The Florida State University College of Business on Thursday inducted three new members into its Alumni Hall of Fame during a black-tie gala at the Augustus B. Turnbull III Florida State Conference Center.

Inducted were Gail Knight, a highly successful photo-company pioneer and retired executive; Gregory Michaud, a distinguished leader and expert in real estate finance; and Steven J. Mudder, a globally renowned legal strategist, executive and investor.

In her acceptance speech, Knight hailed her induction as “by far my greatest professional achievement.” Michaud called it “the pinnacle of my career” and Mudder “the greatest professional honor of my lifetime.” The three spoke to a crowd that included FSU President Richard McCullough, Board of Trustees Chair Peter Collins, College of Business 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 College of Business. The new inductees increased the Alumni Hall of Fame membership to 72 since its creation in 2003.

Hartline congratulated Knight, Michaud and Mudder for their “extraordinary accomplishments” and thanked them for their dedication to the college and university.

Hartline also noted the special timing of this year’s Alumni Hall of Fame gala.

“It comes as we continue our yearlong celebration of our 75th anniversary as a business school and as we stand poised to move into our state-of-the-art dream home, Legacy Hall – made possible by the work and generosity of so many in this room tonight,” he said.

Also, the college recognized Abigail “Abby” Danis as the recipient of its 2025 Recent Alumni Achievement Award. Danis is an Orlando-based market development manager for endourology at Boston Scientific Corp.

The Recent Alumni Achievement Award recognizes extraordinary FSU business alumni, particularly those who graduated within the past 15 years. Danis graduated in 2011 with a degree in marketing.

Here is a look at the three new FSU College of Business Alumni Hall of Fame inductees:

Gail Knight (B.S. Accounting ’82)

With her husband, Bob, Knight grew Bob Knight Photo from a fledgling party-pic photography company at FSU to the largest commencement photography company in Florida and California.

A certified public accountant, Knight used her insight with analytics and data management to drive company growth.

She successfully negotiated pricing for special events at The Walt Disney Company, resulting in more than 6 million photos over a 15-year period. Also, she and her team managed a three-year transition from analog to digital photography, including image management and storage, website design, production software and retail software, plus creation of a new workflow system, GradTrak®, which became an industry leader.

After 15 key acquisitions, their GradImages™ brand achieved service contracts with most of the nation’s universities and nearly 150 marathons per year, including five of the world’s major races, held in Chicago, Berlin, New York, Boston and London. Their mix of service and marketing led their company to reach nearly $100 million in annual revenue, with more than 4 million customers per year.

“The College of Business at Florida State was really where my life turned around,” Knight said. “If not for Florida State, I don’t meet Bob. If not for the College of Business, the party pic company doesn’t become a $100 million firm.”

She and her husband funded the Gail and Bob Knight Auditorium in the College of Business’ new home, Legacy Hall. They also recently funded a distinguished professorship in accounting.

They endowed an athletic scholarship for the FSU football program and a major gift for FSU softball. Additionally, they have contributed significantly to the FSU College of Communication and Information.

Also, Gail Knight speaks at events and serves as an executive committee member of the College of Business Board of Governors.

Gregory Michaud (B.S. Real Estate ’91)

Michaud, managing director and head of Real Estate at Voya Investment Management, oversees all aspects of the company’s commercial real estate loan platform, including sourcing, underwriting, asset management, legal and portfolio management. Under his leadership, a team of 60 professionals manages $16 billion in commercial mortgages.

He said FSU “set the trajectory for my life to be where I’m at right now.”

He added: “Florida State has that culture to not only train you and teach you and make you good academically, but also to make sure you’re set for the real world when you leave the college, and that’s what it’s all about.”

Michaud’s career with the firm began at ING Group, where he started as a real estate analyst before quickly advancing to investment officer, managing investments throughout the Americas. By 2000, he was leading an investment team, and in 2010, he assumed leadership of the real estate platform.

Following the Great Financial Crisis and ING Group’s divestiture of U.S. assets — creating Voya Financial — Michaud transformed the platform from a proprietary asset manager into the third-largest, third-party real estate credit manager in the United States.

At the FSU College of Business, he serves on the FSU Real Estate Center Executive Board and recently joined the FSU Foundation Board of Trustees.

Throughout his career, Michaud has remained committed to FSU, hiring and launching the careers of more than 25 real estate graduates.

His investments in the College of Business include the establishment of the Michaud Family Director’s Office for the FSU Real Estate Center in Legacy Hall, the college’s future home. Another philanthropic investment, the Michaud Endowment for Excellence in Real Estate, supports student academics and activities through the center.

Steven Mudder (B.S. Finance ’95)

Mudder, a leader in the global telecommunications infrastructure, helped form or acquire and manage more than 25 companies all over the world. He also built a 20-year career representing professional football players as an NFL-certified agent.

“One of my biggest joys – and biggest values of my time – is going back to Florida State and interacting with students, answering questions and trying to be a good influence and a good mentor,” he said. “It’s a special place that has given me so much.”

Mudder began his career in Atlanta at King & Spalding, where he represented multiple Fortune 100 clients. He practiced law for two years in Silicon Valley before becoming a partner at Atlanta-based Cohen, Cooper, Estep & Mudder, where Georgia Super Lawyers magazine recognized him as a Super Lawyer and Rising Star.

As vice president-international legal for American Tower Corporation, he led legal operations across Latin America and Asia. Along with nine colleagues, he left American Tower International and acquired Protelindo, a small Indonesian tower company with 232 towers. Mudder and his colleagues transformed Protelindo into Asia’s largest independent tower company with nearly 30,000 tower sites. He and his colleagues also founded Myanmar’s first independent tower company in 2012 and acquired a tower company in Europe, successfully exiting all three ventures.

Mudder has served on the FSU Foundation Board of Trustees and the College of Business Board of Governors. His investments total more than $1.36 million for Legacy Hall, the new home of the College of Business; Seminole Boosters, which supports FSU athletics; the FSU Foundation; and an endowed scholarship in the Master of Science in Finance program.

He regularly speaks to classes and has been the featured guest for the Charles A. Bruning Distinguished Speaker Series.

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The Florida State University College of Business inducted three new members into its Alumni Hall of Fame at a black-tie gala at the Turnbull Conference Center on Oct. 3.

The new inductees – retired Air Force Pilot and entrepreneur James “Chef” Barlow, health care entrepreneur and executive Kevin S. Little and serial entrepreneur Bethany Schenk  – increased Alumni Hall of Fame membership to 69 since its creation in 2003.

The college bestows the recognition on alumni who have excelled in their careers and made a significant impact on FSU and the College of Business.

“Like previous inductees, these three demonstrate exceptional vision, innovation, integrity and preeminence – qualities we strive to instill in our students and each other,” said Michael Hartline, dean of the College of Business. “All three hail from modest backgrounds, which means they labored and grinded – in true FSU fashion – for everything they’ve achieved.”

Also during the ceremony, South Florida-based private banker Tyler Smillie received the college’s 2024 Recent Alumni Achievement Award. Smillie, who earned a bachelor’s degree in marketing in 2014 and an MBA in 2016 from FSU, is an executive director and banker at J.P. Morgan Private Bank in Fort Lauderdale. He previously spent five years as private client advisor and senior vice president at Bank of America Private Bank.

The Recent Alumni Achievement Award honors extraordinary alumni who graduated with an undergraduate or graduate degree, typically within the past 10 years.

Here is more on the new Alumni Hall of Fame inductees:

James “Chef” Barlow (BS Marketing ’95)

Barlow is a retired, decorated U.S. Air Force fighter pilot and the founder and recently retired CEO of Blue Air Training Corp., an industry-leading Contract Air Services provider.

Barlow, who grew up and lives in Tampa, says he knew from age 14 that he wanted to be a fighter pilot and attended FSU with that in mind. His book, “The Boy Who Grew Wings,” details his journey of perseverance and entrepreneurship.

“I showed up at Florida State knowing I wanted to go to the College of Business,” Barlow said. “That way, if I got hurt and couldn’t fly, at least I’d have business to fall back on. The beauty of that is, later on in life, that’s exactly what I needed.”

After graduating from FSU, Barlow began his active-duty Air Force career as a Contracting Officer at Elmendorf Air Force Base in Anchorage, Alaska. After flight school, he was chosen to fly the A-10 Warthog, a single-seat ground attack fighter jet.

In 2007, Barlow deployed to Afghanistan and became aware that a lack of air support created a bottleneck in training and, as a result, a shortfall in the quantity of Joint Terminal Attack Controllers (JTACs). Barlow proposed contracting former military pilots to fly retired military aircraft and provide that training. The next year, he founded Blue Air Training, which has trained nearly every JTAC in the U.S., Canada, Germany, the U.K. and Australia.

The company has made the Seminole 100 list of businesses owned or led by Florida State University alumni five times, with two No. 1 rankings. It also has made Inc. magazine’s “500-5000” list of fastest-growing privately held businesses in the U.S.

In March 2022, Blue Air Training merged with Top Aces Inc. of Canada.

Kevin S. Little (BS Accounting ’92)

Little is an influential health care entrepreneur and executive who has helped build three startup companies into leaders in the health care staffing industry. He currently is co-founder and CEO of Health Advocates Network Inc., an industry-leading provider of health care workforce solutions.

“Florida State provided me with a fantastic educational foundation that not only was instrumental in me getting my first job but also being prepared for it,” Little said. “I am humbled and honored to be inducted into the College of Business Alumni Hall of Fame.”

Little’s company, based in Boca Raton, Fla., has been recognized as a “Best Place to Work in Healthcare” by publications such as Modern Healthcare, Staffing Industry Analysts, Clearly Rated and Florida Trend. In addition, Health Advocates Network ranked No. 4 in the 2024 Seminole 100 list of the fastest-growing businesses owned or operated by FSU alumni and No. 300 on the 2024 Inc. 5000 list of fastest-growing private companies in America.

Prior to founding Health Advocates Network, Little was a founding member and the CEO of Accountable Healthcare Staffing, a national provider of health care staffing and workforce solutions. As a founding member of Accountable, he led the company in its growth from a startup to one of the largest health care staffing firms in the United States. In 2017, Accountable was acquired and became a wholly owned subsidiary of Mitsui & Co. Ltd., a Tokyo-based Global Fortune 500 company.

Prior to Accountable, Little co-founded and served in various executive roles for 15 years at Medical Staffing Network. During his tenure, he helped lead the company from startup status to an IPO on the New York Stock Exchange as one of the health care staffing industry’s largest companies.

Bethany Schenk (BS Risk Management/Insurance ’92)

Schenk is an Orlando-based serial entrepreneur and philanthropist who has built and sold multiple highly successful companies over three decades.

She credits her success to a motto she coined and carries: “Own it, love it, go for it – no excuses.”

“I live that every day, and I feel like Florida State engrained that in me,” she said.

Schenk started her career as a property and casualty underwriter at Aetna for two years and then was a sales executive at CIGNA Healthcare for five years.

In 2001, she co-founded and led, as CEO, Web Benefits Design, a national employee benefits technology, compliance and enrollment solution. She previously founded BeneTek Corporation, an employee benefits consulting/broker firm. Schenk, her husband, Ron, and their team combined the companies, which eventually boasted more than 8,000 employer clients and 400 broker partners.

In 2019, they sold the companies to CNO Financial Group, a financial-services holding company. Schenk remained CEO for three years before stepping down to pursue Art Originals, a company that custom-designs canvas, framed, acrylic and giclee art to match any space, with a specialization in commercial projects and large format art. She recently sold that company to focus on philanthropic opportunities.

From 2015 through 2021, Web Benefits Design made the Orlando Business Journal’s list of Central Florida’s Top 100 companies.

Other accolades for Schenk and her businesses include Top Ten Technology Executives to Watch from Employee Benefit Advisor magazine in 2019; HR Tech Outlook magazine’s Top Ten Tech CEOs nationwide in 2018 and 2020; CIO magazine’s Top 10 Innovation Tech Firms in 2019 and 2020; and Innovation & Tech Today magazine’s Top 500 Apps that Run the World in 2017 and 2019.

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The Florida State University College of Business on Thursday inducted four new members into its Alumni Hall of Fame during a black-tie dinner at the Florida State Turnbull Conference Center.

Inducted were Christopher Iansiti, a visionary entrepreneur and organizational transformation expert; Russell Kohl, an innovative executive in the global cutting and power tools industry; Kyle Riva, a leader in development, construction and financing of high-profile commercial real estate; and Nada Usina, a global expert in executive search and advisory services.

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 College of Business. The new inductees increased the Alumni Hall of Fame membership to 66 since its creation in 2003.

“Chris, Russell, Kyle and Nada, we honor, salute and congratulate you as wonderful role models and outstanding ambassadors for the university and the College of Business,” Mike Hartline, dean of the college, told the new inductees during the ceremony. “Thank you for all you do for our great university.”

Also, the college recognized David Orozco as the 2023 recipient of its Recent Alumni Achievement Award. Orozco is CEO of Brisas Empanadas, a Miami-based wholesale affiliate of his family’s Brisas Colombianas Bakery & Restaurant. He graduated from the  college in 2013 with a degree in marketing, majoring in professional sales, plus a minor in entrepreneurship.

The Recent Alumni Achievement Award honors extraordinary alumni who graduated with an undergraduate or graduate degree in recent years.

Here is a look at the four new College of Business Alumni Hall of Fame inductees:

CHRISTOPHER IANSITI

(BS Finance ’92; MS Instructional Systems ’94) 

Iansiti is a visionary leader and expert in the areas of corporate learning, human performance and talent management.

Over a span of almost 30 years, Iansiti founded and/or co-founded three companies and consulted with global brands and Fortune 100 companies. In 2003, he founded IANSITI Performance Group, Inc., which was acquired in 2018 by Cincinnati-based TiER1 Performance. IANSITI Performance Group’s impressive client list, industry recognition and client approach factored strongly in the acquisition.

Within the consulting world, IANSITI Performance was known for its client relationships, service and stewardship skills — all hallmarks for how Iansiti partnered with clients. In 2017, his firm made the Inc. 5000 list of the nation’s most successful companies, and in 2018, it was honored with a place in the Seminole 100.

Iansiti has said his life mission is to help people, teams and organizations reach their highest potential. He speaks on client relationships, business development and entrepreneurship, and has been featured as a guest on CNN and cited in many articles and papers on leadership, professionalism, job search and corporate culture.

He previously worked as an officer with Delphi Performance Consulting and as a consultant with Andersen Consulting/Accenture.

A decorated FSU alumnus, the College of Education honored him in 2011 with a Distinguished Alumni Award, and the Instructional Systems and Learning Technologies Department named him the Gagne/Briggs Outstanding Alumnus in 2013. In 2020, he was inducted in the Alumni Association’s Circle of Gold.

Iansiti devotes his time to FSU, chairing the FSU Foundation Board of Trustees. Previously, he served on the FSU College of Business Board of Governors, including as chair. He frequently speaks to classes and spends time with the student recipients of his three scholarships and the recipient of his directorship.

RUSSELL KOHL

(BS Marketing ’88) 

Kohl is president and CEO of Diablo Tools and has driven unprecedented growth during more than two decades at the company.

Since joining Diablo Tools in 2000, Kohl has engineered the company’s North America strategic direction, delivering outstanding operational performance, superior brand recognition and an impressive rise in stakeholder value.

This period has been marked by unprecedented growth, increasing business sixtyfold in just a little over two decades with Kohl at the helm. In addition to his North American responsibilities, Kohl provides key direction in Diablo Tools’ overall global strategy and manufacturing direction.

Kohl’s extensive background in sales, finance, marketing, operations and product development has resulted in the successful launch of new brands and divisions for the company.

Under his leadership, the company launched its premium line of construction cutting tools and its most successful brand, Diablo Tools.

Kohl’s focus on innovation and his vision to “change the market forever” has elevated Diablo Tools to reign as producer and promoter of top brands in the construction, industrial, woodworking, MRO and MEP markets.

Kohl formerly served as vice president of new product development, marketing and sales at Peachtree Doors and Windows in Atlanta, where he oversaw a 30% growth in the company while recruiting an energetic leadership team.

At the beginning of his career, Kohl held successful positions in sales, marketing and product development with the DeWalt division of Black & Decker for 10 years. He worked on the company’s launch of its “yellow tools,” which grew into an industry-leading, billion-dollar product line.

Outside the office, Kohl brings his energy and work ethic to several projects, including membership in the Young Presidents’ Organization, a leadership community of chief executives, and active involvement with the Atlanta-based Children Helping Children nonprofit organization. In addition, he serves on the Mount Vernon Presbyterian School Board in Atlanta, Metro Atlanta’s Chamber of Commerce Board of Advisors, the executive committee of the FSU College of Business Board of Governors and the FSU Foundation Board.

KYLE RIVA

(BS Management ’77) 

Riva continues to thrive as a commercial real estate leader and entrepreneur — now as CEO and president of Alexander Investments International, which specializes in luxury multi-family rental communities in the Sun Belt states.

Throughout his career of more than 40 years, Riva has been responsible for the development, financing and construction of high-profile commercial real estate, including apartments, office buildings, retail centers, industrial properties, hotels, resorts, single-family projects and land.

Before forming Alexander Investments International, Riva was an influential part of Epoch Properties for more than 25 years and led the company as president for more than a decade. He also served as manager of the Central Florida office of Carey, Kramer, Silvester & Associates, a commercial real estate mortgage and sales company, and his experience includes vice president/branch manager of Alliance Mortgage Company and territory manager for the Burroughs Corporation.

Representing almost 24,000 multi-family living units at a value of over $2 billion, Riva’s projects have been recognized in national publications such as Housing, Professional Builder and Florida Trend.

Riva is a licensed Florida Real Estate Broker and a member of the National Multi-Housing Council. In addition, he serves in several key positions on Florida State University boards, including as chair of the FSU Real Estate Center Executive Board and a member of the FSU Foundation Board of Trustees, the FSU Real Estate Foundation board, the College of Business Student Investment Fund Board and the FSU Real Estate Investment Fund Board. Riva also is board member emeritus and past chairman of the Hamilton Holt School Board of Advisors at Rollins College in Winter Park, Fla.

NADA USINA

(BS Marketing & Multinational Business ’93; MS Sport Management ’94) 

Usina stands as a global expert and leader in executive search and advisory services, benefiting some of the world’s most impactful organizations and recently becoming the CEO of a new executive search firm formed in March 2023.

Usina’s previous position was senior partner at Russell Reynolds and Associates in New York City, where she led the firm’s global technology sector and the firm’s global media, entertainment and sports practices. She also served on the firm’s executive committee. Her clients included Fortune 500 companies, leading media and entertainment brands, venture-capital startups and private, equity-backed firms.

A longtime leader in the new media and mobile industries, Usina previously managed multiple profitable business ventures in sports and entertainment, many of which leveraged the emergence of new technologies. She served as president of publicly traded JumpTV, which merged with NeuLion to become the world’s leading online video and IPTV multi-platform provider. Prior to joining that, Usina was president of XOS Broadband Network, which JumpTV acquired for $60.25 million in September 2007.

Usina served as general manager and president at Nokia Canada and general manager for Nokia’s entertainment and media business in North and South America. She also directed Yahoo!’s entertainment business development and sales programs, working with studios, networks, broadcasters, music labels, game publishers and advertisers. In addition, she led the sports business and marketing teams at Broadcast.com, which was acquired by Yahoo! for $5.7 billion during her tenure.

Her other positions have included leadership roles at the Atlanta Committee for the Olympic Games and the Florida Sports Foundation. She has been a member of the FSU Seminole Boosters Board, which supports the Athletics Department, and she now serves on the executive committee of the FSU College of Business Board of Governors.

A native of Toronto, Usina moved to the U.S. on an athletic scholarship, swimming for FSU and serving as captain of its women’s swim team.

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