Harvey L. Fiser, J.D. and Dr. Blakely Fender have been named dean and associate dean, respectively, of the Else School of Management at Millsaps College, beginning in July of 2023.
“I could not be more pleased with the selection of Harvey Fiser and Blakely Fender to lead the Else School,” said Dr. Keith Dunn, provost and dean of Millsaps College. “Their history with the college and the Else School, and particularly their guidance in recent years and active development of new programs, have positioned them well for the work that lies ahead. The Else School could not be in better hands.”
Fiser has been serving as interim dean since 2021. He joined the Else faculty as an assistant professor of business law in 2003, after serving in private law practice for the previous ten years, and currently holds the faculty rank of professor. An active author and scholar, Fiser has worked in developing new course offerings in Executive Education and has been instrumental in the expansion of the Else School’s international footprint in Mexico and beyond.
“This is an exciting time for the Else School and Millsaps, and there is so much more good work to be done,” Fiser said. “We are an integral part of the community here in Jackson, around Mississippi and far beyond. The impact of the work being done by our students and faculty has a ripple effect well past the borders of our campus.”
A Phi Beta Kappa graduate of Millsaps, Fender earned her doctorate in economics at the University of Texas at Austin and joined the Millsaps’ faculty in 2000. Fender serves as professor of economics and the J. Armistead Brown Chair of Business Administration. In 2009, she helped launch the Business Advantage Program, a certificate program for working professionals with no prior formal education in business. More recently, she has directed the MBA and EMBA programs, and she’s actively involved with ELSEWorks, the entrepreneurship program in the Else School.
“I first learned the value of a Millsaps education as a student here on campus. It’s been a privilege to work with my Else School colleagues, both past and present, to ensure that experience I had as a student continues,” said Fender. “It’s really a great honor to work with my colleague Harvey Fiser and lead the Else School into what I know is a very bright future.”