From W. Earl Walker, COO of th Business School Mentors Association and Prof. of Mgmt. and Leadership, The Citadel

Dear Jami, Scott, Logan and David,

I am truly heart-broken at the loss of Steve. What a dear friend he was to me and to The Citadel School of Business Administration!

I was the Founding Dean of The Citadel School of Business Administration and was privileged to help recruit Steve to our Advisory Board. He was enormously generous to us with his time, talent and treasure. He spoke to our cadets and to our MBA students as one of our Leadership Forum speakers, he interviewed and hired Citadel graduates, he was enormously candid and helpful in our Board meetings, and was a wonderful coach to me.

And coach me he did on at least five occasions. Invariably his coaching and suggestions were enormously helpful to me, our Advisory Board and The Citadel School of Business Administration.

As a testament to his sensitivity, he recognized that we needed a gavel for our Advisory Board meetings. He donated one and one that we use at each of our meetings. When his dear friend John McAllister was inducted into The Citadel Business Hall of Fame, he made sure we had a post-induction cigar and port reception along with a wonderful music combo.

Such acts of kindness were so typical of him. He was a man of enormous energy, concern for others, and a deep love of his family. I know this from our many conversations.

I do truly mourn his passing and am deeply saddened for your four as well as the rest of his family. May you find Peace with his loss and remember him for all the wonderful things about him. In my case, I certainly will never forget him, nor will I ever forget what he taught me.

With great affection,

Earl