Cba bf s15 v6

Business Futures C A L I F OR N I A S T A T E U N I V E R S I T Y, S A C R A M E N T O S P R I N G 2015

VO L U M E 38

яВо COLLEGE OF BUSINESS A DM INIST R AT ION

W W W. C B A . C S U S . E D U

Chile

EMBA in

Page 6

New Era

Message from the Dean:

Ushering in a

Business Futures M

A

G

A

Z

I

N

E

MISSION

To provide a business learning experience that graduates effective and responsible business leaders, to produce quality research, and to enrich our communities.

VISION

To lead the CSU in business education.

DEAN

Pierre Balthazard SENIOR ASSOCIATE DEAN

Suzanne Ogilby

ASSOCIATE DEAN FOR UNDERGRADUATE PROGRAM (INTERIM)

Seung Bach

ASSOCIATE DEAN FOR GRADUATE AND EXTERNAL PROGRAMS

Monica Lam

COLLEGE OF BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION ADVISORY COUNCIL Chair

Dennis A. Gardemeyer

WRITER

PHOTOGRAPHER

Justine Brown

Bruce Clarke

Academic Technology and Creative Services

DESIGNER

Scott Olling

www.scottolling.com

COORDINATOR

Mimi Boonmee Koh CBA

Business Futures is published in the fall and spring of each academic year. The editorial office is in the College of Business Administration, Sacramento State, 6000 J Street, Tahoe Hall 1010 Mail Stop 6088, Sacramento, CA 95819. To contact the editorial office, send e-mail to: mimi@csus.edu .

Cover: Suman A. Sehra WWW.CBA.CSUS.EDU

(916) 278-6578

T

Balthazard

he last year has been a time of enormous change at Sac State. We have welcomed four new deans (including yours truly), one new provost, and soon, a new president. Both outgoing President Gonzalez and former CBA Dean Varshney did an incredible job of setting our campus and College up for success for many years to come. We are benefactors of their wonderful leadership, and with that come both opportunity and responsibility.

At the same time, the Sacramento area is itself undergoing a renaissance of sorts. A new professional basketball stadium will help revitalize downtown, while significant economic growth means, as a region, that we are in a unique position to accomplish some interesting and exciting things.

I am incredibly fortunate and excited to be the new dean of the College of Business Administration, especially at such a unique time in Sacramento’s history. My goal is to stand on Dean Varshney’s shoulders and build upon his efforts to develop outstanding programs and a faculty that balances scholarship, extraordinary teaching ability, and the application of managerial principles to real-world business situations. I will also plan to leverage the momentum of the campus and the region to produce ‘high-fidelity’ business education.

A few of the areas I’d like to focus on fit well with the goals of our new president, who will take the reins in July. These are consistent with the direction colleges of business must take to be relevant in the 21st century. For instance, the CBA needs to adopt more of a global mindset in all its endeavors. Although we have our landmark IMBA program, the typical CBA undergraduate student doesn’t yet receive a true “global business education.” With the new president at the helm, and me leading CBA, our brand of business education will increasingly offer a true window to the world.

Further, both the new president and I believe in the extreme importance of community embeddedness. Our impact on the Greater

Sacramento community is extremely important and our role as “Sacramento’s Business School” must be earned every day.

I plan to emphasize internships, community projects, and service learning opportunities – anything that encourages our students, faculty, administrators and staff to take on tasks designed to better the business climate in the Greater Sacramento area.

As I settle in to my new role, I am going to be examining everything we do – from our scholarship to our graduate and undergraduate programs, to partnering opportunities with my colleagues in engineering and the social sciences, to new programs that emphasize topics like financial literacy and responsible leadership. I’d also like to ensure we are as efficient and effective as we can be. Many universities have introduced schedules that allow students to graduate in just three years. We haven’t figured out how to do that yet, but as an impacted institution, I think it’s an idea worth examining.

I’m thrilled to be the new dean of CBA at such an exciting time. Hold on tight, it’s going to be a fun ride!

Warm regards, Dr. Pierre A. Balthazard, Dean College of Business Administration

By the Numbers

Contents

4 New Dean: Pierre Balthazard 5 IMBA Program 6 Chile Study Tour

C ong rat ulat ions 17th!

SMUD #4 Cohort

to our EMBA graduating class

Mandar Nimkar

Jan Clark-Crets

Awesta Ahmadi

Carlos Coker

Sacramento Municipal Utility District Air Products and Chemicals Inc.

Sara Bachez

Association of California School Administrators

Samantha Betts VSP Vision Care

Natasha Brereton Esurance

Blake Butler

Sacramento Municipal Utility District

Manuel Calderon Intel Corporation

Xuan Chu

Calkin and Boudreaux Dermatology Associates Apple Inc.

Kimberly Coughlin

UC Davis Health System

Sarabjit Dahyia Esurance

Suzyn Daniel

University of California Medical Center

Jeff Evans

CA Independent System Operator

Joy Flowers

County of San Joaquin

Reyanna Garcia

Kennie Lee

Jaideep Shivani

Andrew Grant

Destiny Lewis

Joe Tagliaboschi

Miles Haefner

Lisa Limcaco

Jennifer Teeters

KPMG LLP

Raley’s Family of Fine Stores WebSystems3

William Harkreader

Motion Control Engineering Northrop Grumman Sacramento Municipal Utility District

ARE Accessories LLC

Michael McWhorter

Maya Heinert Irfan Kussair

Chelsea Minor

Avis Budget Group

Donna Lee

UC San Francisco

Altec Industries Inc.

Intel Corporation

Town of Yountville Cisco Systems

Judd Van Sickle

UC Davis Sports Medicine

Ian Wagemann

Raley’s Family of Fine Stores

Department of Healthcare Services

Ziad Mustafa

Daniel Winslow

Teimour Nasirov

Oksana Yarmolyuk

Xerox Corporation Sutter Health/Medical

Nikki Parker

California State University, Sacramento

Health Net

Advanced Global Real Estate

8 Alumnus of the Year: Ana Klein 10 Golden Grads 13 EMBA/Alumni Success Stories 17 Business Honors 18 Sacramento Business Review

20 Faculty Research 21 Outstanding Teachers 22 Student Spotlights 23 Student Clubs 24 CBA Advisory Council 25 Corporate Associates 26 Center for Small Business 27 Student Investment Fund 28 Alumni/Class Notes 29 Tribute to Thomas Matlock 30 MBA for Executives Program 31 2015 Banquet Sponsors Back Cover:

CBA and The Sacramento Business Journal

Leadership

Meet the New

4

Pierre A. Balthazard, Ph.D., serves as dean of the College of Business Administration at California State University, Sacramento. Balthazard is recognized as an expert in the development and deployment of psychometric and neurometric instruments that assess individual, team, and organizational phenomena, particularly in the nascent field of leader and organizational neuroscience. He has more than 15 years of experience in academic leadership roles.

DEAN

Prior to his appointment to dean in January 2015, Balthazard served as dean at the School of Business at St. Bonaventure University in New York for close to 3 years. He also previously served as a Faculty member and in several administrative roles at Arizona State University.

An accomplished researcher, Balthazard has been involved in funded projects earning close to $6 million in expenditures from sources like NSF, DARPA, the Department of Education, the Center for Creative Leadership, the Army Research Institute, and the Army Research Laboratory.

He earned a MS in Management Information Systems and a joint PhD degree in Business Administration and Systems & Industrial Engineering from the University of Arizona, and a Bachelor of Science in Mathematics and Computer Science degree from McGill University in Montreal, Canada.

SACRAMENTO STATE | COLLEGE OF BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION | WWW.CBA.CSUS.EDU

Another IMBA Cohort Celebrates

T

he second cohort of Sac State’s Singapore-based International Master of Business Administration (IMBA) program officially graduated from the program last fall. This cohort included a total of 18 men and women, six of whom made the trip to Sac State to attend graduation ceremonies.

Manunandhan Subrahmanyan, who currently manages a large core banking transformation program in Singapore, was one of the students who traveled to Sacramento to set foot on the campus he had previously only experienced from afar. Subrahmanyan said he chose the IMBA program at Sac State because of “accreditation, convenience, and curriculum.” He also enjoyed the fact that the IMBA program combines online and face-to-face components.

The IMBA program combines the flexibility of online classes and the accelerated format of face-to-face learning activities over 12 months. In a required class, students engage in 10 days of involved online learning before the face-to-face module. A four-day period of intensive face-to-face learning follows, and a 10-day integration period through online technology concludes the program.

The learning approach is applied and practical, with an emphasis on modern and relevant management knowledge in an international business setting.

BUSINESS FUTURES | SPRING 2015

“The best part I would say is the face-to face-sessions with the professors,” said Subrahmanyan. “[The] rich experience and the varied backgrounds of the professors have helped me immensely.”

The goal of the IMBA program is to help prepare students to become business leaders in the global marketplace by focusing on finance, information technology management, and international management.

When the CBA launched the program in 2013, it made Sac State the first California State University to offer an international degree program across the Pacific in Asia’s financial hub.

Dr. Monica Lam, Associate Dean for Graduate and External Programs, said the IMBA program has unique appeal in Singapore, where the number of high-quality students far outnumbers the number of affordable advanced learning programs.

Subrahmanyan’s vision is to one day successfully manage a large core banking transformation program in the U.S. or Europe.

“I definitely feel confident after my CSU MBA,” he said. “I believe it is going to add value in terms of self-branding and hope it will help me in my career as well in a career in which I am yet to test.” CBA

Success

IMBA placeholder Graduation

5

Leader

Latin Amer American

6

provided an overview of Chile’s economic and political climate that was eye-opening for some of the Sac State visitors.

“Prior to taking the trip, I viewed Chile to be primarily in the wine industry and copper mining,” said Sehra Suman, EMBA student and Senior Client Platform Security Technologist at Intel. “However, listening to our guest speaker from Banchile exposed me to wide variety of service sector industries that are a major part of the economic forces driving Chile’s GDP.” Students then visited a Farmacias Ahumada (FASA) distribution center. FASA is the number one drugstore chain in Latin America. Their network consists of 1,262 local pharmacies, with a broad range of products distributed in Chile and Mexico.

This year’s cohort visited a number of Chilean companies to get a feel of how businesses operate in the country.

“I particularly enjoyed visiting the FASA distribution center,” said Sureena Bains-Takher, who has a background in pharmacology. “Our group had the opportunity to learn firsthand of the recent Walgreens acquisition of Alliance Boots, which directly affects FASA’s position in Latin American countries. As there is room for improving the technologies within the Chilean pharmaceutical sector, it will be interesting to see how Walgreens’ capabilities will allow for better access of medications to remote locations in the future.”

The tour kicked off with a meeting with Fernan Gonzalez, Head of Research for Banchile Inveriones, the investment branch of Banco de Chile. Gonzalez

Students next visited LAN Airlines, where they had the opportunity to meet with the management team of one of the world’s most successful airlines. LAN’s fleet is made up of 136 passenger planes and 14 cargo

Forty-six students, along with several Sac State staff members, had the opportunity to visit Chile last November as part of the Intel IX EMBA cohort.

Chile

is one of South America’s most stable and prosperous nations. It leads Latin American nations in rankings of human development, competitiveness, per capita income, and globalization. It also ranks high regionally in sustainability and democratic development.

SACRAMENTO STATE | COLLEGE OF BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION | WWW.CBA.CSUS.EDU

PHOTOS, CLOCKWISE FROM LEFT: SUMAN A. SEHRA; FASA CORP.; SUMAN A. SEHRA; LAN AIRLINES; SUMAN A. SEHRA; VIÑA DE MARTINO

EMBA Chile

planes that transport 22.5 million passengers and 779.5 thousand tons of cargo annually, connecting to a network of over 750 destinations worldwide.

“I enjoyed the LAN Airlines site visit most,” said Suman. “I have never had the opportunity to attend a talk from an airline industry expert that discussed the economics of staying in the flying business – how seats are filled, routing, codeshare agreements, etc.”

Students also visited a maintenance hangar where one of LAN’s airplanes was being worked on, and were treated to a detailed presentation on the operational and maintenance aspects of the airline carrier.

Finally, students visited a leading Chilean winery Viña De Martino, where they got a private tour, including a visit to the production facilities and a talk on Chile’s booming wine industry. The tour included discussion on the vineyard’s commercial strategy in an increasingly competitive industry and information about how the vineyard adapted its strategy in light of worldwide recession.

In addition to the corporate visits, students also had a chance to visit some of Chile’s most popular sites,

including Patagonia, Torres del Paine National Park, and Glacier Grey.

“The two cultural experiences of Santiago and Patagonia were the most educational part of the trip for me,” said Bains-Takher. “We were fortunate enough to partake in the two different extreme lifestyles by virtue of economies, cultural norms, and pace of life. The experience gave me a more open and refreshing perspective on how the world truly is flat.”

For Suman, the trip had the added advantage of enabling him to potentially take up a short term assignment with Intel in Chile or another South American nation.

“The trip helped me in two ways: one, being exposed to a diverse set of business industries and second, understanding the economic/ political climate of doing business internationally,” he said. “It also helped me understand the mindset in which Chile operates and prepared me to effectively work with Intel’s diverse workforce.” CBA

This page, clockwise from left: LAN Airlines prepares another shipment; EMBA students take a moment in Patagonia; red wine grapes of the Maule vineyard of Viña De Martino; one of many Farmacias Ahumada (FASA) distribution centers; EMBA students aboard the ferry with former dean Varshney; all aboard for Patagonia.

BUSINESS FUTURES | SPRING 2015

7

Alumnus of placeholder the Year

Business Ana Klein: Alumnus of the Year 2015

Leading the Global Future of

8

A

na Klein witnesses the opportunities and challenges of doing business on a global scale every day.

As CFO and vice president of Sunsweet Growers Inc., the world’s largest handler of dried tree fruits, one of Klein’s tasks is helping transform the focus of the grower-owned marketing cooperative to include countries beyond the United States.

“A lot of U.S. prune farmers have been pulling out prune trees and planting walnuts

instead. We don’t have the big crops we used to,” she said. “We now have to look at countries outside the U.S., like Chile and Australia, to augment our supply.”

Chile, in particular, has become a significant component of Sunsweet’s short- and longterm backup supply strategy and critical to its ongoing success. Though California growers still supply the majority of the fruit they procure, Chile is key to supplementing the supply. Recently, Klein was asked to take on full operational oversight of Sunsweet’s

SACRAMENTO STATE | COLLEGE OF BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION | WWW.CBA.CSUS.EDU

Chilean production operations and facility.

She now frequently visits Chile to help Sunsweet partners procure fruit from local farmers. Oversight of the entire Chilean operation, including logistics, sales, operations etc., has elevated her position as CFO to a new level, said Klein. Under her leadership, Sunsweet has captured the number four spot among buyers of Chilean fruit.

“There are certainly challenges to doing business in a foreign country, and many opportunities as well,” she said. “The culture in Chile is very different, for example. It’s very much about face-to-face relationships.

That’s why I need to travel there frequently.

Talking to growers one-on-one versus over the phone is a cultural requirement and a big part of how they put their trust in you.”

year in and year out versus being just a spot buyer,” said Klein. “That’s really been my story when I go there.

Klein joined Sunsweet during tough times (the company went through five CFOs in seven years), but she was determined to help put the company on the right path. She did just that, getting four promotions in four years and became Sunsweet’s first female and youngest CFO in 2004.

Klein credits her adaptability in quickly changing business situations to Sac State’s EMBA program, which she completed in 2011.

“I’m indebted to the EMBA program because it was not just about textbooks, it was more about the real world,” she said. “It was about learning how to think on your feet and how to Sunsweet is currently expanding their Chilean respond to the types of challenges you face operations, and their desire to make a longer- in business every day. The hands-on strategic projects we did that incorporated those types term commitment to the country is also helping them gain the trust of growers there. of challenges have been very helpful to me in my current position.”

“We’re trying to be a buyer of fruit there

BUSINESS FUTURES | SPRING 2015

In addition to being recognized as the 2015 CBA Alumnus of the Year, Klein was named CFO of the Year by the Sacramento Business Journal in 2014 and as Outstanding EMBA Student of the Year in 2011.

“Being named Alumnus of the Year is a great honor,” said Klein. “There are a lot of people who have gone through the EMBA program that are very intelligent and who do amazing work. To be recognized as one of the top people among that group means a great deal.”

Klein is still involved with Sac State, having served as chair of the Organization for Executive MBAs for the last two years. Though her job demands and travel to Chile prevented her from staying on as Chair this year, she now serves as treasurer of the organization.

She is also very involved in the community, serving as a board member for the Center for Land-Based Learning (which motivates kids to be the next generation of farmers) and chair of the CFO Roundtable for the National Council of Farmer’s Cooperatives. CBA

9

Gpol la d ce n h oGlrdaedr s

Honoring the Class of

10

1964 Robert L. (Larry) Allsman

A

fter graduating from Bret Harte High School in Angels Camp, CA, Robert Allsman enrolled at UC Berkeley.

However, Allsman found his first taste of freedom and the lure of good times did not lend themselves to good study habits; he soon left Berkeley and returned home.

After some self-assessment and goal setting at Stockton College, Allsman chose to continue his education at Sac State.

“Friends from high school and junior college recommended Sac State,” he said. “I liked the smaller student body (5,000 at the time) and Sac State had a good business department.”

Through the Career Placement Center at Sac State, Allsman was able to get part-time employment with Del Monte Food and Hallmark Cards while attending college.

“These job experiences were impactful to my understanding of marketing,” he said.

Allsman graduated from Sac State in 1964 with a Bachelor of Science degree, and eventually went into teaching. He taught at East Nicolaus High School for 32 years, retiring in 2001. He also served as an adjunct professor in accounting at Yuba College, retiring in 2005 after 22 years.

Cicconetti graduated with a Bachelor of Science degree in Business Administration in 1964. After graduation, Cicconetti went to work as a budget analyst with the California Department of Motor Vehicles. Over his 43-year career in public service (which began as a file clerk in 1959), he worked for several other state departments in various administrative capacities. He retired as a manager with the Department of Health Services in 2002.

Cicconetti lives in Orangevale with his wife, Louise and their cat, Morris. Though retired, he has continued to work part-time as a bus driver for Sunrise Assisted Living in Fair Oaks for the last 10 years. Cicconetti and his wife enjoy traveling and recently returned from a 21-day tour of the UK and Ireland. He has a son, Jeff, who lives in Escondido.

Dan (Harry) Daniels

After graduating from Roseville High School in 1947 and eventually joining the U. S. Navy in 1948, Dan Daniels was sent to Washington, D.C. for studies and work in a highly classified agency. In 1952, he was honorably discharged.

“After that, I floundered for a few years – not knowing what I really wanted to do or wanted to be or even better, who I was,” said Daniels.

Allsman and his wife of 47 years now live on a small farm in Rio Oso, where he enjoys tending to his walnut trees and gardening. His Luckily, Daniels was able to take advantage of three grown children and seven grandchildren live in California, Pennsylvania, and Wyoming.

the G. I. Bill for servicemen who had served during World War II and/or the Korean War. He was accepted as a probationary student at Sac State for the spring semester of 1954 after having passed a special entrance examination.

“Accounting was my first love as a college student – but I was also interested in the teaching profession,” said Daniels. “Business Administration, Social Studies, and Business Education courses were my primary fields of study. Although I wasn’t much of a high school student, my time in the service and the maturation process that took place helped me become highly motivated in college.”

To help defray living and college expenses, Daniels worked nights at the Department of Motor Vehicles. After graduating in 1957, he became a student teacher at San Juan High School. He was later hired at San Juan High School. Three years later, when the growing San Juan School District opened its fourth and fifth high schools, Daniels was asked to become part of the new Bella Vista High School teaching staff and became its first department chairman for the Business Department.

Daniels later returned to Sac State and received a Master of Arts in Business Administration/Education in 1964.

James Cicconetti

James Cicconetti grew up in Vallejo and always wanted to attend Sac State. After finishing junior college and serving six months as an Active Reserve soldier, he decided to make that dream happen.

SACRAMENTO STATE | COLLEGE OF BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION | WWW.CBA.CSUS.EDU

Allsman

Cicconetti

After retirement, Daniels worked for eight years as a real estate broker.

“Most of the required subjects for the broker’s license were taken by me during my college days and I was given credit for them,” he said.

“Again, I had a head start in this profession based on the important courses I had taken at Sacramento State. My father once called me ‘lucky’ and he was right – I had been at the right place at the right time. But Sac State was the main ingredient that made it all possible.”

Reid Olsen

Reid Olsen’s journey after graduating from Sac State in 1964 has been “exciting and fulfilling.”

Following commencement, Olsen served in the United States Marine Corps for several years. He then returned to Sac State to complete his graduate studies.

Olsen’s family business, Olsen & Fielding Moving Services, Mayflower Transit, is a third generation moving and storage company where he currently serves as chief executive officer in the Sacramento headquarters. Olsen’s involvement in the moving and storage industry has also included two stints on the board of directors of Allied Van Lines and as a board member of both Global Van Lines and the California Moving and Storage Association.

Daniels

BUSINESS FUTURES | SPRING 2015

Locally, Olsen has served on various civic organizations and recently completed a nine-year term on the board of University Enterprises Inc. “The return to campus and serving on the board of University Enterprises Inc. was an invigorating experience,” he said. “Seeing the growth of the campus and being around a culture I hadn’t been around in 50 years was exciting.”

The Golden Grad Program brings back alumni from 50 years ago to give current students perspective, advice and a sense of history while honoring those who have gone through the program before and continue to share their expertise with the community.

engineering division; head of personnel for the training department; head of exams and testing; chief of the business services department; and systems analyst in the accounting department.

Cornelius has also been heavily involved in professional and civic activities over the years, having served as the first chairwoman Olsen and his wife Edythe reside in Cameron of the board for Golden One Credit Union, Park with their two cats. and as a member of the National Association “We enjoy travel and I attempt to keep my golf of Accountants, the California State Audihandicap near ten,” Olsen said. tors and Accountants Association, the Soroptimists International of Sacramento, and Maria Cornelius the Muscular Dystrophy Association. She is After graduating from Norte Del Rio High currently on the executive committee of the School in 1959, Maria Cornelius received a UC Davis Medical Center Leadership Council Bachelor of Science in Business Administraand involved with the Assistance League of tion with a specialization in Accounting Sacramento; the CalTrans Quarter Century from Sac State in 1964. During her time at Club; and the St. Vincent De Paul Society.

Sac State, she founded and was the first Cornelius’ daughter, Dawn Cornelius, is a CPA president of Beta Alpha Psi, an honorary and has been practicing public accounting accounting fraternity. with her father for 20 years.

Cornelius began working at the California Department of Public Works, Division of Ernest R. Hawkins Highways (now known as CalTrans) in 1962 After receiving his degree from Sac State and retired in 2000. Throughout her 30 years in 1965, Ernest Hawkins went on to get his with CalTrans, she held a number of different MBA in 1974. In 1991, he became a Certified positions, including financial analyst for the Public Official of the Election Administra-

Cornelius

Olsen

tion and a Certified Elections/Registration Administrator in 1998.

Hawkins is currently director of consulting services for The Election Center in Katy, Texas, where he has been employed since 2003.

Prior to that, he enjoyed a number of years working within Sacramento County and the State of California, where he served the departments of Revenue Recovery, Parks and Recreation, and Social Services.

Hawkins is active in several civic and professional associations, including the California Association of Clerks and Election Officials; the International Association of Clerks, Recorders, Election Officials and Treasurers; the Federal Election Commission; the International Center on Election Law and Administration; and the Youth Voter Corps.

The National Association of County Recorders, Election Officials and Clerks (NACRC) named Hawkins Election Official of the Year in 1990 (currently referred to as “Public Official of the Year”) and was inducted into the NACRC’s Election Hall of Fame in 2000. In 2003, he was awarded the Linda F. Carter Excellence in Government award. CBA

Hawkins

11

Leadership Advances

EMBA/Alumni placeholder Successes

Tackling Parkinson’s Mysteries

Scientists have yet to find a cure for Parkinson’s disease, a neurode-

12

generative movement disorder that affects about a million Americans, or for Alzheimer’s, which afflicts more than 5 million. But San Diego-based ACADIA Pharmaceuticals appears to be on the brink of a breakthrough with an experimental drug for the psychosis often associated with both diseases.

Dr. Shaheen Khan Kaplan, Senior Director of Medical Affairs for Acadia Pharmaceuticals, believes the work ACADIA is doing is critical for the future. Because both Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s are linked to aging, the number of patients is expected to grow as the population ages. Both diseases are often associated with delusions, hallucinations, and agitation—symptoms that the new drug, Nuplazid, is designed to counter.

“I know this may sound cliché, but it’s an opportunity to make a significant difference in the lives of patients,”

said Kaplan. “Currently there is no approved medication available in the area of Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s psychosis, so this drug is going to potentially be very helpful to both patients and their caregivers.”

Prior to her current role, Kaplan worked for Allergan Inc., where she held the position of National Director for the Payer and Health Outcomes team. She also led the National Neuroscience team, where she oversaw a team of Medical Scientific Liaisons for which she was awarded the National Leadership Award in 2006 and in 2009, and the Allergan Award of Excellence in 2012.

Though Kaplan was enjoying a rewarding livelihood in science, she realized that as she progressed in her career, she lacked critical business skills.

“There were areas such as strategy, marketing, finance, and budgeting that I didn’t have strong knowledge in,” said Kaplan. “I realized I needed to have that business background so that I could progress to the next step in my career.”

Kaplan enrolled in the EMBA program at Sac State to strengthen her business skills. She received her EMBA degree in August 2014.

Soon after, she was called by a recruiter to check out ACADIA Pharmaceuticals, eventually joining the company to help build a team of doctorate-level, field-based medical scientists who will ultimately provide physicians and health care professionals scientific and medical education about Nuplazid.

Kaplan said pursuing her EMBA has already proven extremely worthwhile for the business skills she gained.

“In my current position I interact with marketing, sales, operations and commercial,” she said. “It’s great to be able to speak their language and to understand their perspectives. I’m now well versed in various aspects of business and as a result, am an important contributor in multi-stakeholder meetings.”

Kaplan added that, while the EMBA professors were outstanding, the biggest reward for her was her fellow students.

“I learned a great deal from each of the students,” she said. “Everyone came from varied backgrounds and brought with them a wealth of different experiences. The most significant part for me was the camaraderie, the networking and the opportunity to learn

from my classmates in a very collaborative, fun, productive environment.”

Promoting a Less Sugar-Dependent Future

Margaret Lombard has worked in the food industry for nearly 25 years. During that time, she’s held a variety of leadership positions, including vice president of marketing for Raley’s Supermarkets and vice president of shopper marketing for a national advertising agency. But Lombard says her newest positon as CEO of the National Honey Board was the “opportunity of a lifetime.”

The National Honey Board is an industry funded agricultural promotion group. The main goal of the organization, which is headquartered in Firestone, Colo., is to educate consumers about the benefits and uses for honey and honey products through research, marketing and promotional programs.

Lombard comes to the National Honey Board at a time when the food industry is under increased scrutiny about the amount of sugar

SACRAMENTO STATE | COLLEGE OF BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION | WWW.CBA.CSUS.EDU

and other sweeteners added to food and their link to rising rates of obesity in the U.S. “Today consumers are very interested in learning about how their food is produced and specifically natural sweeteners,” Lombard said.

“The Natural Honey Board is perfectly poised for growth as the trend towards natural ingredients continues to explode. I am honored to have been chosen by the Board to lead the NHB into the next exciting era.”

Lombard holds a Bachelor of Science degree in design from the University of California, Davis, and earned her Master of Business Administration at Sac State in 2007. She enrolled in the EMBA program while juggling a demanding job as vice president of marketing for Raley’s Supermarkets and the demands of motherhood with three children at home.

Though she reflects on her time in the EMBA program as a highly demanding stage of her life, she also feels that the experience was invaluable to her future endeavors.

“When you’re a doing your undergraduate studies you have very little work experience to draw from,” she said “I loved the fact that in the EMBA program I had all this on the job experience to draw on for the coursework, which made the program even more interesting and applicable to what I was experiencing in my work life.”

their expertise was. I gained a greater appreciation for other disciplines by looking at how other people solved problems and how their approach helped round out my approach.”

Helping Seniors Stay Home

By 2020, the number of people over the age of 60 in El Dorado County will increase by nearly 150 percent. While working for Blue Shield of California in the Accountable Care division, Owen Brooke recognized that the aging population would soon fuel a growing demand for home health care.

“Often, people were admitted to the emergency room because they didn’t have the support they needed at home, that’s where we come in” he said. “They didn’t have someone to remind them to take their daily medications or assist them with activities to prevent unnecessary falls that ultimately land them in the hospital.”

While in this role, Brooke’s step-mother was diagnosed with stage two dementia at the young age of 56.

“It was an eye-opener,” Brooke said. “My father Lombard said she also enjoyed collaborating and I started looking into and learning from her fellow EMBA students. different ways we could “We had a broad array of people in the cohort, assist with her care and prepare ourselves for the from engineers and IT experts, to HR and unknown future of this finance people,” she said. “We’d be given an disease. So we started assignment and each person would look at looking into home care the problem through the lens of whatever

BUSINESS FUTURES | SPRING 2015

services, only to realize there was a great need in our community for the type of care we now provide.”

“I had a great job at Blue Shield of California that I enjoyed, but I wanted to help others in need and do something that I could really be proud of,” said Brooke.

In response, the father-son team launched a local franchise of one of North America’s fastest growing home health care providers, Nurse Next Door. Their location in El Dorado Hills now services the El Dorado and Sacramento County areas, offering a range of services, from three hours a week of companionship and light housekeeping right through to around-the-clock care.

Brooke said after researching over 20 home health care franchises, he landed on Nurse Next Door primarily because of their culture.

“Nurse Next Door has a culture that focuses on our clients happiness, not just the tasks of daily living,” he said. “For example, when we provide our in person consultations, we

explain that we’ll work to get you or your loved one, back to doing the things you love.

Even if our clients aren’t physically able to do those things anymore, our caregivers will come up with creative ways to achieve some aspect of it, to bring our clients a piece of happiness back into their lives.”

Most of Nurse Next Door’s caregivers are certified nursing assistants who help with feeding, dressing and other activities of daily living.

Brooke said his primary business challenge thus far has been educating the public.

“Many people in our communities aren’t aware this level of service exists. They don’t realize that our company will send caregivers to help them live safely and comfortably within their own home for as long as they’d like to remain there,” he said. “This is one of our biggest hurdles….First; we need to educate the public on the services we offer.”

Brooke said completing the EMBA program at Sac State helped him prepare for his new venture by giving him a solid understanding of what is needed to run a successful business.

“I don’t think I could have come this far without the EMBA program,” he said. “The EMBA program provided me with the knowledge, the structure and the connections I needed to get my business off the ground and to make it successful. Opening your own business is a risk. The EMBA program gave me the courage to step out on my own and make it happen.”

13

EMBA/Alumni placeholder Successes

14

Directing the Future of Public Works

Joe Tagliaboschi has lived in Yountville, a quaint town nestled among vineyards in the heart of California’s Napa Valley, for over 20 years. Yet for the majority of that time, he commuted to the southern part of the state to work in a variety of construction roles. But that was before Sac State’s EMBA program changed the direction of his career.

Today, Tagliaboschi is director of Public Works in Yountville, where he now enjoys a threeblock commute from his home, allowing him to enjoy the area where he lives while also ensuring the infrastructure of the town is in good working order.

Leadership

“I love being able to live where I work and to be a part of making sure our town is operating at its best,” he said.

EMBA program had been a really good choice for me.”

Tagliaboschi said Sac State’s EMBA program played a significant role in helping him get where he is today.

“I didn’t know what to expect going into the EMBA program,” he said. “I thought the majority of it would be hard skills, statistics and finance and accounting, and such. There was plenty of that, but there were also a lot of soft skills — leadership and management and things that complement those hard skills. I think those are the kind of skills that companies, corporations, and public agencies are looking for and I think Sac State’s EMBA program does a really good job at helping people to understand those soft skills and build on them so they can go out and use them at work on a daily basis.”

“I looked at a lot of MBA programs, but In terms of value there was nothing that was even close to Sac State,” said Tagliaboschi. “Then I started looking at the program itself and the results were phenomenal. The people that I talked to and the results of the program just seemed to be something that worked for me.”

During his enrollment, the Yountville Public Works job opened up. One of the final components of the highly competitive interview process was a sit-down interview with the town manager, the mayor and the vice mayor.

“One of the first comments was, ‘Wow, you have a bachelor’s in Business Management and now an MBA? I don’t know when we’ve ever been lucky enough to be able to recruit that kind of talent to this position,’” said Tagliaboschi. “Right off the bat it made me realize that that decision to attend the

Tagliaboschi has been director of Public Works in Yountville since October 2014.

He officially finished the EMBA program in February this year.

In addition to his new skills and his new job close to home, Tagliaboschi said the EMBA program helped surface an additional opportunity. He met his business partner in the program and together the two are working on a high-tech startup.

“I had no idea that I would be involved in anything like that,” he said. “I’m not a tech guy. Luckily my partner is, and he brings that skill set to our partnership and my skills are on the operations end of the partnership.”

Overall, Tagliaboschi said he believes he got much more value from the program than just the degree.

“We all benefited from the relationships, from the cohort situation that they set up,

and from the incredible roster of professors and speakers that came in and discussed a variety of topics with us,” he said. “They really helped get us ready to go out and actually be productive in the work environment.”

Navigating Healthcare’s Evolving Future

Dr. Teimour Nasirov is a pediatric cardiothoracic surgeon and surgical director of pediatric and adult congenital cardiothoracic surgery at Sutter Health, as well as a clinical assistant professor at the Stanford University School of Medicine.

With these amazing credentials, why do more?

“Medicine is one of the most challenging businesses today,” explained Nasirov. “The evolving healthcare environment means change occurs almost daily and new issues often need to be resolved almost immediately. This ever-changing landscape makes it almost mandatory for physician leaders to understand the business side of the equation.”

That was one of the main reasons Nasirov chose to enroll in the EMBA program at Sac State.

“Under Dr. Varshney, the EMBA program has been taken to new heights and you truly get the sense that it reflects today’s global marketplace,” he said.

Nasirov will complete the EMBA program this spring, and said he has particularly enjoyed the committed and talented professors.

SACRAMENTO STATE | COLLEGE OF BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION | WWW.CBA.CSUS.EDU

Advances “The knowledge that they teach you can be utilized at any level of leadership from my point of view,” he said. “Throughout the program you learn both soft and hard skills — soft skills such as daily communications and leadership styles, as well as hard skills such as finance, statistics and accounting. For me, it was a perfect mix.”

Pinto’s next course was field work, where he “put the afterburners on” in making a got a chance to take the professor’s protocols technology-based data collection system a from classroom to practice. reality.

“I saw that what I was learning worked. I saw changes in the children we were working with, and I was hooked,” he said.

Following graduation, Pinto continued working in the field of autism therapy. After about five years, he decided it was time to go out on his own. So along with his wife, Pinto founded BEST Consulting Inc. in 2001 with just a handful of staff members and three clients. Today, B.E.S.T. Consulting Inc. has worked with over Nasirov said one of his goals at Sutter Health 500 clients and employs about 60 people in includes continuing to grow and develop the greater Sacramento area. the cardiothoracic program, and the EMBA “When I first started studying this area, the program is helping him accomplish that. incidence of autism was about one in 2,500,” “We have been successful in growing the he said. “Now you hear statistics as high as program over the last five years,” he said. one in 88. Today, everyone knows someone “The EMBA program has definitely helped with autism. The numbers are staggering.” me toward that goal in allowing me to BEST Consulting’s mission is to help parents become more strategic in my approach to maximize their child’s potential by showing project management issues and program them behavior analysis technology. But development.” one area Pinto has struggled with is data collection.

Helping Parents Navigate Autism’s Challenges

When Sergio Pinto first heard of autism while studying Psychology as an undergrad at UCLA, he was intrigued.

“I wasn’t quite sure what autism was at first,” he said. “But I had a prominent professor who showed us very good results working with children. Forty-seven percent of the kids that he had worked with made significant gains. It was impressive.”

BUSINESS FUTURES | SPRING 2015

“Even today, a lot of the data we collect is still done with paper and pencil,” he said. “I’ve always known we could do better with more automation and faster access to data.”

In 2012, Pinto enrolled in the EMBA program at Sac State.

Completing the program encouraged him to finally

“I really wanted to integrate technology into the business because with it we’re able to increase speed,” he said. “It’s also going to increase treatment integrity. How we deliver intervention is going to improve by having data faster.”

Working with a principal software engineer, Pinto created an integrated web and mobile application called Behavior Drive that finally replaces the old paper-and-pencil data collection system. The new software was officially unveiled to at the California for Applied Behavior Analysis conference in San Diego in February of this year.

“The students in our cohort had very diverse backgrounds, whether it was government, technology, accounting, etc.,” he said. “I was not only able to share with them what I’ve learned, but also to absorb as much as they were willing to share with me.”

Connecting Business and Education

When the California Department of Education designated $21 million to improve educational outcomes throughout the Capital Region in August 2014, NextEd, the nonprofit employer-education partnership chosen to serve as the project intermediary, knew it needed just the right person to lead the effort.

“Using the software we’re now be able to make decisions much more quickly — whether it’s progressing faster or identifying issues earlier to change course,” he said.

Stella Premo was that person. Premo was recruited as executive director and director of educational programs for NextEd in November 2014. NextEd’s role is to effectively Pinto said the EMBA program at Sac State not utilize the $21 million grant to effectively only pushed him to make his dream of devel- build and sustain a region-wide system of support for “pathway programs.” oping the new software a reality, but also helped him navigate the many changes his High school pathway programs provide stubusiness has faced in the last year, as autism dents with practical, applied learning opportherapy has moved tunities which place what they are learning from being state in the classroom into the context of their funded to being future career and educational aspirations. paid for by medical The concept is based on research that shows insurance. that programs linking rigorous academics, Pinto also enjoyed the diversity of the cohort and learning to work within a team.

relevant career technical education, and real work experience reduce dropout rates and help provide businesses with a vital, skilled workforce. (continued on next page)

15

EMBA/Alumni placeholder Successes

Leadership Advances

“The big picture idea is to improve high school graduation rates,” said Premo.

“And most importantly, to make sure those graduates are not only work-ready, but that they’re prepared to enter post-secondary education. It’s what will make the biggest difference in our region’s economic growth.”

16

Working in partnership with three local community college districts and post-secondary institutions, as well as numerous regional employers, the pathway programs will align with the critical careers identified in the Next Economy initiative, the Sacramento region’s economic prosperity plan. NextEd will broker relationships between schools and employers to advise curriculum, support individual programs, and connect students with internship opportunities. The undertaking is currently the largest, most ambitious effort of its kind in California. The program will serve a combined 114,000 students at over 70 schools and make the Sacramento area the model for the state when it comes to pathway programs.

As executive director and director of education programs, Premo’s role is essentially to “quarterback” NextEd’s responsibilities in fulfilling the $21 million grant. A critical part of the program revolves around getting the business community involved in local high schools, an area where Premo excels.

“Throughout my professional career, there has always been a link between business

and education,” she said. “I have deep connections within the business community as well as a deep understanding of the whole pipeline of education. I couldn’t have written a better job description for me — it’s like marrying everything that I’ve done professionally. It’s absolutely amazing.”

Premo completed Sac State’s EMBA program in 2009, and said the program helped her learn to better appreciate the different viewpoints people bring to an issue and to open her mind to those differing perspectives.

“The EMBA program helped me to understand that every single one of us wants the same thing, we just might have a different perspective on what it takes to get there,” she said. “I think to be able to have a lot of compassion and to really understand that there are different voices and different opinions is a critical skill I learned in the EMBA program that has stayed with me every day since.”

Risk and Reward

When it comes to getting what she wants, Chelsea Minor knows taking risks must be part of the equation.

Minor worked as a public relations consultant for a Sacramento government lobbying/ public affairs firm for five years before she decided she was ready for something new.

“As a consultant, there are limited levels of decisions you can make,” she said. “You can make recommendations to your clients, but at the end of the day, they make the ultimate business decisions. I always had an interest

in doing something in-house and for a corporation, where I could play a bigger part in the decision-making process.”

Determined to make a change, Minor enrolled in the EMBA program with two goals in mind: to network within the Sacramento business community, and to get the skills she needed to make the jump to the corporate world long-term.

give me an opportunity to see inside some of the area’s most successful and prominent businesses, provide them direction they maybe didn’t have, and create some great connections.”

Raley’s Family of Fine Stores responded and allowed Minor to spend three months evaluating their public relations strategies and making recommendations.

“The EMBA program at Sac State is one of the Her strategy paid off. Three months later, a best opportunities available to have access to position opened up at Raley’s, and Minor quality resources and individuals,” she said. applied. As of February, she is Director of Public Relations and Public Affairs for Raley’s As Minor reached the end of the program and Family of Fine Stores. prepared for her final project, she did something her peers considered fairly unusual.

Minor said the EMBA program was invaluable in helping her gain the skills she needed as “I went to the Dean and told him I wanted well as making the critical connections that to network, and I wanted to meet more ultimately landed her the new job.

Sacramento-area businesses,” she said.

“I asked him for a list of companies he’d “I now have the skills necessary to make recommend I reach out to.” executive-level decisions with a broad and clear understanding of every part of the busiArmed with her list of recommendations, ness,” she said. “That is unique. For example, Minor then reached out to several businesses I’m not a finance expert, but I can now make to offer her marketing decisions in the financial realm and public relations based on the skills I learned in strategy services on the EMBA program.” a pro-bono basis as a part of her final MBA Minor recommends that other project. students entering the EMBA program also consider taking “Some of the people some risks. in my cohort were astounded that I “Use the time to network and would make an offer expand your reach,” she said. like that,” she said.

“Who knows what can come “But I thought it might of it.” CBA

SACRAMENTO STATE | COLLEGE OF BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION | WWW.CBA.CSUS.EDU

p l a cB eHhOoNl d e r

Business Honors Offers Unique Opportunity for Best of CBA

C

BA’s Business Honors Program (BHON) is maturing and thriving. As the second cohort works on the final stages of their degrees, cohort number three, with 23 students, has moved into the second semester of their first year of the program.

BHON is designed to develop students as future business leaders and pioneers. The program immerses students in a cohort-based learning experience that challenges them in critical thinking while building their decision-making and problem solving skills. It also provides students a number of opportunities to meet and interact with professionals to learn real-life lessons.

“The program gives topnotch business students that have high academic ambitions and strong business skills a number of opportunities that can help them further those skills and prepare them to place in high-level jobs,” said professor Seung Bach, who oversees BHON. “At the same time, the program helps address the needs of the labor force. It’s a win-win scenario and something that is much-needed.”

The BHON experience is built around a three-tier curriculum structure that includes business foundation courses, integration courses, and a practicum seminar.

Foundation courses provide students with the basic tools of business knowledge.

Integration courses challenge students and focus learning on critical thinking, problem solving, decision-making, integration of business resources and understanding business as an enterprise, while the practicum seminar brings executive managers into the classroom for discussions that focus on practice.

BUSINESS FUTURES | SPRING 2015

17

BHON students complete the seven foundation and presentational speaking classes during their first semester.

Students then begin their integration classes in the second semester and continue through the fourth semester. In their last semester, students meet business professionals to tie academics to practice in a practicum seminar.

The second cohort is currently conducting their practicum seminar, with students taking part in a number of hands-on projects and internships under Bach’s guidance.

A fourth BHON cohort is currently being recruited for fall 2015. Incoming CBA students are encouraged to apply.

Selection is based on a rigid screening process that weighs a combination of factors including GPA, testing scores, an essay, and interviews. CBA

Sacramento placeholder Business Reviewv

Momentum

Sacramento Regional Economy:

Building

18

I

n January, Sac State’s College of Business Administration, working with the Chartered Financial Analyst Society of Sacramento, published the Sacramento Business Review, a comprehensive analysis of the regional economy. Conducted by 14 of Sacramento’s best financial analysts and researchers, the 13th edition of the report focused on emerging trends in Sacramento’s economy and predicted that overall, the region will see sustained stability and continued improving conditions in 2015.

“Sacramento is currently sitting at a unique crossroad at which the region may be creating an exciting future,” said Sanjay Varshney, professor at Sac State and Vice President/Wealth Advisor at Wells Fargo Wealth Management Group. “The positive psychology and momentum will be sustained through new efforts to build and diversify the regional economy.”

The latest issue of the bi-annual report includes an economic overview as well as analyses of the real estate, banking and small business sectors, and capital markets.

Though the majority of the findings were positive, analysts also found that job growth at the low end of the wage distribution and the absence of major private sector announcements regarding new job creation at the high end remain as headwinds.

The report noted a number of positive findings and predictions in each of the areas examined: Real Estate:

- Fundamentals improved across the board as vacancy rates declined and lease rates generally increased across all major property types.

- Investors from outside the region have turned their focus toward Sacramento.

- Expanding rental rates and falling vacancy have fueled new construction of multifamily, retail, and industrial properties.

Banking: - Loan volumes in the Sacramento region are expected to continue growing at a healthy pace throughout 2015.

- Higher loan volumes could not come at a better time for local banking industry

sacramen to JANUARY

2015

BUSINESS REV IEW Emerging Trends

in Sacrame nto’s Econ omy Vo l u m e

7 Issue 1

❱❱

sacbusin

Real Estat e Trends in the Sacramen to Region page 14

2015 Econ omic Forec ast

Your Best Gui

de to Sacram

profitability, as the tailwind from lower loan loss provisions has ended.

ento’s Econom y

- Sacramento regional banks should be able to increase their top-line net interest income at a mid- to high-single-digit pace this year, despite the modest drag from slightly lower net interest margins.

Small Business: - Total dollar volume of SBA loans approved in the region increased by 24 percent.

- Small-business confidence improved across the board for all sectors compared with last year’s levels, with significant improvements in access to credit.

- Small businesses remain very upbeat regarding business prospects for 2015 with noticeable improvements in the manufacturing sector regarding prospects for new hires.

SACRAMENTO STATE | COLLEGE OF BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION | WWW.CBA.CSUS.EDU

e s s re v i e

w. co m

Changes in Sacramento Labor Sectors, 2007-2014 Thousands of Jobs 30

25.9

Difference in portion of the economy Difference in number of jobs in category

20

6.15% 0.8

10 0 -10

-24.25%

-20

-16.9

-30

Construction

-14.11% -5.9

-17.51%

Manufacturing

Finance

- Companies whose revenue is driven by domestic consumption should outperform stocks of firms that rely heavily on exports.

0.72% 0.6 -1.86% -4.3

-6.34% -10

Education

Health Care and Hospitality

said. “In 2015 we expect another 3,000- to 4,000-job gain in both the health care and professional and business services sectors that have been leading our regional job recovery, and roughly 2,000 jobs added in the retail industry.”

In addition, government, education, leisure and hospitality, and manufacturing jobs are - Domestic and foreign energy producers expected to remain stable or show moderate will ultimately find an equilibrium point growth in the coming year, and moderate that fits the prevailing weak global energy job growth is expected in both the financial demand, and emerging market economies services and construction sectors. should find relief once this point is found.

“Although we did not see an increase in Overall, Varshney said the SBR Financial building permits issued in Sacramento Conditions index showed positive signs as over the last year and the housing sector 2015 began and that private employment, home prices, and credit demand all trended will not add a significant number of construction jobs, the railyards, the arena upward for 2014. and other potential downtown development projects should provide a steady growth of “We expect to see continued economic construction work in the near future,” added recovery and job growth in most sectors Varshney. CBA in Sacramento in this coming year,” he

BUSINESS FUTURES | SPRING 2015

14.1

-11.1

Capital Markets:

- Inflation is not likely to be a concern for U.S. markets given the strong dollar and weak growth abroad.

27.64%

Leisure

Government

Trade, Transportation & Utilities

12.48%

0.34% 0.1

Professional & Business Services

Other

-31.34% -6.3

Information

“We expect to see continued economic recovery and job growth in most sectors in Sacramento in this coming year. In 2015 we expect another 3,000- to 4,000-job gain in both the health care and professional and business services sectors that have been leading our regional job recovery … .”

— Sanjay Varshney, co-author, Sacramento Business Review

A full copy of the Sacramento Business Review 2015 economic update can be downloaded at: www.sacramentobusinessreview.com

19

Faculty Research

Advancing the Knowledge CBA professors have been hard at work conducting research that will help lead us into the future. The following are summaries of research submitted for peer 20

review in AY 2014-2015.

Baldus, Brian (w/Clay Voorhees & Roger Calantone) Journal: Journal of Business Research Paper Title: Online brand community engagement: Scale development and validation In a quest for connecting with customers, the world’s largest brands have gone online to develop communities to interact with consumers. Despite widespread adoption of online communities as part of a relationship marketing strategy, less is known about what motivates consumers to continually interact in these communities. In the most rigorous and comprehensive series of studies to date, we identify 11 independent motivations individuals have to participate in online communities. Our research provides a set of tools that can be used to strengthen a firm’s social presence online and increase community member participation.

Deng, Feng “Johnny” (w/ Neale Gilbert O’Connor) Journal: Abacus Paper Title: Observability and Subjective Performance Measurement Accounting research provides theory and evidence on the choice and use of subjective measures for evaluating performance. In contrast, accounting research does not focus on the subjective measurement of managerial behavior once measures have been chosen.

We extend accounting research by investigating the factors influencing subjective performance measurement. We predict that the level of subjective measurement is influenced by the informativeness of financial performance measures and by the verifiability of the nonfinancial measures in a formulabased incentive plan. We expect that the measures’ informativeness and verifiability depends on the observability of both the managerial behavior being subjectively measured and the reliability of the financial and Baldus

nonfinancial measures. Data from a firm provides support for our predictions.

Wheeler, Stephen (w/Sandra J. Cereola & Timothy J. Louwers) Journal: Accounting Horizons Paper Title: MD&A Disclosure Tendencies: The Case of LIFO Liquidations This paper analyzes disclosure tendencies by companies with income-increasing LIFO liquidations between 1993 and 2010. Results show that disclosures of these transactions in the Management Discussion and Analysis (MD&A) sections of companies’ 10K reports to the SEC were quite low and did not significantly increase in the post Sarbanes-Oxley legislation years. The issue is particularly relevant in light of the recent calls by Congress to eliminate LIFO for tax revenue reasons and the controversy surrounding the proposed shift to international

Deng

standards (IFRS), which does not permit LIFO inventory valuation.

Wunder, Haroldene Journal: The CPA Journal Paper Title: Essential Tax Aspects of Hedge Fund Investments The investing universe for highnet-worth individuals has recently expanded to include such alternative investments as hedge funds and other private equity firms.

This article identifies and describes various aspects of taxation of hedge funds in order to aid CPAs as they provide advice to high-net-worth individuals who contemplate investing in hedge funds. Specifically, this analysis addresses hedge fund organization and its impact on taxation, tax return obligations and format, and investment funds versus trader funds, among other issues. CBA

Wheeler

Wunder

SACRAMENTO STATE | COLLEGE OF BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION | WWW.CBA.CSUS.EDU

Teachers

Faculty placeholder Awards

Outstanding Outstanding Teaching Award: Nuriddin Ikromov Nuriddin Ikromov has been an assistant professor of finance at the CBA since 2010. Since arriving at Sac State, Ikromov has been continually focused on one thing: improving and evolving his teaching.

“When I first started here, my teaching was not very good,” admitted Ikromov.

“Fortunately, the campus has a lot of resources that deal with different aspects of improving teaching, so I went to workshops and seminars and worked hard to make improvements.”

He also began soliciting feedback from his students early and often, a practice he continues today.

“I do sort of a midsemester evaluation to see what students are thinking and to see if there are places I can improve.

Then I try to respond to those things,” Ikromov said.

Recently, Ikromov began researching

BUSINESS FUTURES | SPRING 2015

new ways to engage students with different classroom activities that are fun, but also help illustrate larger concepts.

His hard work and dedication to improvement has paid off. Ikromov was recently recognized by the Faculty Senate with an Outstanding Teaching award.

“If a professor is not doing a good job and doesn’t care, students know that,” he said. “I always try to keep that in mind and respect the students’ time and efforts. They are making an effort to be here, so I feel I have to do my best as an instructor.”

Ikromov previously taught at the Pennsylvania State University. He has taught graduate and undergraduate courses in business finance, analysis of real estate markets, real estate finance, and investments, and real estate fundamentals.

Outstanding Scholarly and Creative Activities: Hakan Ozcelik Hakan Ozcelik, CBA associate professor of Human Resources and Organizational Behavior, has been studying the role of emotions in organizational life for about 17 years. During that time, he has established himself a leading scholar in his field, conducting research on topics such as emotional awareness, emotional climate, work loneliness, emotions and leadership, emotions and decision making, emotions in cross-cultural communication, emotions and career expectations, emotional intelligence, and anger in work relationships.

“I love following my perpetual curiosity about how we can enhance our emotional wisdom to create happier organizational experiences,” said Ozcelik.

Ozcelik has been published in academic outlets such as the Journal of Organizational Behavior, Organization Science, Journal of Managerial Psychology, Journal of Management Education, Personnel Review, Research on Emotion in Organizations, and the Academy

of Management Best Papers Proceedings; and presented his studies at several conferences.

To date, his publications have been cited in other publications over 250 times as well as in the media, such as the New York Times, Globe and Mail, and Fortune Magazine.

Ozelik’s success recently earned him recognition for Outstanding Scholarly and Creative Activities from his CBA peers.

“The validation is great for me, because research is a never-ending process,” he said. “Benchmarks like this encourage me to keep going and exploring.”

Ozcelik received his Ph.D. in Organizational Behavior from the University of British Columbia, Canada. He holds a double-major degree in Management and Political Science, and an MBA from Bogazici University, Turkey. He has been recently granted adjunct professorship in Bogazici University, where has visited several times for academic projects.

He teaches courses in business communications, organizational behavior, leadership, emotional intelligence and theory building. CBA

21

Student placeholder Spotlight

Devin Spence

Devin Spence graduated from CBA last fall with an accounting concentration. His goal was to start working in the audit department for reputable accounting firm right away.

In January, just a month after graduating, Spence was hired as an audit associate for Deloitte and Touche LLP. Spence is the former president of the accounting fraternity Beta Alphi Psi, and attributes his ability to secure his dream job to the contacts he made there.

Spence 22

Yuliya Titova

Yuliya Titova is originally from Pyatigorsk, a small town in Russia. After moving with her family to the Sacramento area at age three, Titova realized in high school that her true passion was business. With her parents’ support Titova was able to attend Sac State following graduation.

“I knew Sac State had an amazing business program, and so I followed in my sister’s footsteps and enrolled seeking an accounting degree,” she said.

etc. That’s what really stood out for me is that people really care at Sac State – they all have a story to tell and they are all willing to help.”

Titova eventually became the director of media and marketing relations for HRMA. “One of the opportunities the students experienced in fall 2014 was to meet some guest speakers,” she said. “We were able to learn not only about what their organizations have to offer, but as well the importance of HR. That really brought me a better understanding of human resources.”

But Titova soon found accounting was not for her. She realized her true passion was helping people, so she changed her concentration to Human Resources. “I wanted to do something where I could see the success of people and serve others,” she said.

Titova graduated in Fall 2014. Soon after, she began working for BackOps, a San Franciscobased provider of back-office solutions, as an HR coordinator.

In addition to Beta Alphi Psi, Spence said the most impactful part of CBA was his audit teacher, Professor Wheeler.

Titova enjoyed her HR studies, but it wasn’t until one of her professors suggested she get involved in the Human Resources Management Association (HRMA), a club for students interested in human resource management, that the light really turned on for her.

David Lopez has finance and investing in his blood. When he was young, he was strongly influenced by his grandfather, a wellrespected Sacramento area small business owner, who took David under his wing and taught him about the markets, business, and how to recognize a good investment.

“He brought passion for auditing to the classroom and was able to incorporate past real-life experiences about the profession,” said Spence. “His class inspired me to go into auditing.”

“Once I joined HRMA, everything just took off,” she said. “That’s when I really saw what Sac State was about. They really strive to help students, and there are so many people available to you – whether its advisors, professors,

“Beta Alphi Psi was the main reason for me landing the job that I have now,” he said. “It helps connect students with potential employers and teaches its members how to present themselves in the best way possible, whether it be on a resume, during an interview, or during lunch with a client.”

Titova and supporters

“SIF has been a fantastic opportunity to build on my stock analysis skills while growing with other like-minded students,” he said.

Lopez said the fact that SIF uses real money and allows students to make Lopez actual investments is rare and makes the program even more exciting and educational.

David Lopez

“Some schools have investment clubs that are theoretical and aren’t actually trading stocks,” he said. “With real money there is a real risk factor which forces you to use more diligent strategies. To generate the returns we do relative to market risk has been pretty impressive.”

“Being exposed to the financial markets at an early age helped foster my natural interest,” said Lopez. “That evolved into trading on my own and, eventually, the pursuit of a finance degree at Sac State.”

In addition to finance, Lopez is minoring in political science. He has served his local community as vice chairman of a Sacramento County community planning board and has worked as a legislative assistant for a state assemblyman for the last three years. Once he graduates this May, Lopez plans to go into investment management and eventually run his own business while continuing to make a positive impact on his community by serving on nonprofit boards or local government. CBA

Lopez currently serves as president and senior portfolio manager of the Student Investment Fund (SIF), a program he said has been “extremely beneficial” to his education.

SACRAMENTO STATE | COLLEGE OF BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION | WWW.CBA.CSUS.EDU

T

Networking

MBA

he MBA Networking Association organizes events to provide opportunities for students to interact with community leaders, business professionals, employers, fellow students, and faculty members.

In July, MNA held a summer luau potluck and brought MBA students, faculty, alumni and their family together during the summer to participate in games, swimming, great fun, and most importantly, networking. Rio Del Oro Racquet Club was kind enough to host the event at their club.

The first MNA meeting of the fall semester took place in July.

Officers planned out the semester and prepared for many

Clubs and placeholder Organizations

Association

networking events for MBA students. MNA’s officers are extremely dedicated to helping students make the most of their MBA experience and have an opportunity to meet and network with alumni, faculty and local business leaders.

October’s MNA Homecoming Game Tailgate party was a huge success! The MNA booth was featured by KCRA 3 Sports with Michelle Dapper and earned us our second Tailgate Award for second place! MBA students, faculty, alumni, and guests all brought delicious food to share and participated in games and fun. Everyone also had an opportunity to network with each other, EMBA students and with other organizations that attended. CBA 23

BUSINESS FUTURES | SPRING 2015

Thank You CBA Advisory COuncil

The role

of the College of Business Advisory Council (CBAC) is to provide input and assistance to the College of Business Administration as it seeks to fulfill its mission. The CBAC provides input to the college dean on issues related, but not limited, to programs and curriculum, resource development, external relations and strategic planning.

Gilles Attia

Suzanne Diers

IT Project Manager Chevron Information Technology Company

Ted Hoffman

Garry Orsolini

Managing Partner DLA Piper LLP (US)

James E. Beckwith

Crystal Ekanayake

Toosje Koll

David Padmos

Douglas Busch

Ramona Farrell

Kenneth Macias

Tim Ray

Sandra R. Smoley

Christopher Cady

Paul Finn

Robert MacIntosh

Robert Rivinius

Donald Terry

Dale Carlsen

Dennis Gardemeyer

William Martin

Randy Sater

Elliott Troshinsky

Matthew Cologna

Thomas M. Gilbert

Jim McGrann

Debra Sleigh

Dave F. Ward

John DiStasio

Ed Graves

Michael Obermire

Dana C. Smith

Steven H. Weiss

President & Chief Executive Officer Five Star Bank

24

to Our CBA Advisory Council

Senior Vice President & Chief Operating Officer (retired) Intel-GE Care Innovations

Division President KB Home

Owner The Sleep Train

Senior Director Cushman & Wakefield

CEO (retired) SMUD

Certified Public Accountant GALLINA LLP

Managing Partner Ueltzen & Company LLP

President, CBA Alumni Chapter Account Manager, Western Sales Region U.S. Postal Service

Chief Executive Officer Zuckerman-Heritage, Inc.

Certified Public Accountant Gilbert Associates, Inc.

Principal Ed Graves Consulting

Managing Principal Alliance Ventures

Technology Director, HP Education Services Hewlett Packard

CPA, Managing Director Resources Global Professionals

Founder & Managing Partner Macias, Gini & O’Connell LLP

President & Chief Executive Officer PIER 39 (retired)

President & Chief Executive Officer Bank of Sacramento

President VSP Vision Care

Principal Regional Vice President Ernst & Young

Executive Director, External Affairs Northern California AT&T

Principal The RHR Group

Senior Vice President Teichert Land Company

VP of Applications, Information Technology Catholic Health Initiatives

Director of Sales & Marketing USS-POSCO

Vice President, Real Estate Industries Group Union Bank

President & Chief Executive Officer The Sandy Smoley Group

Assistant Vice President, Community Development Officer Wells Fargo Bank

President & General Manager KCRA TV – Channel 3

Senior Account Executive InterWest Insurance Services Inc.

Consultant The Weiss Group

SACRAMENTO STATE | COLLEGE OF BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION | WWW.CBA.CSUS.EDU

Prog ram The Corporate Associates College of Business Administration at Sacramento State is highly regarded for educating the quality graduates that businesses seek out to fill their employment needs. Companies and organizations can help ensure that the University continues to provide excellent educational opportunities by joining the Corporate Associates Program.

Corporate Associates support student scholarships and assist the dean in addressing top priorities within the

College. In return for providing that vital support, they gain premium access to the College’s top students for job recruitment and placement opportunities. They are also offered opportunities to connect with faculty members skilled in the latest business trends.

Giving levels allow donors to choose their degree of visibility and involvement with the College, including acknowledgement in College publications and electronic media, and invitations to special events. CBA

Corporate Associates

CBA Corporate Associate Members: American River Bank AT&T California Bank of America Bank of Sacramento CGI Chevron CohnResnick LLP Cushman & Wakefield Delta Bluegrass Company El Dorado Savings Bank Ernst & Young LLP Fiddyment Farms Five Star Bank Foundation for Agency Management Excellence

For more information on the CBA Corporate Associates Program, please contact John Power in the Office of University Development at (916) 278-6989.

BUSINESS FUTURES | SPRING 2015

Gilbert Associates Inc. Henningsen Cold Storage Heritage One Door & Building Solutions LLC Institute of Internal Auditors Intel InterWest Insurance Services, Inc. Moss Adams LLP North Valley Bank Pacific Claims Executive Association Principal Financial Group SMUD State Street Bank

Target Teichert Inc. Travelers Insurance Turton Commercial Real Estate Ueltzen & Company LLP Union Bank U.S. Bank USS-POSCO Industries Valley Industrial Claims Vera C. Hendry Foundation VSP Global Warren G. Bender Company Weintraub/Tobin Wells Fargo Bank

25

Forward Center for Small Business

Leading the Way

T

26

he Center for Small Business and the Center for Entrepreneurship, two unique initiatives within CBA, continue to offer Sacramento and its surrounding regions valuable business services. Both Centers have undertaken exciting new initiatives over the last semester.

On November 19, the Center for Entrepreneurship, which was designed as a new venture incubator for regional businesses, helped the Sacramento Association of Collegiate Entrepreneurs and

CBA’s EMBA program celebrate Global Entrepreneurship Week with a business idea competition called “The Pitch.”

Twenty teams submitted concepts for consideration for The Pitch. Of those, nine teams were selected to attend the live competition held on campus. During the competition, each team was given five minutes to present their idea to the audience and a panel of judges, followed by a ten-minute Q&A. Three winners were

then selected. Two of the three winners of The Pitch will travel to Chico in April to present their idea during the Future Four, a similar competition which includes teams from three additional CSU campuses (Chico, Sonoma, Humboldt, and Sacramento State).

Meanwhile, CBA’s Center for Small Business announced it will serve as a principal partner with the Sacramento Metro Chamber to host the Capital Region Small Business Development Center (SBDC). The goal of the Capital Region SBDC is to assist with new business startups through a combination of workshops and professional business advising consulting appointments, and to help existing businesses grow through business loans and capital.

The Capital Region SBDC serves small business owners and entrepreneurs in eight northern California Counties: Sacramento, Placer, El Dorado, Yolo, Sutter, Yuba, Colusa and Lake Counties.

Administration is proud to be a partner with the Metro Chamber in the Capital Region SBDC,” said Professor Sanjay Varshney.

“Our faculty has real world experience, our students are among the best in the Western U.S., and our research capabilities are unsurpassed. Working with the chamber, we will leverage all of these assets to help grow small businesses throughout the Capital Region.”

According to Northeastern California SBDC client surveys, positive impacts created through SBDC services in 2013 included more than $9.2 million in acquired loans and equity capital, $16.8 million in sales increases, and the launch of 79 new businesses.

As the original manager of the SBDC decades ago, CBA’s Center for Small Business served tens of thousands of business clients in the Sacramento region during the intervening years. CBA

“The Center for Small Business at Sacramento State College of Business SACRAMENTO STATE | COLLEGE OF BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION | WWW.CBA.CSUS.EDU

Upward

Student Investment Fund Continues

S

ac State’s Student Investment Fund (SIF) officially made its first trade in November 2010. Since that time, the group has grown an initial investment of $250,000 to over $403,000, for a total return of 61.5 percent, or 12 percent per year.

aging part of University Enterprises’ actual portfolio, and SIF receives the standard management fee.

SIF, which is comprised of both undergraduate and graduate CBA students, manages a portfolio for University Enterprises Inc., giving students an opportunity to learn more about security analysis and portfolio management, apply what they learn in their classes to a real-world portfolio, and gain valuable experience.

A number of SIF student participants have moved on to secure high-profile jobs in the investment industry, and as word of the program has spread, companies such as Wells Fargo now reach out to Vygodina directly to connect with SIF students.

“Students gain valuable practical experience that they can put on their resumes,” she said.

“Industry professionals tell us that SIF experience really differentiates students not only on paper but also during the interview once they start looking for jobs in the investment industry,” Vygodina said.

“The students are managing 29 securities, which is quite a bit for them to keep up with, but the fund’s performance is comparable to the market,” said SIF faculty advisor Anna Vygodina. “The performance attribution analysis suggests that stock selection done by students had a positive value added to the overall portfolio performance, and we are continuing to refine our process of stock selection.”

50 months

$403k

SIF’s best performing sectors are information technology and healthcare, where they are currently outperforming the market.

Vygodina said participation in SIF is considered paid experience for students because they are man-

BUSINESS FUTURES | SPRING 2015

$250k

SIF has grown substantially since its inception. This semester, about 35 students regularly attend SIF meetings, where they hear from industry experts and meet with advisors that offer practical guidance.

“SIF has been a fantastic opportunity to build on my stock analysis skills as well as to grow with other students that are also interested in finance,” said David Lopez, president and senior portfolio manager for SIF. “It allows us to sharpen each other’s knowledge.”

Each year, the Student Investment Fund

SIF Update

Trend

attends two major asset management education conferences: FAME (Financial Asset Management Education) and GAME (Global Asset Management Education). Students get the opportunity to travel to the two major financial services hubs — San Francisco and New York — to hear from industry leaders, network with other students and professionals, and access recruiting opportunities.

FAME is hosted by San Francisco State University in the fall, and consists of a single day of panels where industry leaders from the Bay Area speak to students about the current climate of asset management, alternatives (hedge funds, real estate, private equity, etc.), and the global macroeconomy.

GAME, hosted in the spring, is held in New York and features three days of informational panels, breakout sessions, and small classes taught by industry leaders and Wall Street professionals.

“Where Sac State provides the fundamental skills finance students need to begin their career, GAME provides the other half of the learning experience by educating students in the big picture of asset management and economic analysis,” said Lopez.

Vygodina has been involved in SIF since its inception, with the exception of 2013, when she was on sabbatical.

“The students benefit enormously from the experience of being involved in the fund,” she said. “They become very knowledgeable about terminology and the whole process of investment and security analysis. By interacting with industry professionals, they get good advice about what they can do to get their foot in the door when they graduate. Overall, it helps them become strong candidates once they are ready to enter the job market.” CBA

27

C

Alumin News

lass

Scott C. Adams (B.S. Marketing, 2000) was one of the 40 winners for the Sacramento Business Journal 40 Under 40 competition.

Adams is founder and president for Velocity Signs LLC, which he started in 2011.

28

Notes

Professionals Award and Presidents Mark Luhdorff (B.S. Club Top Producer Award.

Accountancy, 1989) who is CFO of E-Filliate Inc., was selected Dave Herrera (B.S. International as one of the honorees by the Business, 1992) was recently Sacramento Business Journal’s CFO featured in the Sacramento of the Year awards 2014.

Business Journal question and answer section regarding Kenneth Lyon (B.S. Marketing, June Coleman (B.S. Accountancy, properties and property deals he 1980) has recently been promoted 1989) has been named one of was involved in. He is senior vice to vice president at Burns and Sacramento’s top lawyers by the president of Colliers International Wilcox Insurance, Roseville office.

Sacramento Business Journal’s Best Sacramento.

Dean P. O’Brien (B.S. Finance, of the Bar issue in 2014. She is an Brian Jacks (B.S. Finance, 1995) 2003) is a health construction attorney and shareholder at Kronick has formed his own brokerage, financing specialist with the Office Moskovitz Tiedemann & Girard.

Jacks Commercial Real Estate. of Statewide Health Planning and Jesse Hale (B.S. Business His brokerage handles client Development. He recently was Administration, 2013) has representations for sellers, buyers, one of the 40 winners for the been hired by Air Systems of tenants, and landlords as well Sacramento Business Journal 40 Sacramento as project manager. as servicing commercial and Under 40 competition. multifamily property types. He Doug Hallstrom (B.S. Finance, Scott A. Robertson (B.S. was previously with East West 1986) has been hired by Alpine Commercial, where he worked for Marketing, 1993) has been hired Mortgage Planning as a sales

by Tri Counties Bank as senior vice three years. manager/senior mortgage adviser. president and branch banking He will manage the Folsom Kim Kirkish (B.S. HR/OrgBeh, officer. He will be overseeing all office and his responsibilities 1985) has joined Avaunt Ltd. CPA’s branches between the Bakersfield include originating and assisting and Consultants as senior tax and the Oregon border through clients with their mortgage manager. She has more than 25 supervision of the bank’s retail loans. Hallstrom has won two years experience in public and managers. He originally started his awards, the Five Star Mortgage private practice. banking career as a teller for Wells

Fargo in 1992. He has previously financial officer by First Northern held senior management positions Bank. He will be responsible for branch and deposit operations, in retail and business banking. information security, human Daniel Sapata (B.S. HR/OrgBeh, resources and regulatory 1990) has been hired by Re/Max compliances, as well as financial Gold for the Yuba City office. operating results. He is a certified public accountant and a graduate Jessica Shelton (B.S. from Pacific Coast Banking School.

Accountancy, 2011) has been recently promoted to senior Vida Thomas (B.S. Business associate at Gilbert Associates Inc. Administration, 1989) has joined She has more than three years Weintraub Tobin’s Of Counsel for experience in audits of charter the firm’s Labor and employment schools, governmental entities, group. She will also oversee the employee-benefit plans, as well as firm’s workplace investigation unit. nonprofits and school districts.

Charles W. Trainor (B.S. Mark Schwan (B.S. Finance, Business Administration, 1973) 1984) has been hired by Bank of was recognized as a top lawyer the West as a vice president and in Best of the Bar, an issue printed business banking officer. He will be by the Sacramento Business working at the Capitol Mall office, Journal. He is an attorney licensed where he will be responsible in California for the practice area to develop new business loan of Real Estate and shareholder in opportunities.

Trainor Fairbrook.

Jeremiah Z. Smith (B.S. Finance, 2004) has been promoted to senior executive vice president, chief operating officer, and chief

Lillian Westley (B.S. Marketing, 2011) has been hired by Ray Stone Inc. as a leasing and property manager for office and retail space.

SACRAMENTO STATE | COLLEGE OF BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION | WWW.CBA.CSUS.EDU

Tribute to placeholder Thomas Matlock

Remembering Thomas Matlock, 1955-2014 “When you got to know him, you knew there were two sides of Thomas—the funny and silly Thomas, and the ‘all business, no messing around’ Thomas. You grew to love and admire both sides. What I will miss most is his smiling face to greet you each morning and all the funny stories he told about his experiences abroad.” — Mimi Koh, Development Coordinator, CBA Dean’s Office

“I started working in the CBA in 2006, and from the moment I met Thomas, he treated me like his little sister and was one of the few that could get away with calling me ‘Niecy”’ at work.

My husband and kids knew him as ‘Uncle Thomas’ and would attend a few CBA events just to see his smiling face. Just like a big brother, he encouraged me, showed me the ropes, gave me advice, and was someone ALL of us in the CBA could count on.

He made a huge impact in our life and is truly missed.”

“There is no way to put into words or understand how much — Denise Boyd, Administrative Coordinator, CBA Student of himself [Thomas] gave to the CBA. He was on call 24/7, Services Department and was always the person to go to when you had a problem or a question. You always knew you were going to get a “Thomas was a friend to many, a brother to some, and a father straight and honest answer. Thomas was a true inspiration to a few. He loved with his heart and lived life to the fullest. and will be so missed.” — Shelly Browning, Admissions The drill sergeant in him demanded perfection, however his Counselor, MBA for Executives heart was worn on his sleeve. Thomas, the friend, brother and father will be missed for the love and affection he gave us all. I “Thomas was the heart and soul of the CBA.” will always miss my friend.”

— Bonnie Burnell, Director, CBA Business Student — Tamara Dunn-Whipple, HR Analyst, CBA Faculty Services Department

Thomas Matlock, a longtime employee of the College of Business Administration, lost his courageous battle with lung cancer on December 13, 2014.

For the entire CBA, Thomas was an enormous asset, and his passing a huge loss.

Thomas started working at Sac State on January 14, 1999, when he became the first male administrative assistant at the College of Business Administration.

Thomas flourished at the CBA. At the time of his death, he was the Executive Assistant to the Dean. In 2013, Thomas won the Society of Government Meeting Association Planner of the Year award and in 2014, the Lead Planner of the Academic Resource Conference award.

Former CBA Dean Sanjay Varshney worked closely with Thomas from the day he first joined Sac State.

“Immediately, I found out Thomas was an extremely caring, hospitable person that was always extremely welcoming and had a way of making everyone feel special,” said Varshney. “He constantly went outside of his comfort zone and

BUSINESS FUTURES | SPRING 2015

engaged in new experiences beyond his everyday responsibilities. He had a wonderful way of connecting with people and brought new inspiration and light to the CBA each day he was here.

He was greatly appreciated for all he did and he will be dearly missed.”

“Thomas was a very dedicated and loyal team player. He had great character, sense of humor, and his military background instilled traits surrounding punctuality and integrity. These traits would really surface at events and study trips that he helped coordinate for various programs. He really gave his all to the CBA and will be truly missed.” — Melissa Sheldon, Director of Marketing, MBA for Executives

“I loved Thomas for so many reasons. Thomas was so present, never letting anyone feel left out or unheard. Thomas hosted dignitaries and presidents with grace and diplomacy while at the same time he was usually the first to get down on the dance floor. His bright light is sorely missed.”

— Jeanie Williams, Graduate Coordinator, CBA Graduate Business Advising Center

29

Sacr amento State

Investing in the advancement of future leaders.

• Endorsed by the Sacramento business community.

• 15-month, cohort-based program.

• Convenient class schedule, meeting on Fridays from 3 to 7 p.m. and Saturdays from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m.

• Fall 2015 classes to be held at VSP Global in Sacramento.

www.emba.csus.edu

As part of the curriculum, our students go on international study trips for a deeper understanding of global business, with a focus on emerging markets.

Jill Novelo

“My current employment and career advancement are directly attributed to the relationships I made through the MBA for Executives program. Access to the students, faculty and business leaders after graduation provides for ongoing networking opportunities.”

Manager, Public Relations VSP Global

EMBA Alumna ’07

join our network of 40,000+ CBA Alumni

AACSB–accredited: only 5% of business schools worldwide carry this hallmark of excellence.

WE ARE DEEPLY GRATEFUL TO OUR 2015 AWARDS BANQUET SPONSORS This ad does not reflect sponsors who have committed after April 1, 2015

DINNER SPONSOR

HOST BAR

M E D I A PA R T N E R

RECEPTION SPONSOR

TA B L E S P O N S O R S Capital Public Radio Chevron v Community Business Bank Comstock’s Magazine Damore, Hamric & Schneider, Inc. Fiddyment Farms v

Pistachios Provided by:

Five Star Bank v InterWest Insurance Services, Inc. v Moss Adams LLP v Sac State MBA for Executives Program Sacramento Business Journal Traveler’s Insurance v

Tri Counties Bank v Ueltzen & Company LLP v University Advancement VSP Global v v Corporate Associates

Non-Profit Org. U.S. Postage PAID Permit #47 Sacramento, CA

California State University, Sacramento 6000 J Street, Mail Stop 6088 Sacramento, CA 95819 20900701

ELECTRONIC SERVICE REQUESTED

The Sacramento Business Journal and CBA at Sac State

CBA

and the Sacramento Business Journal are two organizations with similar goals: To promote the sharing of business knowledge and information in the Sacramento region and beyond. Our partnership with Sacramento State and the College of Business Administration allow us to work together to further those goals. With more than 30 years of local business news coverage, The Sacramento Business Journal is the preeminent business news source for El Dorado, Placer,

Sacramento and Yolo county business leaders.

The Business Journal’s weekly print edition is read by over 60,000 people each week and the website has over 300,000 different people read it each month.

“Our mission is to keep the business community on top of news and trends across the capital region,” said Business Journal Publisher David Lichtman. “The CBA’s mission is to strengthen the business community with teaching and research. It’s a natural alliance.”