Deborah Turner.

• Author: Heffes, Ellen M.
• Position: BalanceSHEET

Deborah Turner always planned to be a teacher--she even prepared for this career by enticing kids in her neighborhood to play school (with her as the teacher, of course)! What she didn't expect, however, was having the opportunity to combine her love for teaching with her thirst for knowledge into one career as a college professor, and a celebrated one at that.

Goes By: Debby

Title: Associate Professor of Accounting

Company: College of Management (the Business School) at Georgia Institute of Technology (Georgia Tech)

Born: Ft. Benning, Ga., July 6, 1954

Spouse: Jim Turner, married 29 years

Children: Hanson, 22, and Kathleen, 20; both are students at Georgia Tech

Education Summary: Bachelor of Business Administration (BBA) magna cum laude, accounting major, 1977; Master of Professional Accountancy (MPA), 1981; Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) in Business Administration with concentration in accounting, 1985; all from Georgia State University

Career Summary: Coopers & Lybrand, staff accountant, 1977-80, Atlanta; Georgia Tech from 1985 to present: Assistant Professor of Accounting, 1985-90; Associate Professor of Accounting, 1990 to present.

FEI Chapter: Atlanta Chapter member since 1991 (will serve as Vice-President/President-Elect for 2005-06)

Leisure: Until a few years ago, leisure time was connected with my children's activities--Girl Scouts, band and involvement with a variety of sports. With them now in college, I love to read mysteries and study American Revolutionary history.

Time Management: I am very organized, and I prioritize everything. Unfortunately, I have an excess of commitments (I have a hard time saying "no" to students) so I have to use my priority lists for crisis management. I work each day on whatever is my absolute next deadline.

[ILLUSTRATION OMITTED]

Stress Management: I am not especially good at stress management, but I do find getting outside to exercise really helps. Luckily, in Atlanta, every season is mild enough for outside activities!

Recently Read Book: Freakonomics: A Rogue Economist Explores the Hidden Side of Everything, by Steven Levitt (world-class economist at the University of Chicago) and Stephen Dubner (writer for The New York Times and The New Yorker). Although the findings are provocative and controversial, the economic analyses appear sound.

I'd like to spend one hour with Former President Jimmy Carter. He may not have been our best president, based on the economic woes during his term, but I...