Read F. Wakefield is the Director of The Burton D. Morgan Center for Entrepreneurial Studies at Ashland University. The Morgan Center for Entrepreneurial Studies, located in the Dauch College of Business and Economics, offers state of the art curriculum, facilities, programs and services dedicated to student entrepreneurship across the Ashland University campus as well as support to entrepreneurs in the community at large.
Prior to joining Ashland University, Mr. Wakefield established and owned a mergers and acquisitions and strategic planning consulting firm serving manufacturing, distribution and service companies. His industry experience includes marketing and product management positions with ITT Indoor Lighting, a commercial lighting fixture division of International Telephone & Telegraph Corp., and business development, finance, marketing and strategic business unit start up positions with Ciba Corning Diagnostics Corp., a worldwide leader in medical diagnostics segments and division of Ciba Geigy (now Novartis).
Mr. Wakefield earned a B.A. in economics from Denison University and an M.B.A. in marketing and finance from Northwestern University. He was a 24-year Board Member of Vermilion Local School District Board of Education and served as Board President for 6 of those years. He has also served as Director of the Erie County Chamber of Commerce and the Sandusky/Erie County Community Foundation. He previously served as Member and Board President of Firelands College Advisory Board, Bowling Green State University.