Sometimes people don't understand why Amin Elmallah keeps a constant brisk pace. "Amin, why don't you slow down?" they ask.

He replies, only half-joking, "Every minute gone is a minute that's gone forever."

Elmallah has wasted little time as dean of the College of Business Administration at California State University, Stanislaus. Students and faculty -- along with business leaders in the region -- are praising him for effective leadership.

In late April, the college of 1,200 students earned full accreditation from the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business International. "It's a mark of excellence," the 63-year-old dean said.

Business leaders say the accreditation is a boon to the valley. "It's a better hiring pool," said Norm Porges, owner of Prime Shine Express.

Previous administrations tried for accreditation. Elmallah came onboard in July 2000 and estimated that he could do it in five years. He did it in half that time.

Duncan Reno, chairman of the College of Business advisory board, said the faculty -- though excellent teachers -- lacked motivation in the past.

"It was not a cohesive team all working for the same objective," said Reno, chief operating officer of Del Rio Country Club.

But last month, at an awards ceremony, professors one by one shook Elmallah's hand and hugged him, whispering words of gratitude in his ear as he cried.

"He was sent from heaven," Reno said. "He brought in a spark."

Leader thinks globally

He also brought in nine clocks that show the times from Turlock to Beijing -- symbolizing that Stanislaus State business students will be competitive in the global market.

"I think Amin Elmallah is the best thing that's ever happened to the College of Business," said Ron Lodewyck, chairman of the computer information systems department. "He treats people with compassion and dignity. He's a true leader who gets things done."

Born to a poor family in Alexandria, Egypt, Elmallah is a first-generation immigrant to the United States. He credited his father with instilling in him a strong worth ethic.

Elmallah's father worked as a low-level civil servant and traded in farm commodities.

"He, in my judgment, was my best teacher," he said. "He would introduce me to his peers, take me to important meetings. He would test me on major world or economic news."

The third of six children, Elmallah was the first in his family to get a college degree. His good grades landed him much-needed financial aid.

An all-out effort

His father, now 96, wanted him to be a doctor or an engineer. But Elmallah, believing that "economic prosperity plays a major role in people's lives," convinced his father to allow him to study business. He graduated in the top 1 percent of his class.

He came to the United States on a scholarship to pursue a master's degree. He stayed to get a doctorate and taught at five universities, including three California State University campuses.

As the new dean at Stanislaus State, he set his No. 1 goal: "I truly believe that the students in this region deserve to graduate from an accredited university."

So just how did he pull it off so quickly? He smiled and explained that he took advantage of the "honeymoon period" that new bosses usually receive.

The key, he said, was to excite people and energize them.

"Because of past failures, I was convinced it would take an all-out effort" involving businesspeople and faculty alike, he said.

A team spirit helped

He assigned all 25 faculty members to teams in charge of meeting the accreditation criteria for various aspects of the college, from curriculum to learning goals to management.

Lynn Johnson, an accounting teacher, said: "It seemed to me that while we did have teams and worked on things in the past, there really wasn't the same feeling that everyone was involved in the entire process."

The dean also put his faculty to work crafting mechanisms to help the college adhere to its high standards.

It was not long before Elmallah was ready to submit a report proclaiming the college's eligibility for accreditation.

He polled the team leaders. They voted to wait, he said. Elmallah overruled them.

"The beauty of it is, once I made the decision to go for it, they all came along to do it with me because they already saw that I get things done."

With accreditation came an opportunity to form an honor society, Beta Gamma Sigma, that only accredited colleges can have. Elmallah established the society in about a month, so that this year's deserving students could graduate with highest honors.

Sam Maczko of Modesto, among the honor society's 20 charter members, said Elmallah is "quick to give aid, advice and credit to others."

Mario Estrella, an accounting student from Turlock, said his degree will be more prestigious: "Some graduate schools will not consider applications from colleges that aren't accredited."

More goals to achieve

Johnson said Elmallah can be "a little exasperating" -- but he made sure the college met its accreditation goal.

"He drives. He pushes. You see him coming and you want to run the other way."

Lodewyck added: "He's a very persuasive individual. He knows how to twist an arm without actually twisting an arm."

"At least 10 times" Lodewyck said he told the dean no, he would not serve on the leadership team, a job that he saw as thankless. Early on, he said, there was a lot of doubt among the faculty.

But Elmallah had not been at Stanislaus a week when he pulled Lodewyck into his office to ask him about his priorities. Lodewyck put accreditation at the top. Elmallah uncovered a piece of paper to show that he shared that vision.

Lodewyck said Elmallah's energy never ceases. The day the college received accreditation he made a list of 10 more things to work on, he said.

One is establishing a tighter link with the region's business community. Another is developing an agribusiness program and yet another is to see the College of Business Administration nationally ranked.

Said Elmallah: "Once you reach the top of the mountain, you realize there are many more mountains to climb."

Bee staff writer Melanie Turner can be reached at 578-2366 or mturner@modbee.com.

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PERSONAL PROFILE

NAME: Amin Elmallah

AGE: 63

TITLE: Dean of the College of Business Administration at California State University, Stanislaus.

EDUCATION: Bachelor's degree in commerce from Alexandria University, Egypt; master's degree from Indiana University; Ph.D. from the University of Illinois.

CAREER: He was 21 and working as a banker in Alexandria when Alexandria University hired him as a full-time assistant instructor.

From 1969 to 2000, he was a professor and administrator at California State University, Chico, and CSU, Sacramento. He became dean of Stanislaus State's business college in July 2000.

FAMILY: Wife, Linda Wheaton; two children, a 15-year-old daughter and a 13-year-old son. The family lives in Sacramento, and Elmallah goes there on weekends.