Florida State University College of Business honors three alumni with induction into 2012 Hall of Fame

Barbara Ash, bash@cob.fsu.edu

Three graduates of Florida State University College of Business – all leaders in their professions – were inducted into the college’s 2012 Hall of Fame Thursday (March 29) at the Annual Hall of Fame Dinner and Ceremony at the Florida State Turnbull Conference Center.

Since 2003, the college has honored alumni who embody the qualities that make the College of Business an exceptional place to learn and grow and who, in addition, have excelled in their careers and made significant contributions to the college and their professions..

The college bestowed this honor on the following:

Tim Cole

As an executive at Quaker Oats and now at Del Monte Foods, Tim Cole has a reputation as leader with a clear vision and an uncanny ability to cut through the clutter and laser focus on “needle-moving” activities. He exhibits these same leadership qualities as a member of the Florida State University College of Business Board of Governors.

A native of St. Augustine, Fla., Cole earned a bachelor’s degree in marketing from the college in 1979. In addition to serving on the COB board, he is a frequent and welcome classroom guest speaker and highly sought-after mentor of students.  “Tim has compelling leadership qualities and an ability to engage people in the vision and mission of the company, to hold them fiercely accountable, and to challenge them to accomplish beyond what they thought possible,” said Ken Willis, FSU classmate, friend for 32 years and former colleague at Quaker Oats, where Cole progressed through marketing and sales position to become vice president for national accounts.

“No productive idea is ever out of bounds with Tim, no business situation beyond turnaround and no leadership team un-salvageable,” Willis said. “Quite the contrary, Tim seems to excel in such circumstances, producing unique strategies, top results and stellar teams that worked hard, but also had fun along the way.”

Between 1979 and 2004, Cole held a variety of positions, including vice president for national accounts, with the Quaker Oats Company. Following a merger with Pepsico, he lead one of the first integrated customer teams, comprising Pepsi, Frito-Lay, Quaker and Tropicana, and had sales of $1.5 million.

He then moved to Del Monte Foods, where he is executive vice president for sales. Del Monte is one of the country’s largest producers, distributors and marketers of food and pet products in the market. In 2010, the company generated approximately $3.7 billion net sales. Headquartered in San Francisco, Calif., Del Monte Foods includes brands such as Del Monte®, College Inn®, 9Lives®, and Pup-Peroni®.

In addition to his involvement with the FSU College of Business, Cole serves on the boards of Junior Achievement of Northern California and United Way of the Bay Area.

Dr. William T. Hold

With a passion for education and commitment to excellence, Dr. William T. Hold built one of the largest, most recognized insurance education organizations in the world. In recognition of his four-decade crusade to raise professional standards across the insurance industry, as well as his quiet, generous and unwavering support of his alma mater, Dr. William T. Hold has been selected for induction into the Florida State University College of Business 2012 Hall of Fame.

Dr. Hold has promoted opportunities at FSU in conjunction with The National Alliance, which also provides scholarships for students in the Risk Management and Insurance program, professional development opportunities and other important financial support.  Because of Dr. Hold’s efforts, FSU students were among the first to earn prestigious University Associate Certified Risk Manager and University Associate Certified Insurance Counselor designations.

“Individuals who earn these professional designations take significant pride in their accomplishments,” colleague Bruce McCreadie, a 1977 College of Business graduate, said in his nomination letter.” The impact Bill Hold has had on the insurance industry over the past 40 years cannot be overstated.” McCreadie points to the “thousands of people who have had a richer and more successful career due in part to educational and professional development opportunities that Bill and his organization provided.”

McCreadie said that when Dr. Hold talks about things that set the stage for his success, he talks passionately about his experience as an undergraduate at the FSU College of Business. “It was the interest and support of the faculty at the college that resulted in the life-changing decision to pursue a graduate degree,” McCreadie said. “Bill takes great pride in being part of the FSU family and has a deep appreciation for what FSU has done for him.”

Dr. Hold, who earned his Bachelor of Science degree in Risk Management and Insurance in 1963, is co-founder and president of The National Alliance for Insurance Education & Research, an Austin, Texas-based umbrella organization for research and educational programs geared toward insurance and risk management professionals.

Dr. Hold earned both a master's degree in 1964 and a doctorate in 1967 from the University of Wisconsin. He was named to the prestigious Insurance Newscast's annual list of the "100 Most Powerful People in the Insurance Industry" six years in a row.  In 2011, he received the prestigious Dr. Henry C. Martin Award of Industry Achievement named after the founder of The Rough Notes Company.

 In 1969, the Certified Insurance Counselors (CIC) designation program was developed as the initial offering of The National Alliance. Today, under Dr. Hold’s leadership, The Alliance offers more than 2,500 programs and attracts more than 140,000 participants each year across the nation including Puerto Rico and Mexico. In addition to the CIC Program, The National Alliance offers the Certified Insurance Service Representative (CISR), Certified Risk Manager (CRM) and Certified School Risk Manager (CSRM) designation programs, as well as a variety of specialty courses serving industry professionals at every level and in every job description.  William T. Hold Seminars and James K. Ruble Seminars are premier education choices for designees and together, they form the “Founders Series,” a tribute to two “founding fathers” in insurance education.

Dr. Hold has held faculty positions at the University of Wisconsin and the University of Texas, where, as an associate professor, he was responsible for the insurance and risk management area in the Graduate School of Business. His articles have been published in insurance-related academic and trade journals, including the Journal of Risk and Insurance, the Insurance Law Journal, and the CPCU Annals. He is the author of several books on industry-related topics.  Prior to developing CIC, Dr. Hold was vice president of the National Association of Independent Insurers and served as a consultant to organizations, including the American and Texas Trial Lawyers Association, Federal Trade Commission, the Texas Department of Transportation, and the Texas State Board of Insurance.

J. Michael Pate

Since retiring from the Tallahassee Democrat, where he served as publisher and president from 1997 to 2005, Mike Pate has been an untiring, effective and welcome presence in Florida’s capital city and Florida State University, his alma mater. 

For his professional accomplishments and his successful efforts to enhance his community and the university, Pate earned a bachelor’s degree in business administration in 1968.  

In November, Pate, founder and president of the Tallahassee-based J. Michael Pate Consulting Services, also was named an FSU Grad Made Good during homecoming activities.  He is a former FSU Foundation trustee and was a member of the Inaugural Steering Committee for the popular Seven Days of Opening Nights. He is a lifetime member of the FSU Alumni Association and in 2003, was inducted into its Circle of Gold. In 2005, he was named a Distinguished Alumni. In addition, he is a member of the Seminole Boosters and is a FSU School of Theatre and University Musical Associates patron.  He also is a member of Alpha Delta Sigma, the national advertising honor society; Kappa Kappa Psi, the national honorary band fraternity; and the Marching Chiefs; and is a co-founder of the Alumni Marching Band.  He was a commencement speaker at FSU’s spring graduation for the colleges of Business, Education, Music, Nursing and Social Work. Pate had a successful 36-year career in business side of the newspaper industry that, in addition to the Tallahassee Democrat, included stints at the Miami Herald, The Sun Herald in Biloxi, Mississippi; and The Sun News in Myrtle Beach, S.C.

An energetic civic leader, he is on advisory boards for the Knight Creative Communities Institute, the Tallahassee Chamber of Commerce’s Our Region Tomorrow and Seven Days of Opening Nights, among others, and is program director for Town & Gown Tallahassee.  He also is a member of the Capital Tiger Bay Club, the area’s premier political forum.

In addition to recognitions he has received from FSU, he has been the recipient of countless community honors and awards, including Leadership Tallahassee’s 2007 Leader of the Year Award.

“If community leadership and enhancement are bellwethers of a successful Hall of Fame inductee, one needs look no farther than Mike Pate,” said nominator Michael Hartline, associate dean for Strategic Initiatives and Charles A. Bruning Professor of Business Administration at the College of Business. “Since his graduation in 1968, Mike has maintained a steadfast connection to community and professional achievement…He is a true Seminole, a devoted alumnus, and an obvious recipient for the College of Business Hall of Fame.”