Enron, 20 Years Later

Sherron Watkins

Executive in Residence
McCoy College of Business, Texas State University

Enron Whistleblower
2002 TIME Magazine Person of the Year

Sherron Watkins, an internationally recognized leadership and ethics advocate, is perhaps best known for her work as Vice President of Corporate Development at Enron. Watkins was the "whistleblower" who first notified Enron leadership, and ultimately the U.S. government, about her suspicion of accounting irregularities. She later testified before both House and Senate committees about Enron's fraud. Prior to Enron, Watkins worked as an auditor at Arthur Anderson and as a vice president at Metallgessellschaft. She has written extensively about the Enron crisis and is currently serving as Executive in Residence at McCoy College of Business, where she counsels students and faculty on behavioral ethics, whistleblowing, corporate governance, and corporate culture. She earned her B.B.A. in accounting and business honors and her master's degree in professional accounting from the University of Texas at Austin.

Michol Ecklund

Senior Vice President, General Counsel, and Corporate Secretary at Callon Petroleum

As Senior Vice President, General Counsel, and Corporate Secretary of Callon Petroleum (NYSE: CPE), a publicly traded independent oil and natural gas company, Michol Ecklund oversees the legal, human resources, land administration, and ESG activities of the company. Prior to joining Callon in November 2017, Ecklund was Deputy General Counsel for Operations & Commercial Law at Marathon Oil Company, where she oversaw the legal team for global operations, acquisitions, and divestitures, as well as corporate communications. During her 15 years at Marathon Oil, Ecklund served in progressive positions including compliance, litigation, human resources, investor relations, corporate communications and tax. She started her career at Baker Botts LLP in Houston. Ecklund received a B.A. in economics, political science, and managerial studies from Rice University and earned her J.D. at Harvard Law School.

Dr. Nate Cannon

Scott Emerson Professor in Business Administration and Associate Professor of Accounting
McCoy College of Business, Texas State University

A prolific scholar and endowed professor, Dr. Nate Cannon studies auditing and financial reporting, with foci on auditor judgment and decision-making and audit policy. Dr. Cannon earned his bachelor's and master's degrees from Brigham Young University and his Ph.D. from Bentley University. He previously worked for KPMG.

Dr. Stephanie Solansky

Associate Professor of Management
McCoy College of Business, Texas State University

Dr. Stephanie Solansky serves as the Business Communication and Professional Development coordinator for the McCoy College of Business. She is a frequent consultant, keynote speaker, panelist, and author in the areas of leadership development, change management, and business ethics. She earned her Ph.D. from the University of Texas at San Antonio.

Dr. Sanjay Ramchander

Dean
McCoy College of Business, Texas State University

Dr. Sanjay Ramchander became Dean of the McCoy College of Business in August 2020. He is a professor of finance and holds the Darren Casey endowed professorship in business. As a financial economist, Dr. Ramchander studies the intersection of asset pricing and investor behavior. In his role as Dean, Dr. Ramchander leads the college in its mission to foster an engaged learning community that prepares students for successful business careers. He earned his Bachelor of Commerce from Nizam College, Osmania University, his M.B.A. from Saint Louis University, and his D.B.A. in finance from Cleveland State University.

Dr. Alexis Stokes

Associate Dean for Faculty and Research
McCoy College of Business, Texas State University

In her role as associate dean, Dr. Alexis Stokes facilities faculty policies, professional development, research programs, global engagement, and diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives. Her own scholarship focuses on securities litigation, corporate governance, and international dispute resolution. Dr. Stokes earned her B.A. in Economics, Political Science, and Managerial Studies from Rice University and her J.D. from Harvard Law School.