The kickoff meeting for the reactivation of the Financial Management Association (FMA) Student Chapter at UNT on February 5 featured testimonials from alumni and faculty and attracted a crowd of more than 20 potential members.

Dr. Steve Cole, former professor of finance, was the original sponsor for the chapter when it was chartered on February 2, 1988 and led the chapter for many years. One of his plans for 2014 was to reactivate the chapter.

After Dr. Cole died in a tragic car accident in March 2013, a group of colleagues decided that the best way to honor Dr. Cole was to reactivate the chapter and name it after him.

Faculty in the Department of Finance, Insurance, Real Estate and Law, led by Lisa McDaniel, lecturer in Finance, along with FIREL Advisory Board members Lance Lair and Dave Heacock (both UNT alumni) spearheaded the reactivation of the chapter.

Lance Lair, Senior Vice President of First Bank, welcomed prospective members to the Student FMA and announced the naming of the chapter in honor of Dr. Cole. Lair shared memories of his years at UNT and his years as active member of the UNT Student FMA Chapter. He also noted the benefits he had received from his association with the student FMA chapter including networking, leadership opportunities, information about careers in finance and working with other Student FMA Chapters.

The current president of the chapter is Lalima Nemade. Faculty sponsor is Lisa McDaniel.

All students interested in finance are encouraged to join the UNT chapter of the FMA. Applications are also being accepted for officers for the spring semester. Officers will be appointed and will be eligible to attend the Student FMA Leadership Conference in Chicago in March.

“Dr. Cole worked tirelessly for the FMA Student Chapter and considered his work with the chapter to be among the most important things he could do for students,” said Marcia J. Staff, chair of the Department of Finance, Insurance, Real Estate and Law. “We agree and are delighted that a new generation of students will now benefit from Dr. Cole’s legacy.”

Interested students should contact LalimaNemade@my.unt.edu or Lisa.McDaniel@unt.edu.

For more information contact Marcia J. Staff at Marcia.Staff@unt.edu.