$1 million gift supports accounting research & education

Terry Fergus, a prominent financial executive and community leader, has created an endowed chair in accounting in Cleveland State University’s Monte Ahuja College of Business. The effort seeks to enhance Cleveland State’s leadership in business education, scholarship and engagement while promoting innovative training and research in accounting and financial economics.

The Fergus Family Endowed Chair in Accounting is made possible by a $1 million gift to the University. The College of Business plans to appoint a highly qualified faculty member to hold the inaugural chair and will make an announcement on the selection criteria and recipient at a later time.

“Accounting is an extraordinarily important component of finance and business administration and plays a central role in the overall success of a business,” Fergus says. “Through this professorship I hope to enhance education and scholarship in the field while giving back to an institution that was so important in my own career success.”

“Through this generous gift, the Ahuja College of Business can continue to enhance its reputation as a leader in innovative, career-focused education that will help prepare our next generation of business leaders,” adds Sanjay Putrevu, Dean of the College of Business at CSU.

Fergus earned his bachelors of science in accounting from CSU in 1982 and spent over a decade as a partner at KPMG where he headed the Personal Financial Planning practice for Northeast Ohio. He currently serves as president of FSM Capital Management LLC. Fergus also serves as a community member of CSU’s Board of Trustees and on the CSU Foundation Board of Directors.