Pearson Hall East

J. Pearson, who goes by his initial, earned his bachelor's in agricultural and applied economics in 1987 from the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences. Renae Pearson earned her bachelor's in family and child development in 1990 from what is now the College of Liberal Arts and Human Sciences. They live in Lavonia, Georgia.

J. Pearson credited his experiences in both the Corps of Cadets and the agriculture and applied economics program with preparing him for professional success.

He founded Carry-on Trailer Inc., which grew to become the nation's largest manufacturer of trailers, trailer parts, and related accessories. When he sold the company in 2010, it had more than 1,000 employees. In 2013, he founded P & L Enterprises LLC., a private equity firm.

The Pearsons are members of the President's Circle within Virginia Tech's Ut Prosim Society of donors. J. Pearson was a member of the Gold Cord Committee during the university's most recent fundraising campaign, chairs the fundraising committee for the Corps Leadership and Military Science Building, and is chairman of the Virginia Tech Corps of Cadets Alumni board of directors. He also is a professor of practice within the Department of Agricultural and Applied Economics.