Marilyn Shurtleff and Marjorie Peart retire 2004

2004 saw the retirements of two longtime School of Business staff members: Marilyn Shurtleff and Marjorie Peart.

Marilyn, BSc'65, MBA' 96, was a proud Queen's alum, having earned her BSc in the Department of Chemistry before receiving her MBA in 1986 and even beginning her PhD in Operations Research and Marketing before withdrawing from the program to teach Statistics in the Commerce and Master of Industrial Relations programs. In 1993, Marilyn began working as the career coordinator for the School, working with Commerce and MBA students to prepare them for recruiting success, later moving to the role of manager of business career services.

"Many successful careers have been launched thanks to Marilyn's guiding hand. Marilyn's passionate belief in the quality of Queen's School of Business students, and the strong mutually respectful relationships that she nurtured with corporate recruiters across Canada and internationally, made her a very effective ambassador for our students. She was always ready to help with a challenge of celebrate a success - whether serving first- or final-year students, recruiters or alumni."

As Director of the Commerce program since 2000 and Associate Chair since 1995, Marjorie, MPA'93, "made her mark on the program and on a generation of students who benefited from her guidance, support and nurturing of the program over some very challenging years." At her retirement celebration, "colleagues paid tribute to her dedication, warmth, and many professional accomplishments. These include her involvement in the curriculum reviews of '98 and '04, accommodating the largest class in the school's history that arrived in '03, and shepherding the youngest student body ever to attend university. She served as faculty advisor to successive Commerce Society executives and committees and helped ComSoc reach new heights by championing new conferences and case competitions. These competitions, the calibre of the student body, and the entire student experience, have helped make the Commerce program the best in Canada, thanks in large part to Marjorie's leadership.