Dr. Cole Napper, Talent Analytics Manager at Toyota North America and Louisiana Tech University alumnus, will present the 11^th annual Marbury Lecture at 6:00 p.m. on September 27 in Room 111 of Louisiana Tech’s College of Business Building. The lecture, open to all Louisiana Tech students and the public, is part of the annual William Ardis Marbury, Jr. and Virginia Lomax Marbury Lecture Series hosted by the College of Business and Cedar Creek School. Prior to his evening lecture, Napper will make a presentation at Cedar Creek School at 9:00 a.m. to Cedar Creek High School students, Future Business Leaders Club members and to all faculty members. “Growing up in north Louisiana, and having known Mr. and Mrs. Marbury, it is a great honor to speak on their behalf to the community’s high school and university students,” said Napper.  “I intend to stress how the importance of business acumen and integrity, which were embodied by the Marbury’s, play a role in future success. I look forward to reflecting on my experiences in the business world, as well as how my upbringing and education still shape my aspirations and achievements. “Although my career is far from over, I hope others can glean wisdom from my learnings in the private sector, consulting and teaching. It is an honor to have a platform in which to invest and embolden Louisiana’s future leaders.” Napper serves as the Talent Analytics Manager at Toyota North America based at Toyota’s US-based headquarters in Dallas suburb in Plano, Texas. Napper has also served in an internal consulting role for other Fortune 500 companies, including PepsiCo-Frito Lay, Anadarko Petroleum and north Louisiana’s own CenturyLink. Napper received his bachelors, masters, and doctoral degrees from Louisiana Tech.  He continued on to earn his Ph.D. in the burgeoning field of Industrial/Organizational Psychology. Napper was born and raised in Monroe, Louisiana, and has been a lifelong Louisiana Tech fan and supporter. The William Ardis Marbury, Jr. and Virginia Lomax Marbury Lecture Series began in 2006 and is named for William Ardis Marbury, Jr. and his wife Virginia. The couple, both Louisiana Tech graduates, established William A. Marbury & Company, Inc., a managing general insurance agency. This corporation grew to be the largest agency in Louisiana and one of the largest in the South. The general agency was sold in the 1950s to Commercial Union Insurance Company with the Ruston branch remaining the company’s largest in the country. In 1959, the Marburys and their associates founded Bankers Life of Louisiana, which became the largest credit life insurance writer in the state. Today the Marbury Companies continue to thrive in Ruston, serving the banking, investment, and insurance sectors. The companies founded by the couple continue to have had a major impact on the economy and the community. Written by Mary Susan Britt – marysusan@latechalumni.org