Jay B. Myers Named Executive in Residence for Fogelman College of Business and Economics

For release:  July 18, 2018

The Fogelman College of Business and Economics (FCBE) is pleased to announce that a new Executive in Residence has joined the college this summer. Jay B. Myers is bringing his wealth of experience in the corporate world and 20+ years as a highly successful entrepreneur to the FCBE to mentor and assist students and faculty. He will be working with students in a variety of ways, serving as a personal mentor, a professional presence and speaking coach, and a sounding board and catalyst for entrepreneurial ideas and dreams.

Mr. Myers is passionate about taking learning beyond just the classroom, and he hopes many working FCBE students will be able to relate. Myers stated, "I worked while I was in school, and it taught me valuable lessons. I could apply what I was learning in the classroom to what I was experiencing in the working world." Myers continued, "I was a good student in school, but learning does not stop there. I see myself as a lifelong learner. I really listen when someone tells me something about business, and I hope I can be that voice for students through this position. I had great mentors from personal mentors like my father and my brother to business giants like Kemmons Wilson to influencers in academia like Dr. John Pepin and many current FCBE faculty. I'm excited to turn around and give back as well as share what I have learned."

"We are excited and fortunate to have Jay Myers as our newest Executive in Residence at the FCBE," said Marla Royne Stafford, Interim Dean of the Fogelman College of Business and Economics. "Jay is a successful entrepreneur and an FCBE alum who will be a tremendous asset to the college and the students."

Jay B. Myers is founder and CEO of Interactive Solutions Inc. (ISI), a Memphis-based firm that specializes in video conferencing, distance learning, telemedicine, and audio-visual sales and support.

Jay started ISI in 1996 and has built it into a $20-million company with 55 employees & offices in Memphis, Nashville, Knoxville, as well as Oxford, MS, & Little Rock, AR.

ISI has received numerous corporate awards and recognition in the past several years. The company was named to INC. magazine's list of the fastest growing private companies in the United States seven times and was also recently featured in the Small Business section of the Wall Street Journal. In addition, ISI was named the Memphis Business Journal Small Business of the Year in 2001 and in 2003, was the first recipient of the Kemmons Wilson (founder of Holiday Inn) Emerging Business Award.

In 2007, Jay published his first book, Keep Swinging: An Entrepreneur's Story of Overcoming Adversity and Achieving Small Business Success and subsequently received the 2010 Ethan Award for success as an entrepreneurial author.

A natural storyteller, Jay is a sought-after speaker at CEO conferences and entrepreneurial development programs where he shares inspiring stories and practical tips based on growing ISI from $11- to $25-million during the Great Recession. Jay's message as detailed in his second book, Hitting the Curveballs: How Crisis Can Strengthen and Grow Your Business, reveals creative, practical strategies to achieve business success in difficult times.

Jay was inducted into the Christian Brothers High School Hall of Fame in 2011 and the Society of Entrepreneurs in 2018. Jay is also active in numerous Memphis area community and civic organizations.

Myers currently serves on the advisory board of the Chickasaw Council (Boy Scouts of America), Bancorp South and the National Foundation for Transplants. He is also past chairman and a current board member/executive committee member of the Better Business Bureau of the Mid-South.