2011-5d

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To Whom It May Concern, Over the past two years, I have had the privilege to work with Professor Robert Sage as an account executive and advertising sales director for the Daily Titan. Everyday I am able to see him not only work as the business manager for the Daily Titan, but as an advertising professor for the college of communications.

Professor Sage brings not only a solid background in the field of advertising, but also professional experience that is invaluable to college students seeking the next crucial steps in their careers. His open door policy allows students to take advantage of his knowledge of the field and also his knowledge of the university.

The relaxed atmosphere he provides in the workplace allows each account executive and staff member to grow not only as a student but also as a businessperson. Sage encourages a competitive nature, as he says “competition breeds success.” He asks for the best out of each of us everyday, but does come along side us with positive words of encouragement to help get through the difficult days.

As a professor, his class recently won $5,000 for the college of communications by putting together the second best college marketing campaign for the Honda Insight. Sage’s success speaks volumes of the type of person he is and the type of work ethic he attains daily. Because California State University Fullerton is a commuter school, he tries to unify the staff in every way possible and always allows room for questions and an ear to listen to our academic concerns that extend beyond the duties of our advertising positions.

With great admiration and pride I would like to nominate Professor Robert Sage for California Newspaper Business and Managers Professional/Adviser of the Year. His hard work in the advertising department, College of Communications, the university, CCMA and the CNBAM organization should be recognized.

Sincerely,

Adrian Gaitan Advertising Sales Director The Daily Titan California State University Fullerton

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To Whom It May Concern, It is a great honor and pleasure for me to nominate Professor Robert L. Sage for the College Newspapers Business and Advertising Manager’s Adviser of the Year award.

As former Managing Editor of the Daily Titan, I always found a strong voice of wisdom and knowledge in Professor Sage. His “no-nonsense” attitude often motivated me to continue working hard, and I knew he was someone I could always count on when I needed help or advice. Professor Sage, or just Sage, as he prefers to be called, has a way of motivating his staff and students that many other professors do not have. He is strong-willed and leads by example.

When our editorial staff was in dire need of new multimedia equipment, I knew Sage was the person to turn to. His hard work and persistence allowed us to purchase thousands of dollars in new equipment so that we could continue to build and improve upon the Daily Titan. He was also the motivating factor behind our 50th Anniversary Special Edition and the main reason why we were able to publish the publication. He is the mastermind behind the development of our new Daily Titan iPhone Application and the reason why multiple Daily Titan projects have been successful. Without his dedication and hard work, which often goes unnoticed, the Daily Titan would not be the paper that it is now.

Sage has been incredibly influential on my life both in and out of the Daily Titan.

When my time as Managing Editor was up, he motivated me to broaden my knowledge of newspapers by moving into the advertising department. This move has made me appreciate the news business even more because I can see both aspects of how to build a successful paper. Without his help and encouragement I would have never been able to achieve all of the things that I have as a student of Cal State Fullerton.

Sage’s determination to make the Daily Titan the best publication it can be is one that inspires every student that walks through the doors of the paper. He is always willing to listen, give advice, and most importantly he is always honest. I can think of no one more deserving of this award.

Sincerely,

Monzerrath Gonzalez Former Managing Editor and Account Executive Daily Titan California State University Fullerton

Robert L. Sage II Personal Management Philosophy My personal management philosophy is fundamentally grounded in the belief that students will achieve superior learning outcomes when they are offered a reasonable balance between theory and practical application.

Emphasis, on practical.

I try to make the advertising “war room” supportive, interactive and fun.

With many years experience on Madison Ave. plus senior management experience in advertising sales, magazine and newspaper publishing, I am in a enviable position to mentor the ad staff as they master their ability to sell advertising.

In addition, I teach an Advertising sales course which is principally structured to accomplish two overarching goals: 1 . The first goal is to learn to “sell yourself.” The theory is…if you can sell yourself you can sell anything. Each student is required to make eight PowerPoint presentations that are structured around the book “What Color is Your Parachute.” The learning outcome is that selfrealization and focus are powerful tools in the student’s job-hunting arsenal.

2 . The second goal is to learn how to sell advertising to real business entities. This is accomplished by assigning each student to a sales account executive who works for the Daily Titan . For one day every week each student is required to learn all the steps necessary to research, qualify and close a sale. They are required to make telephone sales as well as face-to-face sales in the marketplace.

Over the period of one semester we’ve had one student sell more than $2,000 in advertising, and one group sell more than $5,000; proof positive that student learning is alive and well.

The Daily Titan Business Manager Background: The Daily Titan, an independent student newspaper serving the Cal State University Fullerton community, was founded in 1960, and operates as an independent, non-profit organization. 6,000 copies are published and distributed 4 times a week and a Web site, www.dailytitan.com, is updated daily. In 2005, the California College Media Association named the Daily Titan the second best college daily newspaper.

Job Summary: The Business Manager oversees all business operations and manages the advertising staff. This is a 30 hour per week, professional position.

Location: Cal State Fullerton campus, College Park Building, 2600 East Nutwood Ave., Suite 660, Fullerton, CA 92831.

Reports to: The College of Communications Department Chair.

Key Responsibilities and Accountabilities: •

• •

• •

•

•

•

Manages and handles the personnel functions for a staff of more than 30 paid employees. This includes hiring, training and supervising a part-time Advertising Manager, and working closely with the Editorial Adviser and Editor-in-chief.

Creates and oversees a budget of more than $325,000.

Supervises the operations of the student newspaper and its Web site. This includes developing policies for distribution, marketing, advertising sales and production.

Negotiates and maintains contracts with staff, advertisers and outside vendors.

Represents the organization in its contractual relationship with the University, including financial, logistical and procedural matters.

Coordinates with accountants and attorneys to ensure legal compliance with the organization's bylaws and other agreements.

Works with student and professional media organizations to promote the Daily Titan, including attending annual conferences and overseeing award entries.

Manages alumni relations and develops strategies to build scholarship fund.

• •

•

Maintains office network/server for both Mac and PC computers.

Assists in training staff for the student business office, including day-to-day operations, computer software, media marketing and leadership development.

Develops business and operational plans, including monthly statements, training guides, and overviews of staff and sales productivity.

Qualifications: • • • • • • • •

Master’s degree and at least 20 years' professional work experience in a related field.

Faculty, College of Communications Experience in managing publications, advertising sales and negotiating contracts.

5 years supervisory experience in a non-profit University organization.

Experience in fiscal planning and handling multiple complex tasks at once.

Excellent written and verbal communication skills.

Experience with PC and Mac platforms; networking experience a plus.

Experience with computer applications, including email and Webbased systems, spreadsheets, and accounting and publishing software.

Compensation: • • • •

Competitive salary based on experience.

Excellent health insurance, disability leave and life insurance Vacation and sick leave plus paid holidays Retirement and tuition benefits

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KODI WILSON APPENDIX

JOB DESCRIPTION EXAMPLES OF WORK PRODUCTIVITY RECORDS RESUME

JOB DESCRIPTION • Supervise student advertising/underwriting reps and managers • Advise student advertising/underwriting reps and managers in all aspects of sales, customer service, advertising/underwriting development, media design and production, and inter‐office communication.

• Act as a motivator and professional role model • Regularly conduct written/oral evaluations of each student employee in advertising/underwriting area • Regularly accompany reps on calls to assess their development and conduct training • Conduct regular training sessions both in‐house and using advertising faculty and professionals to assure consistent learning opportunities for reps in all areas of advertising/underwriting. Specifically, you should cover ethics, legal and personnel issues.

• Personally approve all KLSU underwriting to be sure it meets all FCC and legal requirements • Regularly critique the quality of ads and underwriting.

• Regularly assess and improve communication.

• Work with advisers and student managers of content units to assure quality work, good communication and resolve any issues.

• Develop and monitor budget with the assistance of the Business Manager.

• Set policies for advertising/underwriting • Meet regularly with student managers.

• Counsel student staff in career development, motivation and professional relationships.

• Handle advertiser complaints.

• Develop and regularly update rate cards, policy manuals, and sales manuals.

EXAMPLES OF WORK Perhaps the thing I’m most proud of overhauling (other than adding the marketing team), is the overhaul I did to the training system here. I sat through the training sales people went through before the next semester began, and it was probably more “orientation” to office policies, dress codes, paperwork and procedures more than it was actual training.

They did cover a few topics like cold calling and prospecting, but it was clear they hadn’t had any real leadership in actual sales training.

Now the orientation happens outside of “sales training”. I have created several training topics on my own, based on my research and personal experience as a media sales professional. (I’ve notated original presentations in quotations for your reference). My training program over the past years is changed constantly to adapt to new hires and veterans, but we cover topics such as: audience‐based selling, “Features vs. Benefits”, professionalism, “Sales from A‐Z”, “Reaching TOMA with Frequency”, “Building Brand Awareness”, “Selling with a Spec ad”, understanding the competition (positives and negatives about all media outlets), “Personal Time Management & Organization for Sales”, customer service, “Handling Objections”, closing the sale, design, why ads fail, new commission structure, “Understanding the sales pacing chart”, employer‐employee expectations, “Increasing productivity with understanding and focus on your sales numbers”, “The sales process in steps”, “Understanding public opinion polls about our products and competitors”, “The

33 Ruthless Rules of Advertising”, “Techniques of a Master Salesman”, “Creating your opening statement”, “YES! Attitude”, developing desire, “Prospecting”, “New Business Development”, Most common mistakes in selling, “Cold Calling”, Understanding Meyers‐Briggs personality types & workplace communication, “Developing a great Customer Needs Analysis”, “Sales by the Numbers” and “Newspaper Ads that really sell” (excerpts from David Fowler).

I’ve also created a “Management Summit” for new managers to learn about how to manage their peers. We cover topics like: Topics we cover include: Meyers‐Briggs understanding personality types in the work environment, “Building and Developing Your Team”, “Disney’s Keys to Excellence”, “Motivation & Organization”, “Focus, Motivation & Attitude Adjustments for Sales”, discussions on adjusting the new hire process and training.

Due to my work with these training programs, I’ve also been asked to host several topics at national convention on a yearly basis, as well as at the CNBAM Summer Ad Manager’s workshop for several years.

KODI WILSON PRODUCTIVITY RECORDS Things I have managed or changed have included tough decisions on making cuts to expenses and adding increased revenues. I have made cuts to expenses to equal an annual savings of $46,892. I have added new revenues equal to $147,200.

Eliminated & absorbed the classifieds manager position (approving ads & answering questions about placement) for an annual savings of $2,400.

The position was an additional pay made to the manager for handling the phone calls and approving ads. Definitely not a job with growth potential, and more of a clerical responsibility. This responsibility only takes an average of 30 minutes to an hour in a typical day. Absorbing it into the office manager position actually allowed for that person to have a daily responsibility, as there were some days they had no defined responsibilities for the day. Moving the position from the print manager to the office manager freed up the manager’s time to focus efforts on staff productivity. Instead of answering questions about how to place a $5 ‐ $20 ad, the manager is free to focus on generating new accounts and getting proposals out for $10,000. Saving us $7.50 hrs x 2 hrs per issue x 160 annual issues = $2,400 annual savings.

Eliminated the position of collections coordinator (making collections calls to delinquent accounts in the 60 – 90 day window) for an annual savings of $2,400.

This position was absorbed into the office manager position, saving us not only the dollars from the position, but allowed my assistant manager to focus on keeping the account executives focused on their own personal productivity and finding ways to keep them motivated by creating more office contests, etc. Saving us $7.50 hrs x 2 hrs per issue x 160 annual issues = $2,400 annual savings.

Eliminated two designer positions and pared down the design staff for a savings of $13,392 annually.

As more and more ads come camera‐ready, I saw that many designers were only doing maybe two ads a day, and that there was a lot of wasted salary being paid out. By paring down our staff and eliminating two positions, my designers are working more efficiently, consistently having work to do, and nobody sits idle at the job. By not having work consistently, many of them were lazy and indifferent to the job, and now they are all invested in the job, their work and are excited about their work, as they see more of it in the paper every day. Additionally, I’m keeping the more talented designers for several semesters instead of losing them after 1 or 2 semesters. 2 designers x 18 hours a week each at $7.75 an hour x approximately 48 weeks of production = $13,392.

Adjusted the commission structure to encourage sales of our ancillary products.

As we look for more revenue opportunities and add new products to our offerings, it becomes harder for the print staff to focus on their main responsibility of selling ads into the newspaper, or for others kept them so focused on the easy sell (the paper), that many were not selling our other products. I realized this was a challenge when in one special section and one magazine, we essentially had only half of our staff selling those products. The staff who was selling those products, were motivated by the 14% commission being paid out on them. While that meant good sales for specialty products, those reps lost focus on the paper. And on the reverse side, while the other reps were selling the paper well, they were not participating in selling the specialty products. To ensure all reps were giving proper focus to our entire product line, I put new incentives in place. While still offering the 14% commission on specialty products, for every specialty product they sold that semester, they would earn an additional 2% on their paper sales (base commission is at 4%). So a rep who is selling the paper earns 4% on those ads, I add 2% once they sell an online ad, so now all paper ads earn them 6%. If they sell a special section, I add another 2% to bring their paper commission to 8%. If they sell a magazine client, the can earn 10% commission on their paper ads. And if they sell another specialty product to a customer, they can earn 12% commission for all remaining newspaper ads they sell that semester. It’s been a worthwhile endeavor, because now we are meeting budget for our specialty products, and those reps who were ignoring the newspaper sales, have been motivated to sell more into the paper because they can earn higher commission. It’s been a win‐win for everyone. Special sections remain even with last year at this time, but a new section this spring looks to blow the doors off this past spring. Online revenues hit 97% of budget last year, and we are 7% ahead over last year at this time. Going into this spring, we were only at about 25% of our annual budget for the magazine, and it looked like we would only hit about 50% of our budget. We exceeded our budget at 124% this spring, and we are 17% over last year at this time.

Added a dining site that brings in approximately $7,200 annually.

While we are not blazing any revenue trails with this product, it is still early in development and sales. This past year we sold 6 clients on long‐term commitments. Our goal is to find 10 clients for next year, and pair this product with our printed dining & entertainment guide in the fall, and also develop a way to pair it with our mobile product as well. $1,200/yr x 6 clients = $7.200.

Convinced a programming group to create software for an online housing site. Saved us $28,700 in initial development fees, and brings us $20,000 in annual revenue.

While hearing another school was bringing in nearly $40,000 a year for their online housing site, I was interested in learning more. Once I saw the presentation from the host company, I realized we would have to outlay $30,000 just to develop our own site. During these stressful economic times, this was just not an option for us. But then it hit me… this concept is nearly identical to the dining site we have, only with real estate. Why don’t I convince the developer that using this software for a housing site could work, and he could get other schools to pay for this software too! They took my offer, and it only cost us $1300 initially to develop the website, and only costs us $900 annually to retain the use of the program. We saved ourselves $28,700 in development fees alone, and we have attracted 12 clients to start using this product. While still early in development and growth, this product brings in nearly $20,000 a year.

Worked with our on‐campus transit department to allow us to sell advertising on the campus transit system. First year revenues are anticipated at $58,000 ‐ $70,000.

Our campus bus system was being revamped, and instead of using a long‐time outsourced company, the university decided to buy their own buses, and outsource the drivers & maintenance. This allowed us to partner with them to create in‐bus advertising. This partnership will allow us to bring in an estimated $29,000 before the end of the fiscal year, and a probable $70,000 for 2011 if sales trends continue. This could be a long‐term partnership, as the

transportation office knows nothing about advertising sales, and allowing our department to handle the sales, it allows our reps to provide solutions that were previously inquired about, but we were previously unable to provide.

Brought in mobile and online coupon solutions for an anticipated $37,000 for first year revenues.

This is a very new area of revenue for us, so we are still adjusting our offerings and different business models. This is very early in development, and we hope to be ahead of the curve on where previous advertising dollars are being reallocated in this growing area of opportunity. Initial response is requiring a lot of education, since not many companies are offering these solutions, and the ones who are, haven’t done it in a way for the customer to see tangible results. We hope to change that. By taking a strategic approach to these products, ensuring we won’t just be moving dollars from one product to another, we are starting to see interest and traction. Our first semester looks to bring us in about $15,000, by the time 2011 is over, we are anticipating revenues of $37,000.

Created a social media group to handle social networking services for outside clients. Anticipated first year revenues of $25,000.

Our students have fielded many inquiries over the past few years about handling a client’s social media network updates for them, and getting a client set‐up on these products. It provided a window of opportunity for us, to delve into a new area. We have set up our own social media group as an agency to provide services for outside clients. While some local businesses are savvy enough to use social media to promote their businesses, not all of them have recognized the value social media can bring to their business. And yet others know they need to be a part of it, just knowing groups are willing to take on this burden for them, they decide they can do it themselves and do it better. To combat all of the objections, we recently hosted a free community workshop on social media. We provided information on the influential college market, presented all the areas of social media and their advantages, and brought in local companies to talk about how they use social media to enhance their marketing efforts. It was so well‐received by attendees (lots of whom were local marketers providing these services to clients already), we had several potential clients in attendance, and we anticipate setting up 12‐15 clients on long‐term monthly plans. Anticipated first year revenues are $25,000, with lots of room to grow!

Created an attention‐getting, pre‐sales marketing piece to gain the interest of new business. This effort has been a part of the nearly 70% of new business revenues gained this fall.

We know that our advertising sales reps are out there meeting with business owners, and on average, those business owners are meeting with nearly 30 reps with different advertising, marketing and public relations opportunities. We know that many local businesses are quick to overlook our products, because they believe the college market doesn’t have money to spend. We know that they actually control as much discretionary spending as a family of four in many categories – they aren’t putting their money into 401K’s & savings…. They are spending it! So we know that in order for a business owner to even pay attention to the powerful statement college spending makes, we needed to grab their attention in an unconventional way, in hopes they slow down long enough for our message to reach them. We purchased soft 6‐pack coolers in school colors with a message printed on the outside… “Welcome BACK to College”.

Inside the cooler is a pack of ramen noodles, with a label boasting LSU college student annual local spending on food.

Also, a pack of popcorn, promoting how much the LSU college student will spend locally on entertainment in a year.

When possible, we also popped in a water, enhanced water, or energy drink. And every cooler contained a fold‐out info card spelling out how much money the LSU student will spend in the market this year, including breakouts in certain categories, and a football schedule on the back. The result of these efforts? Over 70% of our local revenues this fall were from new business! I shudder to think where we would be had we not put this plan in place.

HISTORICAL PRODUCTIVITY RECORDS My first year as an advisor, Hurricane Katrina devastated our area, impacting the lives and livelihoods of students and their parents. We did see revenue losses that first year, however, they were not as deep as many of us expected. Since that time, I’ve never looked back… I’ve managed to exceed the highest sales revenues in the history of the department for three years running, demonstrating personal and mentoring capabilities in sales and management during a local post‐disaster recovery of another local hurricane (Gustav, leaving Baton Rouge without power for six weeks) and a one of the nation’s biggest recessions impacting our economy.

I’ve overcome these economic challenges. In 06‐07 we beat our previous revenue record by $20,000, which was $112,000 over the 05‐06 year of Katrina. 07‐08 saw yet another record, increasing $86,000 over 06‐07. And 08‐09 surpassed yet another record, with an increase of $145,000 over 07‐08, in a year when most college media groups saw tremendous losses, and many professional media groups dealt with major losses and mass lay‐offs. Just to have a real comparison, and not attribute any increases to a rate increase, 07‐08 was up over 8600 column inches over the previous year, and 08‐09 showed an increase of 4766 column inches over 07‐08.

I have lead my staff from winning 2 or 3 state awards a year prior to my arrival at Student Media, to dominating the state competition winning 14 of 19 awards in the advertising category, and our dean won’t even let us enter the state competition anymore. Regionally, we went from zero regional awards, to 2 our first year and this year earned the highest honor available as SUN Newspaper of the Year, competing in the SUN (Southern University Newspapers) regional awards contest.

Nationally, we went from one honorable mention before I arrived, to nearly 8 national awards a year, including the 2009 CNBAM for Best College Newspaper of the Year, earned by our sales, marketing and design team. This was the first year Louisiana State University had ever earned such an honor. Before I arrived at Student Media, my director didn’t believe in marketing, and now we’ve earned national recognition several years running for our marketing efforts, including a national magazine article about our in‐house marketing team. I’d like to believe that I’ve inspired my staff to achieve at the highest level possible, dream big, stop at nothing to reach your goals and don’t let anyone tell you “you can’t”.

One of the first things I overhauled when I arrived was the layout, style, and type of special section done by the newspaper. It’s no longer a pull‐out section of the paper, but a vibrant, full‐color, hi‐brite magazine‐style publication.

We practically doubled our revenues in the first year, and now is it’s own line item in our budget. Online has increase drastically in the past four years with my leadership to innovate and add new products, and it now too has it’s own line item in our budget. This year’s accomplishments including adding mobile couponing and app solutions for our clients, and creating a social media agency to handle local companies’ social media efforts.

I can’t take credit for all the increases, it’s my students who have taken the reigns and put into practice all the things I am teaching them. I am so proud of every milestone they reach, and I’ve even instituted a certificate system for them to earn certificates every time a new record is broken for them to include in their portfolio. I know how motivating this is to them, because sometimes before the final numbers are in they are inquiring about if they’ve broken a new record or not! I constantly change the “apple” in front of them so they stay motivated to reach the next level of success.

Kodi L. Wilson

16022 Batavia Ave ● Baton Rouge, LA 70817 kodilwilson@gmail.com ● (225) 279-8870 cell

Expanded Resume

MANAGEMENT PROFESSIONAL, SALES MANAGER & MARKETING STRATEGIST More than 19 years professional management experience in retail, services, operations and media sales. Fourteen years training management principles to employees and students. Respected trainer of media sales managers and have conducted training for peer universities and national student sales manager leaders at the Student Ad Manager’s Workshop for CNBAM (College Newspaper and Business Managers) for two years.

Respected as a dynamic business builder, hands-on leader and creative solutions provider, delivering impressive bottomline impact. Thrive under the challenge of planning and managing demanding assignments. Energized by the development of entrepreneurial marketing strategies that generate maximum results. Motivated by leading others to develop award-winning creative campaigns, advertisements, and other designed materials.

Trusted as a team player and known for being able to make the tough decisions when necessary to operate in a financially solvent environment. Ability to use cross-departmental research, analyze data and take a hard look at the bottom-line in decision making.

Big picture thinker who can motivate employees to thrive on creativity and can lead them to innovative solution implementation. Idea generation and strategy lead to award-winning campaigns and bottom-line results.

AREAS OF EXPERTISE Strategic planning Sales management Project management Multi-media Sales Relationship-building Streamlining processes Multiple media operations Event planning/operations

Marketing/Campaign development Employee development & training On-time and on-budget projects Short- and long-term forecasting Organizational agility Intrapraneurship Employee/Customer relations Brand management/extension

Sales presentations Solutions sales/marketing Development of marketing collateral Innovative idea generation Improvisational problem-solving Media sales Contract negotiation The “student” market

EDUCATION Wichita State University, Wichita, KS Bachelor of Arts, Sports Business Graduated Suma Cum Laude

Minors: Communication, Marketing

1993 – 1997

PERSONAL STRENGTHS Entrepreneurial spirit, high energy, strong work ethic, organization and streamlining processes, multi-tasking, research, efficiency in Microsoft programs, creativity and brainstorming, problem-solving, quick learner, dynamic management, a catching enthusiasm, effective trainer of employees and managers, out-of the box thinker

PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE Louisiana State University – Baton Rouge, LA Office of Student Media Director of Advertising/Underwriting & Marketing, June 05 - present

Responsible for meeting advertising budgets of eight media properties o Set rates for advertising products o Create integrated packaging discounts and packages

Oversee all aspects of event creation, logistics, budget oversight, employee development and execution of organizational goals

Oversee layout for printing press publications and share knowledge of graphic design programs

Negotiate various types of contracts for the department: printing contracts, first-run movie broadcasts, image use for reproduction, online revenue generating agreements, contract sales forces, media accounting programs/software, student sales contracts, student delivery, event insurance, event rentals, catering, and more

Communicate regularly with editorial staff regarding content critiques, sales opportunities, and new product launches o Guide students to decision making within the law (first amendment rights, fair housing act, etc.) considering what role personal morals play, while exercising their own balanced and fair judgment

Selected Accomplishments:

Exceeded highest sales revenues in the history of the department for three years running, demonstrating personal capabilities and mentoring abilities in sales and management during a local post-disaster recovery and national recession economy o I had to deal with adversities following two major hurricane disasters and try to keep business afloat when students lost their homes and parents lost their supportive incomes

The year of Katrina (Aug 05), which occurred in my first few months of being an advisor, we fell short of the previous year’s revenue by $91,000

Gustav (Sept 08) kept parts of Baton Rouge without power for nearly 6 weeks, yet we had our best year ever in revenues o I have overcome the financial challenges in these tough economic times

2006-2007 we returned and beat 2004-2005 revenues by $20,000 and came in $112,000 over 0506, a new sales record

2007-2008 beat another revenue record, with an increase of $86,000 over 06-07

2008-2009 beat another revenue record, with an increase of $145,000 over 07-08 • Most college media groups saw tremendous losses in 08-09 • Many professional media groups also faced major lay-offs and losses in 08-09 • In the face of all this loss, the sales record helped LSU Student Media end our year in the black

Comparing apples to apples and considering column inches • 07-08 was up 17%, and increase in 8672 column inches • 08-09 was up 8%, and increase of 4766 column inches Won College Newspaper Staff of the Year at CNBAM 2009 (College Newspaper Business and Advertising Managers) o First time in the history of the school o Earned at the end of my fourth year of change management within the department to bring forward a new generation of higher expectations and professionalism in the department Nominated for 2010 CNBAM Advisor of the Year Won College Newspaper Staff of the Year at SUN 2010 (Southern University Newspapers) Lead my staff to numerous regional and state accolades, teaching them elements of effective advertising and what constitutes effective advertising, and notable multi-media campaigns Aptitude for communicating with student employees on their level, while inspiring them to achieve at a higher level of professional expectation Receive regular e-mails from former students thanking me for pushing them beyond what they believed their capabilities were, as my mentoring prepared them for successful post-college careers Nominated by a former editorial student for Baton Rouge Business Report’s “40 under 40” o Student states that although I was not her advisor, the advice she sought me out for had lead her to a career path that she is passionate about and names me as her role model Reorganized & developed a legitimate in-house marketing agency to service all media departments o Have won two national awards for marketing campaigns at CNBAM for marketing campaigns and overall marketing strategies for the newspaper brand Reorganized entire sales department structure while developing a new training system for account executives and student managers. Improvements are continuous and ongoing.

Created a comprehensive and ongoing management training program for student managers o Shared upon request with over 20 other universities o Presented several topics at CNBAM national convention 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010

Been named a favorite presenter among attendees year after year Hosted a national workshop for student managers at leading universities to teach them how to develop a sales team and how to manage their peers effectively (CNBAM Student Ad Manager’s Summer Workshop – July 2008, July 2009)

Continuous efforts to sustain their development – several students remain in contact with me and ask me for advice on a regular basis Suggested implementation of several new media revenue streams, multi-media tools and social networking tools for editorial staff o Additional revenue from new products will exceed $25,000 this fiscal year and might reach $145,000 o Online audience numbers have increased over the last 2 years from averaging approximately 40,000 unique viewers a week to some weeks peaking at over 100,000 viewers Seated on the Alloy Media + Marketing national advisory board Elected to the CNBAM board as VP Convention Planning-Elect o

Guaranty Broadcasting & Entertainment – Baton Rouge, LA NTR (Non Traditional Revenue) Sales Manager, Strategic Marketing, April 04 – May 05

Was responsible for all aspects of even creation, logistics, sales packages, budget oversight, procurement of services, insurance and execution for multiple events and promotions

Developed new events for the company and expanded on previously successful events

Created sales packages and sponsorship levels for company events

Secured vendors and negotiated contracts for various aspects of events & sponsorships

Created an intense training program for sales staff selling NTR products

Selected Accomplishments:

Created the company’s most successful annual event to date: A Taste of Tiger Tailgating o Event grew so large in 3 years it needed a larger venue Succeeded in helping GBC become a consistent performer in the Miller Kaplan market reports regarding NTR rating, helping the company move from a consistent third in billing & NTR dollars, to SECOND consistently in both areas

Clear Channel Communications – Baton Rouge, LA Market Consultant & Strategic Marketing Team, Jan 03 – Mar 04

Responsible for meeting monthly budget in sales & providing marketing expertise for all clients

Assisted Strategic Marketing Team in event execution & planning

Creation, organization & execution of client promotions & special events

Selected Accomplishments:

In my second month, sold a $20,000 integrated package to a brand new client to the stations Managed to exceed budget by finding new clients on my own o I was not given a billing account that actually billed or paid out while I was employed at CCBR Sold and integrated package to multiple new clients toward the end of my time here, selling the second most packages of the whole sales team

Gracedale Sports & Entertainment (GSE) - Northbrook, IL Company dissolved in March 02 Director of Operations & Event Management, Feb 00 – Mar 02

Organized, planned, & executed all logistical details for all subsidiary branches of GSE

(GSE Corporate Hospitality, GSE Sports Events, GSE Sports Agency, International Flag Football Federation (IFFF), United States Flag Football Federation (USFFF), TEAM USA Flag Football)

Golf & spa hospitality trips & Corporate Sales incentive trips o Celebrity comedian booking o Organization & management of golf tournaments, spa treatments, dinners & special activity outings o Travel arrangements o Selection of host amenities and personalized gifts o Corporate convention planning o Tournament production, team travel and international team hosting o Sports even hosting and set-up for NCAA events Designed & published GSE corporate event trips & other proposals with multiple budgets Redesigned, provided updates & helped maintain www.worldcupflagfootball.com with website maintenance company

Spearheaded World Cup 2002 tournament that increased participation numbers by nearly 300% Redesigned and published GSE corporate event trip proposals which attracted new clients

o

Selected Accomplishments:

Other Work Experience Professional sports league promotions director; Retail sales multi-store, inventory & holiday management; YMCA sports coordinator; sports official for volleyball and basketball; television news assignment editor; collegiate athletics trainer, sports information, associate athletic director’s office, and Shocker Athletic Support Organization

Student Staff AWARDS: 2010 Southern University Newspapers (SUN) College Newspaper Advertising Staff of the Year (The “SUNNY”) Best Rate Card (Jaynie Lighter), First Place Best Marketing Package, First Place Best Sales Proposal (Victoria Yu), First Place Best Print Advertising Campaign or Series, Second Place Best Print House Advertisement, Second Place 2010 College Newspaper Business and Advertising Managers (CNBAM), Circulation over 30,000 category Display Ad – Color, Best of CATEGORY Best Sales Increase of a Special Section, First Place Newspaper Promotion Ad – Black & White, Second Place Newspaper Marketing/Promotion Plan, Third Place Best Printed Rate Card/Media Kit, Third place 2010 American Association of Advertising Agencies (Multicultural Advertising Internship Program) Recipient, Michelle Gallien, broadcast sales 2010 MOSAIC Most Promising Minority Scholarship, District 7 Recipient, Michelle Gallien, broadcast sales 2009 Associated College Press (ACP) Pacemaker Awards House Ad, Newspaper Category, Honorable Mention 2009 College Newspaper Business and Advertising Managers (CNBAM), Circulation over 40,000 category College Newspaper Advertising Staff of the year Online Banner ad, Best of Show Newspaper Promotion Campaign, Second place Sales Promotion Materials, Second Place Newspaper Marketing Promotion Campaign, Second place Classified Page/Section, Third place Training Program, Third place 2008 Southern University Newspapers (SUN) Awards Event or Promotion, First Place House Ad Series, First Place Special Section Issue, First Place (Freshman Orientation Guide) On-Line Ad, First Place Marketing Package/Materials, Second Place Ad Campaign or Series, Second Place Ad Campaign or Series, Third Place Rate Card, Third Place 2008 Editor& Publisher magazine Best Collegiate Website, Eppy 2008 College Newspaper Business and Advertising Managers (CNBAM), Circulation over 40,000 category Newspaper Marketing Promotion Plan, Best of Category Sales Materials, Second Place 2007 College Newspaper Business and Advertising Managers (CNBAM), Circulation over 40,000 category Color Display Ad, Second Place 2007 Louisiana Press Association (LPA) Color Ad half page or under, First Place Color Ad over half page, First Place Black & White ad over half page, First Place Advertising Idea or Promotion, First Place Advertising Idea or Promotion, Second Place Advertising Idea or Promotion, Third Place Advertising Idea or Promotion, Honorable Mention Color Ad over half page, Second Place Color Ad over half page, Third Place Color Ad half page or under, Third Place Black and White ad half page or under, Third Place 4,481 entries from 84 Louisiana newspapers, publications, and student publications Upon winning 14 of 19 awards in our category, our dean decided we should no longer enter this competition 2007 College Publisher Awards of Excellence Online Sports Coverage, Honorable Mention Online Advertising, Honorable Mention 2006 Southern University Newspapers (SUN) Awards Retail Color Ad – First Place Ad Campaign/Series – First Place 2006 Louisiana Press Association (LPA) Black and White ad half page or under, First Place Black & White ad over half page, First Place Color Ad half page or under, First Place Color Ad half page or under, Second Place Color Ad half page or under, Third Place Color Ad over half page, Second Place 4,451 entries from 83 Louisiana newspapers, publications, and student publications PUBLICATIONS 2009 SUN “Sunspots” Newsletter, August 2009, “LSU Training Program“ by Kodi Wilson

2007 Marketing staff featured in Media Magazine (MediaPost), March 2007 “Give ‘Em Credit for Asking” by Liz Tascio 2005 – 2009 Shared original presentations/seminars with over 30 schools around the country as requested by topic SEMINARS/WORKSHOPS PRESENTED (original materials & presentations listed in quotes) 2011 Free Community Social Media Workshop Baton Rouge, LA I presented information from the annual 2010 College Explorer study to better help the audience understand the highest user group of social tools – the college market. I helped my students prepare a presentation about “What is Social Media” highlighting some of the strengths & weaknesses of each form, including Facebook, Twitter, Blogging, YouTube. Invited local companies to share their expertise on social media tools, including SEO, small business websites & e-mail marketing. Prepared a workbook to take home for every attendee.

2010 Southern University Newspapers (SUN) Annual Student Conference, Athens, GA “Sales by the Numbers: Increasing Productivity”: Call logs and real numbers for sales managers and sales leaders. Getting your team to be more focused and productive in the office and on the streets, misconceptions about productivity, the value of “no”, real ways to double your income and how salespeople can avoid those peaks and valleys in their sales and income.

“Job Preparedness: Career Killers and Faux-Pauxs”: We will explore how social media is used by employers, discuss mistakes you are making now that you don’t even know you are, how your friends can affect your employment potential, 10 mistakes to avoid now to earn a good reference, resume pointers, what really matters most when employers are hiring, and how to get through the interview process.

2010 Workshop for Louisiana Ethnic Media, Forum on Media Diversity Manship School of Mass Communication, LSU Funded by the McCormick Foundation. “Sales from A-Z for Sales Managers”: What it takes to make it in sales (finding the right candidates), doing a good customer needs analysis, how to get the appointment, making the presentation, closing the sale, and good customer service practices.

2010 College Newspaper Business and Advertising Managers (CNBAM) National Convention, Los Angeles, CA “Job Preparedness: Career Killers and Faux-Pauxs”: We will explore how social media is used by employers, discuss mistakes you are making now that you don’t even know you are, how your friends can affect your employment potential, 10 mistakes to avoid now to earn a good reference, resume pointers, what really matters most when employers are hiring, and how to get through the interview process.

“Sales by the Numbers: Increasing Productivity”: Call logs and real numbers for sales managers and sales leaders. Getting your team to be more focused and productive in the office and on the streets, misconceptions about productivity, the value of “no”, real ways to double your income and how salespeople can avoid those peaks and valleys in their sales and income.

2009 College Newspaper Business and Advertising Managers (CNBAM) National Convention, Charlotte, NC “Sales A-Z”: What it takes to make it in sales, doing a good customer needs analysis, how to get the appointment, making the presentation, closing the sale, and good customer service “Focus, Motivation & Attitude Adjustments for Sales”: Finding focus in goal-setting, time management, motivational tips, deeper understanding of what motivates, and attitude –where it comes from, how to change it, and finding adjustments for success 2009 College Newspaper Business and Advertising Managers (CNBAM) Summer Ad Manager’s Workshop, Chicago, IL “Building and Developing Your Team”: Hiring, staffing, interview “red flag” questions, how to build and effective team, employee delegation & development, goal-setting, termination, and role-play on how to effectively deliver feedback.

2009 University of Oklahoma, Summer Sales Training, Norman, OK 2010,09,08 Louisiana College Papers Fall Joint Training Summit (LSU, Loyola New Orleans, UNO), Baton Rouge, LA 2007,06,05 LSU Student Media Enhanced Training Summit Training Summit’s are hosted twice a year and usually cover topics like: audience-based selling, “Features vs. Benefits”, professionalism, “Sales from AZ”, “Reaching TOMA with Frequency”, “Building Brand Awareness”, “Selling with a Spec ad”, understanding the competition, “Personal Time Management & Organization for Sales”, customer service, “Handling Objections”, closing the sale, design, why ads fail, new commission structure, “Understanding the sales pacing chart”, employer-employee expectations, “Increasing productivity with understanding and focus on your sales numbers”, “The sales process in steps”, “Understanding public opinion polls about our products and competitors”, “The 33 Ruthless Rules of Advertising”, “Techniques of a Master Salesman”, “Creating your opening statement”, “YES! Attitude”, developing desire, “Prospecting”, “New Business Development”, Most common mistakes in selling, “Cold Calling”, Understanding Meyers-Briggs personality types & workplace communication, “Developing a great Customer Needs Analysis”, “Sales by the Numbers”, “Why newspaper ads aren’t working: Creating Newspaper Ads that Sizzle using PROVEN methods of bringing customers in the door”, “Why the Yellow Pages kick our butt: Proven methods with Mike Brooks “Mr. Inside Sales” on how to use the phone to make appointments” 2010, 09,08,07,06,05 LSU Student Media NEW Manager’s Summer Training Summit Created a training and development program for students placed in management. Hosted every semester as needed for students new to management positions, and yearly refresher courses for veteran managers. Topics we cover include: Meyers-Briggs understanding personality types in the work environment, “Building and Developing Your Team”, “Disney’s Keys to Excellence”, “Motivation & Organization”, “Focus, Motivation & Attitude Adjustments for Sales”, discussions on adjusting the new hire process and training 2008 College Newspaper Business and Advertising Managers (CNBAM) National Convention, San Antonio, TX “Sales A-Z”: What it takes to make it in sales, doing a good customer needs analysis, how to get the appointment, making the presentation, closing the sale, and good customer service “Motivation & Organization”: Developing successful work habits, motivation, team vision & purpose, measuring the work of employees, delegation, time management and productivity 2008 College Newspaper Business and Advertising Managers (CNBAM) Summer Ad Manager’s Workshop, Chicago, IL “Building and Developing Your Team”: Hiring, staffing, interview “red flag” questions, how to build and effective team, employee delegation & development, goal-setting, termination, and role-play on how to effectively deliver feedback.

“Disney’s Keys to Excellence”: the importance of your character of a leader and example you are setting, developing your department’s vision, getting staff involvement in the vision, crafting a pre-employment message to avoid the revolving door.

“Motivation & Organization”: Developing successful work habits, motivation, team vision & purpose, measuring the work of employees, delegation, time management and productivity “Sales A-Z for Managers”: professional sales tips, simplifying the sales process for your staff, vocabulary to avoid, determining viable prospects, client communications, new business development and customer service MEMBERSHIPS, COMMITTEES, BOARDS College Newspaper Business and Advertising Managers (CNBAM), member school newspaper (2005 – present) Alloy Media + Marketing National College Advisory Board, 2008-present SUN Convention Awards Advisory Chair, 2009; Summer Conference Chair 2011 CNBAM Vice-President Convention Planning-Elect, 2009 CNBAM Convention Scholarship Committee, 2009 CNBAM Convention Awards Disqualification Committee, 2008

Kodi Wilson Personal Management Philosophy Through motivation, mentoring and thorough training I will: 1. Get bottom‐line results from my team, 2. Prepare my students for the next step into the professional “real world”, and 3. Help my students find jobs post‐graduation. As their mentor, I motivate, encourage, and push them like a personal trainer. I also play the role of parent or big sister when they have a personal crisis, need advice on relationships, or seek counsel on life’s major issues like finances, finding a doctor or what to do when their car breaks down. And through the role of career counselor, I help guide them to decisions and opportunities that will best prepare them for success in their chosen career path, so they are fully prepared for the next step beyond college, as soon as they walk out of our doors and into the real world. I work alongside each of them, working together with them to find results & answers – for their clients, for their relationships and for themselves.

My tenure in Student Media has taught me that change is constant. What motivates one staff this semester might be completely different than what will motivate them the following semester. So my philosophy here has been to reach out to my team often with small and personal rewards, notes of congratulations and larger team rewards. I provide opportunities for the team to choose their own rewards for meeting goals, because they motivate each other to achieve the rewards they want the most.

I use former student testimonials, and invite alumni to come discuss their current success. Most credit Student Media for setting them up for success. This motivates those who are at a crossroads to push through the tough times to find the reward that will be waiting for them at the end. Last year I bought a “BIG SALE” bell. Anyone can ring it when they turn in a sale worth $500 or more! When the bell rings, everyone in the office has to stop what they are doing and yell “Show me the money!” I hear the newer reps talk about getting their chance to ring that bell… like some sort of initiation into our club of salespeople☺ I hear the veterans talk about how often they want to ring that bell, and they challenge each other to ring it the most!

The students are included in goal setting. We discuss our progress or shortfalls, and we adjust our goals to ensure we make up for any losses. The entire team is aware of where we are, and where we need to be. Each one of them has a personal responsibility to contribute to the team. They receive regular and ongoing feedback about their weekly call logs and performance.

To further motivate my staff, I try to lead by example. Our university has faced over $64 million in cuts this past year, and with the economy down, it’s been tough for them to keep a positive outlook. It speaks volumes to my staff that I am willing to be a part of the team and pitch in to help when we need it. Plus it’s very motivational, as most sales reps don’t want to fall short when they see their own boss is pitching in! My students and I have worked side by side to bring in new clients this year, the “big fish”. They get to learn the art of negotiation, find solutions to fit any size budget and creatively meet the needs of the client. We ended our fiscal year, down. As a team, we dedicated ourselves to increase our new business revenues. Local sales had fallen, and on‐campus revenues continued to fall increasingly short, mainly due to the $64 million university budget cuts this past year. After three short months of this renewed effort to find new business, we started making goals in local revenue. I discovered that our sales team was doing even a more phenomenal job than expected, as nearly 70% of our local revenues were coming from new business efforts!

My students are aware of my ongoing personal struggles, as I face daily battles in trying to care for a terminally‐ill & medically fragile child. They get a front row seat to watch life & death play out in front of them, and it helps them keep everything in perspective and keep a positive outlook on things, even when the chips are down. They see me come in

with a positive attitude every single day, knowing I could spend all day crying about my situation if I wanted too, but I CHOOSE to not let my circumstances rule my outlook on life or my day, and neither do they.

It is my philosophy that these students ARE in a professional job, and I hold the same expectations as if they were working for a professional media group. They are doing the same work, only on part‐time hours, and I have the same expectations for them. Of course they do get a few perks regarding leniency around school work, tests, and projects… however the expectation is the same as if they were not in school when it comes to job performance. I believe that if I am not teaching them good employee habits now, then I have failed to prepare them for expectations in the real world.

Not having class that day does not mean a day off from work. Our office standards meet or exceed what you will find at a professional media group. My students will leave Student Media well‐prepared to walk into their first job as a seasoned professional, not an entry‐level graduate stumbling to find their way around corporate America.

I developed a year‐round training program for my staff that includes weekly lessons from sales trainers and professionals, week‐long intensive enhancement training around school breaks, and training for those entering management positions. All too often people are promoted because they are good at what they do, not because they would be good at managing others, so I provide students with potential the opportunity to learn how to manage others through problem‐solving, team development and delivering effective and ongoing feedback.

I empower my team members. I am their safety net when they make mistakes big or small. They are receptive when I step in to help, because I’ve let them take the lead. In some ways I’m like tour guide… they choose the path they wish to follow, and I’m there for advice and guidance; if they question the path, want me to go down the path first, want me to take the path with them, or want to find a new path – I am there for them. I invest in my students and I feel like my entire staff would walk through fire if I asked them too. I think they are invested in me too because I’m honest with them, I get on their level to understand their needs, and we have a mutual trust. I trust them to do try their best to achieve their goals, they trust me to help them achieve those goals. It’s this foundation of trust that’s allowed us to find success amid the financial challenges of the university and national economy.

My students trust me with their future careers and for personal advice in a variety of life situations. They trust me because they know I truly care about their individual success. The trust me because they know I believe in them and what they are capable of. They trust me because I give them no reason to doubt my personal integrity. I hold them accountable, yet I show them how to reach their personal goals, help them resolve stumbling blocks in the sales process, and help them find solutions to complex problems. My greatest measure of personal success is POST‐GRADUATE JOB PLACEMENT. It’s not in my job description, but I feel an obligation to my students, long after they leave student media.

I’m proud that my students who have graduated years back still reach out to me for networking when they are ready to make a change, and most often, I am able to accommodate them with knowledge of a job opening or provide them with a personal contact who can lead them in the right direction.

Sometimes it’s hard for them to see the future benefit when I am pushing them out of their comfort zone, but I find it funny how many of them call me a few years later to thank me for pushing them that way, and how prepared they were to deal with such career challenges that their peers were not equipped to handle. They tell me they get promoted faster, because they already have the skills necessary to survive in a corporate setting.

I appreciate your consideration for this prestigious award, Professional Advisor of the Year. Accepting this award would really be honoring my students – they are the reason for everything I do.

Advertising Manager Objectives Social Networking – i.e. Facebook, Myspace, Twitter - Who is the account creator of Ka Leo, Ka Lamakua, Hawaii Review - Are we twittering?

- MySpace account set up?

Recruiting all positions – Advertisements, Tabling, Class and Org. Recruitment - Ads for Editor in Chiefs, Ad Manager, Marketing Director, Designers - Tabling with Job Descriptions, Ka Leo’s, Hawaii Reviews 3 days Mon, Wed, Thur.

- Class and Student Organization recruitment. List from Jan. - Web Editor? – is there one?

Editorial Special Issues – Spring Break, Dining Guide, Finals Issue - What is the spring break issue about?

- What is the dining guide issue about?

- What is the Finals issue about?

Rate Cards and Sales Materials – New material for Summer and Fall - New Rates presented to board at next meeting - New Ad Rates for the Summer - 5/10/2010 - Sales One Sheets for Ad Representatives – Spring Break, Dining Guide, Finals - New National Advertising Rates – Fall 2010 - Specs for Sheets and Cost Increasing Sales – Bringing Revenue up to $17,000 for March $1,700 per issue - Contact national ad placement firms to place ads o Campus Media Group o Campus Party o Fuse o Collegiate Promotions - Contact existing clients from current contracts - Contact new business to set up meetings and develop relations through end of semester - Bring in new ad reps to start working territories - Online advertising – trained and set up to start.

- Additional Promotions with Clients Administrative Access for Computers – Being able to access all programs needed - Smart Publisher – Need to enter contract for Display and Classified Advertising - Shutter Stock Photo Access – Need to be able to pull images - Need to update computers with Adobe Reader and so on…

December 13, 2010 CNBAM Awards Contest c/o Sara Judd, VP/Awards Washington University Student Media, Inc. 1 Brookings Drive Campus Box 1039 Saint Louis, MO 63130 Dear Awards Committee: When Rob Reilly arrived in Honolulu last February to become the Board of Publicationsʼ first professional advertising manager, he encountered nine months of challenges that had nothing to do with his job but would have kept a lesser person from completing it.

Our full-time business manager who had handled all advertising for three years was gone on a six-month maternity leave that kept her from assisting in any transition. In May, her three student workers, who handled all the advertising paperwork and billing, quit before we could hire and train new students or obtain their account passwords and keys. In June, the business manager resigned (the position is still unfilled), and the new owners of our printing press announced they would not honor our three year contract; forcing us to find a new, off-island printer and courier system that almost doubled our costs. Our editorial and business operations were in two buildings that needed to be vacated before school started so we could move into a renovated space across campus. We did and then were told we had to move back during the first month of school as the Fire Department had not yet permitted our new space for occupancy.

By September:  Rob had hired and helped train three students to handle our front desk and billing software.  He brought on five graphic designers to create the advertisements being sold by nine students whom he recruited during the spring, summer and fall.  He developed a public relations/marketing team of seven students who set up Ka Leo tables at Campus Center and our athletics complex to brand the newspaper during lunch hours and home volleyball games that bring 5,000 people to our arena.  He set up a weekly meeting with editors and advertising mangers to improve communication and collaboration.  He initiated and led monthly meetings that brought together all student media program heads (radio and television stations, print and online media) to enhance working together.  He initiated co-promotions with an entertainment conglomerate, moped company, athletics department, and a film distributor to get students to read and come to Ka Leo for tickets and giveaways.  He convinced Costco and the UH Bookstore to help underwrite the costs for a pre-

 

football game tailgate that resulted in the distribution of 1,000 hot dogs and hamburgers.

He added special issues for home football games, so our page counts increased by 4-8 pages, including a 40-page New Student Orientation.

He has exceeded revenue expectations by better $50,000 and is projected to out perform his budget by $100,000 in his first full year of service.

The best part about Robʼs accomplishments is the way he achieved them. He worked hard. He learned University processes. He paid attention to the budget. He honored student learning. He developed a culture of professionalism that encouraged students to provide a level of service that made customers want to keep advertising. And he has a three year plan to achieve a vision of advertising excellence that has not existed at the Board of Publications in the 13 years that I have provided advice to the editors of the newspaper, webzine and literary journal.

So my answer is yes to your questions about whether Rob Reilly established strong professional relationships, conducted training programs, played a key role in problem solving, exhibited good leadership, introduced innovations, implemented new ways to solve problems and increase productivity.

As for Robʼs commitment to professional and advisory standards and his concern for colleagues, students and our newspaper, I believe – despite all the challenges that Rob and I faced when he arrived – that 2010 has been best year for Ka Leo and myself during my time at the University and that largely has to do with the intelligence, humor, and energy that Rob brought to our campus.

Sincerely,

Jay Hartwell Faculty Adviser-Student Media

Pacific Mopeds and Kaleo team up to do a

Moped Giveaway Contest Starts Dec. 1, 2010 The winner will be announced in our February 28th publication

RAFFLE TICKETS ARE ON SALE FOR $1.00 CAN BE PURCHASED AT THE KA LEO OFFICE AND SPECIAL EVENTS.

Anyone can purchase a raffle ticket. *** You can purchase more than one raffle ticket.

Appendix Professional of the Year 1. Professional Advertising Managerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Monthly Duties 2. Sales Records August-December 2009 vs. August-December 2010 3. Professional Philosophy 4. Students have Money Flyer 5. Full Demographic Flyer 6. Super Three Spectacular Flyer 7.

Moped Raffle Ad

8.

Nightlife Guide Issue

9.

Resume

Professional of the Year Management Philosophy It comes as a surprise that my students and colleague Jay Hartwell wanted to nominate me for this position after only 10 months here. My personal philosophy is to strive to be the best in all that I do and I try to pass that along to my students. But it doesnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t stop there; it is about an attitude or a wiliness to succeed even when the odds are against you in many cases.

My strategy starts at the simplest point of readership. Who is reading Ka Leo when it comes out on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays? How are our readers finding out about us? What do they want to know? What do they want? How can we serve them best? This is my common approach to all aspects of our office and using this analysis for advertising, design, marketing, distribution, and paperwork, I begin to formulate plans that will help us key in on each specific item.

So, I started to tear apart everything that we did and why we did it a certain way and question, could this be done differently, could it be done better. Yes, we can strive to be better and to serve our readers better with information that they want, and that is where it all started to take off.

When I bring students into our organization I try to instill in them a since of belonging, or community within our organization. (Be proud that you get to work at Ka Leo) Then we try to reflect that sense of belonging onto our other students on campus, to try and build something that the students want from Ka Leo. We are building a community of people that follow the paper and care about what we have to say, and know that it is an outlet for them.

We do the very same with our clients as well, we go out to meet with a client to hear about what their needs are and see if we can help facilitate more active participation from our UH community. We are not there to sell them ads, we are there to form a partnership that will allow them to interact with our community of readers and bring more business their way. The more we can make our clients feel connected to us the more our readers reap the benefits of getting a complete paper with useful information from editorial content as well as advertising content.

Ka Leo has grown up a lot since I have been here with new advertising reps, graphic designers, public relations personal, and marketing directors, but the biggest thing that we all understand is to do our jobs the best that we can deliver, and that we are more than just a campus newspaper. Ka Leo is a community of 28,000 students, faculty, and staff that share a common thread, that is the University of Hawaii.

Thanks, Rob Reilly

Sales Figures Fall 2009 vs. Fall 2010 August 2009 = $10,427.89 September 2009 = $9,312.60 October 2009 = $11,306.29 November 2009 = $9,621.62 December 2009 = $8,059.16

August 2010 = $17,987.86 September 2010 = $23,618.20 October 2010 = $24,555.26 November 2010 = $26,023.23 December 2010 = $16,045.15

Ka Leo’s

Super Three Spectacular The Ka Leo is running a special promotion to make sure you get the ads that you need to reach students all spring semester.

We have put together a special ad price for our special issues that will allow you to reach the students all semester long in our special issues.

Buy at least three ads and save 15% in any THREE SPECIAL ISSUES. We will also extend this special rate for up to 9 ads for you.

Which means you can have a discounted ad in all our special issues until the end of the spring semester.

All Advertisements Include Free Full Color and Free Ad Design!

Deadline for Space Reservation and Ad Materials depends on the special issues you choose Ka Leo Online Special: Compliment your ad w/ an Online Ad! Just an additional $10 • www.kaleo.org

Ka Leo’s Special Rates 1/8 PAGE NORMALLY $90 PER AD SPECIAL PRICE $78 PER AD 1/4 PAGE NORMALLY $180 PER AD SPECIAL PRICE $156 PER AD 1/2 PAGE NORMALLY $375 PER AD SPECIAL PRICE $325 PER AD FULL PAGE NORMALLY $712.50 PER AD SPECIAL PRICE $600 PER AD Contact your Ad Rep Today: (808) 956-7043 or advertising@kaleo.org

http://www.kaleo.org Ad Mangaer: (808) 956-3210

Are you reaching our Full Demographic?

Faculty and staff make up a large portion of the University of Hawaiiâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s community and we have the tools necessary to reach them where they spend most of their time.

The Ka Leo is a great resource to use when reaching out to faculty and staff, and we would be glad to help you determine if if marketing to them is the way to go.

Unlike students, faculty and staff bring home a check twice a month and have twice as much discretionary spending as students.

Reach into a community that spends $3,000,000 per month discretionally.

Students Have Money...

Most current studies show that students spend $300 a month on discretionary spending (i.e. food, drinks, accessories, and whatever else is not a necessity).

Wouldnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t you like to see your business benefit from getting a percentage of that money coming to you instead of somewhere else?

If every student at UH Manoa spends $300 in a month, that means that this month students will spend a combined total of $6,000,000.

Add faculty and staff to that picture and that is an additional $3,000,000 in expenditures per month. (Faculty and staff average $500 per month in discretionary spending.)

Why not reach into the $9,000,000 a month or more than $95,000,000 a year in potential revenue for your store?

December 15, 2010 Dear CNBAM judges: To virtually everyone, I describe Jon as an adjective – a string of adjectives, actually.

Enthusiastic. Energetic. Encouraging. Eager. Ethical. Earnest. As his tenure and our relationship grow, I keep having to add more adjectives – persuasive, steely, determined, dedicated, resolute. Those and more are needed especially given the extraordinary hurdles presented with an economy described as the worst since the Great Depression, as well as a cantankerous and combative Student Body president (and supporting Student Senate cast). All add challenge to an already challenging situation.

Interestingly (from my point of view, at least), Jon was one of my first students in my first semester of teaching when I traded the newsroom for the classroom in 1996. For 34 years I was a reporter, editor and news executive with news organizations here and overseas, including the Associated Press and, for almost 20 years, The New York Times Co. As his professor in an introductory news reporting class, I recognized that news likely was not the path that Jon should be following. All those adjectives I’ve used above are good for newsies, but he just didn’t “want” it. To his credit, he saw that, too, and switched his direction to something he did want.

Eight years after our first encounter, Jon shows up again, this time as an alumnus of both the KU journalism school and The University Daily Kansan. Jon was working an ad rep with the Kansas City Star applying for the open position of sales and marketing adviser at the Kansan. I passed on Jon, not because he wouldn’t have been good – he showed many of the same qualities that I’ve always admired in him – but because of his lack of management experience compared to the successful candidate.

Three years later, Jon applies for the same position (after moving in management at Fort Collins, Colo.). This time, Jon was the clear choice in a highly competitive field.

He has excelled. When he came, the Kansan had been in a slump of sorts, mostly because of the sluggish economy that grew even worse. Jon has generated an excitement in the staff that saw the numbers turn from reddish to black. But that’s not why Jon should get this award. Jon should get it because of “how” he does it.

First, it relates to his tenacity in seeking out a job – as sales and marketing adviser to the Kansan – that paid less than the one he was holding. Jon literally loves the Kansan, and it’s that loyalty – to the institution and the cause – that is part of his success. He does it for the students so that they will benefit from the experience as much as he did.

He is patient, yet tough. He listens, then offers advice, usually in the form of options to allow students to make the best decisions. That approach builds confidence. Nevertheless, when the occasion demands, Jon also knows when he has to turn on his “gruff” mode and paint a crystal-clear picture of what’s right and what’s wrong. All this points to a person who does what he needs to do to make it work, and always to the benefit of the student.

Beyond the daily trials and tribulations of selling, Jon has them looking beyond the present. He spurs them to innovate. And Jon does it in a way that, even when it’s his idea, he ensures that the students, through his patience, persistence and gentle persuasion, think it was their own initiative. That, too, builds confidence. More importantly, it encourages even more innovation because they know that their ideas will not only be heard, but will most often become reality, with results.

For example, with signs that readership was lagging, we recognized the need to interact with our audience, particularly newcomers, better. Jon’s idea was to target incoming freshman more aggressively to implant “the Kansan” into their minds as a valued part of their KU experience. Instead of insisting on a specific plan, he gently guided the student leadership through the problem and developed appropriate answers to it. In the end, the students were enthusiastic and creative to the approach because “they” took ownership of “their” idea, of “their” solution. And it’s met with great success. From that, more ideas, truly theirs, have sprung from that well, and they come because of Jon’s leadership style.

And when that cantankerous Student Body president spurred a serious effort to eliminate all our funding, Jon counseled the Kansan’s student leadership throughout the crisis. The students then went on, with the help of Jon’s sage advice, to convince a number of student senators to challenge the move and, further, help convince the chancellor, who ultimately intervened, to put a stop to all that tomfoolery.

Jon’s purpose in all this is singular: make students better, at what they do and who they are, as sales people, as managers, as students, and as persons. At the Kansan, as with all student-run publications, we face the difficult challenge of balancing two missions: making our numbers to ensure the ability to do what needs to be done in a highly competitive environment, and providing a meaningful learning experience. Jon balances those perfectly by allowing his charges to chart the path with his quiet, but persistent presence. While more often than not they succeed, he often allows them to fail, if that best serves the student in the long run.

Jon is a leader who leads most often without giving the impression of leading. It is for that reason and many others that I offer my most enthusiastic endorsement of Jon. And I’m quite willing, if necessary, to offer more adjectives and examples in support of this effort.

Respectfully,

Malcolm Gibson Journalism and African Studies faculties General Manager and News Adviser The University Daily Kansan

As former Business Manager of The University Daily Kansan, I, Feliks Yamnik, would like to nominate Jon Schlitt for Advisor of The Year. This advisor, who comes to the office every morning early enough to read the entire paper and write feedback before anyone gets there. He makes sure that every person on staff is aware of his absence, two days in advance. He always has his door open to listen to any type of problem with the utmost regard to confidentiality. According to this, Jon is perfect for his position, as advisor to a newspaper that is entirely ran by students who sometimes care more about Friday night than the four o’clock deadline.

Jon Schlitt deserves Advisor of the Year for more than just his passion and dedication for his job; he deserves this award because of his commitment to the staff. I have worked with Jon for five semesters and I can tell you first hand that Jon is one in a million. My first impression of Jon was neutral, he didn’t scare me, he didn’t befriend me, he just said that he was here to help with anything I needed. I was just starting as an account representative, eager to work, tons of ideas and ready to take on the world.

Before long, I was in Jon’s office talking about a new idea I came up with. In my personal experience when you tell someone about an idea they usually recommend something or try to find something wrong with it. Jon did neither, he just listened, all the way to the end. What happened next totally surprised me. He told me that I had a good idea, but I could make it better. He didn’t suggest anything, he didn’t discard anything.

He just said “give it some more thought.”

I was not used to this, I wanted him to tell me what I needed to change and help me make it happen. At the time I was honestly a little disappointed. I brought Jon this great idea and he didn’t do anything about it. As I look back now, I understand why he didn’t play devils advocate or jump onboard. I was the type of person that came up with ideas and expected everyone else to figure out the details. It explains why I had so many little projects at home that never got finished. I don’t know when Jon figured this out but he did. Whether it was intuition or personal experience is irrelevant because Jon did exactly what needed to be done.

Normally, when people react neutral to my creations I forget about them and start something else. Jon wouldn’t let this happen. Day after day he would casually ask me about it. No pressure, no disappointment, just a “how is it coming alone?” I was confused, after his initial reaction I thought he was just being an advisor by not shooting it down. I was wrong. He took it upon himself to pull me out of my habit of not finishing what I start. His strategy perfectly reflected my personality. The many discussions, brainstorming session, and Jon’s encouragement to keep going motivated me to grow out of my adolescent pattern. I don’t know if he planned it or if it’s the way he is but it changed my life. Literally. It motivated me to do better in school. I finished all my projects around the house. I took on bigger challenges and saw them through. My mother even commented on a change in my behavior.

Jon invested the time to help me grow with no promise of any return. He saw potential in me that I didn’t know I had. He taught me to believe in myself and my ideas.

Most importantly, he proved that he was committed to the staff and not the paycheck. Jon didn’t just help me, he helped everyone. No matter what happened in the past, he never holds grudges. No matter the problem, he always offers help. No matter how big the mistake, he never raises his voice. No matter the person, he is always understanding. No matter his work load, he always gets it done and sometimes I can’t figure out how.

Jon has spent countless hours working with me, helping me evolve, but there are forty other staff members with forty other problems. He is also responsible for a million dollar budget. There are ambitious senate leaders that want to exclude student funding from the paper. He has university professors who disagree with the freedom students have to run a college newspaper. University board members breathe down his neck because they don’t trust the staff with a sensitive subject. These are just some of the challenges Jon has had to overcome and in every instance, every meeting, Jon bats for the staff. I have seen him go from meeting to meeting, I have seen him frustrated, I have seen him tired, but I have never seen him give up.

When the student body president decided to propose a bill to remove The Kansan from receiving its $83,000 in student funding, Jon was all over it. The timing of the bill couldn’t have been worse, it was right before spring break and everyone was busy with midterms and tying up loose ends with clients. Jon was working with the dean who wanted to move the staff to a different building and finalizing the trip to CNBAM. When the staff found out about the planned budget cut we were outraged. Some more than others, but there was a general consensus that we could not let it happen. I personally volunteered to induce physical pain to the student body president, others suggested more creative alternatives. Jon calmed everyone down with a short email that basically said, “I got this”. After weeks of research, numerous senate meetings, and hundreds of emails Jon got it done.

When it was time to move The Kansan to a new building there were multiple opinions about how the space would be divided. The news staff, faculty members, and advertising staff had conflicting opinions. It was in the middle of the summer semester and I was business manager. Jon kept the staff included in the planning of the move. A journalism professor, who obviously wanted more control over the staff, demanded his office be in the middle of the new space. I didn’t like it, the staff didn’t like it but it seemed there was nothing we could do. Jon sent out an email that basically said, “I got this.” When the move was finalized, Jon got it done.

At the beginning of the fall semester the staff wanted to resurrect a special section that at one time was the most popular product The Kansan printed, Sex on the Hill. There was a small problem, some university board members didn’t trust the students to produce a paper that focused around sex while maintaining a reputable image. Jon again went to bat for the staff. He spent hours upon hours in board meetings convincing members who get uncomfortable around the word “sex” that there would be no problems. Even though it seemed pointless at times, Jon got it done.

I ask Jon how he stays so calm and in control. How he puts up with grown men that act like children. How he handles the whines and complaints of over deserving students. How he sacrifices his needs to provide our wants. He always simply answers, “you just have to do it.”

It’s been five semesters working with Jon and I can’t wait to start the sixth. Jon has been a guide, a mentor and a friend. He loves The Kansan and everything that goes with it. He is here for us, the staff, to help us thrive and reach our full potential. There is a classification of friends that I use. There are party friends, there are best friends, and then there are two a.m.’ers. The first are friends for entertainment, the second are for comfort, and the last are those who will turn the world upside down to help you, at 2 am. I don’t need to tell you which one Jon is.

Dear CNBAM Judges: It is an honor to recommend my friend and advisor, Mr. Jon Schlitt, for the CNBAM Advisor of the Year award.

After nearly two years serving The University Daily Kansan as a student Account Executive, Zone Manager, and the Student Advertising Director, I have had the privilege of Jon’s coaching, training and motivation. I can say with full confidence that Jon is the heart of our 106-year-old organization.

“You report to me, but I work for all of you.” This is one of the first things Jon taught me as a new manager, starting my young career at The Kansan. Jon made this quote the underlying philosophy of the management style he valued most. There has never been a day at The Kansan where he has not lived by this simple philosophy.

When I began my career at The Kansan, I was completely new to the world of advertising sales. I was new to any type of professional job atmosphere. It’s safe to say that I did not exactly have all of the skills necessary to be a standout at The Kansan, only the drive and the will to get there. Jon did what he does best. Day after day as I approached him, he walked me through my client list and each of the unique challenges my clients presented. He shared with me the knowledge he had acquired during his professional career at media companies, as well as during his time as a member of the Kansan Advertising Staff while he was in school. Most importantly, regardless of what the challenge was or what was discussed, be it struggles with clients, quotas or personnel, I always left those meetings feeling that the worst was over. I felt empowered to change my professional course of action for the better and achieve my sales and personal goals. Through Jon’s guidance, I was always able to find a solution.

When I served The Kansan as a Zone Manager, I continued to seek Jon’s guidance and motivation. He helped me find my own management style. He was also there to help me develop innovative and motivating zone sales incentives, contests and programs. He served as a sounding board for when I needed to vent about a problem or dispute, always acting as the listener and the problem-solver. When I won the CNBAM 2010 Sales Representative of the Year award, I knew I could attribute much of the success and the development required to reach that point to Jon’s consistent efforts.

2010 was a year of unique challenges for The University Daily Kansan, to say the least.

Certainly no challenge was as formidable as the short, yet intense, struggle with the University’s student body president. The student president, upset over our publication’s coverage of his student political party, attempted to pass legislation that would cut $83,000 from our student funding, or 10 percent of our annual budget. The cut would have drastically hindered our ability to function as a college publication, as we would have had to cut many of the paid reporter and photographer positions from staff. Jon wasn’t scared. Instead he, along with the former student business manager, became a force to rally behind. He stayed positive and prepared our staff and publication for all possible outcomes of the dispute. He worked tirelessly after hours to work toward a good solution for our paper. He reached out to his many friends in the media world for advice and counsel, and he made friends with student senators who were on the fence about supporting us. When the student president’s proposed legislation was deemed as a direct violation of the First Amendment and thus knocked down,

none of us were surprised, and we shouldn’t have been. Jon has always put the students first, and this was no exception. He was ready for anything in defense of our publication. That’s just how much he loves his job.

In the fall, I became the student business manager, and our staff was again facing many challenges. Our two biggest local clients, one an apartment complex and the other a cable company, completely pulled their advertising at the end of the summer and were set on not running for the rest of the calendar year. Suddenly, we were facing tens of thousands of dollars in client churn. We also faced the challenge of having to hire 17 new sales reps that fall, many of which handling some of our oldest and most difficult accounts. On top of all of this, we had moved down the hill into new office after decades of work in the legendary Stauffer-Flint Hall. This was met with unexpected vehement opposition from many of the most vocal and influential members of staff. I found myself in Jon’s office again on a daily basis, working with him to map out a strategy to come out ahead. There has never been a semester on staff where the reps have had to fight for every dollar earned like this semester.

If I was leading the fight as student business manager, Jon was behind all of us, supporting us with the same enthusiastic motivation and leadership that we had all come to expect. Our struggles were his struggles and our burdens were also his to bear. We knew he would always be there to count on.

It’s not just triumph in the midst of adversity that makes Jon a wonderful advisor. He also has an eye toward the future of the business and our student publication. Jon loves sports analogies. When it comes to the future of The Kansan, he always tells us we need to have an eye on where the (hockey) puck is going, not where it’s currently sitting. He put this motto into action as he came up with an idea and structure for the first-ever Kansan Digital Sales Team. He knew that while our print product is currently still strong, our business needed to adapt to the plethora of new media options available for not just our generation, but also the generation of future students still currently in high school. Our digital sales team developed several new products for the KU student body, as well as increased inventory on Kansan.com. None of this would have been possible without Jon’s work.

Jon Schlitt is everything you could possibly want out of a boss, advisor, friend or mentor. He puts his students before himself. He empowers our staff and helps us develop our skills in new and innovating training scenarios. He’s a professional problem-solver, and the past several years of success at The Kansan can be directly linked back to the positive and passionate attitude he brings to the office every single day. No one is more deserving of the award of Professional Advisor of the Year, and it is my sincerest hope that you will bestow this honor upon him, for everything he has done for the students at The University Daily Kansan and for all he has done to keep our publication running smoothly.

Sincerely,

Joe A. Garvey Director of Digital/Interactive The University Daily Kansan

Jon Schlitt –Professional Advisor of the Year – 2010 - The University Daily Kansan – Advising Philosophy In the Spring of 1997 I was a student at The University of Kansas sitting in a class called “Elements of Advertising”. At the time I was unsure about what exactly it was that I wanted to do with my future as I was trying to decide if I wanted to go into editorial, advertising or in the worst case pursue a career in the food services industry. The student business manager of The University Daily Kansan entered the classroom and urged all of us in the class to apply for the advertising staff on the upcoming Fall semester. I applied, was hired on and thus began quite frankly the most fulfilling experience of my college life. For the next six semesters my life and career path were given direction and focus by my fellow students on the paper, but more importantly by The Kansan’s sales and marketing advisor. I learned how to organize my time, how to create effective ad campaigns for clients, how to sell those campaigns and how to manage sales teams of my own. It was experience that was invaluable to me after graduation as I was able to work at The Kansas City Star for four years and then two years as a manager for Gannett in Fort Collins, Colorado. In the Summer of 2007 I was approached to take over as Sales and Marketing Advisor at The Kansan. It was an opportunity that I eagerly jumped at as I wanted to come back and make sure that other students would be able to realize opportunities of their own and in the process keep The Kansan as strong as possible as technology changes the face of media seemingly daily. It is this passion for both the students and the paper that drives me every single day in my job.

At The Kansan students determine both the advertising and the editorial content of the newspaper as well as the hiring of all staff. As a student this was the same environment that I learned in and as advisor it’s an environment I’m determined to keep prosperous. I do not determine what should run in terms of advertising, who should be hired or fired and I do not order the students around as if I am the ad director. Instead I view my role with the students as being a partner, peer and of course advisor in the day-to-day operations of the paper, working to make both the students and the paper better.

I think one of the simplest analogies I could use to describe my philosophy on advising is that of flying a plane. The Kansan itself is an airplane on a journey towards achieving goal. The students as the pilot of that plane may lose control from time to time and the plane may then start to fall into a descent that could threaten to do some damage to both the plane and the passengers onboard. What I oftentimes do then is jump in and help steady the plane and through training and guidance teach them how to fly the plane better and steadier for next time rather than just let the plane crash and be destroyed. If there are obstacles ahead of them that may present challenges I point them out in advance and teach them how to navigate past them so that they can be as successful as possible in their journey. From time to time they will make mistakes but they are never critical mistakes and when these mistakes happen I do all I can to help them learn from them and be better prepared for next time.

From day one that a student starts working on the paper I let them know that my door is open to them at any time. If a student has a problem figuring out the product mix for their advertiser they know that they can come and talk with me and we’ll brainstorm solutions. If a student manager needs help figuring out how to better manage and motivate one of their account executives they know that they can come and speak with me and I’ll share my own experiences to help them with their own account executives. If a student needs help finding a job in the future they know they can come and speak with me and I’ll help them with their resume but also use my network of contacts to help them get an interview. Sometimes that open door policy extends beyond school and The Kansan as students may have a problem in their personal life, with their family, or in a personal relationship.

In all of these cases I always make a point to stop what I’m doing, ignore my phone and e-mail and instead give the student the time and attention that they need to solve their problem. I relate my own experiences as both a student and as a professional so that I can give them guidance but also show them that I’ve faced some of these same obstacles in the past and found ways to overcome them. Not only does this help give them direction but a feeling that the challenge in front of them is not insurmountable.

This past year has presented new challenges to my job. In March the Student Body President attempted to deprive our paper of $83,000 in student funding claiming that student government funding media represented a conflict of interests. We learned from other student senators that in fact he was attempting to punish The Kansan for negative editorial coverage published on him throughout the past year. I had to educate the student business manager on the Unconstitutionality of the proposal by finding specific Supreme Court rulings on student government funding regarding college media. As this fight between The Kansan and Student Senate drew national media coverage I also had to work with her to keep the ad staff calm as many feared they would lose

their jobs if this legislation passed. I helped the student business manager work with both the Chancellor and certain members of Senate to defeat this legislation which it was in a landslide vote in full Senate. In the process my students learned how the act of diplomacy can help achieve victory even in the face of threats to the Constitution itself.

In the Fall the students decided to bring our sometimes controversial “Sex on the Hill” issue back but were greeted by very vocal protests by several members of The Kansan board who told them that they risked destroying the good name of our paper. This same section had run risqué photos in 2008 that drew the wrath of prominent alums, the chancellor and members of the local media. With the business manager made to feel as if he was committing a crime I urged him not to give up but to instead bring this special section back responsibly but yet still in a form that would appeal to our target audience. I advised him to work closely with the editor and learn from the mistakes that had been made in 2008 and thus prove to all involved that this particular special section could be handled responsibly. I myself walked the ad staff through examples of “tasteful yet playful” ads that would grab the attention of our reader and yet not overly risk offending them. The staff sold nearly $11,000 into the issue, united to prove to everyone that they could make it happen. When the issue published in November there was not a single complaint regarding any of the advertising or the editorial due to the hard work of the editor and publisher. Having proven once again that students can handle an issue related to human sexuality responsibly it will now be ten times easier for future staffs to do the same section in the future.

In addition to the problem-solving I find I must do in my job I try to also encourage an atmosphere of innovation at The Kansan and ask the students to develop one big idea per semester for the paper. When an account executive or a manager comes to me with a problem we of course discuss the time-honored solutions to those problems but I also work with them to think differently then we’ve ever done before. This past year these big ideas included the “Hawk Ticket” promo for Back to School which countered an expected 25% in churn for this section by creating a sweepstakes which generated walk-in traffic for many of our participating advertisers and ended up increasing total revenue by nearly 15% over the previous year. Another big idea was created by working with the student business manager to create a digital sales team which would focus solely on selling and marketing our web products which helped The Kansan increase its web sales by nearly 22% over the previous year. I worked with the students to create The Kansan’s first magazine in the form of The Jayhawker and allowed us to heavily penetrate the alum market. And to help The Kansan market itself more effectively I worked with the students to create a team of intern/ brand advocates whose main responsibility was to serve as a street team that marketed and brand our various products while also helping us determine a more effective circulation strategy along with better marketing campaigns in print, on-line and in video. Not only have these innovations helped us keep our core revenue above the previous year, they have better positioned us for the future as well.

When The Kansan does well many at the journalism school are quick to shower me with praise and compliments which I am always quick to deflect, instead pointing out that the praise should go to the students who are the ones who sell and design the ads every day. The flip side of that coin is that when The Kansan struggles I look inside myself to figure out what I myself can do better to help train the staff as best possible, to help them recognize and develop new products that will help them reach new revenue opportunities. If I feel that a student manager is struggling I will never call them out in public or behind their back but will instead call them into my office and suggest how I think they can improve at their job. If I feel frustrated at our paper’s performance at times I never let it show to the students but instead keep the most positive face I can on and work with the students on ways that we can work through the problems we face. If they need a bit of extra motivation I take a moment at the weekly staff meeting to give them a speech trying to find some sort of analogy that relates to Kansas basketball as that is something they universally seem to recognize and respond to.

As I hope you can see this is a job that I have absolute passion for. Every day when I am here I am driven to make sure that the students learn as much and are as successful as they can be so that they have the same opportunities available to them upon graduation that were available to me when I was a student. To watch them grow from raw account executives into the future leaders of our industry is amazing to witness and to participate in. I can truly say that having this job for the last three years and being able to give back to The Kansan has been the greatest thing that I have ever done with my life. It would be a great honor to receive this prestigious award, not just for myself but for the students whose hard work each day continues to fuel my passion for this job.

Jonathan A. Schlitt 3700 Clinton Parkway, Apt. 212 • Lawrence, KS. 66047 • (785) 766-6283 E-mail: jschlitt@kansan.com PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE The University Daily Kansan, Lawrence, KS. 8/07 to present Sales and Marketing Advisor • Advise forty college students per semester • Worked with students to increase circulation by 4% and reduce return rates on daily paper by 56% • Worked with students to increase revenue by $177,607 (116%) in first year.

• Worked with students to launch new on-line merchandise web-site (www.kansansales.com) leading to $65,000 in incremental revenue.

Fort Collins Coloradoan, Fort Collins, CO 5/05 to 8/07 Retail Sales Supervisor • Directly managed team of 10 account executives that were responsible for revenues of $4.2 million annually • Increased revenue on key accounts category by $133,000 in first year.

• Increased on-line and non-daily billings by 42% per month for team.

• Helped to create new sections and revenue initiatives that led to incremental revenue increases of over $200,000 since implementation.

• Oversaw training for all incoming account executives The Kansas City Star, Kansas City, MO 9/01 to 5/05 Retail Account Executive • Responsible for $500,000 annual retail territory in Grandview, Red Bridge and Martin City areas Developed inactive accounts as well as maintaining and improving revenues on existing accounts to increase revenue annually. Increased revenue by minimum of 12% from 2002-2004 and by $90,000 in 2003.

• Served as City neighborhood news supervisor. Acted as liaison between editorial and advertising. Oversaw sales of ten account executives into this weekly section.

• Helped to create new “Grow” section for Yard and Garden accounts to replace previous Yard and Garden section. Led to an overall revenue increase of $61,500 for the section.

• Implemented SWOT program for City retail district to help combat overall declining revenues for district.

The University Daily Kansan 8/97 to 7/00 Account Executive • Held numerous positions including two semesters as National Advertising Manager, two semesters as Retail Zone Manager and Sales Manager.

• Sold advertising to companies including Coca-Cola, The Los Angeles Lakers and Mastercraft.

• Supervised on two separate semesters a team of five retail account executives as retail zone manager.

EDUCATION University of Kansas, Lawrence, KS • B.A., Journalism, Advertising Emphasis (Graduated: Spring 2001)

Jon Schlitt – Professional Advisor of the Year - Job Description My job really begins during training. I work with the student managers in manager’s training for over a day and a half to help them learn how to be as successful as possible. For many of them this will be their first time managing anyone directly so I pass along my experiences to them from both when I was a student manager on The Kansan as well as from when I managed at Gannett. I help our student zone managers learn how to grow and teach their people through various exercises. They learn how to help their reps achieve goal by looking at mock client lists with revenue obstacles that I present to them. I have the student managers go through exercises where they teach me and the rest of their fellow managers how to do various things such as sell a special section, a new client, etc. These are skills that they will have to pass along to their reps so they must practice it from day one. One of my big themes with the manager is that our job is to get a person from point A (little to no experience, unsure of their abilities) to point B (experienced, skills sharpened, confident in their future). Not only do I work with them on developing their individual skills but I also work with them on developing business strategies for The Kansan, both for the upcoming semester as well as the long-term.

In addition to training the management staff I work with all of the students throughout the week of training every new semester. During this time I teach sessions such as “Selling in a Down Economy”, “Professionalism and Ethics” and “New Business” as well as having the new reps mock-sell to me during certification. Throughout all of these sessions I relate my own experiences as both a student and as a professional to better help prepare them for the experiences that lie ahead for them.

My job continues into the semester after training as I do weekly one on ones with the student business manager and student sales manager. In these meetings we review the progress of not only the paper’s sales but also the development of our individual staff members as well. If an account executive appears to be struggling I talk with these student managers and look at the areas where these reps are struggling and together we develop strategies that will help the sales reps overcome the obstacles that are in front of them. In doing this I call upon my own experiences in managing and developing my people at Gannett while at the same time keeping in mind the student perspective. Just because a certain tactic worked at Gannett doesn’t mean it will work on the collegiate level so the student managers and I discuss and find the best solution possible I make myself available to students at all times to lend them advice and guidance as they need it. I also try to conduct on-going training throughout the semester. If it becomes apparent for example that the staff could use some pointers on closing then I put together a quick training session for the weekly staff meeting on this. I always try to keep these sessions informative but also relevant and engaging for the student audience. I also encourage the student account executives to take me on client calls with them.

During these calls I try to observe more than anything else but am happy to chime in if needed. After the call though I always pull the account executive aside to give them some “curbside coaching”, pointing out what they did well, discuss areas for improvement and how to get there. If there are some clients that are upset about how The Kansan has handled their business and the account executive asks for help I am happy to tag along and help try to calm the situation with the client down.

I also try to conduct on-going training in more informal ways as well. After having the previously discussed one-one ones with the student business manager and sales manager I may often hear of certain areas that the staff may need to have there skills sharpened in. I make these a part of a speech that I often give at weekly staff meetings. In addition to attempting to motivate them I point out these areas for improvement and my own personal tips on how to improve.

One of the biggest challenges that both myself and the students faced this semester was battling the Student Body President as he attempted to completely remove our student funding which amounted to over $83,000 or nearly 10% of our budget. As advisor I had to help keep the students calm in the face of this threat as the conflict drew national media coverage for over a month. I had to help them find a diplomatic solution rather than a litigious one. Through research and consultation we found that specific Supreme Court rulings on student government funding student media favored us in this fight. With this knowledge we were able to gain the support of the Chancellor in this matter and ultimately thwart the Student Body Presidentâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s efforts as our funding was fully restored.

I am constantly encouraging the students at The Kansan to come up with a new big idea for every semester and also to â&#x20AC;&#x153;diversify our cash flowâ&#x20AC;?. By working together we were able to make both of those happen in the Spring of 2010 with the first issue of The Jayhawker Magazine. This publication was published by the Student Union as The Jayhawker Yearbook for over 50 years but when sales began to dip under 1,000 copies we were asked to take it over and help breathe new life into it. The Kansan re-vamped it into a magazine that was pre-sold to students on their options fees and also sold at The Kansas Union. In total we printed 5,000 issues, selling them for $10 each and this distribution allowed us to have a product that truly hit both the student audience as well as the alum audience.

A great challenge I faced this year was helping preserve the student-run nature of The Kansan no matter what. When the student editor and student business manager proposed bringing our somewhat controversial â&#x20AC;&#x153;Sex on the Hillâ&#x20AC;? issue back they were met with heavy protests from some members of The Kansan board and the possibilities of peopleâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s jobs being in jeopardy was discussed. Rather than tell the Business Manager to not follow through on doing the issue I instead advised him on how to bring the issue back responsibly but yet still appeal to our target audience.

In the end the issue published, brought in nearly $11,000 in incremental revenue and not one complaint on either the advertising or editorial content was received.

To help give an injection of life into our Back to School edition and thus jumpstart our sales for the Fall 2010 semester I worked with the students to create the â&#x20AC;&#x153;Hawk Ticketâ&#x20AC;? sweepstakes where participating advertisers gave away over $7500 in prizes, turned our BTS issue into a must pick-up for all students and thus lead to a 15% increase in revenue over the previous year and an all-time record for sales into the Back to School issue.