2016
UNIVERSITY OF IDAHO
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College of Business and Economics
MotoTrax A Startup Success
Enterprise
IN EVERY ISSUE
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INSIDE CBE
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EXECUTIVE EDUCATION
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ALUMNI NEWS
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GIVE & GROW
JOIN OUR ONLINE COMMUNITIES
2016
Enterprise
FEATURES
2016
COVER STORY
12 IDAHO ENTREPRENEURS MotoTrax Revs Up Business
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WILD ALASKA
ENERGY INDUSTRY
TEEING UP
FAMILY AFFAIR
Cover photo: MotoTrax, a UI student startup, demonstrates its snow-bike product.
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MESSAGE from the DEAN
Welcome to the 2016 issue of the CBE Enterprise Magazine. 2015 was an exciting year, and we are proud to share in this annual publication the many achievements of our students, alumni, faculty and staff. I am sure you will enjoy reading about the success of our aspiring entrepreneurs in this year’s cover story. MotoTrax won the inaugural Zions Bank Entrepreneur Challenge hosted by Boise State University in March, and they have since launched their business in Moscow. George Tanner, director of Idaho Entrepreneurs, our entrepreneurship program, has done a marvelous job of elevating entrepreneurial thinking across campus. Thank you, our alumni and friends, for your support of this fantastic program as sponsors, donors, mentors, judges and speakers. Your participation helps our student entrepreneurs achieve their dreams. I’m also proud to report that this April, the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB) extended our business school accreditation through 2020. The AACSB Continuous Improvement Review Team commended CBE’s unique features and effective practices. Specifically, they acknowledged the college’s hands-on learning programs, our commitment to continuous improvement of the business curriculum, the Utility Executive Course, advisory board engagement, and our external relations and development activities. I am very proud of our college’s successes, which are reflected every day through our alumni’s extraordinary accomplishments and leadership. In this issue, you will see the important widespread
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impact that our alumni have on industry and the economy as top executive leaders for organizations across the state, region and country. On a personal note, I want to extend my heartfelt thanks for your support and engagement during my term as dean. As many of you know, I will be stepping down as dean of the CBE, effective June 30, 2016. I will return to faculty and then retire. This was a very difficult decision for me, and I want to thank President Chuck Staben and Provost John Wiencek for their understanding and generous support. My decision was a year in the making — starting with the untimely death of my predecessor, colleague, co-author, mentor and good friend, Jack Morris. Then, in April of this year, my sister had a health crisis of her own. These two incidents convinced me that, after 30+ years with this college and university that I love so dearly, it is time to begin transitioning into my retirement. It has been a privilege for me to serve the CBE. My deepest thanks to each one of you for your support, loyalty and engagement. Best regards, and Go Vandals!
Mario Reyes Dean College of Business and Economics
enterprise 2016
EDITORS
Stacie Jones Toni Broyles CREATIVE DIRECTOR
Karla Scharbach
CONTRIBUTING WRITERS
Stacie Jones Tara Roberts
Send address updates, class notes and correspondence regarding alumni activities to:
PHOTOGRAPHY
Amber Crowley College of Business and Economics University of Idaho 875 Perimeter Drive MS3161 Moscow, ID 83844-3161
COLLEGE OF BUSINESS AND ECONOMICS ADMINISTRATION
Dan Borgia, Associate Dean
Phone: (208) 885-7500 Fax: (208) 885-5087 E-mail: acrowley@uidaho.edu
Scott Metlen, Head, Business Department
www.uidaho.edu/cbe
University of Idaho Photo Services Melissa Hartley Joe Pallen Amber Crowley Mario Reyes, Dean
Marla Kraut, Head, Accounting Department Yvonne Sertich Director, Executive Education Erick Larson Assistant Dean for Student Recruitment, Retention, and Assessment (800) 960-3033 Toll-free main office The University of Idaho is an equal opportunity, affirmative action employer and educational institution. Š2016, University of Idaho. Enterprise magazine is published by the College of Business and Economics for alumni and friends. Published once per year, the magazine is free to alumni and friends of the University. enterprise | 3
Inside CBE
NEW FACULTY Monica Banyi, Ph.D.
Aidin Namin, Ph.D.
Banyi, assistant professor of accounting, has more than 10 years of teaching experience. She earned her doctoral degree from the University of Arizona.
Namin, assistant professor of marketing, received his doctorate in management from the University of Texas at Dallas. He has six years of industry experience in marketing research.
Hana Johnson, Ph.D.
Scott McDonald, MBA
Johnson, assistant professor of management and human resources, holds a doctorate in business administration from the University of Washington. She has held management positions at Starbucks Coffee Company and Proctor & Gamble.
McDonald, instructor of operations management, holds an Executive MBA from the University of Idaho. He brings more than 30 years of experience in management and marketing.
NEW STAFF
AWARDS
Audrey Engan has been
Debbie Moos,
hired as program coordinator for Executive Education.
APPOINTMENTS
undergraduate advisor, has been honored with the University Staff Excellence in Advising Award.
Eric Stuen, Ph.D.,
has earned tenure as associate professor of economics. He joined the CBE in 2008.
Amber Crowley,
has been promoted to marketing and communications manager from web coordinator.
IN MEMORIAM Wayne Price, former instructor of business, passed May 22, 2015.
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Inside CBE
ALUMNI AWARD FOR EXCELLENCE
Seniors in the College of Business and Economics were awarded the 2015 Alumni Award for Excellence. The honor recognizes approximately 40 UI undergraduate students and 15 graduate students each year who have demonstrated outstanding academic success, career preparation, and leadership in the campus community. Left to right: Broc Westlake, finance, mentor Terry Grieb; Katie LynVandeberg, accounting, mentor Alton Campbell; Jacob Steven, marketing, mentor George Tanner.
STUDENT FEATURED IN NATIONAL MAGAZINE
Tyler Clavin, a senior in the UI PGA golf management program, published an article in the September 2015 issue of PGA Magazine. In his story, “Meeting the King,� Clavin recounts his introduction to golf legend Arnold Palmer during his internship at Pebble Beach Golf Links in California. To read the article, go to pgamagazinedigital. com, select the September 2015 issue, go to p. 230.
photo: PGA Magazine
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Inside CBE
CBE ADVISORY BOARD The College of Business and Economics Advisory Board is made up of business leaders and alumni from across the nation. These professionals volunteer their expertise, resources and experiences to guide the CBE leadership team’s decisions on the college’s learning programs, facilities and curriculum. Thank you to our continuing Advisory Board members (opposite page) for your ongoing support, and welcome to the board’s newest members (below).
John Andrews Vice President Compensation McKesson San Francisco
Jim Reid CFO Supply & Equipment Foodservice Alliance, Inc. Chicago
Melanie Canto Vice President, Corporate Financial Planning & Analysis Starbucks Corporation Seattle
Ric Rocca Owner Darios Investments Spokane
Cristian Zarcu Founder/Managing Partner TradeDynamiX New York City
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John Hale Co-Founder Trailhead Boise
Donna Stambaugh Senior Counsel Attorney General’s Office, Washington Post Falls
Inside CBE
CBE ADVISORY BOARD
Top row, from left: Dan Borgia, CBE Associate Dean; Andy Beitia, Washington Trust Bank (Boise); David Butler, WinCo Foods (Boise); Wayne Schneider, retired, Wells Fargo Bank (Boise); Dan Alsaker, Alsaker Corporation (Bozeman, Mont.); Tim Greene, retired, Stuart-Mill Capital (Moscow); Travis Wambeke, STRATA (Moscow); Mario Reyes, CBE Dean. Middle row, from left: Clint Marshall, Unicep (Coeur d’Alene); Dan Hilken, Wells Fargo Advisors (Santa Rosa, Calif.); Annette Elg, JR Simplot Co. (Boise); Meg Carlson, Prosperity Organic Foods (Boise); Richard Farnsworth, retired, Fireman’s Fund Insurance Company (Santa Rosa, Calif.); Gene Taft, Summit Marine Services (Baton Rouge, La.). Bottom row, from left: Michael Richards, KPMG (San Francisco); Mary Pat Thompson, MWI Veterinary Supply (Boise); Ben Rush, ADP (Portland); Robert Urso, KMS Solutions (Merritt Island, Fla.); C. Scott Green, Hogan Lovells (New York City). Not pictured: Debbie Donaldson, Deloitte Tax LLP (Chicago); Matt Espe, Armstrong World Industries (Philadelphia); Bill Gilbert,CAPROCK Group (Boise); Mike Gwartney, retired (Boise); Stan Hilbert, Telect (Liberty Lake, Wash); J.T. Jones, Fishers’ Document Systems (Boise); Michael McCoy, Esterline/Korry Electronics (Seattle); Laine Meyer, retired, Hewlett Packard (Los Altos, Calif.); Randy Million, Ripley Doorn & Company (Boise); Bryan Timm, Columbia Sportswear (Portland).
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Inside CBE
AACSB ACCREDITATION EXTENDED FIVE YEARS
The University of Idaho’s College of Business and Economics (CBE) has maintained its business and accounting accreditation by the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business International (AACSB). Founded in 1916, AACSB International is the longest serving global accrediting body for business schools that offer undergraduate, master’s and doctoral degrees in business and accounting. The accreditation extension goes through 2020. “It takes a great deal of commitment and determination to earn and maintain AACSB accreditation,” said Robert D. Reid, executive vice president and chief accreditation officer of AACSB International. “Business schools must not only meet specific standards of excellence, but their deans, faculty and professional
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staff must make a commitment to continuous improvement to ensure that the institution will continue to deliver the highest quality of education to students.” AACSB accreditation is the hallmark of excellence in business education and has been earned by fewer than five percent of the world’s business programs. Today, there are 727 business schools in 48 countries that have earned AACSB accreditation, and only 182 institutions that hold an additional AACSB accreditation for their accounting programs. This is an elite distinction considering there are over 13,000 schools offering business degrees worldwide. The AACSB accreditation team commended the following CBE programs and activities as examples of best practices in business education: the Integrated Business Curriculum, hands-on learning programs, development and engagement of alumni and advisory boards, and the Utility Executive Course. The accounting department was also recognized for its outstanding relationship with students and student placement as a result of close ties with accounting firms and employers throughout the region.
Inside CBE
A Commitment to Teaching Excellence Excellence in teaching is a pillar of the College of Business and Economics and a key contributor to the college’s success in the AACSB re-accreditation process. Many faculty members have been recognized as top educators across the University of Idaho for their dedication to students in and outside of the classroom. To name a few, in just the last five years, Terry Grieb, professor of finance, received the 2014 UI Excellence in Teaching Award; John Lawrence, professor of business, also took this top teaching honor in 2011; and in 2010, Dan Eveleth, professor of human resource management, won the UI Award for Faculty Excellence. Many other CBE faculty members have garnered additional UI awards in previous years. “University teaching awards offer much-needed recognition for the hard work and commitment of outstanding teachers on our faculty,” said Dean Mario Reyes.
“We are a premier business school with excellent faculty and undergraduate and graduate degree programs,” Reyes said. “Our cross-functional approach to business curriculum is viewed as a best practice by executives. We emphasize a progressive model that teaches team building, leadership and core business skills while allowing students to learn business by doing business.” CBE prides itself on providing a privateschool atmosphere within a public residential campus university setting, complemented by the J.A. Albertson Building, which provides faculty and students with an outstanding learning and research environment to deliver a highquality business education.
To ensure continuous improvement in faculty teaching, Reyes said the college hosts master teacher workshops on campus, provides funding for faculty participation in teaching and advising conferences and teaching workshops, offers pedagogy seminars, and encourages and supports research in pedagogy and curriculum design. Sanjay Sisodiya, associate professor of marketing, focuses his teaching on connecting textbook concepts to the real world. “When teaching business, it’s important to balance theory with practical applications,” said Sisodiya, who received the 2013 UI Presidential MidCareer Award for outstanding scholarship and teaching. “Many of us in the college firmly believe in this balanced approach to education and teach in a way that helps students understand what the concepts really mean for them in today’s business environment.” Sisodiya said the college supports a collaborative teaching approach in which faculty members work together to help each other become better teachers. For students, the CBE’s commitment to teaching excellence translates into an exceptional experience through innovative courses and hands-on learning.
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FEATURE
From left: Bob Plumb, Ben Karki, Jacob Parish 10
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FEATURE
WILD ALASKA Graduate students find adventure in accounting By Stacie Jones
Ask recent graduate Bob Plumb to describe a highlight of his final semester in the Master of Accountancy program at the University of Idaho, and his response may surprise you. After all, “dog sled” and “a road that’s actually a frozen river” are terms not usually associated with accounting curriculum. Last February, Plumb and two of his UI classmates, Jacob Parish and Ben Karki, volunteered a week in rural Alaska to prepare tax returns for Alaskan Natives in two remote villages. They were participants in Alaska’s Volunteer Income Taxation Assistance (VITA) program, sponsored by the Alaska Business Development Center. The trio began the week in Emmonak, a village of 816 near the Bering Sea. From card tables set up at the local bingo hall, the students worked 1214 hour days, free of charge, preparing income tax returns and answering villagers’ questions related to issues such as self-employment and commercial fishing, the primary source of income for the villagers. “Taxes aren’t easy for anyone to understand,” Plumb said. “These villages are so isolated. Many of them wouldn’t get their taxes done unless this program went out and did it for them.” After two and a half days in Emmonak, Plumb, Parish and Karki boarded a seven-seat propeller plane to fly to their second stop, Mountain Village, a town of 870 situated on the banks of the Yukon River. But the region’s fierce, unpredictable weather presented unforeseen transportation challenges.
strong, so the pilot took us to another town 40 miles away,” Plumb explained. “The people in Mountain Village were expecting us, but there we were: stuck in a different village with no passable roads that time of year. We had no idea how we were going to get there.” As luck would have it, many of Mountain Village’s residents were in that same town that same day for their high school’s state championship basketball game. After some coordination, Plumb and his companions negotiated rides with the players’ families on their return trip to Mountain Village. The students piled their gear and laptops into a snow-worthy vehicle. Parish and Karki snagged seats on the back of snow machines. And Plumb found himself hunkered down in a dog sled for the 40-mile journey. “They pulled me behind a snow machine at 6070 mph on a road that was actually a frozen river,” Plumb recounted. “It was crazy.” Plumb said the dog-sled joy ride (who says there’s no adventure in accounting?) was just one of many highlights of the “eye-opening and super cool” experience. He even got a taste of the local culture. “The villagers fed us beluga whale soup. It was… interesting,” he chuckled. The local cuisine may be fresh in Plumb’s memory, but it is the villagers who will leave the lasting impression. “They were all very friendly and appreciative of our help…we got many thank-you hugs,” Plumb said. “It feels good to know that we helped them get a refund, and that some of them will be able to use it to feed their families for the year or to buy a new motor for their fishing boat so they can earn a living.”
“After we were already in the air, we were told that our plane wouldn’t be able to land in Mountain Village because the winds were too
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ready...set...
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Entrepreneurship program helps business ideas get off the ground By Stacie Jones
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FEATURE
They were the underdogs. That’s what University of Idaho student Randy Gentry thought as he scoped out his team’s competition at the first-ever Zions Bank Entrepreneur Challenge, a business model and Business Plan Competition that drew 12 student teams from around the state to Boise in March. “Every other team seemed like they were way better at pitching their ideas than we were,” Gentry said. Rattled with nervousness and self-doubt, Gentry and his two UI teammates, his wife, Tallie Gentry, and friend Zak Garrett, stood in front of a panel of judges for the first round of the threeday competition and pitched their idea: MotoTrax, a snowmobile-like track system that converts dirt bikes into snow bikes. It didn’t go well. “Our first pitch was so horrendously bad. The judges basically said it was a joke, it was that bad,” Gentry said “But we are really competitive, and when someone tells us that, we do what it takes to get it better.” Obviously their toughest critics, the MotoTrax team worked through the night to revamp their pitch and rebuild their confidence. Their determination paid off. On the second day of competition, they progressed through the semi-finals and eventually earned the wildcard slot to the finals, allowing them to advance to the last day of competition. “We knew we were getting better at our pitch, but we were really surprised to win that wildcard round,” Gentry said. The competition culminated with an awards ceremony, where Gentry’s team was named the first-place grand prize winner, with $75,000 in prizes. Randy Gentry, CEO, MotoTrax
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“My wife almost had a heart attack,” he said. “I think she stopped breathing for minute.”
FEATURE
After the initial shock, another thought crossed Gentry’s mind: “It’s about time.” “This is an idea I had been working on for eight years,” Gentry said. “I tried to start a track-system company right out of high school, and it failed miserably. I had no idea then about how to start and run a business.” Undeterred, Gentry kept his sights on his dream when he enrolled at the University of Idaho. He took classes in business and engineering and got involved in Idaho Entrepreneurs, UI’s university-wide entrepreneurship program in the College of Business and Economics. That program helped Gentry find his inner businessman. “In just one year in the program, I feel like I got 20 years of experience of talking to business people and networking,” he said.
“The program totally changed our ideas on how to do business,” he continued. “We used to think that if you had a good product, you would succeed no matter what. We started to realize that there are a lot of good business ideas out there, but they will fail if there are not good business plans and business minds behind them.” Building on their success at the Zions Bank Idaho Entrepreneur Challenge in Boise, Gentry and his MotoTrax team went on to win the UI Business Plan and Idaho Pitch competitions in April. They followed up with the top title at the Inland Northwest Business Competition in Spokane against tough competition from Gonzaga, Whitworth, Eastern Washington and Washington State universities.
The group used the $100,000 in winnings from the competitions to officially launch MotoTrax, now based out of a new warehouse in Moscow, Idaho. A small business loan from Zions Bank and support from the Idaho Entrepreneurs Gap Fund helped them continue to operate, market their product and grow. And business is booming. “We’ve been working 80-90 hours a week since winning the competition in Boise,” Gentry said. “The orders are coming in… we plan to build 105 units this year, and we expect to sell out of those by the end of 2015. We should be able to scale up drastically next year, and eventually in five years, we want to be able to produce 5,000 units a year and maybe hit the global market. It’s all very exciting.”
George Tanner (right), director of Idaho Entrepreneurs, with Zak Garrett and Tallie Gentry of MotoTrax.
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FEATURE
STARTUP SUCCESS MotoTrax is just one of many successes that have emerged from Idaho Entrepreneurs. Like Gentry and his business partners, Marshall Piatt ’14 and Nick Lodato ’14 launched BioCement Technologies after winning the UI 2013 Business Plan LAUNCHING A STARTUP Competition. The pair Marshall Piatt and Nick Lodato co-founded BioCement developed the idea for Technologies, Inc., based on their winning project for the the company after they 2013 Idaho Entrepreneurs Business Plan Competition. found the BioCement soil-engineering technology, developed by UI researchers, in Through Idaho Entrepreneurs, students the university’s database of licensable can also test their business ideas and technologies. entrepreneurial skills as participants in The entrepreneurship program not only the elevator pitch competition, called the helped prepare Piatt and Lodato with Idaho Pitch. the skills and guidance to launch the “It’s the coolest thing we do in the College small business, but it also connected of Business and Economics and on the them to start-up prize money, potential campus,” Tanner said. “The Idaho Pitch investors and other business development and the Business Plan Competitions are opportunities. like beehives of activity. There’s so much “They’ve done a good job of encouraging going on…the students really get into it.” us and supporting us and connecting us As many as 200 entrepreneurship students to the right people,” Lodato said. “They participate in the Idaho Pitch, held each helped me realize that I could go to the fall and spring in the UI Bruce M. Pitman next level.” Center ballroom. The competition is Helping to get great business ideas formatted as a networking reception, like MotoTrax and BioCement to the much like the type of professional events marketplace is what Idaho Entrepreneurs students will encounter in their future and its courses, programs and competitions business careers. Students wander around are all about. the reception and pitch their ideas to some of the 40-50 real-life entrepreneurs, “It’s more than a Business Plan executives and business leaders who act Competition, it’s a start-up competition,” as judges. If the judges like their pitch, said George Tanner, of the annual Idaho the students get a business card, and if the Entrepreneurs Business Plan Competition. judges think the concept and team have “Every year, we have teams who come out real potential, the card will be signed. of our program and turn their business The top three individuals or teams with ideas into startup companies, which is the most signed cards win a combined ultimately what we are trying to do. Our $3,500. goal is to provide them with the support, mentorship and start-up funds to get them to that next step.” Randy Gentry at MotoTrax headquarters in Moscow. enterprise | 17
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Tanner said UI has “pioneered” this reception-style format, which is unlike any other university pitch competition. “We think the Idaho Pitch teaches students to not just pitch, but also to work a room and build valuable real-life networking skills,” Tanner said. “That’s gold in the business world.”
NEW NAME, BROADER REACH Formerly known as Vandal Innovation and Enterprise Works, or VIEW, the entrepreneurship program was recently rebranded to better represent the new vision and direction of the program, Tanner said. “We feel the name ‘Idaho Entrepreneurs’ is more reflective of what we are trying to do with the program,” Tanner said. “We want to expand our entrepreneurship footprint and build an entrepreneurial culture and innovation mindset across the whole campus, and we want to spread our programs, offerings and events in a more statewide manner.” Key to this effort is raising awareness and involvement in academic departments across campus and disciplines, particularly
in the science, engineering and technical fields. “We’ve been going out and explaining what we do, who we are, and how we can help students and faculty commercialize their ideas,” Tanner explained.
UI entrepreneurship faculty and students help shape the camp’s curriculum for classes in which participants develop business models, perfect business plans, and learn how to pitch to investors — all essential skills for launching a startup.
Each summer, Idaho Entrepreneurs and the CBE put on a week-long “Business for Scientists” training for nearly 50 UI science and engineering assistant professors.
“It’s a deep dive into the world of entrepreneurship,” Tanner said. “It’s an outstanding program for the region’s entrepreneurs as well as a good experience for our students and college.”
“Our goal is to help merge their science with our business sense,” Tanner said. “We want to help them think about their ideas and research in business ways…maybe there’s a business or start-up on the other end…and we can provide them with the skills that can help them get there.”
The Idaho Entrepreneurs program’s reach extends well beyond the Palouse. Each March, through the UI International Programs Office, Idaho Entrepreneurs and the CBE host 30 high school-aged teens and community leaders from Belize, El Salvador, Honduras and Nicaragua as part of the Central America Youth Ambassadors (CAYA) program. The group spends a week on campus with business students and faculty developing social entrepreneurship projects that they can put into action when they return home.
Idaho Entrepreneurs also works to build an entrepreneurial spirit in the local community through the Palouse Knowledge Corridor, an organization that brings together the area’s universities, economic development groups and business leaders. For example, Idaho Entrepreneurs partners with the community group to put on the “Be the Entrepreneur” Bootcamp, an intensive five-day training for aspiring entrepreneurs and small-business owners.
“The University of Idaho is quickly establishing a reputation for our entrepreneurship program,” Tanner said. “This creates more connections and more innovative opportunities to collaborate.”
Michael Graff ’88, Navigating Cancer
Michael Graff
Gene Taft
IDAHO ENTREPRENEURS SPEAKER SERIES Thank you to the 2015 guest speakers for visiting campus to share their experiences and entrepreneurial advice with our students.
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Graff presented to students on April 2 about his experiences as cofounder and VP of product and operations for Navigating Cancer, a platform that connects cancer patients with healthcare teams and health records. Previously, he held leadership roles at Ancestry.com and Microsoft.
Gene Taft ’84,
Summit Marine Services Taft spoke to students April 22 about Summit Marine Services, a dry-bulk logistics company he founded in Louisiana. He is now president of the firm. Previously, he served as regional VP of Kinder Morgan Terminals and president of International Marine Terminals.
Idaho ENTREPRENEURS News
Setting the Strategic Direction for 21st Century Education
Startups Shine at 2015 Competition
Avista Supports Gap Fund
Thank You Washington Trust
Idaho Entrepreneurs Annual Business Plan Competition, held in April at the University of Idaho, had a record turnout with 21 teams competing in three tracks for $30,000 in seed money to help move their business ideas to startups.
Avista Utilities has pledged $50,000 in matching support to the Idaho Entrepreneurs Gap Fund. Started two years ago with a donation from Edward and Rebecca Hawkins, the fund helps support business ideas for new technology and large-scale commercialization, as well as small businesses and social startups. The Gap Fund provides critical funding to help students further develop their business ideas after the university’s annual Business Plan Competition.
The Idaho Entrepreneurs program and its popular business plan and pitch competitions would not be possible without private industry support. Each year, hundreds of organizations, business leaders and entrepreneurs from across the country donate time and funds to the program as sponsors, judges, speakers, advisors and mentors.
The competition’s overall winner, MotoTrax (see story on p. 14), came out on top in the Enterprise Entrepreneurs Track. The team combined the $4,500 in prize money with other competition winnings to launch their motorbike/snowmobile conversion technology business this summer. Team TimeStage, the competition’s secondplace winner, was awarded $8,500 for first place in the Innovative Ventures Track. The team was the result of Idaho Entrepreneurs establishing stronger relationships with the university’s science and engineering programs. TimeStage is a medical diagnostic device that improves the tissue-staining process to aid in cancer and infectious disease diagnosis. The group is currently working to perfect its prototype and explore markets. Team ReSink also presented a promising idea, winning $4,000 for first place in the New Product Development category. The group’s product is a wire harness sinker rig that enables anglers to use a rock as a sinker. The harness is easier to use, inexpensive for fisherman and eliminates harmful lead from our streams and rivers.
The Idaho Entrepreneurs Gap Fund was recently used to help two new local businesses. Altered Ego LLC used the fund to expand operations, and MotoTrax used the gap funds to promote their product to garner sales.
Washington Trust Bank is one of these generous supporters. The company recently donated $50,000 to the program. “As a company, what more could we want than to support the success of an entrepreneurship program that helps create new businesses and enhances existing businesses,” said Jack Heath, ’97, president and COO of Washington Trust Bank. “It’s good for our community and it’s good for our employees, and that translates into good business for our bank.”
“Incentivizing startup businesses to stay in our region and state is important,” said Paul Kimmell of Avista. “Having this fund also encourages university faculty, staff and students to generate research and develop ideas that may have an ultimate application in the marketplace.” enterprise | 19
Executive EDUCATION
EMBA SPEAKER SERIES 2014-15 CEO SPEAKER Every year, the Executive MBA program invites executives to share their insights and experiences with EMBA students as part of the program’s Inside the C-Suite speaker series.
Thank you to the following 2014-15 speakers and panelists. Visit: uidaho.edu/cbe/executive-speakers to learn more about our speaker series.
John Adams CEO & President Grease Monkey International
CFO PANEL
Beth Druffel ’99, ’00 VP, Finance & External Reporting Red Lion Hotels Corporation
Cindy Leaver Chief Financial Officer Numerica Credit Union
A. Craig Olson ’74 Managing Director CAPROCK Group
COO PANEL
Sarah Haynes ’01 COO (former) Shotgun Software 20
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Stan Hilbert ’82 Executive VP & COO Telect, Inc.
Don Kopczynski ’78 VP of Operations Avista Utilities
Executive EDUCATION
EMBA CAMPUS WEEK Learning, Networking, Golf president of Grease Monkey International. Adams later joined EMBA students, alumni and faculty for a golf scramble at the University of Idaho Golf course. First-year EMBA students closed the week with a panel discussion in which EMBA alumni, students and faculty shared their insights on how to optimize the EMBA learning experience. Panelists included Jeff Bailey, Tony Bean, Toni Broyles, ThanhXuan Nguyen, Jesse Quintanilla and Jake Weaver. As part of EMBA Campus Week in August, EMBA students, alumni, faculty and guest, John Adams, CEO and President of Grease Monkey International, hit the links at the University of Idaho Golf Course.
In August, 28 first- and second-year students in the Executive MBA (EMBA) program converged on the Moscow campus for a week of intensive study and team-building fun. The group kicked off the program with a presentation by special guest, John Adams, CEO and
“Campus week was a great experience, and I am looking forward to working with my cohort and the faculty more than ever,” said new EMBA student Ed Toavs, Missoula District Administrator for the Montana Department of Transportation.
Idaho
Executive MBA Take your career to the next level • Develop a Strategic Perspective • Apply Best Practices Immediately • Earn an MBA in 22 months
“My business has grown at a pace that is a direct result of the practical insights and ideas for action I am taking away from the Idaho Executive MBA Program.” Michelle Wier, CMPE President, Wier Management Solutions
uidaho.edu/emba EMBA courses delivered in Coeur d’Alene monthly enterprise | 21
Executive EDUCATION
UTILITY EXECUTIVE COURSE The 62nd annual Utility Executive Course (UEC) concluded another successful program on Thursday, June 25. The three-week program attracted 61 utility leaders representing 34 organizations from the U.S., Bermuda and Thailand. Participants attended sessions that explored topics such as integrated resources planning, increasing shareholder value through capital markets, and the global energy industry. More than 30 additional utility executives attended the 5th annual UEC Summit, June 23-25. The three-day forum at the The Coeur d’Alene Resort provided up-to-the minute information on the changing energy industry.
Dean Mario Reyes awards Alpa Parikh, Puget Sound Energy, her certificate.
“I wholeheartedly recommend the UEC Summit to any and all leaders in the electric industry,” said Bill Pate, director of workforce planning and employee Services, Pacific Gas and Electric Company.
UEC work group: Jeffrey Patterson, Bermuda Electric Light Company; Don Howerton, Pacific Gas and Electric Company; and Julie Catron, Ameren Missouri.
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Executive EDUCATION
LEGISLATIVE ENERGY HORIZON INSTITUTE The 5th annual Legislative Energy Horizon Institute (LEHI) kicked off in July at the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory in Richland, Wash. The opening session was attended by 36 legislators from 16 states and one Canadian province. Participants completed 30 hours of coursework that studied energy infrastructure and the complex issues associated with electricity, natural gas and petroleum infrastructures, regulations and interdependencies. Participants also toured a nuclear generating station and a wind farm. The final session was held in Washington, D.C. in October. LEHI Avista Integrated Resource Planning Game session.
LEHI Nine Canyon Wind Farm tour. enterprise | 23
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FUELING THE ENERGY INDUSTRY Faculty Research Sheds New Light on Energy, Energy Policy
By Tara Roberts
Power is a Powerful Resource Last year, the United States generated more than 4 billion kilowatt hours of electricity. That electricity came from petroleum products like oil and coal, from nuclear power, and from alternative sources such as hydroelectric dams, wind farms and solar panels. It powered homes and businesses, it supported economies and it sparked political debate. As the population expands and demand for electricity grows, the energy industry needs unbiased data and innovative solutions to keep the power on. Researchers in the University of Idaho College of Business and Economics (CBE) are investigating a broad range of energy-related issues that complement the college’s programs supporting industry leaders and stakeholders. “The College of Business and Economics houses the annual Utility Executive Course, the industry leader in utility executive education. We are also a key partner in the Legislative Energy Horizon Institute, a certificate program for U.S. and Canadian legislators on the North American energy infrastructure and delivery system,” said Mario Reyes, CBE dean. “CBE faculty research in energy issues further cements our status as a premier utility industry executive learning program,” he said.
Examining Energy Policy A hot topic in Washington state’s 2015 legislative session was Gov. Jay Inslee’s proposed carbon cap-and-trade policy, which failed to pass. His office used software that indicated jobs and gross state product would increase as energy prices increased — but UI assistant professor Steve Peterson’s research shows otherwise. “Our analysis shows that it actually drops,” said Peterson, a clinical assistant professor of economics who collaborated on the project with Timothy Nadreau, a research economist and doctoral student at Washington State University. Peterson acknowledges the controversial nature of the research, which was released as a report in February. The Washington Climate Collaborative, which opposed Inslee’s legislation, funded the project, but Peterson said the unbiased analysis is beneficial for people on any side of the debate.
“From an academic perspective, coming up with an accurate measure of this is important,” Peterson said. “If you’re going to address environmental problems of any kind, you need to have an accurate assessment of what the costs and benefits are going to be, and we think we contributed to that.” Peterson expects his analytical model will prove useful for other states and regions, too. He plans to refine the model and explore the ways it could be applied to help governments make energy policy decisions — and clearly explain their implications.
Keeping the Lights On When a power failure strikes, how can companies get their systems back online as quickly and efficiently as possible? Shenghan Xu, an associate professor of operations management at UI, has spent the past two years studying this problem in conjunction with Idaho Power and collaborators at the University of Massachusetts, Amherst. Xu is an expert in network optimization — giving her the perfect perspective from which to examine power-grid data and test alternate scenarios. Traditionally, companies follow a priority list to return power first to areas of the grid that serve places like hospitals and schools. But this creates service issues for other customers. “If you’re seeing your neighbor with power and you’re sitting in the dark, this is an unpleasant feeling,” Xu said. Her optimization models indicate it’s an unnecessary feeling, too. “The major finding is if we do not add more special requests, which translate into more constraints in the system, we actually can recover the whole system in a faster manner,” Xu said. “The more priority rules you put in there, the more you slow down the process.” Xu plans to expand her research to find more ways to reduce the severity and length of power outages. For example, she wants to extend her model to study how regional power companies can share tools and materials, especially in the rural West.
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Alumni NEWS
ALUMNI AWARDS Year after year, our college’s graduates are recognized university-wide for their professional accomplishments and exceptional dedication to the University of Idaho. Congratulations to the below CBE alumni for their recent awards.
RICHARD DAHL & MIKE HUNTER
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KEITH RIFFLE
Hall of Fame
President’s Medallion
Richard Dahl ’73, CEO of The James Campbell Company in Hawaii, and Mike Hunter ’73, ’76, retired vice chairman and general partner of Southcross Energy Partners, Dallas, Texas, were inducted into the UI Alumni Association Hall of Fame. The award recognizes alumni who have achieved national or international distinction by their accomplishments and leadership.
Keith Riffle ’62, ’63, was presented the UI President’s Medallion at spring commencement for his mentorship of entrepreneurs and investment or ownership in fledgling technologies. He is owner and president of Northwest Satellite Network, Bellevue, Washington.
BRYAN TIMM
KRISTEN RUFFING
Silver and Gold Award
Jim Lyle Award
Bryan Timm ’86, president of Columbia Sportswear, Portland, Oregon, was honored with the 2015 Silver and Gold Award for his distinguished career achievements and service.
Kristen Ruffing ’93 received the 2015 Jim Lyle Award for her volunteerism and service to the university and UI Alumni Association. She works at MWI Veterinary in Boise.
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FEATURE
TEEING UP A PROMISING CAREER Alumnus takes head post at Northwest golf club By Stacie Jones
Chris Meyer ’11 may only be 27 years old, but the young Vandal alumnus is on par with some of the most seasoned professionals in his field.
“I chose the UI PGA golf management program because it was a part of the College of Business and Economics,” Meyer said. “I wanted to make sure that my degree was going to be in business and would help prepare me for life after school.”
Meyer was recently hired as head golf pro at Bend Golf and Country Club, the oldest club in Bend, Ore. It’s his second head pro job since graduating just four years ago from the University of Idaho Professional Golfers’ Association (PGA) Golf Management program in the College of Business and Economics. “Bend Golf and Country Club has a great history that dates back to 1925, and to become a part of that is a great feeling,” said Meyer, who came to Bend after two years as head golf pro at a golf club in Kansas. “Bend is a great town that fits well with all of my interests, so the combination of the two makes this a dream job for me.” Meyer succeeds Erik Nielsen, also a UI graduate, who spent 14 seasons at the course. Nielsen now works at the PGA National Education Center in Florida. “Erik is a proud Vandal as well. Being able to continue the Vandal tradition here at Bend Golf and Country Club is great,” Meyer said. Meyer said the education he gained through the UI PGA golf management program, combined with the college’s Integrated Business Curriculum, positioned him for early success. “I gained great insight into the real world, which was imperative when taking on new challenges as a PGA professional,” he said. While at UI, Meyer, a native of Spokane, Wash., established a strong network of professionals and students from other university PGA golf management programs by actively participating in events like the Jones Cup National Championship and National PGA Leadership Conference. He also gained valuable hands-on experience through internships, which are required in the PGA golf management program. “I built a solid foundation of networking that introduced me to various mentors who I have learned from,” he said. “When I graduated, I felt I had the knowledge and experience to pursue my career.” UI offers one of only 19 PGA golf management programs in the nation accredited by the PGA of America. Students in the rigorous program — which blends the intensive study of business with hands-on training in the golf industry — graduate with a business marketing degree, with the PGA golf management option, and as members of the PGA. The program places nearly 100 percent of its graduates in industry-related careers.
Chris Meyer ‘11/ Photograph by Kevin Duke, Bend Bulletin
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Speaker SERIES
JACK MORRIS EXECUTIVE SPEAKER SERIES The Jack Morris Executive Speaker Series, named for Dean Emeritus Jack Morris, brings distinguished business leaders to campus to share their experiences, wisdom and career advice with our students. Thank you to the 2014-15 speakers who donated their time and expertise toward the enrichment of our students’ education. To learn more about the speakers, visit www.uidaho.edu/cbe/executive-speakers
FALL 2014
Jennifer Lehn ’80 Executive VP and COO Numerica Credit Union
John Andrews ’88 VP of Compensation McKesson
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Bill Parks
SPRING 2015
John Croy ’76 & ’77
President & Founder NRS, Inc.
Ann Nelson ’82 Audit Partner KPMG
Director, Risk Advisory McGladrey, LLP
Melissa Barnes Head of Global Brands Twitter
Judy Suyehira ’79
Richard Dahl ’73
Partner Pinnacle Audit Group, Inc.
President & CEO James Campbell Co. LLC
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Oleg Khaykin President & CEO International Rectifier, Inc.
Paul Heiselmann ’83 National Managing Partner BDO USA, LLP
Nick Fisher ’04 Strategic Planning Director Nike
FEATURE
A FAMILY AFFAIR Three generations, one business school By Stacie Jones
Sisters Brittnay and Danica Davis were destined to be Vandals. After all, when you grow up with parents, grandparents and uncles who all proudly claim the University of Idaho as their alma mater, your path — quite naturally — tends to point in one direction. “I’ve bled black and gold all of my life,” Brittnay said.
The sisters’ dad, Jackson, is a CPA and partner of accounting firm Presnell Gage in Moscow. Mom, Mindy, runs a bookkeeping business from the family home. Their grandfather (Mindy’s dad), Steve Cox ’70 ’73, a partner of Cox Wagner in Lewiston, earned his accounting degree before going on to UI law school. The sisters’ two uncles (Mindy’s brothers) also used accounting degrees from the CBE to launch successful business careers. Kevin Cox ’95 is director of tax for Clifton Larson Allen in Spokane and a member of the UI accounting advisory board. Brian Cox ’96 is COO for Tamarack Aerospace Group in Sandpoint.
Born and raised just minutes from the UI campus in Moscow, Brittnay and Danica spent their childhood “Genetics are key…we Left to right: Jackson Davis ‘88, Kevin Cox ‘95, Brittnay Davis, Steve Cox ‘70 ‘73, weekends cheering all think very similarly,” Danica Davis, Brian Cox ‘96, Mindy Davis ‘93 on the Vandals at said Brittnay as she football and basketball explained the family’s games. They went to shared interest in the homecoming, attended alumni and fundraising accounting field. “As I was growing up, I got events, and joined their parents — Jackson to see how my family used their accounting Davis ’88 and Mindy (Cox) Davis ’93 — on degrees…where they are, how they work, and walks down memory lane around campus. what they do…and that was all very influential When it was time to choose her own university, in what I wanted to do in my career.” each sister briefly considered other options, but “Both girls could have done whatever they UI easily came out on top, thanks in part to the wanted to do,” said their mom, Mindy. “They College of Business and Economics (CBE). made their own choice, but of course, I did the “I had heard and seen all of these wonderful happy dance when they chose to be Vandals.” things about the business school,” Brittnay said. Mindy said she “wouldn’t be surprised” if her “I’ve had many family and friends who had youngest daughter, Shelby, a seventh-grader at gone through the program, and they all got jobs Moscow Middle School, continued the family’s right off the bat, and they are excelling at what Vandal tradition. As far as Mindy is concerned, they do.” there’s no better choice. Brittnay and Danica followed their parents’ “If you’re looking for a business degree, the UI footsteps right into the CBE, becoming the offers so many opportunities,” she said. “You Sisters Brittnay and Danica Davis family’s third generation of accounting majors. can’t go wrong.” Brittnay is a junior and a member of Beta Gamma Sigma honor society. Danica is a freshman and a Graue Scholar.
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Megan Reyes ‘13 is an account services executive for the Golden State Warriors, 2015 NBA Champions.
CBE ALUMS!
WE WANT TO KNOW:
WHAT HAVE YOU BEEN UP TO? Stay connected to your college. Join our official LinkedIn group
“College of Business and Economics, University of Idaho”*
and find us at facebook/UICBE.
*This is the only official LinkedIn group for your CBE.
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Give & GROW
DONOR IMPACT Urso Scholar Jacob Stevens
Jacob Stevens, a senior marketing major from Malad City, Idaho, received a scholarship from the Gail and Captain Robert Urso Scholarship Endowment. The endowment, established in 2010 by Gail and Bob Urso ’80, provides scholarships to College of Business and Economics (CBE) undergraduate students who demonstrate academic achievement, financial need, involvement and leadership. Here, Stevens shares in his own words how scholarship support has made a difference in his University of Idaho experience and future career goals.
What does receiving this scholarship mean to you? This scholarship made a huge difference for me this year. At the beginning of this year, I was considering getting a job outside of the university, so that I could help offset the cost of going to school. Because of this scholarship, I was able to dedicate myself full-time to my schoolwork. This enabled me to perform at a much higher level than I would have otherwise. My hard work paid off when my team and I placed first in the Innovative Ventures Track at the University of Idaho’s Business Plan Competition. I would not be able to do the things that I do at the University of Idaho without donor support. Donors make a huge difference, not just for me, but for students across campus. The quality of the education that I have received here is extremely high, and I know that it is only possible because of donors.
What was your 2014-15 school year like? I had the fantastic opportunity of progressing through the entrepreneurship program in the CBE. This program has been the crowning experience of my time at the university. It gave me the chance to compete in five different business plan and business
development competitions that put my team and me in front of very prestigious judges and industry professionals. We had the opportunity to network and form professional connections with these people, some of whom I can see playing a large roll in my life after graduation.
What activities are you involved in? I try to stay involved on campus, so my extracurricular activities currently include the Student Alumni Relations Board (SARB), the CBE Ambassadors, and the UI Marketing Club. I have also had the opportunity to work as an event representative for the President’s Office, a business development consultant for Washington State University and the UI Extension offices, and as both a resident assistant and area assistant for UI Housing.
What are your future plans? My end goal is to make it into the private equity industry as an angel investor or venture capital manager. In order to get there, however, I have to be successful at something else first. At this point in time, my plan is to finish my undergraduate programs and then pursue a master’s degree in applied statistics, so that I can gain more technical knowledge to pair with my business education. Once I have completed my graduate degree, I want to start a business development consulting firm that specializes in statistical modeling and analysis. My current education gives me a great foundation to build on. I have been provided with the best business education that I could ask for at the University of Idaho. The Integrated Business Curriculum program trained me to really understand the way that business works, and I will be leveraging that knowledge to achieve my goals as I move forward with my education and into my professional career. enterprise | 31
EXECUTIVE IMPACT The College of Business and Economics alumni have great executive impact in the Northwest and across the nation. Listed are several of the Chief Executive Officers, Chief Financial Office and Chief Operating Offices who lead these companies. Chief Executive Officers (CEOs)/ Presidents/Founders/Owners/Chairmen John Adams
Michael Callahan
Mike Fery
Sharon Allen
Meg Carlson
Karla Freide
Dan Alsaker
Douglas Chadderdon
Armour Anderson
Richard Chaffin
Hilario Arguinchona
Rett Clevenger
President and CEO, Grease Monkey, Greenwood Village, Colorado Chairman of the Board, Deloitte, Boise, Idaho President, Alsaker Corporation, Spokane, Washington Chairman and CFO, Gem State Paper & Supply, Twin Falls, Idaho Retired Founder/Chairman of the Board, Syringa Bank, Boise, Idaho
Scott Atkison
President, Idaho Forest Group, Spokane, Washington
Ryan Barrie
CEO and Co-Founder, Hardmill, Seattle, Washington
Alan Bermensolo
President and General Manager, B Transfer, Inc., Mountain Home, Idaho
Kara Besst
President and CEO, Gritman Medical Center, Moscow, Idaho
Cory Betts
President, Chinook International Wood Products, Tualatin, Oregon
Roger Brazier
CEO and Founder, Integra Information Technologies Inc., Boise, Idaho
Douglas Brown
President and CEO, All Star Directories, Seattle, Washington
William Bryson
President and CEO, MotivAction Inc, Hamel, Minnesota
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President and CEO, Western Pacific Resources Corp, Vancouver, B.C. President and CEO, Prosperity Organic Foods, Inc., Boise, Idaho President, Great Floors, Coeur d’Alene, Idaho President, Idaho Western, Inc., Boise, Idaho CEO, Steals.com, Salt Lake City, Utah
CEO, Rocky Mountain Management & Development, Boise, Idaho CEO, Nvoicepay, Beaverton, Oregon
Mason Fuller
CEO, Atlas Resell Management, Boise, Idaho
Douglas Gadwa
President, Inter-State Aviation, Inc., Moscow, Idaho
Phil George
CEO and Co-Founder, MentorcliQ, LLC, Columbus, Ohio
Bart Cochran
Jim Gerson
Rod Colwell
Jim Grant
Richard Dahl
Kurt Gustavel
President and CEO, Clearwater Real Estate Investments, Boise, Idaho President and COO, Mountain West Bank, Coeur d’Alene, Idaho President and CEO, James Campbell Company LLC, Kapolei, Hawaii
Steve Davis
CEO, Palouse Care Network, Moscow, Idaho
David Dufenhorst
CEO, Security Properties, Woodinville, Washington
Devin Dufenhorst
CEO, Rush-On, Dover, Idaho
William Eason
President, Premier Earthwork Inc., Anchorage, Alaska
Brad Elg
President, Northwest Real Estate Capital Corp., Boise, Idaho
Matt Espe
President and CEO, Armstrong World Industries, Inc., Lancaster, Pennsylvania
President, Speedo, Los Angeles, California
President, Gran Del Petroleum Products, Inc., Boise, Idaho President and CEO, Idaho Independent Bank, Coeur d’Alene, Idaho
Steve Hanks
Retired CEO and President, Washington Group International now URS Corporation, Eagle, Idaho
Kristi Hanson
Managing Director, CTC | myCFO, Chicago, Illinois
Donald Hayes
President, B-17 Flying Fortress Assn., Walla Walla, Washington
Mark Heath
CEO, Business Interiors of Idaho, Boise, Idaho
John Heath
President and COO, Washington Trust Bank, Spokane, Washington
Gregory Holt
Mitch McInelly
Melvin Spelde
Scott D. Howarth
Bradley McKenzie
Jess Spencer
Justin Jacobsen
John Mead
Dave Spiker
Gary Michael
Gary Stapleton
President, Hardrock Oil Co., Great Falls, Montana President and CEO, Integrated Silicon Solution Inc., Milpitas, California President/General Manager, Kootenai County Title Company, Inc., Post Falls, Idaho
Ed Johnson
President, Auto Sort, Inc., Garden City, Idaho
Karl Johnson
President, Palouse Properties, Moscow, Idaho
Charley Jones
President, Stinker Stores, Boise, Idaho
Jeffrey Kack
President, Nestegg Properties, Bozeman, Montana
Dale Knott
President, Home Mortgage Experts, Inc., Solana Beach, California
President, Agency Software, Inc., Hayden, Idaho President, Allied Fuels & Services, Inc., Houston, Texas President, Adventure 16, San Diego, California Retired CEO, Albertsons, Boise, Idaho
Kelly Miller
President, KDM Contracting, Inc., Phoenix, Arizona
Ronald Millick
President, Mallard Homes, Inc., Meridian, Idaho
Michael Lavigne
CEO and board member, Silver Verde May Mining Company, Inc., Wallace, Idaho
Jeffrey Leroy
President, MAD Science, Port Saint Lucie, Florida
Scot Lindsay
CEO, Bendable Bright Lights, Inc., Bonners Ferry, Idaho
Jeff Loveng
President/Owner, Vandor Strategies, Alexandria, Virginia
Cliff Marshall
President and CEO, Bandz, Inc., Cataldo, Idaho
Mike McCoy
President, Korry Electronics, Everett, Washington
Ray Stevenson
President, Jefferson Properties, Bainbridge Island, Washington
Ruby Stroschein
CEO, AppraiserMetrics, Moscow, Idaho
Gene Taft
Founder and Managing Member, Black Hawk Capital Managers, La Quinta, California
Thomas Rayner
Chairman, Richards, Merrill & Peterson, Inc., Liberty Lake, Washington
President, Bell Equipment, Inc., Nezperce, Idaho
Robert Newell
Lance Labine
Steven Larson
CEO and Founder, MarketPad.com, Coeur d’Alene, Idaho
Melvin Switzer
President and CEO, Greenville Regional Hospital, Greenville, Illinois
Steven Pidgeon
President/Administrator, Dr. Dan C. Trigg Memorial Hospital, Tucumcari, New Mexico
President, Talisman Construction Services, Inc., Deer Park, Washington
Brian Nall
Rodney Krogh
CEO, Clearwater Forest Industy, Inc., Kamiah, Idaho
President and CEO, Empire Airlines, La Quinta, California
President, Quality Trunk & Luggage, Eagle, Idaho President, Strong-Bridge Consulting, Kirkland, Washington
Ric Rocca
President, Darios Investments, Spokane, Washington
Dana Rogers
President, FTB Funding, Inc., Winter Park, Colorado
James Schmit
President, Idaho CenturyLink, Eagle, Idaho
Chuck Schmoeger
President, American Cleaning Service Company, Inc., Boise, Idaho
Nolan Schoo
Owner/President, CompuNet, Inc., Grangeville, Idaho
John Schwenkfelder
President, Commercial Tire, Nampa, Idaho
Michael Slavin
Founder and CEO, Privlo, Pasadena, California
President, CEO and Director, Sonoma Bancorp, McCall, Idaho President, Summit Marine Services, LLC, Baton Rouge, Louisiana
Mark Tidd
CEO, TitleOne Corporation, Meridian, Idaho
Bryan Timm
President, Columbia Sportswear Company, Portland, Oregon
Bob Urso
President and COO, KMS Solutions, LLC, Merritt Island, Florida
Timothy Viehweg
President, IdaCold, LLC, McCall, Idaho
David Wagers
President and Owner, Idaho Candy Company, Boise, Idaho
Travis Wambeke
President, Strata, Inc., Lake Forest, California
Gale Wilson
President and Owner, Hillcrest Aircraft Company, Inc., Lewiston, Idaho
Cristian Zarcu
Founder/Managing Partner, TradeDynamiX, Mahwah, New Jersey
Bryan Zatica
President, Marco-Z-Technology Company, Laguna Niguel, California
Robert Sorenson
President and CEO, Translation Technologies, Inc., Post Falls, Idaho enterprise | 33
Chief Financial Officer (CFO) Ray Adams
CFO, Gencor Industries, Windermere, Florida
Kevin Alcaro
CFO-Chicago, Colliers-InternationalChicago, Rosemont, Illinois
Lou Aldecoa
Retired CFO, Stinker Stores, Inc., Boise, Idaho
Armour Anderson
Chairman and CFO, Gem State Paper & Supply, Twin Falls, Idaho
Todd Armstrong
CFO, Hoff Companies, Inc., Eagle, Idaho
Cary Baker
CFO, NetMotion Wireless, Kirkland, Washington
Preston Becker
CFO, Gritman Medical Center, Moscow, Idaho
Mary Jane Bedegi
CFO, Nokia Growth Partners & Everest Financial Group, San Francisco, California
Rick Beloit
Retired CFO, Potelco, Sumner, Washington
R.B. Brandvold
CFO, Rogue Ales & Spirits, Newport, Oregon
Mike Burke
CFO, Concrete Placing Company, Boise, Idaho
Dave Butler
Executive Vice President and CFO, Winco, Inc., Boise, Idaho
Christopher Carey
CFO, Transportation Management, LLC, Manhattan Beach, California
Jeffrey Clark
CEO/CFO, Freshpack, Rupert, Idaho
Mike Clements
CFO, Intermountain-Orient, Inc., Boise, Idaho
Matt Colbert
CFO, Spectrum DNA, Park City, Utah
Scot Cron
CFO, Strata, Boise, Idaho
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Tom Cusick
CFO and Executive VP of Finance, Columbia Sportswear, Portland, Oregon
Rex Dorman
Retired CFO and Senior Vice President, Boise Cascade Corporation, Boise, Idaho
Jeffrey Eisenbarth
CFO- Vice President for Business and Finance and Treasurer, Rollins College, Winter Park, Florida
Annette Elg
CFO, JR Simplot, Co., Boise, Idaho
Richard Erne
CFO and Vice President for Finance & Administration, College of Idaho, Caldwell, Idaho
Kevin Esser
CFO, Idaho Forest Group, Coeur d’Alene, Idaho
Michelle Fehr
CFO/COO, Watkins, Inc., La Crescent, Minnesota
Eric Gerratt
CFO and Executive Vice President & Treasurer, US Ecology, Inc., Meridian, Idaho
Scott Green
CFO/COO, Hogan Lovells, Washington D.C.
Brad Grover
CFO, Western Electronics, Meridian, Idaho
Robert Grover
CFO, Moneytree, Inc., Boise, Idaho
Mary Gruss
CFO, Washington County, Tigard, Oregon
Lisa Hals
CFO/COO, Lake Pend Oreille School District # 84, Sandpoint, Idaho
Valerie Heusinkveld
CFO, CradlePoint, Inc., Boise, Idaho
Rexford Hibbs
CFO and Co-Founder, DreamFunded.com, San Francisco, California
Eddison Hult
CFO/COO, TEC Civil Engineering Consultants, Dayton, Nevada
J.T. Jones
CFO, Fisther’s Document Systems, Boise, Idaho
Paul Kaschmitter
CFO, Community Health of Central Washington, Yakima, Washington
Gary King
CFO, System-TWT Transportation, Spokane, Washington
Matthew Kleffner
CFO/Senior Associate Athletics Director, Washington State University, Pullman, Washington
Tony Mangini
CFO, NRS, Inc., Moscow, Idaho
Clinton Marshall
CFO, Unicep Packaging, Inc., Rathdrum, Idaho
Jim McGee
CFO, Great Floors, Coeur d’Alene, Idaho
Rhonda Millick
CFO, Franklin Building Supply, Boise, Idaho
Mark Mills
CFO and Senior Vice President, Alliance Title & Escrow Corporation, Boise, Idaho
Craig Olson
CFO and Co-Founder, The CAPROCK Group, Boise, Idaho
Robert Pickering
CFO, Lifetrack Resources, Saint Paul, Minnesota
Joe Pointer
CFO, Cascade Corporation, Fairview, Oregon
Jim Reid
CFO, SEFA (Supply & Equipment Foodservice Alliance), Barrington, Illinois
Greg Rice
CFO, ACCIONA, Chicago, Illinois
Mark Robinson
CFO and Executive Vice President, Whayne Supply Company, McCall, Idaho
Jeffrey Robinson
CFO and Co-Owner, 5Focus, LLC, Seattle, Washington
Roger Rowe
CFO and Acting CEO, TigerLogic Corporation, Irvine, California
Jim Sabala
CFO and Senior Vice President, Hecla Mining, Coeur d’Alene, Idaho
Hugh Simpson
Deanna Warner
Clinton Stein
R.K. Woodhead
CFO and Senior Vice President, Tote, Inc., Princeton, New Jersey CFO and Executive Vice President, Columbia State Bank, Auburn, Washington
Margaret Taylor
CFO, Behavioral Health Resources, Seattle, Washington
Marla Telin
CFO, Flyback Energy, Spokane Valley, Washington
Mary Pat Thompson
CFO and Senior Vice President, MWI Veterinary Supply, Boise, Idaho
Kimberly Voshell
CFO, South Sound Investment Properties, Port Orchard, Washington
CFO/Secretary, Warner Construction, Inc., Boise, Idaho Retired CFO and Executive Vice President, Morrison Knudson Corporation, Boise, Idaho
Dan Zeamer
CFO and General Manager, Banks Lumber Company, Banks, Oregon
Chief Operations Officer (COO) Scott Green
COO and CFO, Hogan Lovells, Washington, D.C.
Stan Hilbert
COO and Executive Vice President, Telect, Liberty Lake, Washington
Kurt Gustavel
COO and President, Idaho Independent Bank, Coeur d’Alene, Idaho
Judd Boone
COO, Vega Performance Marketing, Bellevue, Washington
Kayla Robinson
COO, JPI Worldwide Inc., Lewiston, Idaho
Jennifer Lehn
COO, Numerica Credit Union, Spokane, Washington
Richard Sparks
COO, iShoutOut, LLC, Hayden, Idaho Stay connected and let us know of your new position. Contact Amber Crowley at acrowley@uidaho.edu.
Northwest CFO’s this fall at the Deloitte Sharon and Rich Allen Ethics and Leadership Breakfast September 25, 2015, in Boise, Idaho.
From left to right: A. Craig Olson, managing director of The Caprock Group; Annette Elg, senior VP and CFO, JR Simplot Co.; Mary Pat Thompson, senior VP, finance and administration and CFO at MWI Veterinary Supply; Jim Reid, CFO of SEFA; Clint Marshall, principal at Unicep, LLC; Melanie Canto, VP and corporate financial planning and analysis at Starbucks Corporation; JT Jones, CFO at Fisher’s Document Systems; Mike Burke from Concrete Placing Company
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Give & GROW
FACULTY FELLOWSHIP 2015 Faculty Fellowships support excellence in teaching and scholarship. They are critical in the college’s ability to recruit and retain the very best researchers, teachers and mentors for our students. Recipients of faculty fellowships in 2015 include:
From left to right: Darryl Woolley, Steele Accounting Professorship; Eric Stuen, CBE Excellence Fellowship; Young Park, Gary Michael Idaho Power Excellence Junior Faculty Fellowship; Steve Peterson, Instructor Excellence; Ray Dacey, Darius Davis Fellowship; Yun Chung, CBE Excellence Faculty Fellowship; Sanjay Sisodiya, Monnett International Business Excellence Fellowship; Jeff Bailey, Alsaker Family Fellowship; Terry Grieb, Coeur d’Alene Mines EMBA Fellowship; George Tanner, Instructor Excellence.
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DONOR HIGHLIGHTS Bequests support scholarships/programs
Raymer Endowment for Learning Annual donor Colonel Betty Lee Raymer has made a bequest to establish the Colonel James and Colonel Betty Lee Raymer Endowment for Learning. It will be the first endowment to benefit the PGA Golf Management program. The endowment will also support teaching assistants in mechanical engineering and help fund the College of Business and Economics Dean’s Excellence Fund. The endowment will primarily help fund outside-of-the-classroom experiences, which could include student internships, field trips, projects, service work and other learning opportunities to enhance the educational experience. “These types of opportunities were some of my favorite experiences while in school, and I want other students to have the same opportunity,” Raymer said. Raymer was raised in Nez Perce and Cottonwood, Idaho. She majored in marketing at the University of Idaho and was active in bowling, golf, tennis and volleyball. Colonel Raymer enlisted with the U.S. Marine Corps in 1955 and retired from service in 1981. She was recognized for her service with the Meritorious Unit Citation Ribbon, Organized Marine Corps Reserve Medal, National Defense Service Medal and the Armed Forces Reserve Medal. Betty Lee and James Raymer
Hallett Family Scholarships Jae and Patty Hallett have pledged to support two scholarships of $100,000 each via their bequest. The first scholarship, the Eide Bailly and Hallett Family Scholarship, will benefit students in the accounting program. “Eide Bailly is truly an employer of choice,” said Jae, who spent much of his public accounting career at the firm. “They are important to our entire family, and we wanted to recognize them.” The second scholarship, the Marla Kraut and Hallett Family Scholarship, will also benefit students in the accounting department, where Kraut is the department head and associate professor of accounting. “Marla always goes the extra mile to work with the accounting students,” the Halletts said. “She teaches them, mentors them and assists them in gaining employment at the end of their college program. Jae and Patty Hallett enterprise | 37
Jack and Linda Morris
Jack and Linda Morris Scholarship Linda Morris has created the Jack and Linda Morris Scholarship Endowment to provide scholarships for students in the College of Business and Economics. She also pledged additional funds via her bequest. “Jack and I wanted to recognize our association with the University of Idaho, and how much we loved spending our careers there,” Linda said.
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Jack Morris served as dean of the CBE from 2006 to 2011 and as chair of the business department for eight years. He began his career with the university in 1973 and retired in 2011. He passed away on August 16, 2014. Linda began her career at the University of Idaho in 1974 and served in various leadership roles throughout her career. In the CBE, she was a marketing professor and director of the university’s entrepreneurship program. She retired in 2009 after being recognized for her outstanding teaching, leadership and service contributions. Upon his retirement in 2011, Jack stated: “I want to be remembered as Professor Morris, not Dean Morris, because being a professor is one of the most noble professions there is.”
Give & GROW
SCHOLARSHIPS Offered through the College of Business and Economics Without scholarships, countless students seeking a degree from the College of Business and Economics would not be able to attend the University of Idaho. Many of the scholarships awarded recognize students for their academic achievements, and allow them to pursue their dreams of excelling in the profession of their choice. The faculty, staff and students extend a gracious thank you to our generous donors who recognize the importance of higher education and realize that many of tomorrow’s leaders might not be able to attend the University of Idaho without financial assistance. Accenture Scholarship Charles Ambrose Adams Scholarship Endowment
Cooper Norman & Company Accounting Scholarship Davis Student Investment Group
AGA Idaho Centennial Accounting
Deloitte & Touche Scholarship
Albertson’s Inc.
Ann McCleary DeWitt Memorial Accounting Scholarship
Ward B. Algoe and Katherine Algoe Education Fund American Prod. & Inventory Control Arthur Andersen & Company Centennial Fund Associated Credit Bureaus of Idaho Paul W. Atwood Business and Economics Scholarship Endowment Paul W. Atwood Graduate Fellowship Endowment Robert W. “Win” Baker Scholarship Jan Belliston Memorial Scholarship
Dick Scholarship Award Endowment Rex Dorman Accounting Scholarship Endowment William “Bill” and Judy Dresser Scholarship Award X.E. ‘Bus’ and Mary Ellen Durant Scholarship Sharon A. English Business & Economics Scholarship Endowment Lowell ‘Bo’ Engstrom Memorial Scholarship
Philo Bennett Prize
Evergreen Business Capital Entrepreneurship Scholarship
Julian C. and Jewel L. Benoit Scholarship
Farmers Group of Companies Scholarship
BMC West Accounting Scholarship
John B. and Delores L. Fery Presidential Scholarship
Boeing Company Accounting Scholarship Boeing Company CBE Scholarship Boise Cascade Accounting Diversity Scholarship Conrad and Margaret Borreson Scholarship Endowment Ross Erin Butler College of Business & Economics Endowment C. Randall Byers Memorial Scholarship Endowment
First Security Foundation Scholarship Janice Foiles Memorial Scholarship Endowment James B. and Jane M. Foley Accounting Scholarship Endowment William and Carolyn Folz Scholarship Endowment Fund Gary L. Garnand SAE Scholarship Endowment Mary E. Giles Scholarship Endowment
E. Jack Byrne Excellence in Accountancy Scholarship Fund
Paul and Mary Giles Business Scholarship
Carlisle Family CBE Scholarship
Albert H. Gordon CBE Scholarship Endowment
Dale Carlisle Graue Scholarship Russell Chrysler Marketing Scholarship Clark/Graue Scholarship Robert Clark/Albert Gordon/U.E.C. Endowment Robert W. Clark Accounting Scholarship Endowment
Erwin Graue Scholars Program Graue Scholars Fund (Beta Pledge Class of 1949) Robert and Celeste Greeley Business & Economics Scholarship Scott and Gabriella Green Scholarship Endowment
Lorene E. Harrison Scholarship Fund Ken and Amy Huddleston Memorial Scholarship
Kermit Pressey Memorial Scholarship Endowment PricewaterhouseCoopers Scholarship
JELD-WEN Foundation POM Scholarship
Jess Randall Accounting Scholarship Endowment
Myron E. and LaVerda B. Johnston Scholarship Endowment
Rawls Graduate Business Scholarship - Potlatch Foundation
J. Thomas and Cindy Jones Accounting Scholarship
Arthur and Marjorie Rieske Scholarship Endowment
Paul William Jorgensen Memorial Scholarship Endowment
William F. Rigby Business Scholarship
David D. Kendrick Award Endowment
Kelly Roberts Accounting Scholarship Endowment
John E. Koster Memorial Scholarship Endowment
Ric and Kathy Rocca Scholarship Endowment
KPMG Peat Marwick Accounting Scholarship Endowment
Ben and Anna Rolphe Scholarship
Patricia M. Kriz Memorial Scholarship Endowment Lennard Peterson and Clint Marshall Scholarship Endowment Anton F. and Katherine Mautz CBE Scholarship Robert McCaslin Scholarship Endowment Ann McCleary DeWitt Memorial Accounting Scholarship Bill McGowan Graue Scholarship Tom McKevitt Memorial Scholarship Endowment Jon and Lana Mellen/Kenneth A. Dick CBE Scholarship Endowment Micron Technology Business Scholarship Jean A. and Albert M. Monnett, Jr. Endowment Fund C.W. Moore Scholarship Jack Morris Scholarship Endowment Marcia S. Niles Accounting Scholarship Cortland J. Northrop, Jr. Memorial Scholarship PGA Foundation Golf Management Scholarship
Patton A. Ross Scholarship Endowment Tony Sabala Scholarship Carol A. Schreiber Business Scholarship James B. Slade Memorial Scholarship Endowment Cecil B. Smith Business Scholarship Endowment Nels L. and Mary Ann Solberg Memorial Scholarship Endowment Story Family Scholarship Endowment Kimberly Stover Study Abroad Scholarship Laura Anne Thiessen Scholarship The Gail and Captain Robert Urso Scholarship Endowment Russel F. Viehweg Scholarship Endowment L. Dean and Gay Welch UI Scholarship Endowment W. J. Wilde Accounting Award Pearl R. Wilson Business Administration Scholarship Robert K. Woodhead CBE Scholarship
Eugene L. and James R. Pilcher Scholarship Award Endowment
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Family Legacy The Laura Moore Cunningham Foundation
Harry Bettis
Laura Moore Cunningham
Every year, the C.W. Moore Scholarship program, funded by the Laura Moore Cunningham Foundation, provides a total of $100,000 in financial assistance to deserving students in the College of Business and Economics. To date, 929 scholarships have been awarded to business students. Established in 1963, the foundation is named in honor of Laura Moore Cunningham, a Boise native and daughter of C.W. Moore, founding partner of the Idaho First National Bank, now U.S. Bank. Cunningham was a dedicated community member who served on several volunteer boards. Today, members of the family continue to volunteer their time leading the foundation. The board of directors includes Harry L. Bettis and his daughters, University of Idaho alumnae Laura MacGregor Bettis ’03, and Janelle A. Wise ’04, ’05. “Like Laura Moore Cunningham, the current directors of the Foundation believe that educating promising Idaho youth will not only benefit those students, but all of Idaho,” states the Laura Moore Cunningham Foundation’s website. “The students of today are the entrepreneurs, educators, innovators, care providers and leaders of tomorrow.”
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Give & GROW
Monica Baker
Jacob Smeltzer
2014-15 Recipient of the C.W. Moore Scholarship
2014-15 Recipient of the C.W. Moore Scholarship
What does receiving this scholarship mean to you?
What does receiving this scholarship mean to you?
Management and Human Resources
I would like to thank each and every person or group that donates in the form of scholarships. Receiving scholarships can make it possible for a student to attend the university and that means the world to us. I personally would like to thank scholarship donors for allowing me to not only attend school, but for allowing me to be involved with the university. Thank you again for all that you do for U of I students.
Austin Hall 2014-15 Recipient of the C.W. Moore Scholarship Marketing
What does receiving this scholarship mean to you?
Receiving this scholarship means everything to me. This scholarship helps with my finances more than anything else. When choosing whether or not to go to college, I was very skeptical. I was scared of accruing a lot of college debt by the time I graduated. Receiving a scholarship is such an honor and makes me more financially sound than I would be without it. I would like to say thank you for choosing me as your scholarship recipient. This scholarship means a lot me, and I can not thank you enough for giving me an opportunity to attend this great University of Idaho campus.
Brett Ryska 2014-15 Recipient of the C.W. Moore Scholarship Business Economics
Marketing: Professional Golf Management What does receiving this scholarship mean to you?
Marketing
I am very thankful for the opportunity to be a student at the University of Idaho and could not have supported myself without the scholarships I received. I was able to purchase books that I would have otherwise needed to borrow from other students, which helped to increased my GPA. The scholarships also helped to relieve the stress that I had about paying my way through college. I feel honored and privileged to have received my scholarships and recognize that I may have not been able to receive a higher education without them. I am very thankful for my donors and hope that one day, I may be able to aid a student like myself. Thank you so much!
Rachel Youren 2014-15 Recipient of the C.W. Moore Scholarship Accounting
What does receiving this scholarship mean to you? If I had not been blessed with the generosity from the donors, my first year at the University of Idaho would have been a lot different. I was able to really focus on my schoolwork and receive great grades because I did not have to worry about trying to get a job and balance work, class and homework. Thus, I was also able to enjoy this year a lot more than I would have otherwise. I cannot thank the donors of my scholarship enough for helping me with the opportunity to further my academic career. Without the help from the donors like you, I may not have been able to pursue my education. I have greatly enjoyed this experience. It makes me look forward to my future. Thank you so much!
This scholarship has made a huge impact for me this year. It helped me pay for my books and my housing. This scholarship allowed me to not take on more loans which has been a huge relief for me. I would just like to thank you so much for choosing me as the recipient of your donor scholarship! You have no idea how much this scholarship helps me pay for my school and continue with my studies towards my degree. Thank you again!
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Nonprofit Org U.S. Postage PAID Permit 32 Post Falls, ID
875 Perimeter Drive MS 3161 Moscow, ID 83844-3161
*DAN230*
Family Legacy The Laura Moore Cunningham Foundation C.W. Moore Scholarship Impact: • $100,000 in average annual donations • First scholarship to CBE students started in 1996 • 929 scholarships awarded to CBE students • 437 CBE students have been able to complete college thanks to the scholarship support