‘True partners’ in excellence: Alumni couple pledges additional $500K to college

College of Business alumni Brian and Cortney Williams, seen here with son Rush, 18, and daughter Reagan, 16, have pledged an additional $500,000 to strengthen student professional development in the college. This is an especially exciting time for the family: Rush starts at FSU this month and plans to follow his parents to the College of Business and major in finance. Click to enlarge

Continuing a record of significant support of their alma mater, Florida State University College of Business graduates Brian and Cortney Williams have pledged an additional $500,000 to strengthen student professional development in the college.  

Their latest philanthropic investment bolsters the Williams Family Endowed Student Success Fund, which the couple launched four years ago with an initial $150,000 gift. The fund provides crucial travel and professional development support to students majoring in finance.  

The Williamses, who met in their hometown of Ocala, Florida, and now live in Atlanta, both majored in finance at FSU. Brian graduated in 1997, one year ahead of Cortney. Both worked multiple jobs during college, Brian at Bill's Bookstore, as a valet at the Governors Club and an unpaid intern at Merrill Lynch, now named Merrill. Cortney worked as a teller at two banks and as a restaurant server in Tallahassee. 

"Cortney and I both worked hard to get through Florida State,” said Brian, founder and CEO of Crown Asset Management, based in Duluth, Ga. “We understand the struggle for students who must balance both a rigorous academic and work schedule throughout college. We’ve been very fortunate in our professional lives, much of which we attribute to the education we received from the College of Business, and we want to give back and help the students as much as we can.” 

"We’ve been very fortunate in our professional lives, much of which we attribute to the education we received from the College of Business, and we want to give back and help the students as much as we can.” 

– Brian Williams

The couple’s previous gifts include a $1 million bequest in 2018 to establish the Brian and Cortney Williams Family Endowment and another $1 million investment in 2020 to create the Williams Family Endowed Scholarship Fund for undergraduates, the Williams Family Endowed Fellowship Fund for graduate students and the Williams Family Endowed Student Success Fund. The latter gift included $250,000 to establish the Williams Family Classroom in Legacy Hall, the college’s future home.  

Michael Hartline, dean of the College of Business, applauded the Williamses for their continued support and emphasis on student professional development. Their latest gift will help develop critical business skills and help students pay for travel expenses to networking events, workshops, conferences, internships and study-abroad trips. Their fund also can help cover costs associated with the Securities Industry Essentials, or SIE, exam and access to FactSet, a widely used financial data and analytics tool. 

“Brian and Cortney are more than amazing alumni and philanthropists; they are true partners in our quest to produce the absolute best finance graduates in the nation," Hartline said. "They’ve been in our students’ shoes, and they understand where we are going. For that we are eternally grateful to them.” 

The couple dated throughout their time in the college. After graduating, Brian worked for Merrill Lynch, then for First Union Corporation, which later became Wells Fargo. In 2004, he founded Crown Asset Management, a professional receivables management and purchasing company that specializes in the purchase and liquidation of distressed consumer receivables. 

During her time at FSU, Cortney worked for Capital City Bank and later for First Union Bank, where she continued her career and became a successful mortgage consultant.  

She left banking in 2016 after the birth of their first child, son Rush, now 18. A daughter, Reagan, 16, came two years later. 

She said the couple’s gift aims to help prevent students from having to maintain jobs during their time at FSU. 

“Brian and I understand the difficulty of juggling a job and trying to keep your grades up, especially as a finance major,” Cortney said. “I’d say the biggest inspiration for our gift is Brian’s success and wanting other students in the college to have the same opportunities that he has had because of his time in the College of Business.” 

The Williamses have been recognized by Seminole Boosters for their contributions to FSU Athletics, particularly the football and golf programs. "We eat, sleep and breathe Florida State football," Brian Williams says. Click to enlarge

The Williamses also support FSU with their time. Brian previously served on the Seminole Boosters Board of Directors and now serves on the College of Business Board of Governors and the FSU Foundation Board of Trustees. Cortney is a new member of the FSU Foundation’s new Parent and Family Advancement Council, made up of philanthropic individuals and families dedicated to student success.  

In addition, the couple has been recognized by Seminole Boosters for their contributions to FSU Athletics, particularly the football and golf programs. 

“We love the Noles,” Brian said. “We eat, sleep and breathe Florida State football, which is back on track to create more great memories, like the ones we have from the Rovetta Business Building and Doak Campbell Stadium during our time at FSU.” 

This is an especially exciting time for the Williams family: Rush starts at FSU this month and plans to follow his parents and major in finance. He would do so in Legacy Hall, the cutting-edge five-story building that officials say will expedite the college’s path to preeminence. The facility is scheduled to open in late 2025. 

“It is exciting to see a university that Brian and I are so passionate about continue to grow, and we're both really excited about the new building, especially since our son plans to study finance in the College of Business,” Cortney said. “We would give regardless, but it makes it even more exciting when you’re getting a spectacular new home. Of course, it’s also a bonus that the college keeps moving up in the rankings.” 

Brian said construction of Legacy Hall inspires the couple's continued involvement and support.

“It is a quite different business school than it was when Cortney and I went there," he said, " and we want to continue to support the leadership that is driving such tremendous success.”