LEN BLACK

In 2001, when Professor Len Black brought the Students in Free Enterprise (SIFE) program to Heritage University he knew that it would change the way students learned. After all, SIFE provides a mechanism for students to apply their education; to connect with business professionals, and bring about change in their communities; plus, it throws in a little healthy dose of competition.Eleven years and 18 competitions later, Prof. Black and the Heritage SIFE team have made a name for themselves as national models for success. Their list of wins and accolades is impressive—Regional champs nine times, making it to the national semifinals 7 times, 3 of which they placed in the top four; recognition by SIFE USA in 2011 as one of the country’s ten best programs; and most recently, the induction of Professor Black into the Sam Walton Hall of Fame.
“Consistently making it to the semifinals seven years in a row is an accomplishment that perhaps only one other college has ever achieved,” said Black “It really is a reflection of the talent, energy and drive of the students and the quality of the work by everyone at Heritage that goes into preparing them for their careers.”
Induction into the Sam Walton Fellow Hall of Fame is among the highest honors within the SIFE organization. In addition to recognizing their length of service, impact on their community and the overall success of their SIFE program – induction into the Hall of Fame recognizes those Sam Walton Fellows whose level of dedication and success serve as a guidepost for current and future faculty advisors to follow.Black was inducted into the hall of fame during a special ceremony at the national competition in May. For Black the honor, while appreciated, paled in comparison to the accomplishments of his students. They earn 4th Runner Up, placing them fifth in the nation. For his students, however, Black’s honor was well deserved and expected. Even as their energies were concentrated on preparing themselves for their own competition, they were the ones who went through the complex nomination process that led to Black’s recognition.“He is such a dynamic character and he sees our potential even before we see it ourselves,” said Javier Estrada (B.A. Business Administration, 2012), former Heritage SIFE president. “He pushes us to go above and beyond what we ever thought possible.”

Curt Guaglianone, Provost and Academic Vice President

Dr. Curtis “Curt” Guaglianone joined Heritage University in July 2012. Prior to his appointment he was a member of the Provost Office at California State University, Bakersfield (CSUB) and completed nineteen years in the California State University System. He was first an associate professor at CSU, Stanislaus, earned the rank of professor and became associate dean at Fresno State, and then was hired as Dean of the School of Education at CSUB. All three campuses are federally designated Hispanic Serving Institutions in California.