In 2008, Dr. Linda Nowak was appointed executive director of the wine business program at Sonoma State University. Nowak, who grew up in San Luis Obispo and earned a bachelor’s degree at Cal Poly SLO, came to SSU in 1996 and helped establish the wine program (the first of its kind).
Created through a public/private partnership between the university and the local wine industry, the program offers a bachelor’s degree in business administration with a concentration on wine business strategies, or a master’s degree with a focus on wine business. The program also offers professional development classes that highlight current trends, new developments and specific practices for people interested in a career in the wine industry. A new tasting room management certification, comprised of eight half-day courses, is suitable for entry-level people or experienced professionals needing a refresher.
“It’s been a real pleasure to watch the wine business program grow over the last 12 years. We started small, but now have 60 students in our undergraduate program, 20 in our MBA program, and we had 500 people take our professional development classes last year. We only get better with age!”
What childhood dream has come true for you?
Being a teacher. I’ve been teaching at the university level for 17 years.
What did you do professionally before joining Sonoma State University?
Asset management for Westinghouse Finance.
What has been the greatest scientific breakthrough to date? Why?
Antibiotics. How many of us would be walking around right now without them?
What’s one guilty pleasure you enjoy too much to give up?
A glass of wine every night.
What’s your favorite wine?
A Carneros Pinot Noir.
What’s your lifelong dream or ambition?
Learn to fly. I got my pilot’s license in 2003—nobody told me you had to be coordinated!
What’s something you regret having sold, lost or given away?
My ocean view house in Pismo Beach.
What do you love to do outside of work?
Play golf, hike, read, watch movies and fly my plane.
What hobby takes up most of your time outside of work?
Golf. It’s a total escape from the office. I even turn off my cell phone.
What’s your favorite piece of art?
I own a Salvador Dali print. It’s of Joan of Arc.
What’s your favorite food?
Does chocolate count as a food?
What’s your most prized or sentimental possession?
My cat Jasmine has a real “attitude.”
Which famous person would you least like to be stuck in an elevator with?
George W. Bush
Who’s your favorite author and why?
John Grisham. There’s always a moral to the story.
Who was the most influential person in your life, besides your parents, and what important lesson did you learn from them?
My high school chorus teacher: Be kind, be honest, have a sense of humor and be classy in all that you do.
Who’s your best friend and what quality in him or her do you appreciate most?
I can tell my sister anything and she won’t judge me.
What’s your favorite day of the year?
June 21st. The longest day of the year—so in theory, the most sunlight. I love being outdoors.
What’s the best way to earn another person’s respect?
Be kind, be respectful and be a good listener.
If you could do any job in the world for just one day, what would it be?
I’d be a jet pilot.
