S to c k n o te s Commerce Club Publication for the College of Business
Spring 2007
Alumnus Tom Arthur Gives $1M to Endow Leadership Chair As part of ECU’s Centennial Celebration on March 8th, alumnus Thomas D. (Tom) Arthur of Tampa, Florida announced a $1 million donation to the College of Business to establish the University’s first endowed Distinguished Professor of Leadership. Arthur, a 1971 MBA graduate, has long been committed to bringing leadership to the forefront of the University’s agenda. He has served on the Board of Directors of the BB&T Center for Leadership Development under Director and former Dean of the School of Business, Dr. James Bearden, since the Center’s inception in 1983. Arthur earned his undergraduate degree in Economics from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Upon graduation, he entered the United States Army as an infantry officer, receiving the Silver Star and other mili-
Former COB Dean Jim Bearden, Tom Arthur, Chancellor Steve Ballard, Ken Chalk, and Dean Rick Niswander
University could prepare him for the business world. He enrolled, received an MBA degree in 1971, and began a distinguished career marked by a progression of business successes. Most recently, he owned and sold the Hav-ATampa—Phillies cigar company, a large tobacco company in Florida. He attributes his success to the preparation he gained in the ECU graduate school of business, and his military experience. He knew that he wanted to give back to ECU and was looking for something that would hold special meaning for him. In 2004, Chancellor Steve Ballard, newly at the helm of ECU, met with the BB&T Leadership Board. He told the Board that he wanted ECU to become the “leadership university” in the UNC system. The Chancellor’s vision and commitment to leadership excited Arthur. “Upon getting to know Steve, we felt like Moses must have, after wandering around for 40 years in the desert,” he commented at the Centennial Celebration. “We too, finally had our leader.”
COB alumnus and benefactor Tom Arthur enjoys lunch at ECU’s Centennial Celebration
tary awards. Upon completion of military service in 1969 he recognized that additional knowledge and skills would be needed to succeed in the business career he desired. After meeting with former Dean Bearden, he determined that study in the Graduate School of Business at East Carolina
Tom Arthur is both connected and committed to East Carolina University. His connection goes back to his grandfather, Louis C. Arthur, who was one of nine Greenville citizens who traveled to Raleigh on June 5, 1907 to present the formal petition bearing each of their signatures requesting the State Board of Education to locate ECU in Greenville. Four sites in Greenville were being offered as potential locations, two of which were on the Arthur farm. cont’d page 2
w w w. b u s i n e s s . e c u . e d u
College of Business Receives Gift to Establish the Cunanan Leadership Speaker Series The College of Business is proud to announce the establishment of the Cunanan Leadership Speaker Series. The Series is the result of a generous gift from Ellen (MKTG ’88) and Steve (PSYC ’87 and ’91) Cunanan and matching funds from the Johnson & Johnson Foundation. Steve served as the Student Government Association President while at ECU. He is currently the Vice President of Human Resources at Johnson & Johnson.
and society. Their support will enable ECU students and the Greenville community to learn from some of our nation’s most successful leaders. We believe the speakers will inspire attendees to think beyond their own experiences and to recognize the impact that a single person may have on the members of his or her local, national or global community in both the public and private sectors.”
The Series will bring to Greenville men and women who have distinguished themselves as leaders in for-profit and non-profit firms, entrepreneurial activities, government, and public affairs. Events will be related to leadership, professional development, ethics and the role of business in modern society. They will be open to the entire ECU community and the general public.
The Speaker Series will be a critical component of the College of Business’ Professional Development and Leadership Program. Among other things, the Program will be a series of for-credit courses for all COB students designed to introduce them to what it means to be a professional and to teach them the interpersonal and leadership skills necessary to succeed in a business environment. The Program is a vital part of the COB’s efforts to educate the “whole student.” The Leadership Speaker Series’ first event is scheduled for Fall 2007.
Dr. Rick Niswander, Dean of the College of Business, expressed his gratitude for the gift saying, “The Cununans have a clear understanding of the importance of leadership in modern business
continued - Tom Arthur That Louis Arthur was highly involved in education was reflected in his 1935 obituary, which noted his 30-year perfect attendance serving on the Pitt County Board of Education. Additionally, his interest in higher education is evident in that all seven of his children attended college, an amazing feat in the early 1900s. Tom Arthur’s gift comes at a very opportune time. “We think the chancellor’s aspiration for this university to be a leadership university is valid and exciting because higher education is about preparing leaders for society,” Bearden said. The chancellor’s goals for the university are echoed by College of Business Dean Rick Niswander, who is enthusiastic and receptive to the leadership initiative. “The College of Business is committed to the education of the “whole” student, including leadership, communication skills, and professional development. This professorship is a very important component of that effort,” Niswander said. The holder of the Distinguished Professor of Leadership will be a person who has a vision for preparing every student in the College 2
of Business for leadership, through classes, special presentations, and experiential learning situations. Arthur is proud to step forward and take the first major step towards making ECU the leadership university a reality. “I am hopeful that my gift to the College of Business will be a model for each of the nine other colleges and major schools of the University, to start a system-wide leadership initiative,” Arthur stated. “I envision an enlarged BB&T Center with each college and school having a funded Leadership Position, working with and through the Center, to further the study and practice of Leadership. We live in a complex world, and our future demands leaders in every walk of life, and ECU has and will continue to produce them.” Arthur’s $1 million gift qualifies for an additional $500,000 in matching funds from the University of North Carolina Distinguished Professorship Endowed Trust Fund, which is funded by the North Carolina legislature.
Faculty News Study by Faculty Saves the ECU Student Health Center Time and Money
Accounting Professors Teach Global Audiences During the spring semester 2006, Drs. John Reisch and Larry Seese presented a series of lectures for Monterrey Tech, which houses the premier business school in Mexico. Both conducted videoconferences with students at the university from ECU’s global classroom, followed by a week long visit to Mexico to teach in person. Reisch presented lectures on changes in the auditing profession, including the effect of Sarbanes Oxley on Mexican companies. Seese discussed international transfer pricing, taxation issues, and standard costing and performance measurement analysis in a manufacturing setting. In addition, Dr. Seese toured an International Truck plant while he was in Mexico. Seese also made a presentation on international accounting to a group of students and accounting professors in Malaysia. The live videoconference required a late night for Dr. Seese at ECU while the live audience was participating in the morning their time.
The ECU Student Health Center (SHC) has about 35,000 patient visits per year. Historically, about 10 to 15 percent of the time patients haven’t shown up for their appointments. This “no-show” effect has wasted valuable patient appointment times and resulted in idle time for SHC health care providers and staff. The cost of wasted appointments was estimated to be significant by the SHC administration, so they began to explore ways to manage it. Three College of Business faculty members from the Marketing and Supply Chain Management department, with inputs from the SHC staff, developed a mathematical model to help the SHC better understand the situation. John Kros, Scott Dellana and Dave West developed an Excel spreadsheet model using Monte Carlo simulation to communicate the benefits and consequences of selectively overbooking the clinic schedule. Overbooking typically involves scheduling two patients in the same appointment time period. At a meeting in the Fall of 2005, their model demonstration convinced the SHC staff and administration that selective overbooking was generally beneficial for the SHC and their patients; idle time for servers would be reduced, more patients would be seen daily, and patients would be able to schedule appointments sooner. The SHC began overbooking by about 5 percent during selected times in the Spring of 2006. The periods overbooked were identified with the aid of the data analysis as those with the highest probability of no-shows that also had the smallest impact on the system if all patients kept their appointments. The overbooking policy resulted in annual savings estimated at $150,000 due to a reduction in server idle time, and with no significant adverse effect on patient satisfaction with service. The administration and staff of the SHC were so pleased with the results that they plan to increase the rate of selective overbooking in the Fall of 2006.
Harris Named ECU Scholar/Teacher Dr. Michael Harris, Assistant Professor of Management and Director of the Small Business Institute, was named an East Carolina University Scholar Teacher for 2006-2007. Harris will be recognized at the Scholar Teacher Awards Luncheon in April and will make a presentation about his work to incorporate scholarship into his teaching and to mentor his students. Dr. Doug Schneider and Provost Jim Smith at last year’s Scholar Teacher Awards Luncheon.
Dr. Douglas Schneider (ACCT), shown in the photo, was a 2005-2006 Scholar Teacher.
Kros Wins Teaching with Technology Award Dr. John Kros, assistant professor of Marketing and Supply Chain Management, won first place in the ECU Office of Academic Outreach’s annual “Teaching with Technology Think-In”. This event offered faculty from ECU and area community colleges the opportunity to share their experiences in incorporating technology in both face-to-face and distance education courses. Kros’ poster/presentation, “The Design and Use of Multimedia Modules for Teaching Business Modeling & Problem Solving” won in the Innovative Use of Technology track.
John Kros (Teaching with Technology award winner) and Mike Harris (2007 Scholar Teacher)
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Faculty News College of Business Participant in $1.2 Million National Science Foundation Grant East Carolina University was awarded a $1.2 million grant from the National Science Foundation. The COB is a participant in that grant through Beth Eckstein, Director, Center for Economic Education. Eckstein has been the lead for the College and will be a co-principal investigator on the grant. The grant is a collaborative effort between the Division of Research and Graduate Studies, the College of Education, and the College of Business.
Thirty-one business partners have committed to TechMath more will likely be added. These businesses will work with the grant investigators and the schools to develop teaching modules to be used in the curriculum that are based on local business challenges. Some students will work directly on business-related project work, primarily after-school and on weekends, and the teaching modules will be used in the classroom during the year.
The grant was awarded to fund a program called TechMath, which is a three-year program linking businesses, high school teachers and students, and ECU. The target student population is in rural underserved areas of eastern NC. The program is intended to address the current educational gap between real-world business and secondary education by arranging and supporting partnerships between local business and high school math and science teachers. Tangible products of these partnerships are instructional modules incorporating local, real-world business problems into mathematics and science instruction.
During the three year period of the grant, the University will be working with high school students in ten rural counties and twelve school districts. It is anticipated that the grant activities and project blueprint will be replicated in other counties in the east and other areas of the state after the grant period. This award is important because it will help expose more students to real-world business problems earlier in their education. This effort should help attract students who are more engaged and motivated to consider a business education and career.
The Business of Healthcare The College of Business, the School of Allied Health Sciences, and the Center for Healthcare Information Systems Research (CHISR) held the inaugural “The Business of Healthcare – A Mini Research Symposium” last fall. The event provides an opportunity to foster collaborative research efforts among and between ECU’s various business, healthcare, and technology centers. The fall event was so successful that a spring symposium with additional sessions has been planned for this April. David Rosenthal (Management Information Systems) organized the event with Elizabeth Layman, chair of ECU’s Department of Health Services and Information Management. “The purpose of this event is to foster collaboration between east and west campuses. There is a lot of research being done at Brody and at the Allied Health Sciences Building and on the east campus, and I felt this could be an opportunity to pull together some ideas and come up with ways to collaborate. More than sixty faculty members, researchers, and physicians from ECU participated in the first symposium, and even more are expected to participate in the spring event. 4
Vice Chancellor for Research and Graduate Studies welcomes faculty and researchers from across ECU’s east campus and medical campus for the first Business of healthcare symposium last fall.
McCarthy Appointed to AICPA Committee Dr. Mark McCarthy, Associate Professor of Accounting, was appointed to the AICPA Financial Accounting and Reporting Simulations Development Subcommittee for the CPA exam. The charge for this committee is to write simulation questions for the CPA exam. In addition to the multiple choice questions, three of the four parts of the CPA exam contain simulations. The Financial Accounting and Reporting part of the exam contains two simulation questions. A simulation is not just a problem or an essay, but an integrated question on a single topic where candidates may have to complete forms, respond to multiple answer questions, compose a document to communicate to users of financial statements, prepare a spreadsheet and research the accounting standards. The time budgeted for this type of question is 40 to 50 minutes. In addition to writing these questions during the year, the committee meets twice per year. There are six committee members, three of which teach at universities, and three of which work in industry.
College of Business Teaching and Research Fellowships Awarded The newly created College of Business Teaching Fellowships and Research Fellowships were awarded for the first time last fall to recognize excellence in the classroom and in research. The first CoB Teaching Fellows (2006 – 2009) are Dr. Judith Hunt (Management) and Dr. Jack Karns (Finance), and the Research Fellows are Professor James Holloway (Finance) and Dr. Susan DelVecchio (Marketing & Supply Chain Management). Dr. Cal Christian (Accounting) was awarded the Teaching Fellowship for 2007-2010, and Dr. James Kohlmeyer (Accounting) was awarded the Research Fellowship for 2007-2010. The College of Business Fellowships are intended to recognize faculty with a record of excellence in research or teaching, encourage and reward continued excellence, and encourage dissemination of applicable knowledge to others in and out of the college. Each Fellowship is awarded for a three-year period. The Fellow receives an annual salary supplement of $15,000, a portion of which can be elected to be redirected for professional development. Research Fellows are released from one course each semester, and Teaching Fellows may elect a one course release per semester if desired. Fellowship recipients must demonstrate both past and current high quality performance, present a plan to improve his or her high quality activity over the three-year award period, and present a clear plan showing how their knowledge and expertise will be shared with others.
Decision Sciences Department Restructured and Renamed Effective July 1, 2006 the Decision Sciences (DSCI) Department was reorganized and renamed. DSCI was comprised of faculty in Management Information Systems and Operations Management. After the reorganization, Operations Management was moved to the Marketing Department, and the Decision Sciences Department was renamed Management Information Systems (MIS). The MIS Department includes the areas of management information systems, management science, and statistics. The DSCI faculty in Operations Management area were moved to the Marketing Department, which was renamed the department of Marketing and Supply Chain Management (MSCM). Marketing and Supply Chain Management programs are concerned with the creation and delivery of value to customers and organizations. Marketing focuses on developing an understanding of customers and markets, creating products and services based on that understanding, and communicating and delivering the value added. Supply Chain Management (SCM) focuses on the sourcing, operations, and logistics of products and services. Both area of study involve the management of relationships. Dr. Ken Anselmi remains the chair of the MSCM department. The former chair of the DSCI department, Scott Dellana, moved to the MSCM Department, and he has been named as Area Coordinator for the Operations Management and Supply Chain area of the department. Since Dr. Dellana moved to the Marketing and Supply Chain Management department, the MIS Department chair is vacant. Dr. Richard Hauser has been named interim department chair. The MIS Department currently has 19 members, and the MSCM Department has 25 members.
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Organizational News Partnerships and Online Options Spark Growth for MBA Program In spring 2007, the graduate program enjoyed its largest population with 534 MBA and 80 MSA students. Much of this growth occurred in conjunction with a population shift to online. Of the 417 students enrolled in the MBA program in spring 2004, 305 were campus based students and 112 (27%) were taking classes completely online. In striking contrast, of the 534 students enrolled in spring 2007, 191 were campus based students and 343 (64%) were taking classes completely online. The significant increase in online MBA students is attributed in large part to two factors: the outstanding reputation and accreditation of ECU and the College of Business’s (CoB) graduate program and to marketing efforts that began in spring 2005. Regular attendance by the MBA advisors at graduate and professional fairs in North Carolina and Virginia and with the Division of Continuing Studies Road Show has sparked extensive interest in the program. Additionally, the advisors speak regularly with ECU undergraduates in their classes and at special events about the benefit of pursuing their MBAs. The MBA program has also expanded to encourage students in other disciplines to achieve a graduate business degree. They regularly communicate with departments across campus to find commonalities and create partnerships between undergraduate degrees and the MBA. Examples of this include the recent additions of the Security Studies and Sport Management certificates. Most recently, a collaborative effort between the CoB and the Department of Biology has resulted in a 4+1 Biology/MBA integrated, combined degree (currently in the approval process). These programs provide another avenue of access to an advanced business degree for all ECU students.
(l-r) Assistant Directors for Graduate Programs Robin Armstrong and Tina Williams and Assistant Dean Len Rhodes
The CoB will continue to form alliances with various departments throughout the University in order to create additional opportunities for students. This, in addition to the popularity of the online program, will allow for continued growth for the graduate program and the College of Business.
Online Programs Experience Phenomenal Growth The College of Business takes its commitment to online students very seriously, and The Office of Online Programs is evidence of that. Established in summer 2005, the office now advises nearly sixty undergraduate general business students, most of whom are completing their degree while holding full-time jobs. Under the direction of Assistant Dean for Online Programs Margaret O’Hara and staffed by several graduate students, the office also provides proctoring services for any students that require them, including the 343 MBA students taking only online classes. This means offering a quiet location for students to take an exam on campus and handling the logistics of proctor approval and exam distribution for off-campus students. In addition to the services offered to students, the office makes available numerous classes for faculty development each semester. All 6
faculty members new to online instruction are provided 12 hours of instruction, and experienced faculty can take classes that help them stay current with new technologies available for distance education. The office also represents the CoB at university and system-wide distance education meetings. Maggie O’Hara
Bureau of Business Research Revitalized The Bureau of Business Research (BBR) is the applied research arm of ECU’s College of Business. The BBR has been in existence for over 20 years, but for much of that time has played a background role within the College. Dr. James W. Kleckley, has been hired as the director of the revitalized BBR. The BBR is positioned to facilitate the College’s applied research activity by helping to coordinate the College’s research programs and by supporting and facilitating the research efforts of the College’s diverse and talented faculty. In its new and active role, the BBR will provide applied economic data and forecasting service to businesses, governments, and individuals throughout eastern North Carolina and the state. These generally fee-based services will include economic and business data, economic development data, economic forecast modeling and analysis, and conferences to help everyone better understand their own economic environment. Additionally, the new BBR will seek external grant funding related to its activities and will be positioned to assist faculty with their grant ideas and proposals. Some of the BBR’s external activities will likely be suited to faculty participation on a paid basis and the Bureau will provide suitable coordination. For the past seven years, Kleckley has worked in ECU’s Office of Institutional Planning, Research, and Effectiveness (IPRE), most recently as Associate Director. Prior to that, he was a consulting economist and economic forecaster. He has also held positions in Bureaus of Business Research at the University of Florida and Oklahoma State University. He holds a PhD in Economics from
Jim Kleckley, Director for the Bureau of Business Research
the University of South Carolina. Kleckley has been teaching FINA 6204, the micro/macro economics class for first year MBA students for the last four years and continues to teach with his new position with the College. The BBR is currently involved in a $169,000 grant to study the economic impact of a proposed new bridge on North Carolina’s Outer Banks. The Center is also in the process of hiring two new staff researchers. Since coming to the College last summer, Kleckley has given several economic outlook presentations to groups. These presentations have focused on the general health and outlook of the groups’ respective county/counties in North Carolina.
Career Services News The mission of the College of Business Career Services Office (CSO) is to open as many career opportunities as possible to be a vital part of the job search for business students. Director Scotty Andrews, and Assistant Directors Lee Brown and Miranda Morton accomplish this mission by reaching out to corporate recruiters and bringing them to campus and providing relevant professional development programs, including resume writing, interview techniques, networking seminars and career counseling. The CSO is utilizing E-Recruiting, a system that matches corporate recruiters and students for job opportunities. Currently, 200 business students are utilizing the system, and the CSO staff has been very involved with recruiting more students to participate. Credit Suisse, BB&T, and Sageworks have all visited the CSO recently to provide information about their companies and to interview students for positions.
(l-r) Assistant Directors COB Career Services Lee Brown and Miranda Morton and Director Scott Andrews
The College of Business co-sponsored the Business Career Fair on March 7th with the ECU Career Center at Minges Coliseum. Seventyone companies participated in this event. Most recently, a group of ECU undergraduate and graduate students, both campus based and distance education, joined Career Services Director Scotty Andrews on a whirlwind series of visits to organizations in the Washington, DC area on March 11-14. See the next issue of Stocknotes for details on the visit.
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Alumni Notes 2006
2004
Ravi Patel (MBA) is a financial analyst in the chemical division of Computer Science Corp. (CSC) in Newark, Delaware. CSC is a Fortune 500 company that “buys out” IT departments and runs it for the company. Clients include Boeing, RJR Nabisco, DuPont, and many federal government contracts. Ravi loves his job and uses knowledge from graduate school classes (especially Accounting, Operations Management, and Business Policy) on a daily basis.
Sarah Turner Elliott (MKTG) has been promoted to mortgage loan officer for Select Bank & Trust. She has been with the bank for two years. In her new role, she will assist clients with mortgage loan processes from pre-qualification through closing. She and her husband Daimon Elliott (FINA ’03) reside in Winterville.
2005 Casey Cronin (FINA) is working with the Futures/Options market at Credit Suisse in Raleigh. Deena Kimble (MBA) was promoted to Senior Consultant with Grant Thornton in the DC area. Haven Kornegay (MBA) is the Marketing Coordinator for the Bank of Wilmington. Mary Elizabeth McNeill (MBA, MKTG ’99) has been named manufacturing and technology counselor for the ECU office of the North Carolina Small Business and Technology Development Center (SBTDC). She will provide support to three regional centers covering 34 counties. She also provides counsel to manufacturing companies seeking to develop or enhance the business competencies required to compete in a global marketplace and assists technology businesses by supporting them throughout the technology commercialization process by providing a wide range of management counseling. Patrick Mobley (MBA) is Consultant to the Federal Government for Grant Thornton in the DC area. He is living in Arlington, Virginia. Nitesh Patidar (MBA) is attending the Florida Pharmacy School, participating in the online program. He is still living in Greenville working at Walgreens as he completes his education to become a pharmacist. He feels that his business courses at ECU will give him an invaluable advantage in his future career. Luke Reynolds (MKTG) has joined Bandwidth.com, which provides voice over IP and high speed internet to small and medium-size businesses. He is now in Cary, NC. Brian Sides (DSCI) was promoted in A4 Health Systems and is now part of the EHR Support Escalation group. David Bond (’78 MKTG), President of the company’s HealthMatics Division, commented on his promotion: “Another 13 month ‘veteran’, Brian’s promotion will provide us with considerable expertise on the more technical aspects of our software, and he will be a welcome addition to a team that has provided extraordinary value not only to our Client Support Team, but to the entire Company.” Chia-shen “Sophia” Yeh (MBA) is an operational analyst for TeraRecon, an imaging technology (mainly 3-D medical equipment) company, in San Mateo, California. The company has branches in Norway, Japan, and the US and a very diverse management team, which appeals to Sophia. 8
Stephen Hill (MSA) is the Lead Accounting Instructor at Beaufort county community college in Washington, NC. Previous to this position, Steve was General Manager for Steve and Barry’s University Sportswear in Greenville. He and his wife Elizabeth (ECU Nutrition Dietetics ’99) have a son, Luke, and reside in Winterville. Hill funds an annual Accounting Scholarship for deserving ECU students.
2003 Karalee Joi Demko (MBA) married Jacob Coughlin (ECU ’98) on July 9, 2005. Karalee is a mortgage loan officer and banking officer with BB&T Mortgage. Michael Ryan Lynch (MBA) and Lian Oxenham (MBA, MGMT ’02) were married on October 7, 2005, and now reside in Cary. Mike is a records procession manager at Rex Hospital, and Lian is a business and technology analyst at N.C. State University. Kelly Elizabeth Griffin Smith (MGMT) has been promoted to branch manager of First South Bank’s Greenville office on Arlington Boulevard. David Walton (MBA) was promoted to assistant vice president for BB&T. He joined the bank in 2003 and is an operations support manager in BB&T’s Bank Secrecy Act/Anti-Money Laundering department in Wilson.
2002 Carson Barham (MBA, RCLS ’99) is a Business Analyst for Kimley Horn and Associates in the regional headquarters for Florida located in West Palm Beach. His role encompasses taking care of the company’s 20 Florida offices. Kimley-Horn is ranked in the top 25 of Fortune Magazine’s 100 Best Companies to Work For. Justin Warren Jones (ACCT) of Abingdon, Md., has been promoted to senior associate in the Baltimore office of Clifton Gunderson LLP, the nation’s 13th largest audit accounting firm. The company has offices in 15 states and Washington, D.C. Tara Lilley (MBA) was promoted by BB&T to assistant vice president. She is BB&T’s Bankcard Services online products manager. Michael Fox Orr (FINA) received his Juris Doctorate from Florida Coastal School of Law in Jacksonville, FL. Michael served for Tara Lilley two years as President of the Student Bar Association and received a full scholarship as a result of that service. He joined Marshall, Dennehey, Warner, Coleman & Goggin in 2005. Orr was recently elected to the Florida Bar Board of Governors - Young Lawyers Division, representing three counties. He is the youngest Governor on the entire statewide board.
Carolyn Ann Wilburn (MBA, FINA ’98) of Greenville, director of the eastern region Small Business and Technology Development Center of ECU, spent two weeks in Gulfport, Miss., assisting business owners filing for federal assistance after Hurricane Katrina. SBTDC volunteers worked through the Small Business Development Center at the University of Southern Mississippi in Gulfport.
2001
Mary Ruth Davis Brantley (MBA, MKTG ’00) is the Marketing Manager for The Hammock Source in Greenville. She recently won a Merchandising Excellence Award for booth design at a conference in Chicago. Julie Carlson (MBA) has been appointed by the Greenville City Council to the Greenville Utilities Board of Commissioners for a three year term. She is employed at DuPont Soy Polymers as an account manager, a position she has held since 2003.
Brandon Monroe Tate (MBA, MKTG ’95) of Greenville has opened his third U.S. Cellular retail store. His Atlantic Wireless operation is one of seven U.S. Cellular “platinum agents” in the nation.
1997
Ashley Fleming (MBA) is Account Manager – Business Banking & Marketing Executive for RBC Centura in Goldsboro. He married Duffy Smithwick (Art ’95) in May, and former ECU classmate Sean Frelke (MBA ’96) was one of his groomsmen. Robert Lewis (MKTG) is a Realtor for Weichert Southern Coast Realtors (www.southern-coast.com ) in Myrtle Beach. His Company is one of the top producing real estate companies in the Carolinas, with offices from Sunset Beach, NC to Pawleys Island, NC. Robert is enrolled in graduate school part-time at Harvard University in the extension school pursuing on online MA in Business Management degree.
Marybeth Petteway Eason (MBA, MKTG ’00) has been promoted to vice president at Branch Banking & Trust Co. in Wilson. She is product development manager at the Forest Hills Road branch.
Elizabeth Anne Brooks Newell (MGMT) of Greenville has been promoted to senior mortgage loan officer at RBC Centura bank.
Jason Groesser (ACCT) has been named director of accounting for First Flight Federal Credit Union in Greenville. He first joined First Flight in early 2005 and has served as a financial services representative and director of lending and mortgage loan originator.
Eric Patterson (MBA, ACCT ’95) has been working for IBM for the past 11 years. He has recently moved back to North Carolina and is working remote from Winston-Salem.
Bryan Hall (MBA, MGMT ’99) is Manager for Grant Thornton in the DC area. He has been back to ECU campus to recruit business students for positions with Grant Thornton. John R. Wiley (MSA), a certified public accountant, has joined the firm of Collins, Asbell, Ward, and Greene, LLP. He was formerly an audit manager with Ernst and Young in Raleigh.
1999
Stephen Badiali (DSCI) is a Solutions Consultant for the Liquent business unit of Thomson Scientific in the New York metro area. The division sells software and services to the Life Sciences industry, which includes Pharmaceutical, Biotechnology, and Medical Device Companies. He and his wife Danielle have also been running a wedding and event planning business, Full Circle Bridle and Events Consulting, for the past four years. John Adlin Daigle Jr. (ACCT) of Winterville was promoted to director of finance at Overton’s Inc. of Greenville. Brian Tew (MBA, ’99 ITEC) joined Thompson and Litton in the Radford Office as a Project Manager. He is responsible for the coordination of a project and is the main point of contact between the client and the project team. He and his wife Stephanie have a daughter, Morgan. Brian Tew
1998
Michael Todd Paul (MGMT) and Jenai Eilleen Stem Paul (ECU) of Baltimore welcomed new son Mason Todd on May 7. The baby joins older sister Avery.
1995
Eric Steven Clark (FINA) of Greenville has been named vice president and commercial loan officer at First South Bank’s East Arlington Boulevard Branch. His responsibilities will include consumer and commercial lending along with managing the relationships of business customers in Greenville and Pitt County. James Oral Ensor Jr. (MBA) was selected to direct the Small Business Center at Pitt Community College. Jim preciously worked with ECU’s Small Business and Technology Development Center. Robert Ellis “Bob” Fleming (FINA, DSCI ’93) of Burke, Va., is a systems consultant at Armstrong Enterprise Communications in Fairfax. He was formerly an applications consultant at Advanced Solutions International in Alexandria. Jason Wing (MGMT) has been promoted to wealth manager at Carolina Wealth Management in Greenville. He previously served as the office manager for the firm and has seven years of experience in the investment industry. He has completed the Series 65 Investment Advisor Representative exam.
1994
Lindsey Crisp (ACCT) was the featured speaker at the fall 2006 Beta Alpha Psi Induction Banquet. He is the president and CEO of Carver Machine Works, Inc. in Washington, NC Donna Jo Phillips (MBA, MKTG ’91) and husband William Askew of Winterville announce the birth of Carter Thomas Askew, born Sept. 1. Donna and William were married in May 2004.
Rob Landrum (FINA) was named director of lending for First Flight Federal Credit Union in Greenville. He joined the credit union in 2003 after four years as an account manager for RBC Centura Bank. He has served as city executive in Greenville since joining First Flight. Donda Ruann Hill Rhodes (MBA) has been promoted to assistant vice president at Branch Banking & Trust Co. She is an information systems team leader based in Wilson.
1996
Denny Warren Purser (FINA) of Greenville is a certified financial planner with Purser Financial Solutions.
Donda Rhodes
Bobbi Michelle Wilson (ACCT) of Clayton has left the tax department of Ernst & Young LLP, where she worked for eight years, to become tax manager with General Parts, Inc., the holding company for all CarQuest stores. 9
Alumni Notes 1993
Barry Kevin Holmes (MBA) has been promoted to senior vice president at Branch Banking & Trust Co. He is regional business banking manager for BB&T’s Triad Region and is based at the bank’s Stratford Road, Winston-Salem location. Christopher John Laney (DSCI) of Greensboro was recognized by Business Journal as one of Greensboro’s “Forty Leaders Under 40.” Chris, vice president of Questions Technologies Inc., recently earned a pilot’s license. Jonathan Richard Powers (FINA) of Greenville, an Edward Jones investment representative, has been appointed field trainer for new brokers. Christopher Coe Steele (DSCI) and wife Darcy announce the arrival of daughter Ava Culler, born March 31. The family lives in Winston-Salem where Christopher is a project manager with Sonoco/CorrFlex.
1992
Michael David “Mike” Gillikin (MBA) of Greenville, eastern N.C. sales consultant for BETCO, received the company’s annual Donnie Ray Tart Sales Award of Excellence. The award memorializes a 1969 ECU business graduate who was BETCO’s all-time sales leader. The company has established a $10,000 scholarship endowment at ECU in Tart’s memory. Kendrick Martin Whitehurst (FINA) of Greenville has been promoted to senior vice president at Branch Banking & Trust Co. He is a group private banking manager based at BB&T’s Southeast Greenville Boulevard Branch.
1990
Nancy Johnston Lilley (FINA) was promoted to vice president of deposit operations and services at First South Bank in Washington, N.C. Nancy, who has been with the bank for 15 years, serves as a liaison between the branches and the corporate office.
1989
Carl Turner
Carl Turner (MKTG), who just completed his 15th year with RBC, is First Vice President and Financial Consultant for RBC Dain Rauscher. He was recently named as a member of the President’s Council (top 350 overall producers) and the Senior Consulting Group (top 100 fee-based advisors out of approximately 2,000 Financial Consultants in the company). He recently completed the Accredited Wealth Manager program and the Accredited Investment Fiduciary program. He and his wife, Jennifer Journigan Turner (NURS ’92) live in Rocky Mount with their four children.
1988
Alyson Faulconer (MBA, FINA’88) is the commercial bank manager for The Little Bank’s Greenville office. The Little Bank, a Kinston-based bank recently opened a full-service branch in Greenville at the renovated facility that formerly housed Mesh Café. The 8-year-old company has branches in Jacksonville, Goldsboro, and LaGrange. Lori Ann Schrank (ACCT) of Burnsville, Minn., married Matt Standafer last spring, Lori is controller at The Blake School, a private prekindergarten-grade 12 school.
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1987
Mark Aldo DeSalvo (FINA) of Chesapeake, Va., has joined Ferris Baker Watts in Virginia Beach as a senior vice president and investment advisor. He was previously a vice president for investments at Morgan Stanley.
1986
Sharon Denise Garris Angel (ACCT) of Winterville has received state bar certification as a paralegal. She is an accountant and specializes in bankruptcy. Donald Christopher Lancaster (MKTG) of Youngsville has joined Union Bank & Trust Co. as market executive for Franklin County. He was formerly a vice president at First Citizens Bank in Louisburg. William Joseph “Bill” McBride III (MKTG) of San Francisco has been promoted to chief operating officer of Club One Inc., an international fitness and wellness organization. He was previously a senior vice president at the Sport & Heath Co. in Washington, D.C.
1985
Ellen Blackman (FINA) is Executive Director for Day by Day Alcohol and Drug Treatment Center in Selma. W. Kel Normann (MKTG) is the Director for Investments for The Normann Financial Group, a division of Wachovia Securities, in Sanford, NC. Kel serves on the ECU Foundation Board and the ECU Business Advisory Council and is the Chairman of the ECU Foundation’s Investment Committee. He also ran the 2006 New York Marathon. Mark Josef Shank (MKTG) is president of Encore Communication Inc. and an international speaker, coach and trainer focusing on communication, motivation and work-balance skills. His clients have included GlaxoSmithKline, Cisco Systems, Nortel Network and Misys Healthcare.
1983
Mike Osborne (FINA) and wife Michelle live in Garner, NC. He is a State Cerfified General Real Estate Appraiser and Broker. He attended the ECU-NC State football game last fall in Raleigh and was thrilled with the victory.
1981
Ray Barnes (FINA) was recently appointed to the Small Business and Technology Development Center’s Statewide Advisory Board. He is an Executive Vice President and Small Business Banking Manager for BB&T in Winston-Salem. Jimmy Stuart Creech (MKTG) has joined Keller Williams Realty, a Greenville firm. He previously worked for 25 years in the tobacco and pharmaceutical industries. Paula T. Morris (MKTG) is the founder and President of Kids of Honor, an innovative program that has helped hundreds of kids reach for the goal of high school graduation since its inception in 2003.
1979
Helen Jo Foss Gillette (BUSA) and Michael Ward Gillette (BUSA ’82) of Winterville have “graduated” their homeschooled firstborn, Davidson Burton, who is attending ECU in the Honors Program as a four-year East Carolina Scholar Award recipient. Helen is a nurse at Pitt County Memorial Hospital, and Michael is senior sales engineer with Siemens Corp.
1978
Gary Davidson (MKTG) is the Chief Financial Officer for Emigra Group, LLC. He has traveled extensively for business over the past year, including Hong Kong, China, Singapore, London, and Frankfurt. Frank J. Rackley (BUSA) of New Bern was elected to the N.C. Forestry Association Board of Directors. Now the North Carolina timberland manager for Weyerhaeuser, Frank has been with Weyerhaeuser for the past 32 years. Mark Alan Tanner (ACCT) of Annapolis, MD., has retired as director of the FBI’s Foreign Terrorist Tracking Task Force. He has joined CollabraSpace as director of law enforcement and homeland security. The organization’s purpose is to foster collaboration among agencies and organizations involved in protecting America from terrorist activities.
1977
Edward R. Pupa (MKTG) has been named CEO of Design Advance Systems Inc. of Pittsburgh. His 25 years in the electronics industry includes executive positions at EndoPassives Inc. and Kyma Technologies Inc.
1974
Darrell Harrison (MBA) of Greenville is owner of Xerox Document Solutions East Inc. and will begin his 15th year this fall as a college football official.
1973
Howard Aycock (BUSA) has recently moved to Ormond Beach, Florida. He has been an active member of ECU’s Business Advisory Council for over twenty years.
1971
Ken Chalk (MBA, ’68 BUSA) ran the New York Marathon in November, 2006. Richard R. “Ric” Cox (ACCT) of Greenville was co-winner of the Greenville-Pitt County Small Business Leader Award. He is the owner of the Richard R. Cox CPA firm, a firm specializing in business valuations, and he is one of about 1,400 certified valuation analysts in the U.S. He was the focus of the feature article in the Jan. 16 issue of the Daily Reflector. He also has been appointed to the Litigation Services Committee of the N.C. Association of CPAs. Phillip Ray “Phil” Dixon (MGMT) of Greenville was appointed to the UNC Board of Governors by vote of the N.C. Senate. He has also has joined Wachovia Bank’s local advisory board of directors. Phil, a partner in the firm Dixon, Doub, Conner & Foster, served from 1993 to 2001 on the ECU Board of Trustees, the last two years as chairman. Charles Austin Hayes (BUSA) of Sanford, president and CEO of Research Triangle Partnership.
1965
Robert Donald “Don” Parrott (BUSA), Greenville Mayor, was honored by the ECU College of Human Ecology at its Alumni and Friends Awards Dinner in April. James R. “Jim” Talton Jr. (BUSA) chairman of Impact Design Build, received the A.E Finley Distinguished Service Award at the Greater Raleigh Chamber of Commerce’s 118th annual meeting. He has served on numerous business, civic, charitable, cultural and education boards in the Triangle area.
1959
Sylvia Ann Jones Wheless (BUSA) of Greenville was presented the local Best-Irons Humanitarian Award in February. She has worked with prison ministries, the Shrinettes, the Salvation Army, the Keep America Beautiful program and other civic and charitable organizations.
In Memoriam
Timothy Monroe Wood (MGMT ’90) of Greenville died July 18. He was a programmer analyst at NACCO Materials Handling Group. Joel Watson Johnson (BUSA ’78) of Severn died Dec. 7, 2005. He was a retiree from the N.C. Department of Revenue and active in the Junior Chamber of Commerce. Ronald Peter Caffery (ACCT ’73) of Weaverville died Jan. 18. A certified public accountant, he was an Army veteran of the Vietnam War. Leary Ruaine “Rue” Riley (BUSA ’70) of Burlington died June 25. He had retired as owner and operator of College Station Custom Framing. George Thomas Hicks (BUSA ’69) of Knightdale died Oct. 16. He was president of Pi Omega Pi his junior year. He taught business education at Whiteville High School but was self-employed in the rental property business in recent years. William Hythe “Bill” Morris Jr. (BUSA ’66) of Hawthorne, Fla., died April 1, 2004. His transportation career included positions throughout the U.S., most recently as lead planner of the San Diego light-rail system. Louis Foxman Adler (BUSA ’64), formerly of Tarboro died Oct. 8 in Little River, S.C. He joined the Army after college and served at Walter Reed Medical Center in Washington, D.C. He returned to North Carolina to lead the family business, Edgecombe Casket Co. of Pinetops, until it was sold in 1994. Pleas Wilson Carter Jr. (BUSA ’64) of Concord died Oct. 17. He worked in real estate in Cabarrus County for more than 30 years. Clifton Earl Boyd (BUSA ’56) of Greenville died Feb. 7. He was an Air Force veteran before joining American Airlines for a 27-year career as pilot, flight captain and flight instructor. William N. “Bill” Howard (BUSA ’56) of Bath died June 27. He was a Coast Guard veteran and retired as vice president of Hannah & Dunn Inc. of Greenville. Edwin D. Averette Sr. (BUSA ’51) of New Bern died May 22. He was a veteran of the Army and served in the Korean War. Alton T. Johnson Sr. (BUSA ’51) of the Stokes community in Pitt County died Sept. 24. A World War II veteran, he was an auditor for the state and later farmed. Sarah Mae Jones (BUSA ’46) of Greenville died Jan. 14. She was chief office deputy with the Pitt County Sheriff ’s Office, a position she held for 42 years.
Faculty Deaths Dr. Raymond Lawrence “Ray” Jones of Greenville and Chapel Hill died July 8. He taught in the School of Business in the Marketing Department from 1961 until 1989. The Raymond and Martha Jones/American Marketing Association Scholarship was established in 1988 in his honor.
Please email updates on yourself or classmates to westmorelandj@ecu.edu 11
Alumni News Bond’s Company Named Software Company of the Year David Bond (MKTG ’78) resides in Raleigh and is the president of the HealthMatics Division of Allscripts, the leading supplier of clinical and financial applications for the ambulatory health-care market. His former company, A4 Health Systems, which merged with Allscripts in 2006, was named the North Carolina Technology Association (NCTA) Software Company of the Year. The NCTA, the primary voice of the technology industry in North Carolina, honored companies and individuals for excellence in leadership and innovation at its annual NCTA 21 Awards gala in November. The event was presented in conjunction with Grant Thornton, LLP. The event, “Renaissance: Invention to Opportunity,” was attended by more than 520 technology executives and thought leaders from across North Carolina. The NCTA 21 Awards recognize outstanding contributions that information technology companies and individuals in North Carolina have made over the past year to the industry, community, and state. The awards are grouped in five categories: technology industry awards, stage of development awards, functional awards, leadership awards, and excellence awards. Bond maintains strong connections to the ECU College of Business. He serves on the Business Advisory Council, is a frequent guest speaker in business classes, and he personally interviews ECU students for jobs with Allscripts. He was also the Beta Gamma Sigma Chapter Honoree and spoke to the new inductees at the Spring 2006 Awards Ceremony.
David Bond, shown with Dean Rick Niswander and faculty member and president of Beta Gamma Sigma Shanan Gibson, was the Chapter Honoree and keynote speaker at the spring 2006 Beta Gamma Sigma Banquet.
Ralph Finch’s (BUSA ’67) grandchildren, Raymond and Caroline Avery asked him to build them a tree house. He remembered the wonderful adventures that he had with his friends in his childhood clubhouse. However, thoughts of his own East Carolina Pirates, Blackbeard, and Jack Sparrow of the Pirates of the Caribbean inspired Ralph to create an entirely different design… a pirate ship! Now Pirate Raymond and Pirate Caroline are making memories with their own friends as they sail the seas hunting for treasures. The photo at left was taken at Caroline and Raymond’s joint birthday party.
Ralph Finch (BUSA ‘67) built this Pirate Ship clubhouse for his grandchildren.
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Finch, who lives in Midlothian, Virginia with his wife, is the president of Virginia Land Company, a land and real estate development company. He is writing the first children’s book for ECU, titled The Adventures of Pee Dee the Pirate, which should be published this summer. He will donate royalties for each book sold to the University.
College of Business Advancement From the Advancement Office It is a great time to be a pirate! As East Carolina University is about to step into its second century, I am excited to be the first Major Gift Officer in the College of Business. I have 14 years of sales and marketing experience, most of which came from the beverage industry. I am excited to use my experience to work together with our Alumni to achieve and exceed all of our goals. First, I would like to say thank you and congratulations to the class of 1966 for being the College of Business’ strongest supporter with 9% of the class donating back to the college in 2006. The classes of 1970, 1972 and 1978 tied for a close second with 8%. Your generosity is greatly appreciated especially during this time of growth within the College of Business. Speaking of growth, some exciting additions are on the horizon. The Commerce Club is doubling the amount of academic scholarships it will award, as well as creating 10 new book scholarships that will help offset textbooks costs for students. With the average cost of textbooks at over $500, this is exciting news for our students. The College of Business alumni webpage is also going to be under construction in the next few months; you will now be able to join or renew your membership to the Commerce Club and update your personal information for Stocknotes online. Please visit www.business.ecu.edu (click Alumni then click the Commerce Club) and tell us about any new changes, including a job, a promotion, or even a family announcement. This is also a wonderful opportunity to reach out to your classmates. Please visit www.business.ecu.edu, we would love to hear from you! Please continue to support the College of Business. There are many opportunities for giving including the Professional Development and Leadership Fund, Undergraduate and Graduate Scholarships and Opportunity Funds. Feel free to contact me at oconnorc@ecu.edu for more details regarding the opportunities for giving mentioned above. Again, we value your continued support. I look forward to working with you. Colin O’Connor Major Gift Officer College of Business East Carolina University oconnorc@ecu.edu
College of Business Advancement Team: Jim Westmoreland, Associate Dean for External Affairs and Colin O’Connor, Major Gifts Officer.
Leave your perpetual legacy at the College of Business while gaining estate tax and or income tax savings.
Planned gifts are among the most convenient and tax advantageous ways to make a meaningful contribution toward the College of Business. These gifts, which reduce estate tax, capital gains tax, and income tax include: • • •
Bequest provisions in your will Beneficiary designation in your 401k, 403b, and IRA retirement accounts Gifts of life insurance
Revenue producing gifts: • Charitable Gift Annuities – funded by appreciated assets • Charitable Remainder Trusts – funded by appreciated assets To learn more about one or all of these planned giving options as well as learning about membership in The Leo Jenkins Society (membership gained with any documented planned gift to the East Carolina University Foundation, Inc., The Medical Foundation of ECU, Inc. and The ECU Educational Foundation, Inc.), please contact Colin O’Connor, Major Gifts Officer at 252-328-9550 or e-mail at oconnorc@ecu.edu, or Greg Abeyounis, Director of Planned Giving at 252-328-9573 or e-mail at abeyounisg@ecu.edu. Please feel free to request greater detailed information about these planned giving methods found in a booklet entitled “A guide to Creative Planned Giving Arrangements” or schedule an appointment to discuss how these gifts can help you leave a legacy at ECU. Thank you for your interest in and support of the College of Business at East Carolina University.
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New Scholarships 2007-2008 Seven new scholarships have been established for College of Business students for the 2007-2008 academic year, funded through the generosity of benefactors: The Mr. & Mrs. Howard Brown Community Scholarship was established by Bonnie Brown (BSBA ’71) in honor of her parents. The purpose of the Fund is to provide scholarship support for full-time undergraduate students enrolled in the College of Business. Recipients will be selected based upon academic ability, academic major, demonstrated financial need, and demonstrated involvement in the community (on or off the ECU campus). The George Coffman Scholarship was established by friends, family, and former employees of George Coffman, a benefactor of East Carolina University and owner of Coffman’s Men’s Shop in Greenville. This scholarship is intended for Marketing majors with strong academic achievement. The Eakins Scholarship was established by Stan and Laurie Eakins for an undergraduate Finance or Management Information Systems major who has demonstrated financial need. Stan is the College of Business’ Associate Dean and the former Chair of the Finance Department, and Laurie is a lecturer in Management Information Systems. The Gourley Fellowship was established by Trent Gourley (BUSA ’75), the owner of Gourley and Gourley, LLC, a private mortgage banking firm in Northern Virginia. This fellowship will pay full in-state or out-of-state tuition for multiple years and will also include a paid summer internship at the office of Gourley and Gourley, LLC. The ideal Gourley Fellow will (1) have a career interest in mortgage banking, real estate, relationship lending, or related fields (2) have a breadth of abilities and interests and demonstrate an ability to successfully manage multiple activities, including school, and (3) have demonstrated analytical ability, yet be able to think and act entrepreneurially. While grades are a factor, they are not the preeminent or deciding factor. The James W. Nordan and Anne H. Nordan Scholarship was established by Frank Floyd to honor and memorialize his grandparents. This scholarship will be awarded based on demonstrated financial need and academic ability. The Margery W. and R. Roy Pearce Scholarship was established by Marnie (MKTG ’98 and MBA ’99) and Jerod (FINA ’97 and MBA ’98) Cohen in honor or Marnie’s grandparents. The recipient of the Pearce Scholarship will be a full-time undergraduate student who has been admitted to the College of Business, has maintained at least a 3.0 GPA, exhibits excellent verbal and written communication skills, is a US citizen, and has demonstrated financial need. The Tennielle Todd Memorial Scholarship was established by Lester Keith (Les) Terry (BSA/MSA ’03) in memory of his wife. The recipient of this scholarship will be a student in the BSA/MSA program who is non-traditional with respect to age, and preference will be given to a student who is married and/or supporting a family. Academic achievement, a positive attitude, and commitment to complete education are also criteria.
Back row: Jim Westmoreland, Associate Dean for External Affairs, Jean Rentz, Jerod Cohen Seated: Marnie Pearce and Marnie Cohen
The 2007-2008 scholarship recipients and donors will be honored at the first annual Scholarship Awards Banquet to be held at the Hilton Greenville on April 26th. Sincere thanks to our generous benefactors. These scholarships make a tremendous difference in the lives of our students. If you are interested, in establishing a scholarship, please contact Colin O’Connor at (252)328-9550 or oconnorc@ecu.edu.
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Students Students Travel to Omaha to Meet with Warren Buffet for Second Year Early on Thursday, November 17th, Dr. Sam Tibbs (Finance) and Dr. Judy Wagner (Marketing) and 52 ECU business students boarded a plane in Raleigh headed to Omaha, Nebraska to meet with revered investor and the number two rank in Forbes’ 2006 World’s Richest Person list, Warren Buffet. This was the second year in a row that ECU was invited to meet with Buffett, who annually meets with fewer than 25 student groups from around the country, including the likes of Stanford, Dartmouth, Chicago, Wharton, Iowa, and Tennessee. On Thursday afternoon, the group met with Mr. Wallace Weitz, president and founder of The Weitz Funds and a few of his analysts. Weitz Funds manages approximately $6 billion for individuals, corporations, pension plans, foundations, and endowments. The students learned a lot about how mutual funds are managed and how stocks are selected for the mutual funds. Friday morning, the group met with Mr. Bob Batt of Nebraska Furniture Mart (a Berkshire Hathaway owned business) for a tour and Question and Answer session. Finally, the group met with Mr. Buffett for a two hour Question and Answer Session. Dr. Tibbs described the experience, “There were moments of raucous laughter and absolute silence. I can honestly say that everyone left that room more enlightened and with a different perspective of the world.” Buffett answered questions on a wide range of topics, including international equities, alternative fuels, politics, his passion for investing, his personal philosophy, the qualities he is looking for in his successor, and his philanthropy philosophy. After the Q&A session, Buffett bought lunch for all of the students at Gorat’s, his favorite steakhouse. After lunch, he took the time to pose for a photo with anyone who wanted one. After several inspiring hours with Warren Buffett, the group went to Borshiems for a tour and Question and Answer session with
52 ECU Business students traveled to Omaha to meet Warren Buffett
President and CEO, Mrs. Susan Jacques. “It was a wonderful trip, and the students really enjoyed it,” Tibbs commented. “Many students have told me that meeting Mr. Buffett was a life-changing experience.”
Accounting Student Named to Conference USA All-Academic Team Kevin Roach, a graduate student in the BSA/MSA program and wide receiver for the Pirate football team for the past four years, was named to the Conference USA All-Academic team in November. Kevin has also been named to the Conference USA Commissioner’s Academic Honor Roll and the ECU Athletic Director’s Honor Roll for 2002-03, 2003-04, 2004-05, and 2005-06. Kevin expects to sit for the CPA exam next fall, graduate in December 2007, and then begin working for an accounting firm. He has maintained a 3.44 grade point average while balancing his life as a full-time student and outstanding collegiate athlete. “I think that playing football has taught me many things that I can take into the business world,” Kevin mused. “I have had to learn to manage my time wisely between practice and my school work and also be accountable for both.” During this past football season, he was enrolled in graduate school. Most of his classes were scheduled in the afternoon and/or at night, which would cause him to miss some meetings with coaches and even leave practice early. So, he had to watch film and scout opponents on his own, instead of with the rest of them. “The coaches were very understanding and worked with me so I could be ready for the game while pursuing my masters. I feel that I have learned a lot about myself during this process, and I thank the coaching staff and the University for giving me this opportunity,” Roach stated.
MBA Student Perseveres After Bombing Iraq Octavia Burgess was in her last semester of her online MBA program last fall. She was working for a contractor in Iraq supporting our troops and taking Dr. Roy Simerly’s Business Policy class online. Then in September, the facility in which she was working was bombed, destroying the building, killing two of her colleagues, and injuring Octavia. She was transferred to an Army facility in Germany, where she was treated for a week and then was transferred back to the United States to complete her recovery. The day after the attack, Octavia sent word through her fiancé to Dr. Simerly that her laptop had been destroyed in the bombing and asking if she could have an extension on her Policy paper (as it was stored on her laptop). Of course, Dr. Simerly granted the extension, and Octavia was back full swing into the class in a very short time. She successfully completed her last class in the MBA program and graduated in December, but she started working on her MSA degree from ECU this spring. The College of Business’ online programs reach people all around the world and help them achieve their educational goals. 15
Financial Management Association Travels to Charlotte Seven student members of the Financial Management Association (FMA), with faculty advisor Dr. Brett Cotten and Associate Dean for External Affairs Dr. Jim Westmoreland, journeyed to Charlotte last fall to visit some of the city’s largest employers of Finance Majors. The group visited Vanguard first, and then learned about Bank of America, as the personal guest of David Giles (ACCT ’98). Giles is Senior Vice President – Senior Finance Manager of Corporate Investments for Bank of America. He has several years experience with a Big 4 accounting firm as well as corporate experience, and he offered meaningful career insights to students who will soon be entering the job market. Next the students traveled to Wachovia, where they were shown around the Wachovia Trading Floor by ECU alumnus Jeff Kearns (FINA ’85). Bill Langley (BUSA ’72), the Head of Compliance for Wachovia Corp. and Executive Vice President for Wachovia also spent time talking to the students, giving them a truly global perspective of banking today. The students learned a great deal about the financial services industry and gained significant insights into career options.
COB alumnus Jeff Kearns (center) showed members of the FMA around Wachovia’s Trading Floor on their recent visit to Charlotte
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David Giles (ACCT ‘98) gives career insights to FMA members at Bank of America in Charlotte
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