Rawls College of Business Alumni Magazine - 2000 by Rawls College of Business

Welcome to the 2000 issue of TID Business. As you will see from the contents, we have enjoyed a banner year in terms of program improvement, faculty and student accomplishment, new faculty recruiting, and alumni support. In 1999-2000, the College of Business had over 4,700 undergraduate majors, up from 3,100 five years ago. While this is great news, suggesting that we must, indeed, be doing something right, we are "over capacity", with a shortage of both faculty and facilities. As a result, beginning with freshmen entering this fall, a minimum 2.5 GPA will be required to transfer to upper division (junior year) classes - and in some majors the standard may be higher. We view these measures as necessary in order to assure that our students receive a quality education, consistent with our reputation as a first rate business school. We will, at the same time, seek to increase our capacity in order to serve as many qualified students as possible. As we look forward to another exciting year, I want to thank you for your support of the college. I continue to be amazed at the depth and breadth of loyalty and enthusiasm for the college among its friends and alumni. Rest assured that we are working to be deserving of such loyalty.

Roy Howell Dean

Tom Walker "A Business with a Firm Foundation"

Brad Moran "Tuned in to Lubbock"

John Malouf"Clothes Make the Man"

Chief Executives' Roundtable "Leading and Learning"

Jan and Raymond Patschke "Driven to Success"

Gary Stillwell "A Red Raider Family Tradition"

Texas Tech Business· is" published annuall),; by -the College of Business Administration. Texas Tech University. Box 4210 I, Lubbock, Texas 79409-210 I

Editor Wendell Jeffreys

David Seim

Gary Hughes

Nita Kiesling

Alan Brown and J.W. Bagley Foundation

John Day

Managing Edito"r Susan Brown

-Writer Laura Gutschke

Photographers Melissa Goodlett

Accounting

Management

ISQS

Finance

Marketing/International Business

Center for Professional Development

Alumni Briefs

Design and Production Gina Sims, Hartsfield Design

Printer Craftsman Printers The publication of this issue of Texas Tech Business was made possible by the

• 2000 Dallas CoBA Scholarship Breakfast

Joey Hernandez Artie Limmer

29 back cover

gener'ous donations of alumni and friends of the college.

A Business with a Firm Foundation

e.fore launching his home construc tIOn venture, Tom Walker (BBA in finance, 1970) saw what goes into building a house - litera]]y - by working in his father's lumberyard in Houston. "When I turned 14 my Dad decided that I needed to work. During the summer months we left early in the morning together. It was hard work, but it gave me an appreciation for getting a higher education." "When I got out of college, I'd been around the lumberyard for eight years. I wanted to do something different," he said. "Fortunately, I have a supportive father. He led me to the build

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ing business with the idea that I could come back to the lumberyard if building didn't work out," said Walker. From the day Walker set foot on his first home site in 1971, the attraction to home con struction was immediate - and successful. Under the name Tom Walker Homes, Inc., he built 10 houses that year, overseeing every aspect of the business. On some days, he would change from work clothes to suits, going from site supervi sion to appointments with the banker. He built semi-custom homes in various Houston-area neighborhoods, serving mainly first-time buyers. This year, he projects to build 360 homes under the name Gateway Homes Inc., of which he is president. With homes that range in price from $90,000 to $400,000, Walker continues to serve first-time buyers, but he has broadened to serving the "move-up" market as we]] as "empty-nesters," people who are downsizing after children have left the home. Walker's suc cess today is a testament to the power of hard work, market insight and staying power during industry declines.

Laying the Groundwork Walker came to Texas Tech after attending Stephen F. Austin University his freshman year with several high school friends. "I was playing a lot more than I was study ing. And, my parents pointed that out to me. Well, several of my friends and I had talked

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about transferring to Texas Tech, but I was the only one who did. The only peo ple I knew when I arrived were two cousins. It was a great experience, though, because I made a lot of friends right away. I joined Sigma Alpha Epsilon Fraternity - that was a very pos itive experience," said Walker. Following graduation, Walker started his company with $2,000 from his sav ings plus $1,000 loaned from his father, who also agreed to cosign loans for one year. After one year, the younger Walker repaid his father and relied on his own credit with the bank. "I used my finance skills (developed at Texas Tech) right away," said Walker. "The business put me in front of a lot of different people, from construction people to bankers to lawyers to home buyers. The skills I learned at Tech in meeting new people really benefited me then." He continued to develop business rela tionships through membership in the Greater Houston Builders Association, serving on the Board of Directors for 12 years and as president in 1989.

Surviving the Bust During the late 1970s and 1980s, Tom Walker Homes, Inc. also built custom homes in many Houston-area subdivi sions, including Deerfield Village, Can dlelight Place, Bellaire and Hunter's Creek Village. Walker also constructed production homes in various neighbor hoods, such as Woodland Trails, Wood land Trails West and Inwood Forest. The mid-1980s oil bust rocked Hous ton's real estate industry, including Walk er's business. Foreclosures on real estate developments became the nonn, and the market for starter homes virtually disap peared. Walker struggled to keep Tom Walker Homes, Inc. going by doing remodeling jobs and engaging in real estate transactions. Amidst the hard times, though, Walker saw a potential opportunity. Scattered around Houston were thousands of vacant lots intended for home develop ments. These failed deals were taken over by the federal government's Resolu tion Trust Corporation, from which Walker purchased hundreds of lots. By 1990, interest rates had fallen and new apartment constructions had stopped, forcing a jump in apartment rental rates.

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The opportunity to again cater to first time home buyers presented itself. "I had a pretty good handle on the market, and that proved to be a good move," said Walker. "It helped the com pany grow at a fast rate." The lots acquired from the RTC were located throughout Houston, and Walker began building these sites under the name Gateway Homes, Inc. in 1990. The RTC lots are mostly gone now, and Walker's company is currently building on more expensive lots, having diversi fied into other markets. They include master pIarmed communities, high-end townhomes and interloop building. Some current Houston subdivisions under development include Midtown and West University near the Texas Medical Center, Quail Green West and Meadow Creek to the south, Wheatstone to the west, Brownstone Square to the northeast and Park Ridge to the southeast. Walker's peers have recognized him for his accomplishments. He was select ed "The 1994 Builder of the Year" by the Greater Houston Builders Associa tion, and in 1999 Builder Magazine ranked Gateway Homes as one of the fastest growing home building compa nies in the nation. However, Walker considers his greatest compliments to come from his customers. "We build a good value. We're told that over and over by our customers. By value, I mean the right product for the right price. I love to be in win-win situa tions. At Gateway, I feel our home buy ers better their lifestyle when they move into one of our homes. Our workers have the satisfaction of a job well done. And, Gateway wins by getting a referral so they can build another home for a satis fied home buyer," said Walker.

"Home building is a very manage ment-sensitive operation. It's the only item that's manufactured out in front of everyone. You don't see your car made, or watch or radio. Those things are made in a warehouse in a controlled environ ment, and then delivered. In building a house, the consumer sees it from the ground up. We always try to set the right expectation. They are making probably their biggest purchase. They're putting their faith in our experience to organize the process," said Walker. Walker's success is not limited to his business ventures. His community involvement includes membership with Chapelwood United Methodist Church, the Second Baptist School Development Board and Texas Children's Hospital Development Council. He also is devot ed to his family, which includes his wife, Janet, of 15 years. He has four daughters, two older girls graduated from college and twin girls in the sixth grade, as well as three grandchildren. The twins are active sports enthusiasts, and Walker coached their basketball team this past spring. "Balancing your time is important. I try to balance the time I spend with the business and the time I spend with the family," said Walker. And, the man who gave him the "insight" into the construction business - his father - is able to see the fruits of his investment in his son. "He's 86 years old, and still comes to the office every day. He is a real inspiration to me," said Walker.

Philosophies of Success Walker is guided by some simple prin ciples in tackling the complexities of constructing houses. "You don't wait until the last minute. You don't work in a vacuum. You sur round yourself with good people and involve them in the decision-making process," said Walker. He also considers his company's abili ty to educate first-time home buyers about what to expect during the building process an impoliant asset.

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Accounting

Dr. Bob Freeman: Setting the Standard very practitioner of local and state governmental accounting nationwide most likely has been impacted by the teaching, research or work of Dr. Bob Freeman, distinguished professor of accounting at the College of Business Administration (CoBA) for 20 years. In June, Dr. Freeman completed a decade of tenure on the seven-member Governmental Accounting Standards Board (GASB), which establishes stan dards of financial accounting and reporting for state and local governments. During his two final years of GASB membership, Dr. Freeman served as vice chairman. Dr. Freeman has had an academic interest in standards setting since the 1970s, and he was a charter member of GASB's predecessor organization, the National Council on Governmental Accounting. He considers his work with GASB a professional honor. "I couldn't ask for any more of an opportunity to influence the theory and practice in my field than through that (working on GASB)," said Dr. Freeman. He also enjoyed GASB because of the opportunity to work with outstand ing people. "I originally knew some of these peo ple by name only through their profes sional work, and now I consider them y friends," said Dr. Freeman. Accounting students across the country benefit from his wealth of knOWledge through his textbook Governmental and Nonprofit Accounting: Theory and Prac tice, now in its sixth edition, which he coauthored initially with Edward Lynn and later Craig Shoulders. Dr. Freeman also is widely published in reference

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journals and has authored or coauthored numerous GASB publications and stan dards statements. Practitioners have gained practical insights from Dr. Freeman by attending his annual "Governmental Accounting, Reporting and Auditing" seminars offered in several states through CoBA's Center for Professional Development.

Dr. Freeman's indelible mark on gov ernmental accounting standards is evident by recent high praise from his colleagues. The American Accounting Association honored Dr. Freeman with its Enduring Lifetime Contribution Award during its annual meeting in August 1999. In the AAA New that announced the award. Dr. I' email was noted for his passion for quality jn governmental accounting and for being active in GASB's adoption of several significant accounting standards. Dr. Freeman will continue to teach. lead professional seminars and write on the specialized subject of governmental accounting. ''I'm one of the ela jc cases of know ing more and more about less and less," said Dr. Freeman. _ Pictured: D,: Bob Freeman

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lthough Brad Moran (BBA

general business, 1982) jokes that he has

a voice for newspaper, his real strength mind for broad

st.

Moran is president of Ramar Communications. which owns and operates four television stations, three radio stations and a sign company in Lubbock as well as television stations in Hobbs and Carlsbad, both in New Mexico. He also serves as general man ager of two of the TV station " Fox-affiliate KITV 34 and UPN 22. At one time. Ramar Communica tions owned three television stations in Albuquerque. "We sold the stations in Albuquerque. lr wa' a conscious choice to have less to worry about," aid Moran. "We've got plenty to worry about here in Lubbock." Evidence of Moran's broadca t 'avvy over the years came in 1999 when he was named Silver Medalist by the Lubbock Advcrti ing Federation, the group's highest honor for an indu try leader who has shown responsibility in areas of ocial concern. He was praised for his innovative leader hip and will ingne s to try I -than-0l1hodox ideas and was described as a modern-day pioneer in the radio and television industry.

Learning from Father went to Ray Moran initiated Brad'. career in the work for broadcast indu try. At the age of II, he hi father as a worked as a janitor at KRZY/KR T-FM in national sale' Albuquerque. Four year later, he was manager, learning the w ek nd vernight DJ for th the rope he went. country-and-western tation. "We signed on the air Tn December 1981. the older with a truck backed to a Monill launched the inde transmitter building at the pendent television station tower:' aid Moran. "I can KJTV-34. When Brad remember when we brought in a graduated from programming con ultant we had u ed Texas Tech th ~ r 'ev ral years. He was i ibly 'haken following when he aw our operation. It was a crap year, he py ort of operation. It was a lot of fun." immedi KJTV-34 grew int a leading independ ately ent 'tation in Texas. In 1986. it became a Fox 6

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affiliate. with the initial national program of Joan Ri vers' talk how five night a week. About the same time, the 'tation moved into a state of-the-art operation.. headquarters. It production gear was top-nolch. pawning a new level of quali ty in local television COffiJDCf iats. In 1988, long before the Latino entertain ment indu try Will the hOI market it is today, the elder Moran tarted a Spanish-language station called Telemundo 46 in Lubbock. He later added a econd 1i lemundo affiliate in Albuquerque. From hi father' efforts Moran has learned one impor tant ingredi nt for success. "Whal I learned from walching my dad in running the station in the 19 0 wa tenacity." said Moran.

Risking New Ventures The 'on i tran.lating hi own ver ion of tenaci ty into his personal project for Ranllir Communi cation . In 1993 he bought a bankrupt Tejano radio station call d Magic 93.7 FM, which dovetailed College of Business Administration

2000

with its Telemundo TV affiliate. Ramar Communications reaches diverse seg ments of the Hispanic market through its Telemundo TVprogramming and its radio DJs, who speak "Spanglish" and English in between playing Tejano songs. "We didn't intend on keeping the Tejano format, but we found a huge opportunity to become dominant in the market," said Moran. The Lubbock market is about 30 per cent Hispanic, he said. But, when broken down by age group, the potential for mar ket dominance is even greater because 48 percent of the children between 2 and 11 are Hispanic, Moran said. "It's been challenging at times. What's made a lot of sen e is trusting tbe folks who work for us," aid Brad. In Lubbock, Moran al 0 tarted a UPN affiliate in 1995, a pay-per-view music video channel called The Box and a Sign Pro ign ~ompany in 1996. He acquired tw more radio 'tati ns in 1999. KISS 104.3 was changed from an album rock to dance mu ic format, and 950 AM features TTU Business

all news and ltllk, including five hour of local broadcasting as well as Texa Tech baseball and Dalla Cowboy games. Ramar Communications al a owns a UPN affiliate in Hobb, , erving southea, t New Mexico. and a Telemundo affiliate in Carlsbad. Moran recognizes a t;ommon them in many of hi and his Dad' new television and radio bu ines e : the ability to start from scratch with little debt or overhead. "There are fewer people who know how to do that. It's become a specialty for us," said Moran.

CommittE'd to Community SE'rvicE' In addition to making his mark in hi industry, Moran also recognizes the value of (.' mmunity service. He has served as president of the Lubbock Advertising Federation, president of the Greater Lubbock Rotary Cluh, co-chair man of the Lubbock Arts festival, loaned executive to the United Way and

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board member of the South Plains Food Bank. His mother, Mary, donated to the South Plains Food Bank the original KJTV-34 broadcast trailer to be con verted for use at remote food dri e . He and his wife, Carla. are new par ents to Ava Haria. In his free time, Moran enjoys flying his own airplane. Like a true entrepreneur, Moran gains more from laun bing new ventures than from running them. He' always looking for new opportunities to broaden Ramar Communication market presence. His newest effort i tarting a prime time local televi ion new broadcast on the Fox station. Moran admits the venture is a big gamble in a smaller market, but, as hi' tra 'k record indicates. "we don't shy away from that." •

Students Polish • Skills In

Writing Center

they may not have reviewed since high school. As the semester progresses, the instructors more often are con sulted about word economy, document formats and how to write in conversational tones, said DeBord, who is assistant director for the writing center. CoBA's Writing Center is associated with the Texas Tech Writing Center. However, the CoBA office is staffed with instructors - not graduate students, which is the practice at not only the Texas Tech Writing Center but also many business writing centers at other universi ties, said Dr. Sorenson. "Most writing centers have peer tutors, and at first I worried about students hesitating to come because of the presence of instructors. But, it's okay because in the real world students will have to write to the conventions of their employer, so they will have to go to their boss for guidance," said DeBord. Students are responding well to the Writing Center, she said, because they like the attention of one-on-one interaction and the casual, nonjudgementallearning environment. The center's clients often are undergradu ates, and the instructors hope more graduate students will see the merit of visiting with them during the course of constructing major research reports or other intense writing projects. "There's no shame in going to the Writing Center. The Center is not just for remediation. As Dr. Lady Bro\\n says in the university's Writing Center, all writers need readers," said DeBord. •

n Writing Well In today's Information Age, concise business writing skills are critical. "The advice in most any book is that you have to be short and to the point because most business communications are scanned by the reader," said Grace DeBord, lecturer for the Managerial Communications classes in the College of Business Administration (CoBA). To ensure that students refine their writing skills, CoBA operates a writing center where they can re eive one-on-one instruction. The center originally opened in the fall 1998 with two instructors available for six hours a week to aid the 400-plus students in the Managerial Communications classes. A year later, four instructors now staff the Writing Center 30 hours a week to assist all CoBA students. "We don't prepare assignments, and we're not proof readers. Our goal is to help them (students) improve and polish their writing, or to remove deficiencies," said Dr. Ritch Sorenson, associate professor of management and director of the Writing Center. At the beginning of the semester, students many times have questions about punctuation and grammar, which TTU Business

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Management

Lectureship Series Honors

Dr. Whitehead

utstanding national man agement expel1s are speak ing at the College of Busi ness Administration (CoB A) as part of a lectureship series to honor an out standing CoBA faculty member. The Area of Management faculty initiated the Carlton 1. Whitehead Dis tinguished Lectureship Series in 1997 to honor Dr. Whitehead, who has served the college in many leadership roles for more than 30 years. Through the lectureship, researchers on the leading edge of business trends speak before students, faculty and Lubbock practitioners. "The lectureship recognizes Carl ton's extraordinary leadership. He's a highly visionary leader who is able to generate consensus and enthusiasm for that vision. People go to Carlton when they want wisdom to solve their prob lems," said Dr. John Blair, the Trinity Company Professor in Management and Health Care Strategy. Dr. Whitehead has served as coor dinator of the Area of Management and associate dean for the college. He has been instrumental in the develop ment of the Health Organization Man agement (HOM) Program and the Entrepreneurial and Family Students Program as well as the building of academic relationships with foreign universities. He often heads up special projects for the college, such as preparations for the AACSB self study in 2001. "He is highly respected. He sacri ficed his academic interests so that he could take on leadership responsibili TTU Business

ties in the college, building the organi zation and its culture to permit the rest of us to follow our own research dreams," Dr. Blair said. Speakers in the Whitehead Lecture ship generally are dynamic researchers who can translate their work for the relevancy of today's practitioners. The Whitehead Lectureship Series is pat terned after the college's very success ful John E. Buesseler Distinguished Lecturer in Health Organization Man agement Series, which sponsors speak ers from the health care industry in honor of the professor who founded Texas Tech's HOM Program. The caliber of the Whitehead Lec tureship is evident by the most recent speaker, Andre L. Delbecq, the J. Thomas and Kathleen McCarthy Uni versity Professor at Santa Clara Uni versity and former dean of the Leavey School of Business. Dr. Delbecq visit ed the college in February. He has con ducted research on the role of CEOs in technology firms and the business cul ture of Silicon Valley and is recog nized nationally for executive pro grams delivered to high-tech industries as well as health, human services and government organizations.

To ensure that notable speakers such as Dr. Delbecq continue to enrich the CoRA academic experience. the college has set up an endowment for the White head Lectureship. If interested in underwriting a future speaker. contact Wendell Jeffreys, CoRA director of development, at 806-742-3187. •

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LOT H E S

ash ions come and go, but style never fades. For half a century, the West Texas icon of style has been John Malouf (BBA in management, 1949). Malouf is president/CEO of John B, Malouf's, Inc., a nationally honored specialty clothing store based in Lub bock for 51 years. Better known as Malouf's, the company was rated by Daily News Record as one of the top 30 independent and single specialty stores in 1997. The Lubbock store showcases men's and women's fine clothing in a 28,000 square-foot facility anchoring the city's premier shopping center. "We have a reputation for being a special kind of store. We have some customers in Dallas, San Antonio and Houston. They come here, or we can go to them," said Malouf. "Our relation ships with our customers are such that they take our advice as seriously as a doctor's or CPA's."

NEW

SHOES

Malouf's distinguished career began with a journey for a new pair of shoes TTU Business

K E

before starting his freshman year at Texas Tech. He and his mother trav eled from their hometown of Post to Durham-Burdine Co., a downtown Lubbock menswear store. Malouf's parents, who immigrated from Lebanon in 1925, operated a dry goods store, but the menswear store was unlike anything he had seen before. "I was impressed with the store. Two months later, I came back and asked for a job," said Malouf. He worked at the store throughout his Tech career (which was interrupted for two years for an Army tour of duty). Every day, he applied business school principles to his afternoon job. His duties included customer sales, design ing window displays, pricing and meet ing with sales representatives. "After a few months, I never wanted to do anything else. I was there as a part-time student, but I participated in everything like an assistant manager," said Malouf.

SETTING HIS OWN STYLE Malouf intended to work for Durham Burdine full-time following graduation, but an opportunity to go his own way presented with the construction of a new downtown building. With a loan from his father, Malouf opened his store in August 1949 in a downtown side street space measuring 18 by 80 feet.

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T H E

MAN

Six years later, he moved to another downtown space on Broadway that was three times larger than the first. By 1964, the store needed more space and was moved to another downtown location. Meanwhile, as Lubbock's retail area began expanding outside downtown. Malouf opened a second store in 1960 in a more urban location then called the Monterey Center. With the opening of the South Plains Mall on the soutI1\\est edge of town, the hub of Lubbock's fine retailers moved again. and so roo did Malouf. He relocated the \lol1lerey Center store to the mall in 19-':;. Both the mall store and O\'.nlOWf! store were consolidated in 19 - jm Malouf's current store. "hie >,,~"es as the anchor for Kings:;a e '. ::i·.~ Center at 82nd Stree r.: Avenue. Malouf cal the' ,i(:~'.;:.;::.::consolidation an "exce'. _::: :'-. a very long-term 10 ali ::' The architectural ";:-<;-- inside and out - !",,' Malouf's commi!me:~' : ping a special expe:i,:- __ honored witl1 the .-\ ' ..: by the Archite !lffil, n for outstandin~ u,~ furnishings and:-::Since 199!. (1__ attire has be 0 ~::.~-,-.,~ when the con:;-. --.'" ",,-...-"~,'"

are now often the exception in commu nities of Lubbock's size. "Lubbock is on the edge of support ing a store of our kind. If you don't apply a great amount of expertise and creativity, you can't perform well," said Malouf. "That's why I've been so inter ested in economic development and growth. Cities of certain sizes can't grow and offer certain amenities if the population doesn't grow. Usually a store of this caliber needs to be in a community of about 250,000." W. Gates, a specialty store in Burlin game, a suburb of San Francisco.

MAKING

HIS

MARK

Malouf's attributes its success to attention to detail and professional expertise that matches that of fine clothiers in New York City, Paris and London. "Our selection is such that we have customers who say it's better than what they find in Dallas. Customers tell us shopping here is a great experience," said Malouf. In the store's early years, acquiring finer lines of apparel was difficult because of the vendors' exclusivity agreements with other retailers. But, Malouf was persistent, and gradually each year he was able to acquire top notch clothing brands. In 1964, he started offering Oxxford Clothes, which was the top line at that time, Malouf said. More than just a trendsetter in his own community, Malouf is respected nationally within the apparel industry. He is the only non-metropolitan-based participant of Apparel Forum, Ltd. It is a 14-member organization of stores that are leaders in fine clothing retailing in their geographical areas and are recog nized nationally as leading specialty stores. Independent fine apparel stores 12

COMMITMENT TO COMMUNITY Matching Malouf's commitment to retailing is his dedication to community service. His extensive list of civic organizations exhibits his interest in promoting Lubbock's economy, health care and education. Some of those organizations for which he has served as a member include St. Mary of the Plains Hospital Foundation (now Covenant Health System Foundation), Lubbock Chamber of Commerce, Knights of Columbus and Board of Directors of Plains National Bank (now PNB Financial). "I believe in giving back to the com munity. My Dad always believed in making it better for the next genera tion," said Malouf. "You can't just take from something, you have to give. You can't just withdraw, you have to replen ish and reinvest." He also has served on many commit tees associated with Texas Tech, includ ing the Texas Tech Health Sciences Center Foundation, the Chancellor's Council, Red Raider Club and Ex-Stu dents Association. Malouf was instru mental in establishing an Alumni Pro fessorship in Marketing in the College of Business Administration (CoBA), TTU Business

providing funds to support research, teaching and professional activities. "You have to give back to those institutions that serve you and serve the community," said Malouf. While working and volunteering, Malouf is a busy family man. He is the father of eight children with his wife, Eleanor, who passed away in 1986. Four children - Michael, Jennie, Leslie and Matthew - reside in Dallas. Sam and Beverly live in San Francisco, and Scott and Linda are in Lubbock. The Malouf family also includes seven grandchildren. Because of his contributions to his profession, community, university and college, CoBA presented him the Dis tinguished Alumnus award in 1991.

REACHING A MILESTONE Urbanization, retail mega-centers and now internet commerce have revo lutionized America's shopping habits during the last half century. But, Mal ouf's has weathered all the transitions with a stylish spirit of entrepreneurship and resourcefulness. Malouf is still the first one to the Lubbock store each morning. He works 50 to 60 hours a week, many times on the sales floor assisting customers and training young associates on the finer points of service. In 1999, the company celebrated its 50th anniversary, reflecting briefly on its history, but also looking ahead to its future. Celebrating milestones is possible only when you remember your roots, and Malouf has never for gotten his. A photograph of the store where he first apprenticed in men's clothing is pinned to his office bulletin board. Such is not surprising for a true man of style. _

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Students Flex Intelligence Muscles

hirteen ISQS students and two faculty members were among the more than 700 attendees at the Association of Information Tech nology Professionals (AITP) national conference March 29 - April 1 in Tampa, Florida. "We were able to send a good num ber of students thanks to the generous sponsorships made by SBC Communi cations, Ernst & Young, Pricewater houseCoopers and others," noted Robert Lieb, ISQS lecturer.

Two new faculty members will join the Area of ISQS this fall. Dr. Karma Sherif, who earned her doctorate in MIS from Texas A&M, will teach Java classes. Dr. Michael Gibson, visiting professor of MIS, will teach graduate courses in advanced systems design, information tech nology for managers and computer skills for business and management. Dr. Gibson graduat ed from the University of Kentucky. Four students in the Texas Tech Association of Information Technology Professionals (AITP) student chapter traveled with a faculty mem ber to Dallas to visit with three businesses as part of the AITP Spring Business Trip. By visiting the information technology areas of Southwest Airlines, SBC Communications and Andersen Consulting, the students saw firsthand how their training will translate into "real world" settings. Career Pointe, with offices in The Ball park at Arlington, then hosted the group to discuss hot technologies in the job market, interview strategies and general career advice.

(~r:tSj¥$it.~.dministration

The experience allowed the tudents to meet other tudenl , learn about new te hnologies and flex their intelligence muscles in programming competitions. Cy Comer placed third in the Webma ter contest, winning a $1,000 scholarship, and Amber Batson and Matt Mellinger received an honorable mention in the Visual Basic programming contest. _ Pictured: Cy Comel; Amber Batson, Mutt Mellil/ger

This spring, ISQS students worked on a col laborative web development project with Ernst & Young. The project was implemented in stages, from developing a basic site using HTML, to reading data from a database and dynamically creating the web page content. The Texas Tech Association of Information Technology Professionals will host the 2001 Region 3 Student Conference in October of that year. Region 3 includes Texas, Oklahoma, Mississippi, New Mexico and Louisiana. If inter ested in serving as a keynote speaker, pro gramming contest judge or job fair participant, or to submit a programming contest idea, con tact ttuajtp@hotmail.com or rlieb@ba.ttu.edu. The Area of ISQS is trying to locate MIS alumni to build a searchable database to serve as a networking resource. Please send your e mail address, employer, city, title, graduation semester and year to robert.lieb@ttu.edu.

2000

CHI,EF

THE

EXECUTIVES'

community

Top row I to r: David Harmon, Allen Ellis, Joe May, Derrell Oliver, Barry Orr, Bill Miller, Paul Thompso I to r: Mickey Edwards, Dean Roy Howell,Jim Ratliff, Dr. Bob Phillips,John Malouf (99-00 CER Chairm

ebbie Fields' idea of a specialty cookie store defied conventionai business thinking in 1977. Complicating her venture was her age - 21- and her lack of a business education. With passion for her prod足 uct and perseverance, though, she defied the naysay足 ers. Today, Debbie FieldS Cookies is a worldwide chain specializing in butter-rich cookies and other baked goods. College of Business Administration (CoBA) students heard firsthand her story of unconventional success in November 1999 because of a unique con足 sortium of Lubbock leaders associated with the college called the Chief Executives' Roundtable (CER). 14

"The CER brings a group of people together to help foster the business school with funds and well-known speakers," said Alan White, chairman of PNB Financial (formerly Plains National Bank) in Lubbock and the first CER chairman.

Bringing Together Leaders and Students The CER is the brainchild of Dr. Bob Phillips, professor of management. In 1991 he decided to find a way to bridge the gap between the business school and Lubbock's businesses to the mutual benefit of both groups. "Let's enhance the teaching mission of the college by bringing business people into the classroom," explained Dr. Phillips. Dr. Phillips wanted an organization of business leaders to share their experiences with students in the classroom, espe足 cially the Business Enterprise course, which provides new business students an overview of the functions of business. He also envisioned the group paying dues to underwrite bringing nationally and internationally known leaders and

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ROUNDTABLE

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public figures to Lubbock to speak before both the CER and the college's faculty and students. "The university can get people to come that a normal organization couldn't on their own, or for the same price," said Dr. Phillips. Armed with a great idea outlined for presentation, Dr. Phillips signed up three of the first four Lubbock business leaders he approached about the CER. Nine years and dozens of speakers later, the CER's current 3S members represent many of Lubbock's leading businesses, and their yearly dues of $2,800 sponsor not only outstanding speakers but also support scholarships and new college initiatives.

Benefits of the Program Dr. Phillips, who serves as executive director of the CER, hoped that an exchange of ideas between those "doing business" and students want ing to "do business" would Ches Carthel, Bob Cass; Bottom row supplement students' class I), Jim Newman, Dusty Earl room training by exposing them to the subtleties of busi ness often not found in any textbook, he said. Debbie Fields' presentation perfectly ]llustrates the essence of Dr. Phillips' idea. "These students learned about perseverance and that there are no pat answers. You have to figure out some answers on your own. We can't teach that," said Dr. Phillips. For CER members, the association affords them access to informed players in current public or political arenas. For example, one of the first CER-sponsored speakers in November 1991 was Andre Anikin, then director of the Russian Central Bank. His country's economy was in much turmoil following the fall of communism. Dr. Phillips can still recall Anikin's col orful description of the transition. "He said, 'Gently moving your economic system from socialism to capitalism is a little like gently deciding to change from driving on the left hand side of the road to the right side,'" said Dr. Phillips. In the heat of the North America Free Trade Agreement con troversy, Dr. Phillips arranged for visits from leaders on both TTU

Business

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sides of the issue - a U.S. economist against it and a South American activist author for it. Business faculty also benefit from the opportunity to meet practitioners implementing cutting-edge business strategies. When Dennis Kozlowski, chairman, CEO and president of Tyco International, visited the college, he took off his jacket before a small group of students and professors and fielded pointed questions about strategies and financing. "They were like lawyers in a courtroom," said Dr. Phillips. "I guarantee you that some of his own executives would not have asked such questions as did the faculty." And, speakers seem to enjoy the opportunity to inspire the next generation of business leaders, said Dr. Phillips. "After we started doing this, I found out there were similar associations at other universities, but they were in larger cities. No one in towns of our size has done this. We were told we were too small," said Dr. Phillips. The CER's success makes it the kind of organization to which odds-defying people such as Debbie Fields can relate. _

Past CER Speakers • Tim Arnoult, President, Bank of America • Michael Birck, CEO, Tellabs, Inc. • Sir Peter Bonfield, CEO, British Telecom • William F. Buckley, Author and Commentator • Debbie Fields, Founder, Mrs. Fields Original Cookie Company • Dr. William C. Freund, Chief Economist Emeritus, NYSE • Carlos Fuentes, Author • Herb Kelleher, CEO, Southwest Airlines • Dennis Kozlowski, Chairman and CEO, Tyco International • Amy Love, CEO, Amy Love's Real Sports Magazine • Gen. Edward C. Meyer, Chief of Staff, U.S. Army • Burle Osborne, Publisher and CEO, the Dallas Morning News • Ray Perryman, Economist, Southern Methodist University • Brad Rozen, Sales Representative, Microsoft • Mark Russell, Political Comedian • Dr. Edmond Seifried, Economics Professor and Former Advisor to a Soviet Block bank • Dr. Jeffrey Sonnenfeld, Director at the Center for Leadership & Career Studies at Emory University • George Stephanopolis, Former Advisor to President Clinton • Richard R. Stewart, S&S Energy Products • Skipp Stitt, Head of Economic Development, Indianapolis

Mayor's Office

• Gen. Maxwell Thurman, Commander of Operation Just Cause • Ed Whitacre, CEO, SBC Communications

2000

Finance

Finance Seeks Funding for Financial and Investment Trading Center

echn logy driv the financial industry like never before becau e of this important axiom: access to the most up-to-date financial information is crucial to effective fund management. To en ure that stude)1ts function in a realistic "Wall Street"' environment, the finance faculty envision the con structi n of a full- cale, state-of-the-art investment and trad ing center at Texa Tech University. Constructed to simulate an actual brokerage trading nvironment, the center would showcase advanc d computer hardware. workstations. infor mation feeds and audio-vi ual tools. "The financial and investrn nt trading center will provide a learning environment. . ond to none, equipped with state-of the-art tools that will pr pare our stud nts for career opportu nities directly from Texas Tech to Wail Street," said Michael Cox, senior vice pre ident of Tejas Securities in Austin, SMIF Advisory Council member and finance alumnus. The financial center would complement the College of Bu inc s Admini tration's (CoBA) Student Management Inve tment Fund (SMIF), the college's first-ever investment program completely managed by finance students. In this sophisticated learning environment. tudents utilizing such services as Bloomberg and Bridge Data Systems could exe cute trades and receive critical financial information from the same source as today's money managers. 16

Created in 1997, the SMIF class affords undergraduate and graduate students an unparalleled opportunity for hands-on learning of the fundamentals of managing an investment port folio that is worth about $1.5 million. Researching compa nies, developing economic forecasts, tracking daily portfolio performance and generating an annual report are all part of the educational experience students can expect. The SMIF program was made possible by an initial contri bution of $500,000 from James E. Sowell, a Texas Tech regent and CoBA alumnus, and his wife, Elizabeth. The SMIF students manage this contribution, which endows pro fessorships in the areas of management information systems and finance. Like the Sowells, James Niver, a retired Houston banker and college alumnus, and his wife, Marguerite, enlisted the SMIF students to manage their $1 million endowment gift for a chair in the college. Dr. James G. Hunt, professor of man agement, and Dr. William P. Dukes, professor of finance and head of the SMIF class, entrust their scholarship endowments to the SMIF class as well. Col. Guy Cloud has made the most recent gift to be added to the P011folio of assets under student management. The financial center also would serve as a research lab for the faculty, allowing for the exploration of new financial models for the benefit of both students and professionals. Members of the SMIF Advisory Board formed three sub committees to develop the financial center. One group is addressing specific equipment needs and location logistics, a second is developing a fund-raising strategy, and a third reviews investment policies and operational procedures of the SMIF class.

To learn more about donating to the SMlF or the Financial Centel; contact Wendell Jeffreys, CoBA director of develop ment, at 806-742-3187.•

TTU Business

College of Business Administration

2000

I I Theory Explains Dynamics of Competition hy are some firms more profitable than others? In 1994, Dr. Shelby Hunt, J.B. Hoskins and pw. Horn, Professor of Marketing, and then doctoral student Robert Morgan set out to answer that question, and in the course of their research developed a new theory of competition. Six years and 14 journal articles later, the theory is fine-tuned and showcased in a new book authored by Dr. Hunt and pub lished this year by Sage Publications, Inc. as part of its Marketing for a New Century series. The book is titled A General Theory of Competition: Resources, Competences, Productivity, Economic Growth. Hunt's Resource-Advantage Theory of Competition (R-A Theory) demon

strates that competition is the disequili brating, ongoing struggle among firms for a resource advantage that will yield a marketplace advantage, and thereby, superior financial performance. The R A Theory addresses the complex, ever changing role of resources and product value in attaining superior financial performance. "Most companies think only in terms of one dynamic. You have to think in terms of both cost and value," said Dr. Hunt. "If just cutting costs was the answer, we'd all be driving Yugos." Dr. Hunt and Dr. Morgan, now on the University of Alabama faculty, built the R-A Theory on an analysis of diverse theories, research programs and tradi tions in economics, marketing, business strategy and institutional theory. Their initial ideas were published in 1995 in the Journal of Marketing.

Dr. Jay Lambe, assistant professor of marketing, was named 1999 Outstand ing Faculty Member last fall by Mortar Board and Omicron Delta Kappa, two Texas Tech University student organiza tions that recognize teaching excel lence. The award recognizes faculty for their excellence in instruction tech nique and style. Only five faculty mem bers from the entire university are selected annually for the award. Recognition of Lambe's academic efforts continued in 2000 when he was appointed to the Editorial Board for the Journal of Business-to-Business Marketing. Exporting courses for the benefit of both CoBA international business majors

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and Lubbock area businesses are being offered by the college's International Business Program. Student teams work with these businesses to develop unique business plans for exporting for each company. Alan Whitebread, CoBA's assis tant dean for business development, and Hadi AI-Horr, an MBA student, served as lecturers for the courses. The Area of Marketing's Internship Night in February attracted recruiters from several companies - JC Penney, Dillard's, Byron Nelson Golf Tourna ment, Lubbock Cotton Kings, HEB Gro cery, Black & Decker, Southwest Coca Cola, Frito-Lay and Wickham Supply.

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2000

"We received the American Market ing Association's Harold H. Maynard Award for that first article for best arti cle in theory for 1995. We knew our theory was good, but where it was going, we didn't know at that time," said Dr. Hunt. Since then, the theory evolved into its current form, addressing different disciplines affecting businesses. "Articles have been published in not just marketing journals but also eco nomics and management publications that's highly unusual," said Dr. Hunt. In the new book, Dr. Hunt demon strates the many applications of the R A Theory. Some of his assertions in the R-A Theory: • Contributes to explaining observed differences in quality, innovative ness and productivity between mar ket-based and command-based economies;

• Shows why competition in market based economies is dynamic; • Explicates the view that competi tion is a process of knowledge dis covery; • Has the requisites of a moderately socialized theory of competition; • Predicts correctly that increases in economic growth cause increases in investment; • Predicts correctly that R-A compe tition can prevent the economic stagnation that results from capital deepening; • Provides a theoretical foundation for why formal institutions promot ing property rights and economic freedom also promote economic growth; • Provides a theoretical foundation for why informal institutions pro moting social trust also promote economic growth; • Has the requisites of a general the ory of competition that incorpo rates perfect competition as a limit ing, special case, thereby incorpo rating the predictive successes of neoclassical theory and preserving the cumulativeness of economic science; and • Shows why the debate over antitrust legislation and implemen tation has been so misguided. Since the publication of the book, Dr. Hunt has been speaking on the the ory at the request of both academic and business professional organiza tions across the United States as well as in Australia, Denmark, Finland, Norway and Scotland. "Practitioners respond even more favorably than do academics (to the theory) because it explains the process of competition in a way that makes sense and provides a blueprint for developing strategy, providing compet itive advantage and increasing prof itability," said Dr. Hunt. • Pictured: Dr. Shelby Hunt

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an Pat cJtke (BBA in marketing, 1973) gleaned much from her col lege marketing professors, but one lesson was most gripping, both person ally and professionally. "I learned a lot from (the late) Dr. (Louise) Luchsinger, but the one thing that made an impression on me from her was the value of a firm handshake. It's such a little thing, but to hake some one's hand and look him directly in the eye, that makes a big impression. There's a communication there, there's a willing ness to have a relationship," said Jan. And, upon such relationships, Jan and her hu band, Raymond, have built a suc ces ful ales career and two financially rewarding bu. inesses. "Per onally, and tni has carried over in the busines , rve alway believed in building good relationships,' aid Jan. 'We tell people starting out, you've got to build relationships with peopl who caD help you. We had help and talent from a IOL of individual. Irs never been jl1 t Jan and Raymond."

SKILLS BU1LDING IN COLlEG Jan came Lo Texa Tech from Austin after careful consideration by her parents, who saw the importance of their daughter growing up away from home. In contrast to the 1960 drug scene and protests of her hometown, her parents saw Lubbock g more of a family environment. "Dad had heard that the business school was good, with smaller class ," aid Jan. "Those are some of the same factors about why my nephews go to

Tech now - malleI' cIa e and a settled environment. All those factors will cause growth." Halfway through college, Jan realized she wanted to work and build a success ful professional career. She told her mother that before age 25 she wanted to earn $50,000 annually, a major salary in those days. (She succeeded.) Jan credits the marketing professors with helping her to focus more on her studies in her junior and senior years. "The thing I found in the marketing depaltment and in some of the professors was that they were tough on the students, but they had a real interest in the stu dents," said Jan. Complementing her academic training were her effOits in a then dormant sorority called Phi Mu. The national organization wanted to reestablish the sorority and solicited nominations of women from other Greek ocieties to help reorganize the chapter. Jan was invited to lUsh for the original pledge class in 1971. She later became a rush counselor, and although the chapter failed to establish roots on cam pus, she said the experience yielded posi tives and negatives for herself. "It was exciting to know that there were people in the fraternities and sorori ties who felt I would be able to con tribute. I also met some fabulous sorority sisters," said Jan.

DISCOVERING THE SALES GIANT WITHIN Following graduation, Jan joined the customer services depmtment at John-

TTU Business

Roberts Inc., a college ring company based in Austin. After working to solve customer problems for six months, Jan was trans ferred to the sales department. She tele phoned small bookstores who often repre sented three or four different college ring companies and encouraged them to increase the John-Roberts sales of rings. Her success in increasing sales from those bookstores prompted another inner company transfer, this time to R. Johns, which is now known as Art Carved/CJC. At that time, Jan was R. Johns' first salesperson of a new line of birthstone rings for babies. At the age of 22, she traveled throughout Texas, Louisiana and Mississippi to small-town jewelers. She made trips in two week stretches, some times seeing 15 jewelers and logging 200 miles in a single day. Traveling alone was not appealing, so Jan transferred back to the college ring sales division for the territory in Iowa, Wisconsin and Michigan. Meanwhile, she had met Raymond Patschke, a graduate of Sam Houston State University, who helped her connect for a job interview with his employer, Southwestern Bell Yel low Pages in Austin. She joined the phone book company in 1975 as a sales rep to Austin area businesses. She and Raymond were married on Sept. 26, 1976. The two were driven to SUCCel, and were usually in the top 10 percent of sales each year. In the 12 years she was with the company, Jan received more awards for outstanding sales performance

Continued 0/1 page 22

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2000

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2000

and leadership than any other employee during that period. Raymond also received many sales performance awards and was chosen by the Communications Workers of America union in 1985 to negotiate the 1986 union agreement. In 1979, they also developed a side business with a third partner called Gold Fever, Inc. They initially traveled to 48 weekend arts and crafts shows a year to sell fine jewelry by the weight, as opposed to the more common practice of by piece or design. They later opened a retail store and manufacturing center in Austin, and Raymond left Southwestern Bell to run the Austin center. They even tually averaged more than $1 million in sales annually. "We learned that retailing was not our gig, When people went away for Fourth of July, we were open for business, and that was no fun," said Raymond. Five years after starting the company, the Patschkes sold their share to their partner for several times their initial $1,500 investment. Raymond returned to Southwestern Bell.

page companies, the business owner could contract with one company - Fox Advertising - to generate a marketing and placement campaign on their behalf for all the appropriate directories, "A lot of people said we were crazy. That it's a big risk, and it was, but it paid off in the long run," said Jan, The two projected the company would take 18 months to make money, so they took second liens on their rental proper ties to last that long. Working out of their home, they solicited clients. sold place ments and designed ads during the day and researched companies and ads in multiple phone books at night. In the end, the company took two years to generate income, and a friend loaned them the money to stretch to the last six months, "There was never a moment in time when we didn't think we would make it. We kept saying, 'We're going to make it,'" said Raymond. Eventually, they did. Two years into their business, they leased a building, They later bought a building for their own business as well as to lease, but their oper ations gradually took over more space. Fox Advertising placed ads regionally and nationally and in Canada and Europe, The employees prided themselves on their rep utation for service, as reflected in their high customer retention rate, "Most people couldn't believe our retention rate, We lost very few clients in 12 years," said Raymond, Their philosophy for success was sim ple: "If you take care of the customers, the customers will take care of you. If you take care of employees, employees will take care of you," said Raymond.

GOING THEIR OWN WAY

MOVING ON AGAIN

With a new vision for yellow page sales, the Patschkes launched their own company called Fox Advertising, Inc, The concept was to simplify the yellow pages advertising process for regional companies with multiple locations that required multiple phone book display ads, Instead of having to deal with sever al sales reps from the different yellow

The Patschkes readily admit that they started Fox Advertising with the intent of one day selling it. Hence, one reason they did not name the company after themselves - plus the fact that they would be constantly pronouncing and spelling it. The couple wanted to retire at an age when they could enjoy the fruits of their labor,

TTU Business

Through Raymond's involvement on the national board of the Association of Directory Marketing, they met representa tives of larger directory placement com panies. At the end of 1998, their billings made them attractive for a merger. In Fetruary 1999, the Patschkes began talks with TMP Worldwide, a global organiza tion with the largest national yellow pages agency. The publicly traded compa ny also owns Monster.com, "Their business model was best for our customers and our employees, Being a publicly traded company, they could offer our employees a strong career track and stock options, and we could not," said Raymond. In an era of employees often getting squeezed in mergers, the Patschkes made sure their employees were recognized by TMP as Fox Advertising's greatest asset. "When we met with the buyer, we made sure he knew that the employees were the key to the business' success, that they were getting a great group of people. These were the people who had relationships with the clients and publish ers," said Raymond, The deal closed in August 1999, and no employees or clients were lost in the transition. "We didn't want to sell to just anybody, We wanted it to be a better deal for everyone," said Raymond. Jan admits that she worried about the sale of the company and about making a gentle transition to retirement. However, she quickly adjusted to her and Ray mond's new lifestyle of traveling, often between their homes in Austin and Rui doso, New Mexico, as well as golfing and developing her knowledge of the stock market. Raymond also enjoys hunting and golfing and anticipates that they will start a less-intensive business venture. "I did a lot of crying and fretting, I worried about the employees, I worried about the clients. I found out that every one was worried about how I was going to take this retirement," said Jan. "I can tell you, I like it. They're not worried about me anymore." •

College of Business Administration

2000

Center for Professional Development Targeting a Customer's Needs

o help his managers cope with fast-paced industry changes, Gary Lawrence (BBA in accounting, 1964), president of Wells Fargo Bank, Lubbock wanted a cus tom training program. Based on the one week turnaround provided by representa tives from the College of Business Admin istration's Center for Professional Devel opment (CPD), Lawrence was optimistic that he'd picked the right group for the assignment. By the end of the training program, he was sure. "I was looking for something that was tailor-made and cus tom-made for my bank, not just the bank ing industry," said Lawrence. "I was impressed with their enthusiasm and for turning around the project so quickly." The initial meeting between Lawrence and executive education faculty occurred on Oct. 27, 1999, and Lawrence wanted the program wrapped up by the end of the year. At the time, Lawrence was president of then Norwest Bank, which had merged with Wells Fargo, and the name change in Lub bock was to take effect the following April. Based on a needs analysis, Dr. Kim Boal, coordinator of the Area of Management, and Dr. Barry Macy, professor of management and a veteran executive educator, designed a curriculum to meet three goals: • Prepare managers to deal with change on a personal level; • Train managers to prepare their

employees for change; and

• Ensure that change does not adversely affect the customer. "My object was truly on change man agement and how to get ready for it. It's coming, no matter your industry," said Lawrence. Within a few weeks of the initial meet ing, 39 Norwest employees, ranging from branch to executive-level managers, start 2000

ed a six-session training program that ended Dec. 21. The afternoon sessions were led by Boal and Macy. Because of the participants' varied edu cation and management experience, Lawrence was pleased with the faculty'S effectiveness in packaging information that was understandable and useful to all, he said. "I think the program has impacted the managers," said Lawrence. "They're more confident in managing change and in accepting change. They also realize that they're not the only people whose compa ny is going through change. If you're not going through change, then you probably need to take a hard look at yourself."

The success of the Norwest training program demonstrates one of CPD core competencies, whether the client is in Lub bock or elsewhere, said Alan Whitebread, assistant dean of business development. "We can work with any company to meet their management needs," he said. _ PiClllred: Gal}' Lawrence

n retirement, Gary Stillwell (BBA in finance, 1970) has traded the pressures of orchestrating financial ventures, build ing cityscapes and managing various business enterprise for a Ie . tressful pace of life. "I had el a goal early in lit that I wanted to be fmancially ecure by the time I \ a 50 0 I could have control over my time and do what I wanted to do," said Stillwell. He a hieved his goal in November 1997, when he retired at the age of 49. For a man who has focused complet lyon his career since his college days, transitioning to a retirement rhythm of living has taken con certed effort, and he continues to be a man in motion. Second Generation

Stillwell was the second generation of three Stillwell men to attend Texas Tech University. His father and son also are Red Raiders, and their diverse professional interests demonstrate the varied educational opportunities afforded students at Texas Tech. The university's attraction to Stillwell was twofold: it was near his West Texas home of Odessa, and it wa his father's school too. Herb Stillwell attended the university before and after World War II as a geolog major. The elder tillwell then made his mark in the West Texas oil fiel~ , fir. t a a "mud engi neer" during the drilling proce and then later in the frak tank bu ine s. The retired elder Stillwell still Ii e in Ode a. With his degr , Gary launched a car er of owning or managing variou busine enter pri. es. They include a federal saving bank, mortgage ompany. development company, insurance agency, management company, real estate investment company. convenience store and retail gas outlet, motel, m vie theater, bowling alley and mobile home dealership. While Texas Tech's business school attract ed Gary, his son, Matthew, gravitated to the College of Arts and Sciences, earning a bache lor's degree in art and a teacher certification College of Business Administration

in art education. He now works for an Austin ad agency. Building a Career Stillwell developed a strong work ethic while attending Texas Tech. He supported himself, first working at a western wear store and then a finance company, where he was appointed manager while still attending classes. Following graduation, Stillwell joined a mortgage company in Albu querque. Three years later in 1974, he was the youngest of five partners to form Sentry Mortgage Corporation in Albuquerque. The business association was a fruitful one for Stillwell and his partners, leading to insurance, real estate and banking enterprises as well. The partners' expansion into related businesses was in an effort to best serve their customers, Stillwell said. Today the practice is a common one known as vertical integration, but the concept was innovative back in the 1970s and 1980s. Another company innovation came in 1983 when the regional mortgage company connected its business opera tions in its two New Mexico offices, five Texas offices and two Arizona offices by computer network in 1983. Often, Stillwell was a hands-on partner. Some of the titles on his Albu querque resume include managing partner of Sentry Development Com pany for 10 years; managing partner of S & S Builders for seven years; chairman and chief financial officer of Sentry Mortgage Corporation from 1983 to 1986; and chairman and chief executive officer of Security Savings Bank, FSB from 1986 to 1990. His credentials include licensed insurance agent and a OB-98 general builder's license in the State of New Mexico. Some of Stillwell's commercial TTU Business

development projects included Cande laria East, twin office buildings con structed in 1979, and Sentry Plaza, an office tower built in 1980 and the first in many years in the city to feature apartments on top. "I had my different ventures occur ring simultaneously. I never had just one concentrated effort, other than being sure that all entities were getting their proper attention," said Stillwell. "I've always had the ability to organize a lot of activities at the same time." Despite the complexities of his businesses, Stillwell had a straightfor ward business philosophy: put the needs of the customer first. "We really did try to meet their needs by keeping products current and innovative and prices competitive," said Stillwell. A New Career Direction Through common business circles, Stillwell met John Byram, owner of Byram Properties in Austin and also a former Texas Tech student. In 1990, Stillwell accepted Byram's offer to serve as president of his successful, multi-mil lion dollar commercial real estate devel opment and management business. "I got out of all that (his Albu querque enterprises) in 1990 thinking I was going to slow down," said Stillwell. Such was not the case, however. Austin was struggling economically at the time of Stillwell's move. Three years later, however, the city's devel opment as a high-tech center fueled an economic tidal wave, with Byram Properties riding the crest. Before Stillwell's retirement in 1997, the company employed 130 people, and its interests involved housing, large office buildings, parking garages, land development, farming, ranching and manufactured home subdivisions.

College of Business Administration

2000

Slowing Down ... Just a little Shortly after he retired, Stillwell started America's Family Business Franchise Company, Inc. (AFBFCO) with his brother, Bobby Stillwell, and three other partners, two of which are also Texas Tech graduates: Bill Brown and Randy Wright. Stillwell serves as president and director of the Texas corporation that franchises car wash, laundry and storage facilities. Working about half-time, he is com mitted to the company's success, but not at the expense of his more tradi tional retirement activities. Helping Stillwell ensure that the business venture does not overtake his retirement is his wife, Julie. They attended the same high school but did not develop a real acquaintance until their 30th high school reunion. The two were married in 1998. She volun teers teaching English to Spanish speaking students. Stillwell also is reminded of the importance of other things in life by his daughter, Kristi, from his former marriage. She holds a bachelor's degree in nutrition and a master's degree in public administration and works as a Peace Corp volunteer in Burkina Faso, a remote area of West Africa. She is the only American in a village of 6,000, working in a health care center and living in a mud hut with no electricity or water. Stillwell receives a letter about every two weeks from her, and they speak occa sionally on the telephone. Stillwell appreciates his lifestyle today for which he worked so hard. He enjoys fishing, golf, hunting, fami ly time and travel, often to a vacation home in Ruidoso, New Mexico. "I do all the things guys my age want to do. I try to have a balanced life," he said. _ 27

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and the Texas Society of CPAs. He has served as director of the San Antonio Chapter of the Texas Society of Certified Public Accountants for three terms and as a member of the enforcement advisory committee of the Texas State Board of Public Accountancy since 1987. BARBARA GRIER DeCASTRO (BBA in accounting, 1971) is a CPA and secretary-treasu rer for Coates Field Service, Inc., a right-of-way acquisition consulting firm in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. She has one son, Phillip, age 17.

1980'5

1940's HELEN E. BROWN KLEIN (BBA in secretarial administration, 1940) carries on many philanthropic activities started by her husband, Howard Klein, who died last year. In her hometown area of Palos Verdes Estates, California, some of her charities include the Mary Hospital Foundation, University of California Athletic Association Scholarship Club, Zeta Tau Alpha Scholarship Foundation, California South Bay Civic Light Opera and Hermosa Beach California PlayHouse.

1960's ANTHONY W. GUSTWICK (BBA in industrial man agement, 1962) married Linda Tillman on Aug. 3, 1999. They live in Natchitoches, Louisiana. JOHN C. PORTER (BBA in accounting, 1961) retired in 1999 from his position as vice president and controller of Lafarge Corporation after 27 years of service that included assignments in Dallas, Los Angeles, Detroit and Virginia. He and his wife, Jeanne, recently moved from Fairfax, Virginia, to Hendersonville, North Carolina.

1970's FLOYDE W. BURNSIDE, JR. (MS in accounting, 1972) was appointed last year to a six-year term to the Texas Credit Union Commission by Gov. George W. Bush. Burnside is a partner in the accounting firm of Burnside & Rishebarger in San Antonio and a member of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants

TIM BAUGH (BBA in accounting, 1984) is now a part ner with Bolinger, Segars, Gilbert & Moss, L.L.P., celli fled public accountants in Lubbock. His wife, Regina (BA in advertising, 1984) is manager of Mervyn's. They have two daughters. Chelsie and Natalie. RANDALL B. JONES (BBA in accounting, 1985) lives in Houston, enjoys traveling the world and is the uncle of triplets. DOUG MANGUM (BBA in finance. 1981) was pro moted this year to southwest division manager of Silicon Valley Bank, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Silicon Valley Bancshares. He is responsible for the bank's offices in Austin, Dallas and Phoenix. Prior to joining Silicon Valley Bank in 1996, Mangum held various management positions at Chase Bank in Austin for 10 years.

•

1990's JANINE BERCU (BBA in marketing, 1994) is the associate product manager for the House of Tsang" brand of the Hormel Foods Corporation. She lives in Austin, Minnesota. BECKY L. SMITH (BBA in MIS, 1990) obtained her MBA in 1998 from the University of Houston. She joined the AIM Management Group in Houston in July 1999 as a project manager in the Electronic Commerce Group and is responsible for delivering projects for the www.aimfunds.com web site. Her son, Jason Scott Smith, is in the U.S. Navy, stationed at Great Lakes, Illinois.

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