Deborah B. Roebuck to head Department of Leadership & Professional Development at KSU's Coles College of Business

1/5/01 - Deborah B. Roebuck is the new chair of the Department of Leadership and Professional Development at the Michael J. Coles College of Business at Kennesaw State University. She succeeds George Manners, who returns to a full-time teaching and research position.

Roebuck has been on the faculty of the Coles College for 12 years, and was named Coles College Teacher of the Year in 1999. The Department of Leadership and Professional Development is an interdisciplinary department that team teaches in an integrated, technology-driven curriculum for experienced professionals, physician executives and BellSouth employees. She was instrumental in creating the leadership and professional development curriculum for these programs.

"Deborah Roebuck has a tremendous gift for team building and communication," said Coles College Dean Tim Mescon. "We look forward to her exercising that gift as department chair. George Manners has done an exceptional job as inaugural chair of the department. We are very grateful to him and wish him well in his new assignment."

Roebuck looks forward to facilitating the growth of the department, and building on Manners' legacy. "I feel fortunate to head this group of dedicated and committed faculty who focus their time and energy on ensuring that associates can learn and succeed -more- in their executive MBA programs," Roebuck said.

Roebuck has provided consulting, teaching and coaching services to organizations such as AT&T, BellSouth Mobility, Hewlett Packard, IBM, Post Properties and Kroger. She provides services in the areas of written, oral and interpersonal communication, as well as job search skills, personality assessment, leadership, team building and time management. She has worked with the Cox Family Enterprise Center and KSU's Small Business Development Center. In addition, she has served on the Editorial Advisory Boards for Roxbury Publishing Company, Richard Irwin Inc. and Houghton Mifflin Publishing Company.

Roebuck received her Ph.D. from Georgia State University, her master of arts and bachelor of science degrees from Northeast Missouri State University and her associate of arts degree from Hannibal LaGrange College. She is a certified provider of the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator, the NEO-PI, Seven Habits of Highly Effective People and Building Trust. She is also a skilled facilitator.

Roebuck has written three textbooks. "Improving Business Communication Skills" is in its third edition with Prentice Hall Publishing Company. Roebuck has published more than 20 articles and made numerous presentations at professional conferences.

Her honors and awards include:

An Award of Excellence and a Business Outstanding Service Award from the Michael J. Coles College of Business

The Southwestern Deans' Award for Program Innovation for Consulting Services Course

A Research and Service Award from the A.L. Burruss Institute of Public Service

Outstanding Business Educator from Beta Tau Chapter of Delta Pi Epsilon

Outstanding Service Award from Lockheed Georgia Management Association

A Service Award from the Student Government Association and The Committee on Services for Students with Disabilities.

Her professional affiliations include the Academy of Business Education, American Society for Training and Development, Association for Business Communication, the Academy of Management, Delta Pi Epsilon, Family Firm Institute, Organizational Behavior Teaching Society and Southern Management Association. She has served as president of the Beta Tau Chapter of Delta Pi Epsilon and as membership representative for the Association of Business Communication.