Ex-Denny’s Chief to Be Chapman Dean : Vern O. Curtis Named to Lead School of Management and Business
Vern O. Curtis, former president and chief executive of Denny’s, has been named dean of the Chapman College School of Management and Business, college officials announced Thursday.
Curtis has been credited with turning around the La Mirada-based food chain, which experienced declining profits after an overly ambitious expansion in the late 1970s.
That business acumen, along with years of involvement with the liberal arts college in Orange, were keys to his selection, said James Doti, acting college president.
“Curtis comes from business. He has more direct knowledge of what it is businesses want from graduates, and he is now in a position where he’ll be able to better shape what we’re doing at Chapman College to meet those needs,” Doti said.
“In addition, his relationships with individuals in the Orange County business community will help Chapman better spread the message of what we’re doing.”
Curtis takes over as dean Monday, replacing Doti, who left the post in 1987. Doti said that he will return to teaching when he steps down as acting president.
Curtis joined Denny’s in 1968 as director of financial planning, his first managerial position with the firm and the beginning of his rise in the company.
A year later, the Huntington Beach resident was company treasurer. In 1970 he became chief financial officer, in 1972 he joined the board of directors and a few years later he was executive vice president. In 1980, he was named company president and chief executive.
During the late 1970s, Denny’s rapidly expanded its coffee shop network and chain of Winchell’s Donut Houses, resulting in sluggish sales and declining profits.
Within two months of Curtis’ selection as company president, Denny’s cut back its expansion drive, and the company’s profits began to improve. Four years later, Denny’s annual revenue topped $1 billion.
Curtis joined with a group of private investors who took the firm private in a leveraged buyout that was completed in 1985.
During his Denny’s tenure, associates said that Curtis’ friendly demeanor and skill in dealing with people were the keys to his management style. The company was subsequently sold to New York-based TW Services in September, 1987.
“When Denny’s was sold about a year ago, I determined to take a year off, look around, think some,” Curtis said. “I really wanted a change of pace, new challenges, not necessarily in regular business.”
Leading Chapman’s School of Management and Business will fill the bill, he said.
Curtis was one of at least 25 applicants screened in a nationwide search for a new dean, Doti said. He was one of three brought to the school for interviews and was unanimously approved by the search committee.
Curtis is no stranger to Chapman. He was chosen 10 years ago as the first member of the business school’s newly formed advisory board. He has also served four years as a college trustee.
He said he has no plans to institute sweeping changes in the 625-student business school but prefers to build on what he called the college’s strength: the ability “to give business students a broad view of the world, the social issues that create the business environment.”
“So many business students come out of business school with a narrow, technical background,” Curtis said. “I don’t want anyone to get the feeling that because my background is practical business that we’re not going to take advantage of Chapman’s strength.”
