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ALBANY, GA -- After serving as Albany State University's liaison for 30 years, Maurice Elliard, an assistant professor in the College of Business, is now a member of the Black Executive Exchange Program (BEEP) Hall of Fame.  

“What initially felt like work is now a labor of love,” Elliard said of his role as the campus liaison for BEEP. “It is enjoyable and rewarding working with BEEP.” 

Elliard accredits his induction into the BEEP Hall of Fame for his service and work with the organization and ASU campus.

Since BEEP established the Jared Bartow Scholarship in 1997, seven ASU students have won it thanks to help from Elliard.

"One of the ladies on the exec advisory board said, 'Nobody else has done that as often. ASU students have won the scholarship more than anybody else,'" says Elliard. "We have a student to win this year; two students in most recent years. So I think that's probably one of the things that has caused me and our program to kind of stand out from the crowd."

The BEEP Hall of Fame was created in 2004 to commemorate those who have made significant contributions to the success of the program. Since its establishment, 15 people have been inducted into the BEEP Hall of Fame.

Through BEEP, African-American executives serve as “visiting professors.” During their two days on campus, they lecture in numerous classes, conduct mock interviews, evaluate resumes and serve as mentors.

BEEP assists students as they transition from the college classroom to corporate America.

“Working with BEEP has afforded me the opportunity to meet some genuinely nice people who are passionate about helping students become leaders in world of commerce,” Elliard said.

Some of the relationships with the BEEP executives have resulted in what Elliard calls “unexpected blessings” to help students succeed. “Recently one of the executives provided business suits for some of the students and funds for alterations,” he said.

The Alabama native received his bachelor’s degree in Business Management from Tuskegee University. After working for a business firm in Alabama for five years, he decided to make a career change. Elliard went on to earn a Master of Business Administration Degree at Auburn University at Montgomery.

Elliard has taught in the College of Business for 33 years. He said his greatest reward from teaching is helping students achieve their goals. “Students have to realize they have personal brands,” he said. “It’s up to them to market their brands effectively, and it is my job to assist them.”