Centenary College names new dean for Frost School of Business
SHREVEPORT, LA — Centenary College has named Dr. Elaine Labach as dean of its Frost School of Business following a national search. Labach, currently associate dean and associate professor of management in the School of Business Administration at Fort Lewis College in Durango, Colorado, will join the Centenary faculty on July 1, 2018.
“This is an exciting time in Centenary’s history and the Frost School of Business is of strategic importance to the College and to the Shreveport-Bossier community,” says Dr. Jenifer K. Ward, provost and dean of the college at Centenary. “Dr. Labach is clearly a results-oriented and collaborative leader, and we look forward to welcoming her to campus this summer.”
Labach joined Fort Lewis College in 2008 following a career in operations and sales management with Eli Lilly and Company, Protective Insurance, and Cardinal Health. She has also served as an adjunct faculty member for online masters and doctoral programs at the University of Maryland and has led student international programs to Spain and Costa Rica.
“I was initially attracted to Centenary because I am a strong believer in the value of a liberal arts education and wanted to continue my career at an institution with a strong emphasis in the liberal arts,” says Labach. “I was also attracted to Centenary’s mission, strategic plan, and values. The students, faculty, and staff I met during my visit were caring, committed, and articulate. It was very clear that an emphasis on academic quality and community impact was alive and well at Centenary.”
As dean of the Frost School, Labach will oversee all academic business programs at Centenary, including undergraduate degrees and internships in accounting, business administration, and economics and the graduate-level Executive Master of Business Administration (EMBA) degree. Labach will also serve as director of Centenary’s Center for Family-Owned Business (CFOB), an important locus of community engagement and education supported by the Frost School.
“I believe that for today’s higher educational institutions to compete and grow, they need not only academic quality but programs that are innovative, cross-disciplinary, and embedded in business communities,” says Labach. “This engagement ties back into providing a business curriculum that serves the current and future needs of Centenary students. I look forward to developing impactful and innovative programs in this area as part of the continued implementation of Centenary’s long-term strategic plan.”