Invited Speaker Biographies
Scott McLean ’78
B.B.A. Cox School of Business
Scott McLean serves as President and Chief Operating Officer of Zions Bancorporation, one of the nation’s premier financial services companies, and is a member of the company’s Board of Directors. Scott received his Bachelor of Business Administration from Southern Methodist University and his MBA from Northwestern University J.L. Kellogg Graduate School of Management. Scott is a member of the Board of Trustees of Southern Methodist University, where he has served on the campaign steering committee for SMU’s two recent capital campaigns. He is is a past President of the Alumni Association and has received the Cox School of Business Distinguished Alumnus Award. He is also a director of CenterPoint Energy, a trustee of the Memorial Hermann Healthcare System, Trustee Emeritus of the United Way of Greater Houston, a member of the Young Presidents Organization Gold and is a former Senior Warden of St. Martin’s Episcopal Church.
Nina Magon ’01
B.S. Dedman College of Humanities and Sciences
Nina Magon is an international, multi-award-winning interior designer and TV personality renowned for her signature refined modern aesthetic, that perfectly balances bold high design with a luxurious appeal. As Creative Director of Contour Interior Design, Nina seeks first to create a vision and then execute it for each client, designing one-of-a-kind environments, each tailored to the client’s unique taste, with an emphasis on skillfully executed, flawless detail. Contour is lauded in its industry for its integration of design innovation, construction expertise, and business acumen. Her lavish residential, commercial and hospitality spaces have won national and international acclaim as she has been recognized as one of the top designers and most creative in the world by Hospitality Design Magazine, Interior Design Magazine, Architectural Digest, The Wall Street Journal and many international publications and well-recognized accreditations.
Deborah Coonts ’78 ’89
B.B.A. Cox School of Business, J.D. Dedman School of Law
Deborah Coonts swears she was switched at birth. Coming from a family of homebodies, she is happiest with her husband, a passport, a credit card, her computer, and changing scenery. She flies airplanes, rides motorcycles, travels the world, and pretends to be more of a badass than she is. After stints as a business owner, a tax lawyer, a pilot and a flight instructor, Deborah settled on her first love, writing. She is the author of the Lucky O’Toole Vegas Adventure series, a romantic mystery romp through Sin City. Wanna Get Lucky?, the first in the series, was a New York Times Notable Crime Novel and a double RITA ™ Award Finalist. She is also the author of a thriller, After Me an iBooks Best Of and a Nook First choice and the high-flying romantic suspense Sam Donavan Series. Although rarely there, Deborah calls Houston home. You can always track her down at www.deborahcoonts.com.
