New Mexico State University

New Mexico State University's College of Business will recognize 140 students at its annual scholarship luncheon at 11:30 a.m. Friday, Oct. 25, in the Corbett Center Student Union ballrooms.

The College of Business has awarded a total of 79 scholarships totaling $155,899 to the 140 students for the 2013-14 academic year.

Senior Zackary Quintero, pursuing a double major in government and economics, will be the student speaker at the luncheon. Quintero is a College of Business Ambassador, Associated Students of NMSU senator and president of the International Security Studies Organization. He's served internships with the U.S. Department of State in the United Kingdom; the U.S. Treasury, U.S. Sen. Tom Udall, and the International Relations Institute in Washington, D.C.; and the New Mexico Economic Development Department in Santa Fe.

College of Business alumnus and mentor Bobby Lutz will also speak to students and their families at the luncheon. Lutz, who received his bachelor's and master's degrees from NMSU, is an investment broker and entrepreneur, and serves as the current College of Business Executive in Residence. Bobby and his wife, Rebecca, established the Okie Current Use Scholarship for undergraduate students in the College of Business with preference to members of the men's golf team.

Also on Oct. 25, the college will honor its Distinguished Alumni with a 3 p.m. ceremony at the Traders Plaza outside the Business Complex.

Distinguished Alumna Lee Ellen Banks received her bachelor of accountancy degree in 1988 from NMSU, and currently serves as treasurer of the NMSU Foundation Board of Directors and a member of the President's Associates Scholarship Board of Directors.

Banks has been a certified public accountant in the state of Texas since 1992, and has been recognized as a leader and top accountant in her field. In 2012, she became the controller at Varay Systems, a company that provides design, project management, and development of IT systems in El Paso.

International Distinguished Alumnus Raul D. Prieto received his bachelor's degree in accountancy and economics in 1984 and his master's degree in accountancy in 1985, both from NMSU. His career has focused on international tax and accounting. After working with a number of top accounting firms, Prieto launched his own practice, Strickler & Prieto, in El Paso.

The public is welcome at the 3 p.m. Distinguished Alumni recognition ceremony. For more information about the ceremony or the scholarship luncheon, contact Andrea Tawney at atawney@nmsu.edu or 575-646-4917.