Dr. Gerdes served for three years as a member of his local public school board and he has served as a past president of the South Carolina Home Education Association (SCHEA), where he is still a member of the board. He also serves as the president of the South East Case Research Association (SECRA).
Dr. Gerdes has taught at a half dozen colleges and universities including Charleston Southern University, Columbia International University, Colorado Christian University, Geneva College, Liberty University, LCC International University in Lithuania, and Regent University. He has given lectures internationally in four Eastern European countries.
Dr. Gerdes is a member of Psi Chi (ΨΧ), the National Honor Society for Psychology and Sigma Beta Delta (ΣΒΔ), the International Honor Society for Business. He is a member of theAcademy of Management (AOM) and the Christian Business Faculty Association (CBFA) . Dr. Gerdes has an interdisciplinary background that includes undergraduate degrees in government and psychology from Liberty University, a Masters of Business Administration (MBA), a Master of Arts in Public Policy (MA), and a Ph.D. in Org. Leadership from Regent University.
He was the recipient of the 2018 CBFA Teaching Award. He was also the recipient of the 2019 Best Case Award from SECRA.
He lives in North Charleston, SC with his wife and 6 children.
If you would like to contact Dr. Gerdes about speaking or consulting, click here
Honors and Awards
- Best Case Award, Southeast Case Research Association (SECRA), 2019
- The Teaching Award, Christian Business Faculty Association (CBFA), 2018
- Most Valuable Networker Award (July 2016) Great Business Networking (GBN).
- Faculty Member of the Year, 2012, Charleston Southern University School of Business
Recent Publications (Articles and Chapters)
Gerdes, D. L. & Pearson, R. S. (2017). Corporate Social Responsibility. [Christian Perspective Module]. In Introduction to Microeconomics. Oklahoma City, OK: EdBooks.
Gerdes, D. L. & Pearson, R. S. (2017). Marketplace Ethics. [Christian Perspective Module]. In Introduction to Microeconomics. Oklahoma City, OK: EdBooks.
Pearson, R. S. & Gerdes, D. L. (2017). Organizations and Markets. [Christian Perspective Module]. In Introduction to Microeconomics. Oklahoma City, OK: EdBooks.
Gerdes, D. L. (2016, February 21) Where enemies bring victory and allies bring defeat: A case study in organizational change. Southeast Case Research Journal, 13(2), 93-114.
Gerdes, D. L. (2015). Leadership is what you think it is. In S. A. Quatro and R. R. Sims. (2015). Executive ethics II: Ethical dilemmas and challenges for the C-suite (2nd ed.). (pp. 73-91) Charlotte, NC: Information Age Pub.
Wilkerson, J. K. and Gerdes, D.L. (2015). Viewing accommodation of employees’ disabilities through a faith lens. The Journal for Biblical Integration in Business, 18(2), 12-23.
Recent Presentations
Gerdes, D. L. (2019, February 21-23). “Treason or Reason Southeast Case Research Association (SECRA), Myrtle Beach, South Carolina.
Gerdes, D. L., Fuss, M., O’Brien, R., & Rollins, J. M. (October 5, 2018). The value of the introduction to business course [Panel discussion]. Paper presented at the 2018 Annual Conference of the Christian Business Faculty Association. Chattanooga, TN.
Gerdes, D. L. (May 8, 2018). The first lecture I give to my students in the Master of Arts in Organizational Leadership Program. Paper presented at the North Charleston Chamber of Commerce Lunch and Learn, North Charleston, SC.
Gerdes, D. L. (2018, April 25). How to become a leader. South Carolina Home Education Association. Blatt Building, 110, South Carolina State House, Columbia, SC
Gerdes, D. L. (2018, February 22-24). Good problems. Paper presented at the annual meeting of the Southeast Case Research Association (SECRA), Myrtle Beach, SC.
Gerdes, D. L. & Pearson, R. S. (2018, February 22-24). Voting my conscience. Paper presented at the annual meeting of the Southeast Case Research Association (SECRA), Myrtle Beach, SC.
Gerdes, D. L. (October 2017). How to become the kind of boss you would want to follow. Paper presented at the North Charleston Chamber of Commerce Lunch and Learn, North Charleston, SC.
Gerdes, D. L. (2017, April 5). Raising up the next generation of leaders. South Carolina Home Education Association. Blatt Building, 110, South Carolina State House, Columbia SC.
Gerdes, D. L. (2017, February 23-25). We are family. Paper presented at the annual meeting of the Southeast Case Research Association (SECRA), Myrtle Beach, SC.
Gerdes, D. L. (2016, August 15). Teaching as ministry. Paper presented at Louisiana College. Pineville, LA.
Gerdes, D. L. (2016, August 16). Teaching in an Online Environment. Paper presented at Louisiana College. Pineville, LA.
Gerdes, D. L. (2016, February 26). The cost of leadership. Paper presented at the annual meeting of the Southeast Case Research Association (SECRA), Myrtle Beach, SC.
Gerdes, D. L. & Rollins, J. M. (2015, February 20). That’s not fair: Perspectives of organizational justice. Paper presented at the annual meeting of the Southeast Case Research Association (SECRA), Myrtle Beach, SC.
Gerdes, D. L. (2014, March 18). Developing leadership at a distance: Theory and practice. Paper presented at the International Academy of Business and Economics Winter 2014 conference, Orlando, FL.
Gerdes, D. L. (2014, March 18). If you want leaders, stop teaching them to be managers. Paper presented at the International Academy of Business and Economics Winter 2014 conference, Orlando, FL.
Gerdes, D. L. (2014, February 21) Where enemies bring victory and allies bring defeat: A case study in organizational change. Paper presented at the annual meeting of the Southeast Case Research Association (SECRA), Myrtle Beach, SC.
Gerdes, D. L. (2013, 12 July). Why ‘Good’ leadership in Business is ‘bad’ leadership for Government. Delivered to Professor Grant Ferguson’s American National Government Class Texas A & M, College Station, TX (online).
Gerdes, D. L. (2013, 5 May). Moving toward a model of leadership education. Paper presented at the Institute of Strategic and International Studies 2013 Key West Interdisciplinary Conference Key West, FL [Internet division].
Gerdes, D. L. (2013, 9 March). Toward a re-evaluation of the role of leadership in management. Paper presented at the 8th International conference of the American Institute of Higher Education, Buffalo, NY [Internet division].
Gerdes, D. L. (2012, 30 May). Teaching leadership in an online environment. Paper presented at the 2012 Commission on Technology Conference of the Council for Christian Colleges and Universities, Charleston, SC.
Gerdes, D. L. (2012, 9 March). The Founding Fathers on leadership: Agreement between rivals and disagreement with modern leadership thinkers. Paper presented at the 7th International conference of the American Institute of Higher Education, Williamsburg, VA.