Ross J. Centanni

Laura Alexander Leach

Doyle Z. Williams

2007 HALL OF DISTINCTION INDUCTEES ANNOUNCED

February 9, 2007

LSU’s E. J. Ourso College of Business has announced its 2007 Hall of Distinction inductees will be Ross J. Centanni, Laura Alexander Leach, and Doyle Z. Williams. This select group will be honored during a ceremony to be held March 30, 2007 at 6 p.m. at the Lod Cook Alumni Center on LSU’s campus.

Ross J. Centanni is the chairman of the board of directors of Gardner Denver Incorporated and serves as the company’s president and chief executive officer. Gardner Denver Inc. is a recognized worldwide leader in the manufacturing of compressors, blowers, pumps, and fluid transfer equipment and technologies. Centanni also serves on the board of directors of Denman Services Incorporated, Esterline Corporation, and the Petroleum Equipment Suppliers Association in Houston, Tex. He received his industrial technology degree from LSU in 1967 and earned an MBA from the E. J. Ourso College in 1971.

Laura Alexander Leach is chairman of Sweet Lake Land & Oil Company LLC, chairman of North American Land Company LLC, and is a member of the LSU System Board of Supervisors. Leach has been a member of the Board of Supervisors for the past 12 years and served as chairman from the fall of 1996 until the fall of 1997. Leach’s lifetime of volunteerism is exemplified by her service on the boards of the LSU Foundation, the Cadets of the Ole War Skule, the Southwest Louisiana Task Force, Lacassane Company Incorporated, CKX Incorporated, and her membership on the State Council for the Southern Association of Colleges & Schools. She received her business administration degree from LSU in 1961.

Doyle Z. Williams is dean emeritus of the Sam M. Walton College of Business at the University of Arkansas and a senior scholar in the Department of Accounting at Kennesaw State University. Williams served as dean of the Walton College and was the Sam M. Walton Leadership Chair at the University of Arkansas for 12 years. During Williams’ tenure the business school was enhanced vastly and was named by U.S. News & World Report as one of the most improved business schools in the United States. He received his masters and Ph.D. in accounting from LSU in 1962 and 1965, respectively.

Established in 1996, the Hall of Distinction recognizes individuals who make significant contributions in the areas of business, academia, government, or the community. The Hall of Distinction is not strictly limited to LSU alumni, but nominees should have some connection with LSU.

For more information on the Hall of Distinction or the E. J. Ourso College, contact Wendy Osborn Luedtke at (225) 578-8865 or wendy@lsu.edu.