Exciting Era for the School of Business

At a ribbon-cutting ceremony for its new School of Business building on September 10, 2015, Montclair State University officially renamed the School of Business in honor of Mimi and Edwin Feliciano, two dedicated and dynamic supporters of the School.

“The Mimi and Edwin Feliciano School of Business embodies Montclair State’s commitment to providing students in our high-demand business programs with the highest quality academic experience in programs that are relevant to the emerging business environment,” said Montclair State University President Susan A. Cole. “The University is very fortunate to have the support and guidance of the Felicianos, who are outstanding examples of New Jersey business leaders and who are investing in today’s students knowing that they will become New Jersey’s future leaders, innovators and entrepreneurs.”

New Jersey’s Lt. Governor Kim Guadagno joined Cole and Mimi and Edwin Feliciano in the ribbon-cutting ceremony to signal the opening of the new building to students, alumni and the business community. The new $66 million, 143,000-square-foot, six-story Feliciano School of Business building is a high-tech, interactive business learning environment for the 2,800 undergraduate and graduate business students. Among the building’s numerous noteworthy features are a financial trading floor providing real-world experience in building investment portfolios and analyzing real-time market data; a Financial Resource Center; 12 Bloomberg terminals; a 3D printing innovation lab with 35 3D printers; interview rooms for corporate recruiting; state-of-the-art classrooms and computer labs; a 150-seat lecture hall that will be used for executive speaker presentations and public events; and collaborative spaces for business networking, team building and group study.

“Eddie and I are both honored and deeply moved by this wonderful recognition,” said Mimi Feliciano. “Our proud association with Montclair State reflects our longstanding conviction that a combination of education, mentoring and encouragement will not only transform lives but also shape the leaders, thinkers and innovators that we need tomorrow.”

According to Feliciano, she feels fortunate to have had her parent’s encouragement when she was growing up and later embarking on a career. “My mother and father believed in me, saw how much I could accomplish and taught me how to run a business,” said Feliciano. “That kind of inspiration is invaluable. Being part of Montclair State and the students is a way to pay back for the support that I and Eddie were both fortunate to have and also a way to pay it forward.”

One of the important assets of the School will be the Ellyn A. McColgan Student Services Center, which will provide business students with integrated and individualized academic advisement and career counseling and placement from the date of their admission to graduation and transition to the workforce. Ellyn McColgan is a graduate of Montclair State who rose to become a prominent business leader, including an extensive career at Fidelity, rising to the position of President, Brokerage Group for Fidelity Investments, responsible for nearly $700 billion in assets and 9,000 employees throughout the country.

“Today is an exciting time to pursue and advance a business career,” said Gregory Cant, dean of the Feliciano School of Business. “This new facility provides an exceptional and vibrant environment for our talented, ambitious students to master the latest skills required in the marketplace and is ready for tomorrow’s challenges and opportunities.”

According to Cant, the School offers undergraduate degree programs in Business Administration, Accounting and Economics, along with several graduate MBA program options. It will continue to expand high-demand programs in Entrepreneurship; Accounting; and Sports, Events and Tourism Marketing. It also is developing new programs in Business Analytics, Forensic Accounting and Real Estate.

The School of Business is also home to the Feliciano Center for Entrepreneurship, led by Dennis Bone, former president and CEO of Verizon New Jersey. The Center is designed to foster an entrepreneurial mindset in students from all disciplines, including a special focus on nurturing women entrepreneurs and supporting the work of entrepreneurs throughout the state. Cant added, “With this focus, it is fitting that the Feliciano School of Business will become one of the few business schools in the country to be named, in part, for a woman entrepreneur.”

About Mimi and Edwin Feliciano

Mimi and Edwin Feliciano are widely recognized as leaders in the state’s business community and successful entrepreneurs. In 2001, the couple took over the Lincoln Park Healthcare Center, a family owned company, and built it into an industry frontrunner in short-term rehabilitation care. They introduced the JDT Medical Rehabilitation Center and Villa, a new model in health care facility design, which not only transformed short-term rehabilitation care in New Jersey but also set a new national standard of excellence. In 2012, the Felicianos sold the company and established FEM Real Estate LLC, which owns, manages and invests in commercial real estate throughout the United States.

Edwin Feliciano earned a BS in Business Administration from Montclair State University in 1982. Mimi Feliciano, who has served on the University’s School of Business Advisory Board since 2009, has received numerous awards including being named one of NJBIZ‘s Best Fifty Women in Business in 2014 and New Jersey Monthly’s 2014 Top 25 Leading Women Entrepreneurs. Mimi and Edwin were honored at the 2012 Chilton Medical Center Foundation Gala and both received the University’s Carpe Diem Award the same year. Also in 2012, Mimi and Edwin Feliciano established the Feliciano Center for Entrepreneurship at Montclair State University.

“Mimi and Edwin Feliciano are enthusiastic, hands-on mentors to our students and have translated their concern for the economic future of New Jersey into action,” said Cole. “They share our belief that exceptional teaching and mentoring are what ultimately will ensure a bright future for our state and region. We are proud to recognize the Felicianos’ deep commitment to Montclair State by renaming the School of Business in their honor.”

Investing in Today’s Students

Together, the Feliciano School of Business building and the University’s new 107,500-square-foot Center for Environmental and Life Sciences represent a combined investment of $121 million in new academic facilities partially funded by nearly $94 million in state bond funding from the “Building Our Future” Bond Act approved by New Jersey voters in 2012. Recently, the University broke ground on a $53 million facility for its growing programs in Communications and Media.

In July, the University received a $20 million anonymous gift – the largest single donation it has received in its 107-year history – dedicated to supporting the programs of the Feliciano School of Business and advancing its mission of developing talent for a changing world.