Chris Shook attended his first Southern Management Association meeting 25 years ago as a doctoral student at Louisiana State University. On Nov. 9, Shook — now as head of the Raymond J. Harbert College of Business Department of Management — was named the association’s president at its annual conference in New Orleans.

“I never dreamed that I would serve as president 25 years later,” said Shook, who succeeds Tim Barnett of the Mississippi State University Department of Management as president. “I am so humbled and honored to be elected by my peers. The Southern Management Association (SMA) develops scholars through its annual conference. In addition, the SMA, through its journal — the top-ranked Journal of Management — provides important outlets for management scholars’ research.”

Shook isn’t the only Harbert connection among officers and board members of the SMA. Associate Professor of Strategic Management Garry Adams had been a board member since 2010 and recently completed his term.

The SMA is the largest regional management scholars association based in the U.S. with 1,000 members worldwide.

“We create value for our members, organizations, and society through professional development, high-impact scholarship and teaching, and engaging programs,” the SMA’s Mission Statement reads. “We do this in a socially responsible manner while maintaining a sense of community that involves nurturing members, building collaborations, enhancing life-long friendships, and making a difference with our activities.”

Shook added, “I look forward to working with the officers and board as we continue to develop and implement the strategy for the association.”