Marilyn M. Helms is the Sesquicentennial Endowed Chair and Professor of Management at Dalton State College (DSC). In addition, she is the Director of DSC's Center for Applied Business Studies, working closely with the area business community on research projects, seminars, and training programs. She teaches production and operations management classes as well as classes in quality and entrepreneurship. Dr. Helms joined the DSC faculty in August 2000, after thirteen years at the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga where she held the UC Foundation and George Lester Nation Professor of Management from 1987 to 2000 and directed UTC's Institute for Women Entrepreneurs.

She is active in research, professional organizations, student advising, and with the local business community, particularly in the areas of manufacturing and entrepreneurship. See recent publicity about the chair and Dr. Helms. Her vita includes a complete chronology of her activities and experience.

She holds a Doctorate of Business Administration Degree from the University of Memphis. She is a Certified Fellow in Production and Inventory Management (CFPIM) and a Certified Integrated Resources Manager (CIRM) of the American Production and Inventory Control Society and teaches certification review courses for the American Production and Inventory Control Society (APICS) and serves as Educational Director of the local Tri-State Chapter of APICS. Dr. Helms is also a Certified Quality Manager certified by the American Society for Quality.

Dr. Helms has business experience as a former senior analyst at Federal Express Corporation in Memphis, Tennessee and has consulting experience in the Chattanooga, Tennessee and Dalton, Georgia areas. She has published numerous journal articles, cases, and study guides. Her research focuses on the implementation of JIT (just‑in‑time) inventory control practices, particularly in service organizations, supply chain management, and entrepreneurship.

She has published numerous journal articles in periodicals including the Production and Inventory Management Journal; Transportation Quarterly; European Business Review; Journal of Information Systems Education; International Journal of Benchmarking for Quality Management and Technology; The TQM Magazine; Industrial Management; Quality Progress; Industrial Management; and the Operations Management Review. Dr. Helms also authors a column in Dalton's Daily Citizen News.

She is a frequent manuscript and book reviewer and writes business cases and authors two study guides for production and operations management textbooks. She has been awarded grants from the U.S. Department of Education, the Coleman Foundation, and the Southern Regional Education Board to develop new curricula and outreach programs.

She has published over 168 journal articles in periodicals including the Production and Inventory Management Journal; Transportation Quarterly; European Business Review; Journal of Information Systems Education; International Journal of Benchmarking for Quality Management and Technology; The TQM Magazine; Industrial Management; Quality Progress; Industrial Management; and the Operations Management Review.

Dr. Helms is a frequent manuscript and book reviewer, writes business cases and authors ancillaries and study guides for production and operations management textbooks. She also writes a business column for the Sunday Dalton Daily Citizen newspaper. She has received grants from the U.S. Department of Education, the Coleman Foundation, and the Southern Regional Education Board to develop new curricula and outreach programs. She serves on the editorial board of several academic peer‑reviewed journals.

Dr. Helms has also directed and taught study abroad programs in Tokyo, Japan; Manchester Business School and at Kings College‑Kensington (London); Cairns and Sydney, Australia; Monterrey, Mexico; Dublin and Galway, Ireland; and Moscow and St. Petersburg, Russia. She was awarded the Fulbright Teaching and Research Award and taught at the University of Coimbra, Portugal from April to June 2000.

She is a member of numerous professional organizations including the Academy of Management, the Academy of Entrepreneurship, the Decision Sciences Institute, the American Society for Competitiveness, and the American Production and Inventory Control Society. Her current research interests include entrepreneurship by women, manufacturing strategy, and supply chain management.

Helms has local and regional consulting experience and has spoken to international and national groups including the Decision Sciences Institute, the American Production and Inventory Control Society, and the Academy of Management.

In her spare time, Dr. Helms enjoys international travel, swimming, home remodeling, lawn care, and scuba diving. She speaks both Spanish and Portugese. Her husband, Lee Tubbs, is the CEO of EnviroGuard Pest Control. They live in Ringgold, Georgia, with their dog Daisy. Dr. Helms' mother, Evelyn Helms, was in a 6th grade class with Elvis Presley at Milam Junior‑High School in Tupelo, Missisippi. Her parents also reside in Ringgold, GA.