Michelle Byrd, dean of the Business & Technology Division at Greenville Technical College, has been appointed 2018-19 chair of the Accreditation Governance Board for the Accreditation Council for Business Schools and Programs (ACBSP) www.acbsp.org, the only global body to accredit business, accounting, and business-related programs at all degree levels.
Among the responsibilities of the 11-member board is to create a mechanism to review and address emerging accreditation matters and to facilitate continuous improvement of academic quality as the organization continues to grow globally. The governance board will also oversee the certificate accreditation program that ACBSP plans to launch in 2019.
Byrd has been an active member of ACBSP for many years. She has held leadership positions in the Southeastern Council of Business Schools and Programs (ACBSP Region 3), with more than 270 member schools in eight states and the British Oversees Territory of Bermuda, serving as chair in 2012, and as vice-chair and secretary before that. She has been the ACBSP champion at Gaston College and now holds that role at Greenville Technical College. Byrd has served as a member of the By-Laws, Strategic Planning, and New Membership committees during her time with ACBSP and has been a conference presenter several times.
Byrd launched her career in education in 1990 as an admissions specialist and instructor for Gaston College in North Carolina. She later worked in Human Resources for a local manufacturing company before returning to higher education, serving in roles including instructor, associate dean, and dean. In 2016, she brought her experience in industry and education to her position as dean at Greenville Technical College.
Byrd began her own college education at a community college before transferring to the University of North Carolina at Charlotte, where she earned a bachelor’s degree in business administration. She later completed a master’s in business administration through the University of Phoenix, Charlotte Campus.
“Mrs. Byrd knows the accreditation process well, having successfully led Gaston College through the accreditation process in 2007 and helping Greenville Technical College maintain the accreditation they have held since 1994,” said Steve Parscale, ACBSP Chief Accreditation Officer. “She has shared her expertise as a member of the ACBSP Associate Degree Board of Commissioners, assessing the quality of business programs in candidacy for ACBSP accreditation. We are fortunate to now benefit from her leadership on the Accreditation Governance Board,” he said.
“I am so grateful for the opportunity to work with ACBSP. My experience has provided numerous growth opportunities, a plethora of professional development and some of the best friends. I consider ACBSP not just an outstanding accreditation organization, but more like family,” said Byrd.