that helped establish the college’s student-run Real Estate Investment Fund. Also, with his wife, Stephanie, Lloyd established the William and Stephanie Lloyd Endowment for Excellence in Real Estate.
In 2021, he received the FSU Real Estate Center’s Network Award in recognition of contributions to the real estate program. And in 2026, he and Stephanie became inaugural members of the Wertheim College’s IMPACT Society, which celebrates its top donors.
Lloyd serves on the executive board of the FSU Real Estate Center, on the executive committee of the college’s Board of Governors and on the board of directors of Seminole Boosters. He previously served as a trustee of the FSU Foundation and as a board member of the FSU Real Estate Foundation.
Lloyd also contributes extensively to his community in Manatee County, Florida.
Brian K. Williams (B.S. Finance ’97)
Brian K. Williams has distinguished himself as a specialty-finance entrepreneur and executive who launched his own company at age 28.
Williams is the founder and CEO of Crown Asset Management, which purchases distressed consumer receivables mostly from large national creditors and outsources the purchased accounts to CAM’s proprietary network of collection agencies and law firms for recovery. These agencies and firms are selected after they complete a rigorous audit and compliance onboarding process, followed by consistent oversight.
Since 2002, Williams has been involved in the purchase and sale of more than $15 billion in receivables.
“I joke that nobody grows up and says, ‘I want to go into the debt-buying business,’” Williams said. “But the business has allowed me to utilize what I learned at Florida State and gave me the ability to unlock the entrepreneurial spirit that I always had.”
That includes his penchant for grit. Williams worked his way through college at Bill’s Bookstore and as a valet at the Governor’s Club. He also completed an unpaid internship with Merrill Lynch throughout his junior and senior years.
He attained a bachelor’s degree in finance from FSU in 1997. After graduating, Williams worked briefly for Merrill Lynch, now Merrill, then became a banking and investment advisor with First Union National Bank, now part of Wells Fargo. That led to a role as a consultant for a small debt-buying business, where he spent about four years. He then founded Crown Asset Management, which celebrated its 22nd anniversary in 2026.
Also in 2026, Williams and his wife, Cortney, a 1998 FSU graduate who also majored in finance, became inaugural members of the college’s IMPACT Society, which celebrates its predominant donors. The recognition follows a steady stream of philanthropic support from Brian and Cortney, including a major investment in 2024 to strengthen their Williams Family Endowed Student Success Fund.
The couple’s previous investments include a bequest in 2018 to establish the Brian and Cortney Williams Family Endowment and an investment in 2020 to create the Williams Family Endowed Undergraduate Scholarship Fund, the Williams Family Endowed Graduate Fellowship Fund and the Williams Family Endowed Student Success Fund. The latter gift established the Williams Family Classroom in the Herbert Wertheim Center for Business Excellence.
Williams serves on the Herbert Wertheim College of Business Board of Governors Executive Committee and the FSU Foundation Board of Trustees. He previously served on the Seminole Boosters Board of Directors.
Through his company, Williams supports causes in his Atlanta-area community and beyond.