Four new honorees will be inducted into the Tommy and Victoria Baker School of Business Hall of Fame on April 13, 2023. Each year, the Baker School of Business recognized individuals who are leaders in their respective fields. This event honors and thanks the recipients for their contributions to the business community.
Honorees include Lt. Gen. John W. Rosa Jr., ’73, former president of The Citadel; Claudius Watts IV, ’83, founder and manager of Meeting Street Capital; Whitemarsh Smith III, ’66, longest-standing president of the Charleston Branch Pilots’ Association; and Curtis Campbell, ’94, president and CEO of TaxAct.
Leaders of Principle awardees have enjoyed substantial success in business or public service and have made significant contributions to their communities. Anyone can nominate an outstanding business leader who is living or deceased from any state or college. The nominee’s values should mirror those of the Tommy and Victoria Baker School of Business.
Established in 2017, the Lonnie N. Carter Distinguished Leadership Award is only given when the leadership in the Baker School of Business believes there is an individual who models the service and support of the namesake honoree.
The Baker School of Business Hall of Fame begins at 6 p.m. at the Charleston Marriott, located at 170 Lockwood Drive, in Charleston. The 2023 Baker School of Business Hall of Fame inductees are:
Curtis Campbell, ’94, Leader of Principle Award
Curtis Campbell is President and CEO of TaxAct, one of the largest providers of tax software solutions in the U.S. He serves on the board of Jack Henry, a two billion dollar revenue publicly traded company (NASDAQ: JKHY) specializing in providing core information technologies to nearly 12,000 financial institutions. Curtis previously held executive roles at Capital One Financial Corporation as GM of the Consumer Auto Business, at Intuit as VP of Strategy and at Amazon Web Services as Head of Product. He is considered an industry expert in the technology space, with a focus on technology innovation and digital transformation. He holds a B.S. in Business Administration from The Citadel and a Master of International Business Studies from the University of South Carolina.
Whitemarsh S. Smith III, ’66, Leader of Principle Award
Whit Smith serves as the longest-standing President of Charleston Branch Pilots’ Association, helping to modernize national and local maritime communities through his leadership. Smith was recognized by Governor Henry McMaster with the Order of the Palmetto in 2022, the state’s highest civilian honor. Since 1999 he has served as Board Member of the South Carolina State Ports Authority. For the last 24 years he has served as Secretary-Treasurer of the American Pilots’ Association. He holds a degree in Business Administration from The Citadel. Smith is a charter member of the Breakfast Club of Charleston and an elder at First Scots Presbyterian Church. He is married to Anne Frampton, has three daughters and six grandchildren.
Claudius E. Watts IV, ’83, Leader of Principle Award
Bud Watts is founder and managing partner of Meeting Street Capital, a software focused venture capital firm. He also serves as Chairman of the Board of CommScope, Inc. and as a Senior Advisor at The Carlyle Group, where he was a long-time partner and founder of the firm’s Technology Buyout Group. Additionally, Watts chairs the Board of The Citadel Trust and previously chaired The Citadel Foundation. Watts graduated from The Citadel in 1983 with a B.S. in electrical engineering, served eight years as a fighter pilot in the U.S. Air Force and earned an MBA from Harvard University.
Lt. Gen. John W. Rosa Jr., ’73, Lonnie N. Carter Distinguished Service Award
Lt. Gen. John Rosa served as The Citadel’s 19th president from 2006 to 2018. He graduated from the Corps of Cadets in 1973 with a degree in Business Administration, and went on to become a highly decorated fighter pilot in the U.S. Air Force. He had a long and distinguished career at the Pentagon, retiring from active duty in 2005 after serving as superintendent of the U.S. Air Force Academy. Under Gen. Rosa’s leadership, The Citadel successfully executed the LEAD strategic plan, which included developing the servant leadership model for educating cadets and responding to industry demand with new modern-day majors, like cybersecurity, nursing and project management. He concluded an historic $175 million capital campaign with The Citadel Foundation.
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