April 30, 2008 by Justin Bannister NMSU News Center
Kevin Boberg, associate business dean at New Mexico State University and CEO of NMSU’s Arrowhead Center, will continue as the Garrey E. and Katherine T. Carruthers Chair in Economic Development in NMSU’s College of Business.
Boberg has held the economic development chair position since 2005. The position must be renewed every three years.
“Kathy and I are absolutely delighted with this decision,” said NMSU College of Business Dean Garrey Carruthers. “He’s done a wonderful job by taking an active role in Arrowhead Center and working with many economic development projects in our state.”
The economic development chair was created by a $500,000 gift from Carruthers and his wife. The chair received a $1 million match from the state. Earnings from the $1.5 million endowment are used to support the salary of the faculty member holding the chair, as well as program development and other needs.
“I’m humbled and honored by the opportunity,” said Boberg. “Governor and Mrs. Carruthers’ contributions to the state through public and private life, and through philanthropic endeavors are well known. I look forward to continuing the work they began and we have continued – specifically in regard to our most important mission, serving our students and those in the State of New Mexico.”
Arrowhead Center is a nonprofit organization created to commercialize new technologies and stimulate economic growth in New Mexico.
“He does a fantastic job working with groups around the state on economic and business development,” said Kathy Brook, associate dean in business. She said the decision to rename Boberg to the chair position was the consensus of the department heads and associate deans in the college.
Boberg earned his Ph.D. at Pennsylvania State University in 1983. He taught at Penn State and the University of Hawaii before joining the NMSU faculty in 1987.
There are now four, $1 million or more chairs in the College of Business. They include the Mountain States Insurance Group Endowed Chair, The Garrey E. and Katherine T. Carruthers Chair in Economic Development, the Robin T. Peterson Endowed Chair in Marketing and the Stan Fulton Chair in Business.