Fowler Marketing Alumna Named Chair of the College Board of Directors

The Fowler College of Business at San Diego State University announced alumna (Marketing, ‘85), Rebecca (Becky) Harshberger, has been named to the role of chair for the college’s board of directors. Harsheberger joined the Fowler College of Business board in 2018.

Rebecca (Becky) Harshberger, Chair of the Fowler College of Business Board of Directors

“Serving as the chair of the board gives me the opportunity to engage with my alma mater, learn about the student experience and most importantly, mentor students,” said Harshberger.

Harshberger, VP of Payroll Tax at Entertainment Partners (EP) since 2003 and certified payroll professional since 1999, is a nationally recognized expert in state and federal payroll and employment taxation providing tax guidance for motion picture and television productions around the world. A member of American Payroll Associate’s (APA) National Speakers Bureau, she has frequently served as a featured speaker at key payroll forums, has participated as an SDSU mentor and is considered a trusted advisor to her peers at EP. Prior to her time at EP, Harshberger held payroll/employment tax practice positions at both PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) and Deloitte, in addition to holding recruiting and payroll tax consulting positions in both private and public companies.

As board chair, Harshberger is committed to ensuring students are properly prepared to enter the workforce following graduation. After developing EP’s summer internship program in 2014, she has witnessed first hand the role an internship and work experience can play in a student’s future.

“I am keenly aware that an internship, often a first job, the first time caged with only a chair and a keyboard, is a shock to the system-that can feel like solitary confinement to someone who has never had a job,” said Harshberger. “After working with student interns at EP, I now know that an early (after freshman/sophomore year) internship sets students up for a successful transition to the next internship and eventually that first job after graduation.”

Harshberger will be taking over for Frederick W. IV Pierce (Fred) who has been the board’s chair since 2016.

“It has been a privilege to have served as Chairman of the Board of the Fowler College of Business since 2016,” said Pierce. “We are so thankful for the confidence in our programs represented by naming the College in honor of Ron and Alexis Fowler and for the opportunities their $25 million endowment is providing for our students. The Board will be in good hands under the leadership of new Chair, Becky Harshberger.”

The Fowler College of Business board of directors is composed of 16 individuals who are founders and current or former executives within some of the region’s most important organizations such as KPMG, SDG&E, Torrey Pines Bank, San Diego Padres and Costco. Like Harshberger, 11 of the board members are alumni of the college.

The Fowler College of Business board of directors provides advice, expertise, oversight, and advocacy to help the college advance its strategic and financial goals. They work to support the Fowler College of Business, enabling students to build upon their leadership, analytical, teamwork, and communication skills needed to succeed in today’s dynamic business environment. The board helps by engaging and collaborating with the San Diego business community and beyond to ensure the curriculum and student experiences are well-mapped to the demands of industry leaders.