The Florida State University College of Business has inducted three new members into its Alumni Hall of Fame. The ceremony took place during a black-tie gala at the Augustus B. Turnbull III Florida State Conference Center.
This year’s inductees are Gail Knight, a retired executive and photo-company pioneer; Gregory Michaud, an expert in real estate finance; and Steven J. Mudder, a legal strategist, executive, and investor with international experience.
During her acceptance speech, Knight described her induction as “by far my greatest professional achievement.” Michaud called it “the pinnacle of my career,” while Mudder said it was “the greatest professional honor of my lifetime.” The event was attended by FSU President Richard McCullough, Board of Trustees Chair Peter Collins, College of Business Dean Michael Hartline, university officials, and alumni. Collins was himself inducted into the Alumni Hall of Fame in 2021.
The College of Business established the Alumni Hall of Fame in 2003 to recognize graduates who have excelled professionally and contributed significantly to both the college and the university. With these latest additions, membership now stands at 72.
Dean Michael Hartline congratulated the inductees for their achievements and expressed gratitude for their ongoing support. He also highlighted that this year’s gala coincides with the college’s 75th anniversary celebration and its upcoming move to Legacy Hall.
“It comes as we continue our yearlong celebration of our 75th anniversary as a business school and as we stand poised to move into our state-of-the-art dream home, Legacy Hall – made possible by the work and generosity of so many in this room tonight,” Hartline said.
The college also presented Abigail “Abby” Danis with its 2025 Recent Alumni Achievement Award. Danis is a market development manager for endourology at Boston Scientific Corp., having graduated from FSU in 2011 with a marketing degree. The award honors notable business alumni who completed their studies within the past 15 years.
Gail Knight (B.S. Accounting ’82) co-founded Bob Knight Photo with her husband, growing it from a small party photography company at FSU into Florida and California’s largest commencement photography firm. As a certified public accountant, she helped drive growth through analytics and data management. She negotiated major contracts—including one with The Walt Disney Company that resulted in over six million photos taken across fifteen years—and led her team through significant technological transitions such as moving from analog to digital photography. Their GradImages brand secured service contracts with most U.S. universities and covered nearly 150 marathons annually worldwide. The company reached nearly $100 million in annual revenue serving more than four million customers each year.
Knight credits her success to FSU: “The College of Business at Florida State was really where my life turned around,” she said. “If not for Florida State, I don’t meet Bob. If not for the College of Business, the party pic company doesn’t become a $100 million firm.” She has funded projects including the Gail and Bob Knight Auditorium in Legacy Hall and an endowed professorship in accounting.
Gregory Michaud (B.S. Real Estate ’91) serves as managing director and head of Real Estate at Voya Investment Management, overseeing all aspects of commercial real estate loans managed by his team—totaling $16 billion in assets under management across sixty professionals. Michaud began his career at ING Group before leading teams following ING’s transition to Voya Financial after divesting U.S. assets post-Great Financial Crisis—a period during which he transformed their platform into one of America’s top third-party real estate credit managers.
Michaud acknowledged FSU’s influence on his life: “Florida State has that culture to not only train you and teach you and make you good academically but also to make sure you’re set for the real world when you leave the college.” He remains involved with FSU through board memberships and philanthropy supporting student programs.
Steven Mudder (B.S. Finance ’95) has played key roles in building global telecommunications infrastructure companies—including transforming Protelindo into Asia’s largest independent tower company—and represented NFL players as an agent over two decades. His legal career began at King & Spalding before becoming partner at Cohen, Cooper, Estep & Mudder; he later served as vice president-international legal for American Tower Corporation prior to launching several ventures abroad.
“One of my biggest joys – and biggest values of my time – is going back to Florida State and interacting with students, answering questions and trying to be a good influence and a good mentor,” Mudder said about his ongoing relationship with FSU.
Mudder has supported multiple initiatives at FSU totaling more than $1.36 million across Legacy Hall construction projects, athletics boosters, scholarships for finance students, and speaking engagements on campus.
