Dr. Loui Olivas, a fourth-generation native Phoenician, joined Arizona State University (ASU) in 1979 as the assistant director of the Center for Executive Development and served as the director from 1982-86. Dr. Olivas served as the assistant vice president for academic affairs at ASU for 17 years until his appointment in 2006 to the position of assistant vice president for education partnerships. After 30 years of service, Dr. Olivas retired from ASU in 2009. His proudest accomplishment-the mentoring of students who now hold prominent leadership positions in the private and public sector, to include community based organizations.

As a tenured professor in the W. P. Carey School of Business Department of Management, his teaching and research emphasis focused on entrepreneurship, small business management and Hispanic demographics–marketing perspectives. Published work by Dr. Olivas focuses on personnel, management, training and small business operations. Since 1999, Dr. Olivas has authored the annual DATOS Report, Arizona Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, and from 1991-2006, he published the Annual Survey of Hispanic Owned Businesses in Arizona. He was also the editor of the 81st Arizona Town Hall Report entitled Arizona Hispanics: The Evolution of Influence. As president of Olivas and Associates since 1989, Dr. Olivas has worked with Fortune 500 corporations as a consultant in Hispanic demographics and marketing.

Prior to coming to ASU, Dr. Olivas served as the director of executive development and education for Western Savings and Loan Association, director of employee development with the City of Phoenix, and as a consultant, instructor and developer of various other executive development programs for Fortune 500 companies. He also taught at Alhambra High School, Phoenix, Arizona and was a full-time business faculty member, Scottsdale Community College.

In addition to the numerous national and local awards he has received for his work in business, education and the community, honors given to Dr. Olivas include the “Outstanding Teaching Award” by ASU undergraduate students and the “Teaching Excellence Award” for ASU’s Center for Executive Development.AZ LULAC also named him “Educator of the Year.” The American Higher Education Association bestowed upon him their prestigious “Higher Education Leadership Award.” The ASU Foundation and Be A Leader Foundation, Phoenix, Arizona, established an endowed scholarship in his name to honor his sustained efforts in mentoring business students.

Dr. Olivas has provided leadership and service to numerous national and local boards and commissions, such as the founding Dean of the National Hispanic Corporate Council Institute; the founding President of the American Association of Hispanics in Higher Education (AAHHE); secretary-treasurer for Project ChalleNGe Foundation; director of the U.S./Mexico Solidarity Foundation; member of the U.S. Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, Council of Economic Advisors; board member of Angelita’s Amigos Inc.; board member of St. Joseph’s Hospital Foundation; founding board member/treasurer The Victoria Foundationand now serves as President. He is also a founding director of Construct Net International and was a founding board member of QuePasa.com, a publicly traded company on NASDAQ. 

He is a retired colonel from the Arizona Air National Guard, having served a distinguished 29-year military career. He greatly enjoys his family, the outdoors and the beauty and excitement of nature. His familia: Adelina, his Wife of 52 years, Sons Louis and Daniel and five Grand Children; Louis, Vanessa, Angelo, Lorenza and Alexis.