ESU Business Management's Fall Newsletter for Alumni

BUSINESS MANAGEMENT FALL 2021 NEWSLETTER No. 1 / Volume 1  THE Business Management DEPARTMENT @ ESU

Inside: See how one Business Management student impacts water projects in Zambia

One Internship = Global Impact

Department Chair on Power 30 List

Water for Water (WfW) in Switzerland was the Summer internship site for Finance Student, Nick Kaelin. He describes his participation with the non-profit and how WfW projects impact third world countries.

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Professor David Daniel appears on the Power 30 Higher Education List 3

Crayola Lecture Series

The Crayola Executive Lecture Series kicks off on September 30th with the CEO from Crayola, Rich Wuerthele.

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the Business Management Department @ ESU

Frann Vettor-Gray

AN ALUMNA WHO BELIEVES IN GIVING BACK SPEAKS TO BMGT STUDENTS

Frann vettor-gray inspires STUDENTS during sigma beta delta induction F

Talking to GOATS Frann is married to sportscaster Jim Gray, who wrote a book called Talking to GOATS - Moments You Remember and the Stories You Never Heard.

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rann Vettor-Gray, ‘83, was the guest speaker for the Sigma Beta Delta Honor Society on April 29, 2021 and told the students to take advantage of the opportunities that are presented to them. She appeared via Zoom from the West Coast.

Studios and the LA Dodgers. Frann is currently EVP Partnerships for GameOn Technology and is responsible for driving strategic partnership sales efforts and developing multi-platform marketing partnerships that leverage GameOn’s innovative AI-driven chat technology.

East Stroudsburg University (at the time East Stroudsburg State College) helped her create a foundation to build on. The school provided discipline and influenced her work ethic. She was grateful to have professors who led by example and speakers who shared their journey and encouraged her to start her own. All this led to her interesting, exciting career path. She told the inductees to work hard, cultivate relationships, pursue their dreams, trust their gut and be kind.

After college, Frann had every intention of teaching, but when she decided to get her Masters degree in Sports Management from Adelphia University, that changed her life.

The group of faculty, students and staff listened as Frann recounted some highlights of her career which started in New York with jobs with the NBA and Major League Baseball. She moved to Atlanta to work with the 1996 Olympics, then worked with Coca Cola. She later moved to Los Angeles to work with Universal

Her internship with the NBA led to a job with them. She told the group on Zoom that she treasures her relationship with her cheerleading coach and mentor, Dr. Bob Sutton, who she considers a friend and still keeps in touch with today.

Frann continues to mentor employees and is a volunteer mentor to a young high school student.

Sigma Beta Delta is the Business Management Honor Society. BMGT Juniors or Seniors with a 3.4+ GPA or Grad students with 3.75+ GPA and 12 credits or more are eligible to join.

FALL 2021 NEWSLETTER

Professor David Daniel appears on the power 30 higher education list

faculty news

Dr. Daisy Wang was the Commencement Speaker for the May 2021 graduation. Dr. Wang published three books in 2020 through the ebook platform Top Hat. Her co-author was Dr. Jasmin Lin of Robert Morris University: 1. Strategic Management 2. Global Management and 3. Managing a Medical Marijuana Business

Professor David Daniel, CPA, Associate Professor, Department Chair

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direct the activities of the business management department, the largest major within the university with over 500 students, producing talented graduates in the areas of accounting, finance, management and marketing. I enjoy connecting our graduates with potential employers across the region.

I have been teaching here since 2014 and became the department chair shortly before reaching tenure in the spring of 2020.

Prior to becoming department chair, I was involved in developing curriculum, research and running our Volunteer Income Tax Assistance program.

I’m most proud of the growth of our accounting program. We now have students being recruited by Big Four accounting firms. I was involved in the design and development of our Master of Science in Accounting program, proving valuable training for our students, and enabling them to meet their 150-credit-hour CPA requirement.

Advice to live by: Never fear doing the right thing because it works out in the end.

Wake up every morning and set your heart and mind in a good direction. This will prepare you to make wise decisions, seize

opportunities and manage life’s inevitable challenges.

I like outdoor adventures including paddle boarding and kayaking. I am also into making art across a variety of mediums like stone, wood and metal. For over 40 years, my longest running passion has been martial arts. I enjoy activities that keep me healthy and on a path of self-improvement.

Dr.Trib Puri published an article in the Academic Journal of Science entitled: Risk Management in Times of Tail Risks Via Risk-Weighted Investment Portfolios. http://www.universitypublications.net/ajs/1001/html/B9T71.xml

This profile is part of Lehigh Valley Business’ Higher Education Power 30 list for 2021. Information used in this profile was sourced from the honoree. See the full list at lvb.com or in our digital edition.

Dr. Xi (Tina) Yang’s paper, “Homogamy and Heterogamy: The Effects of CEO Marriage on Family Firm Performance” was accepted to the virtual 81st Annual Meeting of the Academy of Management and voted as “One of the best accepted papers in their program.” https://journals.aom.org/doi/abs/10.5465/ AMBPP.2021.132

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the Business Management Department @ ESU

ESU STUDENT’S INTERNSHIP HAS A GLOBAL reach Photos courtesy of Water for Water

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A WfW water kiosk in Zambia

Nick Kaelin

ick Kaelin is an international student who was recruited to play soccer at ESU. Now a rising senior majoring in business management with a concentration in finance, Kaelin is applying the skills and knowledge he’s learned in the classroom to his internship. He returned to his hometown of Lucerne, Switzerland, at the end of the spring 2021 semester (due to COVID travel restrictions, he had to remain on campus at ESU and take his classes virtually). His internship is in the operations and finance department of Water for Water (WfW), an organization working in Zambia, Mozambique, and Switzerland “for the sustainable and fair use of water as a resource,” according to their website. WfW works with over 500 companies throughout Switzerland on the promotion of tap water through initiatives like a water bottle exchange. In Zambia and Mozambique, they have a presence in structurally disadvantaged areas to ensure safe access to drinking water. He has been working out of the office in Switzerland and handles various tasks: “I do accounting, I’m in contact with customers, I try to help them with their problems. This is the first time I’m really working in the field that I actually studied for. I’m really trying to apply all the skills I’ve learned in the classroom. I took a lot of classes in international financial management—since my organization is international, I’ve learned a lot there. I’ve learned a lot about currency, and I have to deal with that a lot because I do a lot of accounting with different currency,” he explains. Kaelin adds coming to the U.S. was a new cultural experience for him. “I’d never been to the U.S. before, so everything was new. I loved the culture. I loved being part of the soccer team—it helped me find friends faster. For international students not on a team, join a club or do something to get to know others.” He points out a few differences: “The working style is a bit different in the U.S., so that was something I had to get used to. My first thought of going to the U.S. was playing soccer—only in the U.S. are there sports and school. I was able to work on my bachelor’s degree and still play soccer.”

Management with a concentration in Finance, I was eager to learn more about the finance aspect of WfW. I did not get disappointed and soon got the opportunity to take responsibilities in controlling payments of our partners. Through my internship experience at WfW I was able to use the skills that I learned at ESU in real-life.

Would you recommend that other students do an internship?

I definitely recommend that all students who have an opportunity to do an internship, take advantage of that opportunity. Doing an internship over the summer is a win-win. I got confirmation for myself that Business Management & Finance is not only something I enjoy learning about in college, but that I like to work in this sector in real-life too.

Furthermore, I was able to build up plenty of new connections in the business world, which I am really thankful for. Last, but not least, I was even able to get college-credits through working as an intern at WfW.

About Water for Water WATER FOR WATER (WfW) is a Swiss non-profit organisation with the vision of changing our use of water in a sustainable and fair way. WfW is committed to raising awareness of the value of a safe drinking water and wastewater supply. The organisation implements water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) projects in Zambia, Mozambique and Switzerland.

In Zambia and Mozambique, WfW pursues projects in structurally disadvantaged peri-urban areas and works closely with local organizations and institutions. WfW is committed to ensuring safe access to drinking water and sanitation for all. In Switzerland, more than 500 WfW partner organisations have already implemented concepts to promote tap water. Moreover, WfW raises awareness for the value of drinking water and the environmentally friendly consumption of water.

Visit wfw.ch for more information.

What have you learned from your internship experience?

One of the aspects I like the most about my internship at WfW is that I got the opportunity to work in all departments that are connected to Operation & Finance. For example, working in accounting helped me understand the financial side of the organization. Before I started my internship, I knew that I was interested in accounting but when I had the opportunity to work in HR, I was able to see that this was an aspect of the organization that I am also interested in. Having a major in Business

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Visit wfw.ch for more information Some of this material was obtained from the ESU website and from Nick Kaelin.

FALL 2021 NEWSLETTER

New MARKETING Faculty on campus this semester Dr. Allen Lim just joined East Stroudsburg University Pennsylvania at the beginning of Winter Semester, 2021. Prior to this, he was teaching at Thompson Rivers University, Canada. He also taught at University of Regina, Saskatchewan Indian Institute of Technologies, Northlands College, and Binary University in Canada and Malaysia. He can converse in English, Malay, and Fujian.

Dr. Lim has an extensive experience in teaching, education administration, marketing, purchasing, information technology, transportation operation, and auditing functions in education services, transportation services, semi-conductor equipment manufacturing, and cleaning services industries.

He is highly adept and knowledgeable about working in multicultural environments.

His educational background includes his completion of an undergraduate degree in marketing from Indiana University of Pennsylvania, U.S. Dr. Lim also completed two masters’ degrees in management (University of South Australia, Australia) and information systems (University of Sunderland, UK). He obtained his doctorate degrees in Internet Marketing from Curtin University (PhD) and Southern Cross University (Doctor of Business Administration). Both of these institutions are located in Australia.

Dr. Lim is an entrepreneur engaging in rental properties and an avid investor in the U.S. stock market. He spends his leisure time enjoying the outdoors, reading, and listening to music.

m.s. accounting graduates @ Work

Troy Johnson, Jr. MS Accounting, BS ‘20, MS ‘21 Audit Assurance and Compliance Team BBD LLP

Jeremy T. Diehl, MS Accounting, BS ‘18, MS ‘21 Assistant to the Comptroller Housing Authority of Monroe County

In mid-July I will be working at BBD LLP which is an Accountng firm in downtown Philadelphia. I will be joining their audit assurance and compliance team. There I will be reviewing corporate and personal financial statements for accuracy and compliance with GAAP standards. I believe ESU gave me the tools and confidence to succeed in the business world. Professor Daniel especially, has been there for me every step of the way and I feel like I wouldn’t be in this position without him.

How has the Business Management program at ESU prepared you for your professional career?

Business Management prepared me for working on big projects, particularly with assigned partners. Let’s be honest, you’re not going to be best buddies with everybody you have to work with. But you need to learn to set aside issues that have little to nothing to do with the task at hand and get the project done. Also, being able to present your ideas and work is essential—relying on someone else to do it for you is just setting yourself up for failure. Anybody who follows politics knows that it’s not the best ideas that win—it’s the best presenters.

What advice do you have for current or potential Business Management Students?

Procrastination is the enemy. If you know a big project is on the horizon (such as a term paper) don’t wait to start it. Select your topic in the first week and begin gathering your sources. Fit in a little at a time as you go, and before you know it, by the “official” start date, you’re more than halfway done. Preparation and planning can turn mountains into molehills.

seeking an internship?

Juniors and Seniors - if you are interested in an internship for credit, please look at the Business Management website or contact Karen Raptakis, internship coordinator, at kraptakis@esu.edu or 570-422-3251, if you have questions.

https://www.esu.edu/business_management/internships_scholarships.cfm

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THE Business Management Department @ ESU

HOLOCAUST REMEMBRANCE

Two very important virtual programs about the Holocaust were presented in the Fall semester.

BESA

Muslim Albanians Who Rescued Jews During the Holocaust Photographer: Norman Gershman

Wednesday October 20, 2021 5 pm - 6:30 pm Learn more about the experiences of Albanian Muslims who - at great risk to their own lives - saved Jews during the Holocaust. This BESA exhibit, developed and curated by Yad Vashem, will be presented by Marlene W. Yahalom, Ph.D., Director for Education of the American Society for Yad Vashem. This free program will be held via Zoom and is open to the public.

BESA: A CODE OF HONOR WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 20, 2021 5:00 - 6:30 pm Besa: A Code of Honor: This exhibit is about the Righteous Among the Nations – non-Jews who risked their lives saving Jews during the Holocaust. It is comprised of portraits and text about Muslim families in Albania who saved Jews during the Holocaust, converging between two seemingly opposed worlds. Prior to World War II, some 200 Jews lived in Albania.

In 1943, the Albanian population refused to comply with Nazis’ orders to turn over lists of Jews residing in Albania. The remarkable assistance afforded to the Jews was grounded in Besa, a code of honor. Besa means literally “to keep the promise.” One who acts according to Besa is someone who keeps his word, someone to whom one can trust one’s life and the lives of one’s family. Impressively, there were more Jews in Albania at the end of the war than beforehand. This very human story, told through these sensitive portraits combine to highlight a little known, but remarkable aspect of the Holocaust. This exhibit was displayed at the United Nations in 2008.

Questions? Contact Karen Raptakis at kraptakis@esu.edu or 570-422-3251

REMEMBERING THE HOLOCAUST WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 17, 2021 5:00 pm Hershel Greenblat, a Holocaust survivor from the Ukraine was the guest speaker. He survived the Holocaust because of the resourcefulness and determination of his parents in evading the Nazis.

This event was free and co-sponsored by the Business Management Department and the American Society for Yad Vashem.

Questions? Contact Karen Raptakis Email: kraptakis@esu.edu Telephone: 570-422-3251

Remembering the Holocaust SAVE THE DATE

Wednesday, November 17, 2021 at 5:00 pm Join us via Zoom to hear a Holocaust Survivor’s Testimony.

This event is co-sponsored by the Business Management Department and the American Society for Yad Vashem.

Details to follow.

Questions? Contact Karen Raptakis at kraptakis@esu.edu or 570-422-3251

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FALL 2021 NEWSLETTER

ESU JUNIOR wins retail and sales outstanding student award

internship spotlight East Stroudsburg University student Hayley A. Cosgrove a junior majoring in business management from Saylorsburg, Pa., won the “Outstanding Student Award” for the Council of Retail and Sales case contest at DeSales University. The contest was sponsored by Sherwin-Williams. Along with the first place trophy, Cosgrove received a $125 prize. To enter the contest, Cosgrove submitted an application, resume, one-page executive summary, and a short (three-to-five minute) video explaining her ideas about the future of retail.

Douglas C. Friedman, Ph.D., associate professor of business management, has always encouraged students to participate in competitions like this to showcase their talents to industry professionals.

But, this year for the first time, he made the contest a required assignment for the students in his retail management class, making it five percent of their grade.

“Hayley winning will certainly help motivate students in the future,” he said. “I plan to continue making this contest a part of our curriculum and hope ESU students will continue to win.”

Sylvester Williams, J.D., dean of the College of Business Management, has placed an emphasis on student involvement in contests

hosted by local and national associations like the Council of Retail and Sales. “They give students an opportunity to showcase themselves and their knowledge. They are a great way to let people know how talented you are,” he said.

“These competitions help students show how prepared they are and they can potentially lead to job offers.

“I am very proud to know Hayley stood above the rest,” Dr. Williams said. “She did an outstanding job throughout this competition, and represented ESU well.

“I used the materials I learned in class. My submission focused on the concept of automated retail.

I asked the judges to imagine a world where retailing was 100% automated, which allowed me to describe the pros and cons of future retail in a more engaging way,” Cosgrove said. “I think my entry stood out from the other contenders because I utilized a creative aspect in the beginning of the video I submitted. I think students should think outside of the box when participating in contests.”

This information was obtained from the ESU website.

My name is Noelle Santiago and I am a marketing major here at East Stroudsburg University. This past summer I took the opportunity to do an internship with an amazing company called Chella. Chella is a makeup company based in Camarillo, California. Their focus is to enhance natural beauty without any harsh ingredients. They are committed to doing so by producing products that are cruelty-free, vegan, paraben-free, and gluten-free.

While their focus is mainly on eye and brow products, they also produce a cleanser and beauty tools such as a heated eyelash curler.

My internship position was a social media marketing intern.

My main role was to develop social media strategies for increasing engagement, content planning, and copy writing for their social media accounts on Instagram and TikTok. Some of the work I did for the company was creating images on Canva for their stories, creating and executing an effective hashtag optimization plan, curating content for the account feed, and engaging with their target audience. Towards the end of my internship I was able to work with another intern to develop a marketing strategy for their wholesale business called Chella Pro. Through these experiences I was able to develop social media management skills, learn from the guidance of other employees,

and learn the ins and outs of how an established brand works as a team and stays organized.

Although Chella is based in California, my internship was done online at my home in New Jersey. At first, I was worried that I wasn’t going to gain the same experience as I would if I was to do an in-office internship. The Chella team was able to make sure that I gained all the experience and knowledge that I would have if I was to be there with them in person. We had weekly meetings and kept in close contact through email and a shared google drive. I was given creative freedom when it came to creating content for them and was given feedback on what they liked and wanted improved. Overall, I would definitely recommend this internship to other business majors looking to gain experience in the social media field. I also would recommend doing an internship, in general, for any major because the knowledge and experience helps build confidence for a student’s developing skills as well as helps build the students resume for future job opportunities.

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the Business Management Department @ ESU

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Crayola is excited to partner with East Stroudsburg University to bring students the Crayola Executive Lecture Series. It’s important that today’s business leaders share their knowledge and experiences with the leaders of tomorrow.

This lecture series will provide an opportunity for students to learn how to prepare for a career in business and an opportunity for area business leaders to gain a fresh perspective from ESU students.

Rich Wuerthele, CEO of Crayola, LLC, will visit ESU as the first keynote speaker of ESU’s Crayola Executive Lecture Series.

- Rich Wuerthele, President & CEO, Crayola, LLC

New EXECUTIVE Lecture series for COBM sponsored by crayola

Fall 2021 speakers will include:

“The lecture series is part of the Residential College programming we intend to offer to all students, particularly those majoring in fields of business and management, in a more relaxed and social setting instead of happening in a classroom or lecture structure. It affords our students the opportunity to interact with the guest lecturers on a more personal level and, we hope, will encourage them to ask questions, be curious and inspired by the stories of these regional business and industry leaders.”

Rich Wuerthele, President & CEO, Crayola, on September 30th

- Dr. Sylvester Williams, dean of ESU’s College of Business and Management

Steve Somers, Owner / President, Vigon International, on October 14th

Crayola LLC, based in Easton, Pa. and a business of Hallmark Cards, Inc., is the worldwide leader in children’s creative expression products. Known for the iconic Crayola Crayon first introduced in 1903, the Crayola brand has grown into a portfolio of art tools, crafting activities and creativity toys that offer children innovative ways to use color to create everything imaginable. Consumers can find the wide array of Crayola products in the “Crayola Aisle” at all major retailers. For more information, visit crayola.com or join the community at facebook.com/crayola.

ESU has partnered with Crayola in the development of a Crayola Executive Lecture Series, beginning in the Fall 2021 semester.

This lecture series offers students an opportunity to learn more about the career options, business challenges, life experiences and educational opportunities of its guests.

Gary Olson, CEO, ESSA Bank & Trust, on October 21st Peter Jurta, COO, Rita’s Water Ice, on October 28th Butch Potter, CEO, Martin’s Potato Chips, on November 18th Phil Wenger, Chairman & CEO, Fulton Financial Corporation, on November 11th Sharon Ortiz, Vice President Member Services / Human Resources, NE PA Community Federal Credit Union, on December 2nd The Crayola Executive Lecture Series is free and open to members of the public.

This information was obtained from the ESU website.

This lecture series is unique in that it will be presented to the students in a community setting, within one of ESU’s residence halls.

Designed by Karen Raptakis, ‘17 (Art + Design)  If you have news you’d like to share for the Spring 2022 edition, send email to kraptakis@esu.edu

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