IgniteHQ Welcomes KSU Interim President to Executive Committee; Announces Four New Board Members

IgniteHQ welcomes Kennesaw State University Interim President Dr. Houston Davis to the Executive Committee of the Board of Directors of IgniteHQ. In addition, we are also pleased to announce the appointment of four new members to its 2016 Board of Directors.

Joining the Board of Directors are David (Dave) Duley, Terrence (Terry) DeWitt, Madhusudan (Madhu) Menon, and Charles Ross. “As business leaders representing a variety of sectors at different stages of development, our newest Board members embody the spirit of entrepreneurship and community. IgniteHQ is fortunate to have the support and influence of these extraordinary individuals,” said IgniteHQ Interim Executive Director Dr. Michael Salvador.

Dr. Houston Davis

Dr. Houston Davis, the chief academic officer for the University System of Georgia, was appointed interim president of Kennesaw State University by USG Chancellor Hank Huckaby on May 26, 2016 and assumed his new duties on July 1, 2016.

In his position as executive vice chancellor and chief academic officer with the USG, a role he has held since May 2012, he was responsible for meeting the academic needs of more than 318,000 students and approximately 13,300 University System faculty members. Specifically, Davis oversaw all matters related to academics and students. He led the division of academic affairs that encompassed academic programs and policy, tenure and promotion, faculty development, intercollegiate athletics, distance education, academic and public libraries, teacher preparation, accreditation and other areas.

Dr. Davis is involved in research projects and writing in the areas of higher education access, governance, economic development, and accountability issues in higher education and serves on several national advisory groups on higher education policy, degree completion, academic preparation, and accountability.

Dave Duley

Dave Duley is a successful entrepreneur, inventor, and business owner. He started The Handyman Network, Inc. and later invented "Handyman In a Can™," the first way home improvement retailers could sell installation services as a product right off their store shelves. He also founded PEARL Protected, a company that brought to market the world’s first permanent escape ladder system for 2 and 3 story buildings. PEARL Protected was later sold to Werner Ladders which is the largest ladder company in the world.

Dave’s latest project is I Can Media, LLC. In 2012, the published book titled “I Can Fix America: 52 common sense ways YOU can make the United States great again” arrived online and in bookstores across America.

Dave serves on the Board of Counselors for Oxford College of Emory University where he is Vice-Chairman of the Scholarship Committee. In 2012, he was recognized by the Atlanta Business Chronicle as one of Atlanta's "40 under 40."

Terry DeWitt

Since its inception in 2007, Terry DeWitt served as Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer of First Landmark Bank. From 2011 until the merger of First Landmark with Midtown Bank in 2014, he was President and Chief Executive Officer and Chief Operating Officer of the
financial institution. He is also currently serving as the Chairman of the Cobb County Chamber of Commerce.

In 1998, Terry received the Outstanding Young Bankers Award from the Alabama Bankers Association. He is a 1983 graduate of the University of Alabama, where he earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Accounting. He is a member of the Leadership Cobb Alumni Association, the Marietta Country Club, and the Rotary Club of Marietta, where he was named a Paul Harris Fellow. He also serves as the Treasurer of the Marietta School Foundation.

Madhusudan (Madhu) Menon

Madhu Menon is Global Head of Influencer Relations for a leading global ITO & BPO service provider, and Geocluster Head for the SE United States. Madhu is responsible for analysis, deal advisory, and alliance partnership relations. He has been instrumental in establishing an operations delivery presence in Asia and North America. As an early company member, his expertise lies in setting up transformation Centers of Excellence (CoE), which are focused on process optimization and automation, developing global delivery solutions, and managing a culturally diversified workforce.

Madhu is a member of the International Association of Outsourcing Professionals, North America; and Metro Atlanta Chamber. He also serves on the Board of Advisors for Cobb County Chamber of Commerce. He was awarded the Global Impact Award 2013 for foreign direct investment hosted by the City of Atlanta, and the International ICT Award 2010 – Most Innovative BPO Company of the Year, Philippines. He has been a resident of Cobb County since 2010.

Charles Ross

Charles Ross is Kennesaw State’s first Vice President for Economic Development and Community Engagement. He serves as the University’s chief officer focused on deploying resources to foster community economic development and expand relationships with off-campus communities. Charles chairs the KSU Economic Development Task Force and serves as the University’s chief liaison to the Cobb County Chamber’s Competitive EDGE Project.

Charles also currently serves as Director for the Center for Working Families, and the International Business Innovation Association; and is an advisor for Neighborhood Nexus. He earned his bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering from Marquette University, and an MBA from Indiana University.

IgniteHQ, in partnership with Kennesaw State University and the Cobb County Chamber of Commerce, is North Georgia's entrepreneurial headquarters dedicated to nurturing and supporting both start-ups and small businesses by providing programs, mentors, work space, access to investment, and more.

For more information about IgniteHQ visit www.ignitehq.co.