Dear Friends and Colleagues,
It is with profound sadness that I share the passing of my beloved husband, colleague, and co-author, Dr. W. Edward Stead, on October 3, 2025, after a eight year battle with Parkinsonian dementia.
Many of you knew Ed not just as a pioneering scholar in sustainability management, but as a mentor, friend, and champion of our field. As the first elected chair of the Organizations and the Natural Environment (ONE) Division of the Academy of Management, Ed helped nurture what began as a small, passionate group into the major force for change it is today.
I smile remembering our first ONE social-Ed and I stopped at the Liquor Barn in Kentucky on our way to Cincinnati, then hosted everyone in our hotel suite. From those humble beginnings, look at what we've built together. Ed would be so proud of how the division has grown and the impact it continues to have on management education and practice.
Ed took particular joy in mentoring doctoral students who shared our passion for sustainability. He always said that the doctoral students who helped us form ONE (Mark Starik, Gordon Rands, Monika Winn, Andy Hoffman, Mark Cortano, Sanjay Sharma, and so many others) took such a great career risk in dedicating their research and careers to this emerging field. Watching these students succeed and make major contributions to the field brought him immense satisfaction.
Ed dedicated his life to the vision that business could and should be a force for ecological and social good. His legacy lives on in his work, in the students he mentored, and in each of you who continue this vital work.
With love and gratitude for your friendship and support,
Jean Garner Stead
[Read Ed's full obituary here]:
Jean Garner Stead, Ph.D.
Professor Emerita, Sustainable Strategic Management
College of Business and Technology
East Tennessee State University
Website: jeanstead.com