College of Business - East Carolina University
College of Business - East Carolina University
College of Business - East Carolina University
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Stocknotes<br />
WINTER 2012 CommERCE Club PublICaTIoN<br />
Eakins Appointed Dean<br />
Dr. Stanley G. Eakins has been named dean <strong>of</strong> the<br />
<strong>College</strong> <strong>of</strong> <strong>Business</strong>, effective January 3, 2012. Eakins<br />
has served as interim dean since Dec. 2010, replacing<br />
Dr. Frederick Niswander who now serves as ECU’s vice<br />
chancellor for administration and finance.<br />
A pr<strong>of</strong>essor <strong>of</strong> finance at ECU, Eakins previously served<br />
as associate dean <strong>of</strong> the <strong>College</strong> for nearly six years<br />
and is former chair <strong>of</strong> the Department <strong>of</strong> Finance. He<br />
was instrumental in implementing the <strong>College</strong>’s new<br />
Leadership & Pr<strong>of</strong>essional Development Program,<br />
which teaches students 21st century skills such as<br />
pr<strong>of</strong>essionalism, leadership, and communication in<br />
addition to the nuts and bolts <strong>of</strong> business.<br />
Eakins said, “I’m honored to be at the helm <strong>of</strong> the<br />
<strong>College</strong> <strong>of</strong> <strong>Business</strong> as we celebrate a significant<br />
milestone this year: our 75th anniversary. We have a lot<br />
to be proud <strong>of</strong> and a lot more to accomplish over the<br />
coming years.”<br />
For the fifth straight year, the <strong>College</strong> <strong>of</strong> <strong>Business</strong><br />
has earned top marks, ranking among the best<br />
U.S. business schools according to The Princeton<br />
Review. The New York-based education services<br />
company features ECU in its newly released 2012<br />
edition <strong>of</strong> “The Best 294 <strong>Business</strong> Schools.”<br />
As part <strong>of</strong> its rating in the new guide, the <strong>College</strong><br />
<strong>of</strong> <strong>Business</strong> is outlined in a two-page pr<strong>of</strong>ile<br />
highlighting academics, career and placement,<br />
student life, and admissions information. The<br />
pr<strong>of</strong>ile also touts the <strong>College</strong>’s solid preparation<br />
in teamwork, communication/interpersonal<br />
skills, quantitative skills, and computer skills.<br />
Eakins received his Ph.D. from Arizona State <strong>University</strong><br />
in 1990. He also served as vice president and<br />
comptroller at the First National Bank <strong>of</strong> Fairbanks,<br />
Alaska, and has experience as a commercial and real<br />
estate loan <strong>of</strong>ficer. A founder <strong>of</strong> Denali Title and<br />
Escrow Agency, a title insurance company in Fairbanks,<br />
he ran the operations side <strong>of</strong> a bank and was the chief<br />
finance <strong>of</strong>ficer for a multi-million dollar construction<br />
and development company. He has authored several<br />
textbooks that are sold worldwide. Eakins’ wife,<br />
Laurie, is an instructor in the <strong>College</strong> <strong>of</strong> <strong>Business</strong> MIS<br />
department.<br />
In related news, Dr. Paul Schwager has been appointed<br />
associate dean for the <strong>College</strong> <strong>of</strong> <strong>Business</strong>, after serving<br />
as acting associate dean for the last year. Schwager, an<br />
associate pr<strong>of</strong>essor in the Department <strong>of</strong> Management<br />
Information Systems, previously served as the <strong>College</strong>’s<br />
assistant dean for assessment, accreditation, and<br />
curriculum. He has been at ECU since 2003.<br />
<strong>College</strong> <strong>of</strong> <strong>Business</strong> Named a Top <strong>Business</strong> School for 2012<br />
Direct quotes from business students applaud<br />
the <strong>College</strong>’s “strong and challenging faculty<br />
members,” as well as its “intimate feel” and<br />
“friendly atmosphere.” In describing the <strong>College</strong>’s<br />
distance education, students say that “very<br />
little <strong>of</strong> the <strong>East</strong> <strong>Carolina</strong> spirit is lost over the<br />
Internet.”<br />
Dr. Stanley G. Eakins, dean <strong>of</strong> the <strong>College</strong><br />
<strong>of</strong> <strong>Business</strong>, said, “The <strong>College</strong> <strong>of</strong> <strong>Business</strong> is<br />
proud once again to rank nationally as a top<br />
business school. We take pride in our quality,<br />
value, flexibility, and focus on leadership, and we<br />
greatly value this distinction as one <strong>of</strong> the best<br />
www.business.ecu.edu<br />
<strong>College</strong> <strong>of</strong> <strong>Business</strong><br />
75 YEARS OF EXCELLENCE<br />
Dean Stan Eakins<br />
Associate Dean Paul Schwager<br />
institutions where<br />
students can earn<br />
a solid business<br />
education.”<br />
The Princeton<br />
Review compiled<br />
the information<br />
based on its<br />
surveys <strong>of</strong><br />
19,000 students attending the 294 business<br />
schools in its book, as well as on school-reported<br />
data. The ranking lists and other data are available<br />
online at www.PrincetonReview.com.<br />
1
Online MBA Program Earns Top Marks<br />
from U.S. News<br />
Emily Post Institute Director to Speak at ECU<br />
Peter Post, director <strong>of</strong> The Emily Post Institute and author<br />
<strong>of</strong> five etiquette books, will speak at <strong>East</strong> <strong>Carolina</strong> <strong>University</strong><br />
on Wednesday, March 21 as part <strong>of</strong> the Cunanan Leadership<br />
Speaker Series hosted by the <strong>College</strong> <strong>of</strong> <strong>Business</strong>. The public is<br />
invited to attend this free event, which will begin at 3:30 pm in<br />
Wright Auditorium at ECU.<br />
One <strong>of</strong> renowned author Emily Post’s four great-grandchildren,<br />
Post writes the “Etiquette at Work” column for the Sunday<br />
edition <strong>of</strong> the Boston Globe. He is author <strong>of</strong> the bestselling<br />
books “Essential Manners For Men” and “Essential Manners<br />
For Couples,” and he co-authored “The Etiquette Advantage In<br />
<strong>Business</strong>,” which is in its second edition and is used in the <strong>College</strong><br />
Peter Post<br />
<strong>of</strong> <strong>Business</strong>’ junior-level leadership course. As the creator and<br />
primary presenter <strong>of</strong> Emily Post <strong>Business</strong> Etiquette programs,<br />
Post leads business seminars for companies both in the U.S. and abroad. He has more than 25<br />
years <strong>of</strong> experience in marketing, communications, design, and education.<br />
Dr. Stanley Eakins, dean <strong>of</strong> the <strong>College</strong> <strong>of</strong> <strong>Business</strong>, said, “<strong>Business</strong> etiquette and other related<br />
personal skills are vital for pr<strong>of</strong>essional success, and we are proud to bring one <strong>of</strong> the nation’s<br />
foremost experts to Greenville through our speaker series. Peter’s insights will be both enriching<br />
and enlightening.”<br />
For more information about the Emily Post Institute, please visit online at www.emilypost.com.<br />
The Cunanan Leadership Speaker Series is made possible by a gift from alumni Steve and<br />
Ellen Cunanan <strong>of</strong> Richboro, Pa. Matching funds are also provided by the Johnson & Johnson<br />
Foundation. The Series brings distinguished leaders to Greenville, representing for-pr<strong>of</strong>it and<br />
non-pr<strong>of</strong>it firms, entrepreneurial activities, government, and public affairs. Topics highlight<br />
leadership, pr<strong>of</strong>essional development, ethics, and the role <strong>of</strong> business in modern society.<br />
2<br />
<strong>College</strong> <strong>of</strong> <strong>Business</strong><br />
<strong>East</strong> <strong>Carolina</strong> <strong>University</strong>’s MBA program ranks among the top 20 in<br />
online education, according to U.S. News & World Report’s first-ever<br />
ranking <strong>of</strong> graduate-level business distance education programs. The<br />
rankings are featured exclusively on usnews.com.<br />
Out <strong>of</strong> 161 graduate business programs listed, ECU ranks number 17<br />
for overall student services and technology. ECU also scored points for<br />
its teaching practices and student engagement (#26) and admissions<br />
selectivity (#28).<br />
In a news release, U.S. News stated that the number <strong>of</strong> students enrolled<br />
in online degrees is growing rapidly. “Those prospective students—a very<br />
large proportion <strong>of</strong> whom are working adults—lack needed information<br />
to help them determine the relative strengths and weaknesses between<br />
online degree programs that they are considering attending. U.S. News<br />
undertook this project in an effort to begin filling this information gap,”<br />
the release said.<br />
COllEgE NOTES<br />
The online program in the <strong>College</strong> <strong>of</strong> <strong>Business</strong> developed from a single<br />
course <strong>of</strong>fering in 1998 to entire undergraduate and graduate degrees<br />
in numerous concentrations today. The <strong>College</strong> enjoys a robust online/<br />
distance education presence particularly at the MBA level, with more than<br />
800 students enrolled.<br />
“In a world with increasing ‘diploma mills,’ we are proud that the <strong>College</strong><br />
<strong>of</strong> <strong>Business</strong> continues to maintain its high quality standards,” Dr. Stanley<br />
Eakins, dean <strong>of</strong> the <strong>College</strong> <strong>of</strong> <strong>Business</strong>, said. “We strive to prepare both<br />
faculty to teach online and students to learn online while using a variety <strong>of</strong><br />
technological and instructive methods to do so. It’s no surprise the <strong>College</strong><br />
<strong>of</strong> <strong>Business</strong> is looked upon as a leader in distance education innovation.”<br />
Mark Your Calendar<br />
Who: Peter Post, Director <strong>of</strong><br />
The Emily Post Institute<br />
What: Cunanan leadership<br />
Speaker Series<br />
Where: Wright auditorium at ECu<br />
When: march 21st at 3:30 p.m.
75 YEARS OF EXCELLENCE<br />
COllEgE NOTES<br />
<strong>College</strong> <strong>of</strong> <strong>Business</strong> to Establish<br />
living-learning Community<br />
Beginning Fall 2012, freshmen business students at ECU will have the option <strong>of</strong> joining a Living-Learning Community on campus, thanks to a group<br />
<strong>of</strong> students who suggested the idea.<br />
Common on college campuses, Living-Learning Communities give students a unique, inclusive residential learning experience that connects classroom<br />
learning with residence life. Students enjoy the typical advantages <strong>of</strong> living on campus in a residence hall with the added benefit <strong>of</strong> living among other<br />
students who share their academic goals and interests.<br />
<strong>College</strong> <strong>of</strong> <strong>Business</strong> <strong>of</strong>ficials have already met with ECU’s Associate Vice Chancellor for Campus Living and received tentative approval for space in<br />
Garrett Hall for fall freshmen. More details will be solidified in the coming months.<br />
<strong>College</strong> <strong>of</strong> <strong>Business</strong> Cleans greenway<br />
More than 15 volunteers from the <strong>College</strong> <strong>of</strong> <strong>Business</strong> helped clean up<br />
the Green Mill Run Greenway on Saturday, Dec. 10, removing tires and<br />
trash from the 1.5 mile walkway that provides a scenic walkway and bike<br />
path along the water <strong>of</strong> the Green Mill Run in Greenville.<br />
Associate pr<strong>of</strong>essor Lee Grubb in the Department <strong>of</strong> Management<br />
coordinated the cleanup effort.<br />
“This all came about during a ride on the Greenway with Bill<br />
McDowell, T.D. Gribble, and Andrew Herdman,” Grubb said. “We all<br />
enjoy using the Greenway but noticed that it could use a little help. We<br />
More than 15 <strong>College</strong> <strong>of</strong> <strong>Business</strong> volunteers helped clean the<br />
Green Mill Run Greenway on Dec. 10.<br />
were amazed by the number <strong>of</strong> volunteers who joined us for the big<br />
cleanup day.”<br />
The City <strong>of</strong> Greenville helped the effort by providing an extra worker<br />
and a dump truck. In addition to faculty and staff, <strong>College</strong> <strong>of</strong> <strong>Business</strong><br />
students were also allowed to participate and use the hours toward their<br />
service learning portfolio requirement.<br />
Volunteers found many tires along the greenway.<br />
3
The <strong>College</strong> <strong>of</strong> <strong>Business</strong> sponsored its first-ever team as part <strong>of</strong><br />
Greenville’s 25th annual CROP Hunger Walk this past fall, held on<br />
Sunday, Oct. 2. More than 85 students, faculty, and staff members from<br />
the <strong>College</strong> <strong>of</strong> <strong>Business</strong> participated in the event, helping raise more than<br />
$7,000 in concert with area churches to help hungry people at home and<br />
around the world.<br />
MBA students wore special shirts provided by the Graduate Management<br />
Admission Council that said, “TEAM MBA: The <strong>Business</strong> <strong>of</strong> Giving Back.”<br />
Karen Kus, director <strong>of</strong> the <strong>College</strong> <strong>of</strong> <strong>Business</strong> Academic Advising Center,<br />
said, “The CROP Walk is a movement to draw attention to hunger not<br />
only in the local community but also in the nation. It was so inspiring for<br />
Tendai Ndabvonga and I to help head up the <strong>College</strong> <strong>of</strong> <strong>Business</strong> CROP<br />
Walk team and watch the <strong>College</strong> come together to support this wonderful<br />
cause and raise awareness.”<br />
4<br />
<strong>College</strong> <strong>of</strong> <strong>Business</strong><br />
<strong>College</strong> <strong>of</strong> <strong>Business</strong> Raises Funds for CROP Walk<br />
CROP Walks are community-based events to raise money for local<br />
hunger-fighting agencies as well as international relief and development<br />
efforts. Twenty-five percent <strong>of</strong> the proceeds from the Greenville walk will<br />
stay local, supporting the Campus Kitchen at ECU and the Food Bank<br />
<strong>of</strong> Central and <strong>East</strong>ern North <strong>Carolina</strong>. The remaining 75 percent will<br />
be donated to the Church World Service organization, which distributes<br />
money to smaller organizations such as local food banks and soup<br />
kitchens.<br />
Alumni Videos Commemorate <strong>College</strong>’s 75th Anniversary<br />
Alumni and faculty in the <strong>College</strong> <strong>of</strong> <strong>Business</strong> recently celebrated<br />
the <strong>College</strong>’s legacy and how their experiences in the <strong>College</strong> helped<br />
shape their lives. Through a series <strong>of</strong> video vignettes, participants<br />
discussed their memories in pairs, emphasizing important, life-changing<br />
connections that were made at ECU.<br />
The videos can be viewed online at http://www.ecu.edu/cs-admin/<br />
mktg/cob_75th.cfm.<br />
Video participants include Dr. James Bearden, director <strong>of</strong> the BB&T<br />
Center for Leadership Development and former dean <strong>of</strong> the <strong>College</strong> <strong>of</strong><br />
<strong>Business</strong>; Ken Chalk (BSBA ‘68, MBA ‘71), former chief credit <strong>of</strong>ficer<br />
<strong>of</strong> BB&T; Neelam Patel (FINA ‘08), area sales manager for Summit<br />
Hospitality Group, Ltd.; Dr. Jim Westmoreland, associate dean for<br />
external affairs; Bob Ward (BSBA ‘62), former executive vice president<br />
and chief financial <strong>of</strong>ficer for Unifi, Inc.; Mark Copeland (BSA/MSA<br />
‘96), partner with Ernst & Young LLP; Marybeth Eason (MKTG ‘00,<br />
MBA ‘01), product and channel manager for Merchant Services at BB&T;<br />
COllEgE NOTES<br />
MBA students from ECU participate in the CROP Hunger Walk.<br />
Tara Hardison (MBA ’02), vice president / commercial card product<br />
and sales support manager for BB&T Financial, FSB/ BankCard Services;<br />
Paal Kaperdal (DSCI ‘88, MBA ‘90), senior vice president, online<br />
channel for TD Bank Group; Dr. Richard Kerns, former associate dean<br />
<strong>of</strong> Computer Services and pr<strong>of</strong>essor, Dept. <strong>of</strong> Management Information<br />
Systems; and Jacob Alphin (FINA ‘09) and J.M. Dickens (MGMT ‘09),<br />
who serve as owners/agents <strong>of</strong> Triangle Insurance and Associates.<br />
Dr. James Bearden, former dean <strong>of</strong> the <strong>College</strong>, reflected on what this<br />
75th anniversary means to him as part <strong>of</strong> the video.<br />
“We’ve had a remarkable journey here at this institution, and to be part<br />
<strong>of</strong> the <strong>College</strong> <strong>of</strong> <strong>Business</strong>, which has been so central to the university’s<br />
success, is just a real delight,” said Bearden. “Whenever you have a<br />
celebration <strong>of</strong> this magnitude, we want to ask all people to celebrate with<br />
us. It is not just our success that we are celebrating; it is the success <strong>of</strong> all<br />
<strong>of</strong> those who have come before us and who will come after us.”
75 YEARS OF EXCELLENCE<br />
<strong>College</strong> <strong>of</strong> <strong>Business</strong> Holds First-Ever ‘Declaration Day’<br />
The <strong>College</strong> <strong>of</strong> <strong>Business</strong> welcomed business students on<br />
Jan. 10 with its inaugural Declaration Day ‒ an event when<br />
eligible undergraduate students <strong>of</strong>ficially declared their specific<br />
concentration within the <strong>College</strong> <strong>of</strong> <strong>Business</strong>. The event will be<br />
held in both spring and fall semesters going forward.<br />
As part <strong>of</strong> the event, the <strong>College</strong> honored students with a pinning<br />
ceremony after breaking them into their various concentrations<br />
‒ including accounting, finance, management, management<br />
information systems, marketing, and operations and supply chain<br />
management. Once in smaller groups, students met with faculty<br />
members from their new department and learned more about their<br />
specialty.<br />
Dr. Stanley G. Eakins, dean <strong>of</strong> the <strong>College</strong> <strong>of</strong> <strong>Business</strong>, said,<br />
“When our business students declare a concentration, it is a<br />
significant event in their progress toward graduation. Declaration<br />
Day recognizes this milestone and helps integrate students even<br />
more into the <strong>College</strong>.”<br />
FACUlTY NOTES<br />
Dean Eakins talks with students during Declaration Day.<br />
Accounting chair Dr. Dan Schisler congratulates a new<br />
student in his department. Photos courtesy <strong>of</strong> Cliff Hollis.<br />
Tuten’s gift Research Makes National News...Again!<br />
When it comes to gift giving, associate pr<strong>of</strong>essor<br />
Tracy Tuten is the expert ‒ and her marketing<br />
research on everything from gift cards to pet<br />
presents has made national news over the past<br />
year. Her latest gifting interview with the<br />
Associated Press on Nov. 10 has shown up on<br />
more than 5,000 websites.<br />
For the most tech-savvy on your gift list, Tuten<br />
told the AP you might be better served making<br />
the presentation more traditional. “That’s<br />
because all the emotions that make gifts an<br />
important part <strong>of</strong> relationships happen when you<br />
hand over the neatly wrapped package and not<br />
when the person is actually getting the pedicure<br />
you bought for her with a Groupon,” the AP<br />
reported.<br />
Tuten added that while teenagers may be the<br />
earliest adopters, buying them a gift that can be<br />
sent straight to their smartphones comes with<br />
the same pitfalls as any other type <strong>of</strong> gift. It must<br />
walk the line between proving you have made an<br />
effort to understand who they are and what they<br />
like, and giving them enough choice that they<br />
don’t feel boxed in.<br />
She is currently working on new gifting research,<br />
exploring how recipients interpret gifts that<br />
are clearly wrong and how those gifts affect<br />
relationships.<br />
Tuten is associate pr<strong>of</strong>essor <strong>of</strong> marketing at<br />
<strong>East</strong> <strong>Carolina</strong> <strong>University</strong>. She is an expert<br />
in social media marketing, web-based survey<br />
methods, advertising, and branding. Last year<br />
she penned two landmark books that explore the<br />
latest Internet innovations and their impact on<br />
marketing and business. She has also authored<br />
more than 100 journal articles, book chapters,<br />
and conference presentations. Originally from<br />
Washington, N.C., Tuten earned both her MBA<br />
and BSBA from ECU. She received her Ph.D.<br />
from Virginia Commonwealth <strong>University</strong> in<br />
1996.<br />
Dr. Tracy Tuten<br />
5
National Small <strong>Business</strong> Journal Moves to ECU<br />
The national Small <strong>Business</strong> Institute® has appointed<br />
three <strong>College</strong> <strong>of</strong> <strong>Business</strong> pr<strong>of</strong>essors to serve as the<br />
editorial team for the Small <strong>Business</strong> Institute ®<br />
Journal (SBIJ), moving the publication’s home to <strong>East</strong><br />
<strong>Carolina</strong> <strong>University</strong>. In Oct. 2011, Department <strong>of</strong><br />
Management faculty Dr. Michael Harris, Dr. Shanan<br />
Gibson, and Dr. William McDowell developed the<br />
first SBIJ issue under their leadership, featuring<br />
scholarly research articles and case reports related to<br />
small business management, entrepreneurship, and<br />
field-based learning.<br />
“As one <strong>of</strong> the <strong>of</strong>ficial journals <strong>of</strong> the Small <strong>Business</strong><br />
Institute®, SBIJ is recognized as the applied and<br />
pedagogical instrument for projecting and supporting<br />
the goals and objectives <strong>of</strong> SBI,” Harris, Gibson, and<br />
McDowell said. “We have strived to continue the<br />
legacy <strong>of</strong> providing high quality papers that appeal<br />
to a diverse and varied readership, and the current<br />
issue includes an eclectic collection <strong>of</strong> papers for both<br />
academics and small business practitioners.”<br />
6<br />
<strong>College</strong> <strong>of</strong> <strong>Business</strong><br />
FACUlTY NOTES<br />
The October issue features six articles from pr<strong>of</strong>essors<br />
across the country, including one marketing-related<br />
article by ECU’s own Dr. Tracy Tuten and Dr. Christy<br />
Ashley titled, “Promotional Strategies for Small<br />
<strong>Business</strong>es: Group Buying Deals.”<br />
The journal is published electronically twice a year and<br />
is available to SBI members, small business owners,<br />
entrepreneurs, government <strong>of</strong>ficials, community/<br />
economic development <strong>of</strong>ficers, policy makers, and<br />
researchers. It is dedicated to practical research that<br />
will further small business, entrepreneurship and field<br />
based learning, and it is included in EBSCO Host,<br />
Google Scholar, and the Cabell’s Directory. Previously,<br />
the SBIJ was published at the <strong>University</strong> <strong>of</strong> Central<br />
Arkansas.<br />
The latest issue can be found online at www.sbij.org.<br />
McDowell Conducts Free ‘leadership luncheons’<br />
in Community<br />
Assistant Pr<strong>of</strong>essor William McDowell is giving others the opportunity to<br />
become business leaders. This past fall, he began assembling some <strong>of</strong> the<br />
best business minds in <strong>East</strong>ern North <strong>Carolina</strong> to share their wisdom with<br />
the public.<br />
McDowell, who is in ECU’s Department <strong>of</strong> Management, continues<br />
to conduct this monthly series <strong>of</strong> free Leadership Luncheons at First<br />
Pentecostal Holiness Church - South Annex, located at 190 Plaza Dr. in<br />
Greenville. The seminars are held the first Thursday <strong>of</strong> each month.<br />
“We’re trying to facilitate leadership development opportunities in Pitt<br />
County,” McDowell said in an interview with <strong>Carolina</strong> Men Magazine. He<br />
added, “I saw the need for this when I was teaching my Family <strong>Business</strong><br />
course. ECU endorsed the idea because it was a good outreach program.”<br />
He says business leadership requires the skills <strong>of</strong> learning and listening,<br />
customer service, and “not leaving money on the table.”<br />
Dr. Michael Harris<br />
Dr. Shanan Gibson<br />
Dr. William McDowell<br />
Some <strong>of</strong> the business leaders who have spoken at the luncheon include<br />
Brian Cooke, mayor pro-tempore <strong>of</strong> Grimesland; Ken Kearney, Materials<br />
Control Manager for Chatsworth Products, Inc.; Mitch Gay <strong>of</strong> BB&T;<br />
ECU’s Human Resources Director John Toller; and Doug Barlowe, owner<br />
<strong>of</strong> D&R Logistics.<br />
Also, several pr<strong>of</strong>essors from <strong>East</strong> <strong>Carolina</strong> <strong>University</strong> have spoken at the<br />
luncheon including Dr. Lee Grubb who teaches Organizational Behavior,<br />
Dr. Andrew Herdman who teaches Negotiations, Dr. Shanan Gibson who<br />
teaches Entrepreneurship and Human Resources, and Dr. Paul Schwager,<br />
Associate Dean <strong>of</strong> the <strong>College</strong> <strong>of</strong> <strong>Business</strong>.<br />
McDowell invites all business pr<strong>of</strong>essionals to his luncheons, but asks that<br />
they let him know ahead <strong>of</strong> time if they plan to attend. He can be reached<br />
at 252-864-0146 or mcdowellw@ecu.edu.
75 YEARS OF EXCELLENCE<br />
2011<br />
Dianna Carroll (MBA) is a marketing specialist<br />
for Suddenlink in Greenville.<br />
Joseph R. Colenda (ACCT) is director <strong>of</strong><br />
finance for RJL Consulting, Inc.<br />
Jimmy Freudenberg (FNA) is a leadership<br />
development associate for Advantage Sales &<br />
Marketing in New Jersey.<br />
Matt Hale (MSA) is an audit associate for<br />
KPMG in Pennsylvania.<br />
Celeste Amstutz Leich (MBA, MKTG ’05)<br />
is a contract analyst for Sayres and Associates<br />
Corporation in Washington, D.C.<br />
Seth Maness (ACCT)<br />
signed with the St. Louis<br />
Cardinals.<br />
Donna Smalls (MBA)<br />
is a product manager for<br />
NetApp in Raleigh.<br />
Joshua Franklin Tripp Seth Maness<br />
(MBA, HHP ’07) wed<br />
Ashley Jo Godley (ECU ‘08, ’11) on August<br />
20th at Faith Assembly <strong>of</strong> God in Winterville.<br />
He works for Practicon in Greenville.<br />
Elizabeth Ann York (MCSM) is currently<br />
working as a word processor at Ward and Smith<br />
P.A. in the Raleigh <strong>of</strong>fice.<br />
2010<br />
Jason Barnes (MSA) is a financial analyst for<br />
the North <strong>Carolina</strong> State Ports Authority in<br />
Wilmington.<br />
Melissa Dyer (MBA) is an instructor at<br />
Cleveland Community <strong>College</strong>. She and<br />
husband Robin live in Shelby, N.C.<br />
Brittany Davenport (MKTG) is a video<br />
coordinator for Connexion Technologies in<br />
Raleigh.<br />
Sarah Elizabeth Jones (ACCT) wed Daniel<br />
Carroll Miller on March 19th at King’s<br />
Crossroads Free Will Baptist Church in<br />
Fountain.<br />
Stephen McFadden (MGMT) and wife Aliana<br />
McFadden (MKTG) are very involved in the<br />
family business, Perfect Promotions & More,<br />
Inc., which is rapidly growing and expanding<br />
AlUMNI NOTES<br />
in the Greenville community including Dowdy<br />
Student Stores at ECU. Stephen serves as<br />
vice president <strong>of</strong> the company and Aliana is<br />
the marketing and operations manager. The<br />
couple has recently started a new business<br />
as an <strong>of</strong>fshoot <strong>of</strong> Perfect Promotions &<br />
More called ECUstuff.com, where they sell<br />
ECU merchandise and personalize gear and<br />
<strong>University</strong>-approved items for student groups<br />
and other organizations.<br />
Rebecca McKenzie (MBA, MKTG ’06) began<br />
a fulltime career on July 1st with ECU’s Office<br />
<strong>of</strong> Undergraduate Admissions as an admissions<br />
counselor. Primarily, she travels to recruit<br />
prospective students to become future Pirates.<br />
Jeremy D. McManes (MGMT) is associate<br />
manager – shopper insights for Dr. Pepper<br />
Snapple Group.<br />
Anna Parisi (FINA) is bankruptcy specialist I<br />
at Wells Fargo Home Mortgage. She resides in<br />
Knightdale.<br />
Cameron Pelletier (MSCM) is a leasing<br />
consultant at Westover Hills in Cary.<br />
Tyler D. Richardson (MGMT) is vice<br />
president at the corporate aircraft brokerage<br />
firm Corporate Fleet Services, LLC in Charlotte.<br />
Brady Schwab (MBA) is a business project<br />
representative for Oticon, Inc. in Somerset, N.J.<br />
Thomas Andrew Taylor Jr. (MGMT)<br />
is information management assistant –<br />
acquisitions for Liberty <strong>University</strong> ILRC in<br />
Lynchburg, Va.<br />
2009<br />
Nicole Bahn (FINA) is a mortgage quality<br />
assurance analyst for Wells Fargo Home<br />
Mortgage in Raleigh.<br />
Stephen Benson (FINA) is a financial services<br />
representative for MetLife <strong>of</strong> the <strong>Carolina</strong>s in<br />
Raleigh.<br />
Mark Dobbs (MGMT) is on the national sales<br />
support team for Viztek in Garner, N.C.<br />
Scott Justin Poag (MBA, FINA ’07) wed<br />
Summery Nicole Savage on May 21 at Sacred<br />
Heart Catholic Church, Salisbury. He is the<br />
existing industries coordinator with the Pitt<br />
County Development Commission.<br />
Ruby Rodriguez (MBA) is a banking <strong>of</strong>ficer at<br />
BB&T’s Rockville Pike <strong>of</strong>fice, Rockville, Md.<br />
2008<br />
Roger Black (MBA) is a financial business<br />
partner with AP Moeller Maersk in Copenhagen,<br />
Denmark.<br />
M. Allison Castellana (MKTG) joined<br />
the advertising and promotions division <strong>of</strong><br />
WBOC-TV, Delmarvas, Del. She was previously<br />
coordinator <strong>of</strong> events in Crisfield, Md.<br />
Angela Ianuzzi (MBA) was recently married<br />
to Stephen Balog on Nov. 12, 2011 in Auburn,<br />
Ala. She will begin work on her dissertation<br />
during the spring 2012. She is also teaching<br />
management courses at Auburn <strong>University</strong><br />
as well as online classes at Mount Aloysius<br />
<strong>College</strong> in Pennsylvania, where she earned her<br />
undergraduate degree.<br />
Adam Keen (MBA, MGMT<br />
’05) is director <strong>of</strong> development<br />
for leadership gifts at the<br />
<strong>University</strong> <strong>of</strong> North <strong>Carolina</strong><br />
at Wilmington. His job is to<br />
raise money for the Cameron<br />
School <strong>of</strong> <strong>Business</strong>, Watson<br />
Adam Keen School <strong>of</strong> Education, and the<br />
<strong>College</strong> <strong>of</strong> Health and Human<br />
Services. He previously served as the assistant<br />
director for the Seahawk Club at UNC-W.<br />
Neelam Patel (FINA) is area sales manager for<br />
Summit Hospitality Group in Raleigh.<br />
Sarah Polli (MKTG) is account manager – display<br />
for the Washington Post in Washington, D.C.<br />
2007<br />
Amanda Church (MKTG) is a program<br />
assistant with the city <strong>of</strong> Charleston’s (S.C.)<br />
business development <strong>of</strong>fice. She had previously<br />
worked in public relations, marketing, and event<br />
planning.<br />
2006<br />
Sean Dempsey (MBA) is business development<br />
manager, metering & smart grid for WESCO<br />
Distribution, Inc. in Raleigh.<br />
7
William D. Edgar (MBA) joined Southern<br />
Bank’s commercial business unit in Rocky<br />
Mount as a vice president and commercial<br />
banker.<br />
Candace Moore (MBA, MGMT ’04) was<br />
promoted to assistant vice president at BB&T in<br />
Winston-Salem.<br />
8<br />
2005<br />
Lauren Asby (FINA) has been named banking<br />
<strong>of</strong>ficer and branch manager in Southern Bank’s<br />
Greenville Medical Park Center <strong>of</strong>fice. She<br />
was employed in the banking industry for<br />
the past five years as a business development<br />
<strong>of</strong>ficer in the Pitt County area. She recently<br />
completed her first year <strong>of</strong> the North <strong>Carolina</strong><br />
School <strong>of</strong> Banking in Chapel Hill. Lauren<br />
serves as president <strong>of</strong> the Women’s Greater<br />
Greenville Kiwanis club and is also a member <strong>of</strong><br />
Greenville’s Junior Women’s Association.<br />
Kevin Gaffeny (MBA, DSCI ’03) is a senior<br />
consultant for Fidato Partners, LLC in Wayne,<br />
Pa. He and wife Erica reside in Malvern, Pa.<br />
Sandeep Kumar (MBA) is senior manager –<br />
sales for Marlabs, Inc. in Piscataway, N.J.<br />
Kevin Monroe (MBA, MGMT ’99) was named<br />
to the ECU Foundation board <strong>of</strong> directors. He<br />
is vice president at CapTrust Advisors and a<br />
member <strong>of</strong> the <strong>College</strong> <strong>of</strong> <strong>Business</strong>’ Advisory<br />
Council. Kevin played baseball and football at<br />
ECU and is a color analyst for radio broadcasts<br />
<strong>of</strong> ECU football games.<br />
Kevin Parsons (MBA,<br />
FINA ’02), Avionics<br />
Technical Team member at<br />
Cherry Point Marine Corps<br />
Air Station, was awarded<br />
Kevin Parsons the 2011 6.0H Logistics<br />
Industrial Operations Group Employee <strong>of</strong> the<br />
Year Award, presented by NAVAIR Assistant<br />
Commander for Logistics and Industrial<br />
Operations Rear Admiral C.J. Jaynes.<br />
Olaf Tobola (MGMT) is currently living and<br />
working in the south island <strong>of</strong> New Zealand<br />
as a quantity surveyor (cost management in<br />
construction), building a converter station on a<br />
hydroelectric dam.<br />
<strong>College</strong> <strong>of</strong> <strong>Business</strong><br />
AlUMNI NOTES<br />
Justin Wagaman (MIS) is an analytic and IT<br />
consultant for Davies Consulting, Inc. in Chevy<br />
Chase, Md.<br />
2004<br />
Wendy Cox (MBA, DSCI ’02) is administrative<br />
support specialist for the N.C. Sea Grant.<br />
She previously worked at NCSU <strong>College</strong> <strong>of</strong><br />
Management in the master <strong>of</strong> accounting<br />
program.<br />
Michael Fesko (MBA, FINA & ACCT ’03)<br />
is manager <strong>of</strong> PMO services at First Republic<br />
Bank in San Francisco.<br />
Paul Russell (MBA, MIS ’02)<br />
and wife Kimberly (ECU ’07,<br />
’08) welcomed their first child,<br />
Nicholas Stephen Russell, on<br />
July 27, 2011. Paul serves as<br />
assistant director for graduate<br />
programs for the ECU <strong>College</strong> Nicholas Stephen<br />
<strong>of</strong> <strong>Business</strong>.<br />
Russell<br />
Becca Fleenor Smith (MBA, Hosp. MGMT<br />
’03) and husband, Jonathan Blake Smith<br />
(MBA), work in their family-owned and<br />
operated firm, Robert G. Smith, CPA, in Cary,<br />
which was named Employer <strong>of</strong> the Year 2010-<br />
2011 by the Cary Chamber <strong>of</strong> Commerce.<br />
Becca also serves on the Cary Chamber <strong>of</strong><br />
Commerce Board <strong>of</strong> Directors. The couple has<br />
two sons.<br />
Steven Troutman (MBA, DSCI ’00) completed<br />
his graduate certificate in Applied Statistics<br />
from Penn State <strong>University</strong> with a 3.92 GPA.<br />
He is a risk consultant for Wells Fargo in<br />
Charlotte.<br />
2003<br />
Kimberly Suzanne Barbour (MBA, ACCT<br />
’01), a senior financial examiner with the N.C.<br />
Department <strong>of</strong> Insurance, earned the certified<br />
public accountant designation.<br />
Michael Griffin (FINA) received an MBA<br />
from the Fuqua School <strong>of</strong> <strong>Business</strong> at Duke<br />
<strong>University</strong>. He and wife Mercer Hamblen<br />
Griffin (ECU ’03) had their first child, Stirling<br />
Elizabeth.<br />
Paul Kaplar (MGMT), county<br />
agent for N.C. Farm Bureau<br />
Mutual Insurance Co., is one <strong>of</strong><br />
the Top 10 Rookie Agents for<br />
2010 based on his outstanding<br />
sales and service record. He<br />
Paul Kaplar<br />
also qualified for the 2011<br />
NAIFA Quality Award – Multiline Sales, which<br />
recognizes growth in life insurance and multiline<br />
production and is a very selective award presented<br />
to a limited number <strong>of</strong> qualifying agents. Paul<br />
also serves on the board <strong>of</strong> directors for the<br />
Fuquay-Varina Chamber <strong>of</strong> Commerce and is<br />
president <strong>of</strong> the Rotary Club <strong>of</strong> Fuquay-Varina.<br />
Travis Russell (MGMT) has worked with<br />
Cummins Mercruiser for five years as a<br />
contractor and was <strong>of</strong>fered the customer support<br />
management position in June. He is now the<br />
customer support manager for the <strong>East</strong>ern<br />
United States and Canada. He and wife Erika<br />
(ECU ’05) reside in Mount Pleasant, S.C.<br />
2002<br />
Kristy Conway (MBA, Criminal Justice ’98) is<br />
a partner in ENC Property Management LLP.<br />
She worked in real estate part-time since 2006.<br />
Cliff Godwin (MBA, DSCI ’00) is the hitting<br />
coach at the <strong>University</strong> <strong>of</strong> Mississippi. He was<br />
previously hitting coach and baseball recruiting<br />
coordinator at the <strong>University</strong> <strong>of</strong> Central Florida.<br />
He was the Pirates’ catcher from 1997 – 2001<br />
and went with ECU to the NCAA Regionals as<br />
a No. 1 seed in 1999, 2000, and 2001.<br />
Carmin Pollard Ipock (BSA/MSA) is manager<br />
<strong>of</strong> financial accounting for Hatteras Yachts in<br />
New Bern. She and husband Joseph welcomed<br />
their first child, Kolby Franklin Ipock, on June<br />
4, 2011 at Pitt County Memorial Hospital. He<br />
weighed 6 lbs., 15.4 oz. and was 20.7” long.<br />
Kirti Loper (MBA, FINA ’01) and husband<br />
Steve (ECU ’01) started CoUnt On MEE,<br />
a support group that <strong>of</strong>fers free haircuts for<br />
military spouses. Steve’s sister Meegan, a<br />
hairstylist in Fayetteville, near Fort Bragg,<br />
committed to donating free haircuts to military<br />
spouses for a year. After creating a Facebook page<br />
and blog to spread the word, other hairstylists at<br />
Fort Benning, Ga., Fort Hood, Texas, and Fort<br />
Sill, Okla., have joined the cause. The group is on<br />
track to provide 1,000 haircuts in its first year.
75 YEARS OF EXCELLENCE<br />
You can track developments at their website,<br />
www.countonmee.com.<br />
Frederick Moreno (MKTG) wed Jennie Leigh<br />
Doss on May 21st in Roanoke, Va. Michael<br />
J. Sandlin (FINA ’02) was a groomsman in<br />
the wedding. Fred serves as an assistant district<br />
attorney for Durham County.<br />
2001<br />
Kelly Elaine Hardy (MBA) and Jason<br />
Matthew Deans (DSCI ’99 and EXSS ’01)<br />
wed on April 30th at the Immanuel Baptist<br />
Church, Greenville. She works for Aetna, and<br />
he works for Baseball Concessions.<br />
Tommy Price (MBA, FINA ’00) is a city<br />
executive and senior vice president with BB&T<br />
in Greenville. He was previously the business<br />
services <strong>of</strong>ficer for the Greenville market. He<br />
and wife Amanda (ECU ’00 and ’05) live in<br />
Winterville with sons Zachary and Evan.<br />
Stuart Will (MIS) is a branch manager for<br />
Automotive Finance Corporation in Austin,<br />
Tex. He and wife Cara are hoping to relocate<br />
to Georgia.<br />
2000<br />
Matthew Hege (MBA) is vice president for<br />
Broadway Multimedia, Inc. in Coral Gable,<br />
Florida. Broadway Channel has recently<br />
launched a consumer website, which provides<br />
instant access to Broadway headlines, ticketing,<br />
show merchandise, and Broadway show reviews.<br />
The website (www.broadwaychannel.com) also<br />
includes theatrical content, such as theatrical<br />
trailers, star interviews, opening night coverage,<br />
and Tony Awards coverage. Matt and wife<br />
Melissa reside in Miami.<br />
Rick Schott (DSCI) is currently working for<br />
Higherlogic.com as the product architect. He<br />
and wife Stacey Tribble-Schott (ECU ’99, ’05,<br />
’06) reside in Lewisville, N.C.<br />
Ryan Blair Swanson (MBA, MKTG ’99)<br />
works with one <strong>of</strong> the top 10 <strong>of</strong> all Domino’s<br />
Pizza franchisees worldwide, located in<br />
Charlotte, N.C., with locations as far north as<br />
New York. He leads the marketing advisory<br />
AlUMNI NOTES<br />
for the franchise in addition to traveling<br />
throughout the U.S. to speak/teach on<br />
successful marketing practices. His most recent<br />
presentation was in Las Vegas during the<br />
company’s Worldwide Rally, where there are<br />
5,000+ attendees. Ryan and wife, Gina West<br />
Swanson (ECU ’99) ,reside in Charlotte.<br />
1999<br />
Charlie Adcock (MBA, MKTG ’94)<br />
is assistant vice president and business<br />
development <strong>of</strong>ficer at Fidelity Bank, Fuquay-<br />
Varina. He is a town commissioner and chair<br />
<strong>of</strong> the Fuquay-Varina Economic Development<br />
Committee.<br />
Allison Martin (MGMT) is director,<br />
fulfillment projects and IT systems for Random<br />
House, Inc. in Westminster, Md.<br />
Erica Sampson Setzer (ACCT) is chief finance<br />
<strong>of</strong>ficer for Public Schools <strong>of</strong> Robeson County.<br />
She and husband, Robert Michael Setzer (ECU<br />
’00), reside in Lumberton.<br />
1997<br />
Natalie Jackson (ACCT) was named the N.C.<br />
Best Female Muzzleloader at the Dixie Deer<br />
Classic in Raleigh with a deer that weighed 190<br />
pounds and had 13 antlers.<br />
Kirk Lao (ACCT & FINA) is managing<br />
consultant for IBM. He and wife, Beth Ann<br />
Lao, reside in Garner.<br />
1996<br />
Mark Copeland (BSA/<br />
MSA) has been named<br />
to the ECU Foundation’s<br />
board <strong>of</strong> directors. He is<br />
the managing partner <strong>of</strong><br />
the Ernst & Young <strong>of</strong>fice<br />
in Charlotte and was<br />
recently recognized as<br />
Mark Copeland<br />
with his wife Tracy<br />
(ACCT’95) and two<br />
children.<br />
one <strong>of</strong> the “Top 40 under 40” in the Charlotte<br />
business community. He has also served on the<br />
<strong>College</strong> <strong>of</strong> <strong>Business</strong> Advisory Council and the<br />
ECU Board <strong>of</strong> Visitors.<br />
1995<br />
Angela Hilgers Toler (FINA) works for Parish<br />
Capital Advisors in Chapel Hill. She and<br />
husband, Johnathan Toler, reside in Cary.<br />
1994<br />
Emile Artus (MBA) became director <strong>of</strong> taxes<br />
at AVX, a national multinational manufacturer<br />
<strong>of</strong> electronic components, as <strong>of</strong> April 2011.<br />
He and wife Shelly are preparing to move the<br />
Greenville, S.C. area.<br />
Charles Hudson (MKTG) joined The<br />
Laurinburg Exchange as an ad sales<br />
representative.<br />
D. Paul Powers (MBA, FINA ’92), senior<br />
vice president and manager <strong>of</strong> the Commercial<br />
<strong>Business</strong> Unit for Pitt County, was selected as<br />
Commercial Banker <strong>of</strong> the Year at Southern<br />
Bank’s annual Best Bankers event.<br />
1993<br />
Lee W. Tillman (MBA, FINA ’88) is director<br />
<strong>of</strong> finance for the City <strong>of</strong> Havelock. She and<br />
husband Jack “Jay” Tillman Jr. live in Oriental,<br />
N.C.<br />
1992<br />
Harry Smith (MGMT) and his wife Tammy<br />
(ECU ’92) were recognized for pledging $1<br />
million toward the Step Up To the Highest<br />
Level Campaign, designated to raise funds for<br />
the construction <strong>of</strong> a basketball practice facility<br />
at ECU. Harry is the chairman <strong>of</strong> the board<br />
and chief executive <strong>of</strong>ficer <strong>of</strong> Flanders, Corp.,<br />
one <strong>of</strong> the largest manufacturers <strong>of</strong> air filters<br />
and related products in the U.S. (located in<br />
Washington, N.C.).<br />
9
10<br />
<strong>College</strong> <strong>of</strong> <strong>Business</strong><br />
75 YEARS OF EXCELLENCE<br />
1988<br />
Richard Klein (MKTG) is involved in a new<br />
venture after working for 15 years with CBS<br />
Sports. He and a business partner recently<br />
started Rockbridge Sports, Media, and<br />
Entertainment LLC, which <strong>of</strong>fers property<br />
representation expertise and consulting<br />
services to industries <strong>of</strong> sports, media, and<br />
entertainment. He, wife Noelle (ECU ’09), and<br />
their children live in Charlottesville, Va.<br />
Walter Reid Perkins III (MKTG) wed Mary<br />
Elizabeth Anderson on May 19th at the First<br />
United Methodist Church, Wilson. He is CEO<br />
<strong>of</strong> The Hammock Source in Greenville.<br />
Sonny Swanner (FINA) is vice president and<br />
city executive for the Washington branch <strong>of</strong><br />
Select Bank & Trust Co.<br />
Thomas J. Taricani (MBA) is a trustee <strong>of</strong> the<br />
Scholarship Fund with the Pennsylvania Institute<br />
<strong>of</strong> Certified Public Accountants. He is a partner<br />
specializing in taxation, valuation, and litigation<br />
with Boyer & Ritter CPAs in State <strong>College</strong>, Pa.<br />
1987<br />
J. Robert Buie Jr. (FINA) was certified as a<br />
private investment manager. He is a financial<br />
advisor with the Brown & Buie Wealth<br />
Management Group <strong>of</strong> Wells Fargo Advisors in<br />
Greenville.<br />
Timothy S. Maples (ACCT) is executive vice<br />
president <strong>of</strong> First Bank. He and his family live<br />
in Southern Pines.<br />
1986<br />
Bill McBride (MKTG), <strong>of</strong> San Francisco,<br />
is chief operating <strong>of</strong>ficer and president <strong>of</strong><br />
Club One, a chain <strong>of</strong> 14 fitness centers in<br />
Northern California and five others in Southern<br />
California, themed for kids. Club One also<br />
manages more than 60 corporate fitness centers,<br />
community centers, multitenant business parks<br />
and municipalities serving more than 140,000<br />
members nationwide. He and wife Adrienne<br />
Francis McBride have three children.<br />
Martha West (DSCI) graduated in Dec. 2011<br />
with a master’s degree <strong>of</strong> arts – theology from<br />
St. Catherin <strong>University</strong> in St. Paul, Minn.<br />
AlUMNI NOTES<br />
1985<br />
Randy Cole (FINA) is vice president, client<br />
services for NeoSystems Corporation in Tysons<br />
Corner, Va.<br />
Joan Gillette Gray (MGMT) is human<br />
resources business partner for New Hanover<br />
Regional Medical Center in Wilmington,<br />
NC. She and husband Bob (ECU ’84) live in<br />
Wilmington.<br />
Greg Powell (FINA) joined Wells Fargo<br />
Advisors, LLC in April 2011 working in their<br />
Private Client Group in Morehead City, N.C.<br />
1984<br />
Dr. Susan West Engelkemeyer (MBA) is<br />
president <strong>of</strong> Nichols <strong>College</strong> in Dudley, Mass.<br />
She was previously dean <strong>of</strong> the Charlton <strong>College</strong><br />
<strong>of</strong> <strong>Business</strong> at the <strong>University</strong> <strong>of</strong> Massachusetts<br />
at Dartmouth.<br />
1983<br />
Lisa D. Benton (MKTG) was elected secretary<br />
<strong>of</strong> the ECU Foundation. She is senior vice<br />
president <strong>of</strong> human resources for Wells Fargo.<br />
Lisa has served as the vice chairwoman <strong>of</strong> the<br />
ECU Foundation board, chairwoman <strong>of</strong> the<br />
<strong>College</strong> <strong>of</strong> <strong>Business</strong> Advisory council, and<br />
chairwoman <strong>of</strong> the ECU Alumni board <strong>of</strong><br />
directors. She has also served on the ECU Board<br />
<strong>of</strong> Visitors and was recognized as an Incredible<br />
ECU Woman in 2007.<br />
Glenda Bradley (FINA) is the director <strong>of</strong><br />
finance for Orange County. She was previously<br />
the director <strong>of</strong> finance for Northampton<br />
County in Virginia.<br />
Kathy Burns (ACCT) was the recent winner<br />
<strong>of</strong> the Entrepreneur Woman in <strong>Business</strong> Award<br />
from the Triangle <strong>Business</strong> Journal. The Women<br />
in <strong>Business</strong> awards program recognizes triangle<br />
women who have proven to be dynamic and<br />
outstanding leaders with established track<br />
records <strong>of</strong> significant accomplishments in<br />
business and/or community service. Kathy is a<br />
partner in Hall & Burns Wealth Management<br />
and Burns & Bynum, CPA. She and husband,<br />
Davidson Burns (MKTG ’82) reside in Apex.<br />
Joseph W. Clark (MGMT), financial<br />
operations manager <strong>of</strong> the City <strong>of</strong> Durham’s<br />
Finance Department, is serving a one-year term<br />
as president <strong>of</strong> the <strong>Carolina</strong>’s Association <strong>of</strong><br />
Governmental Purchasing.<br />
Joseph Mauthe (ACCT), a tax partner with<br />
Deloitte Tax, LLP based in Los Angeles, was<br />
named regional marketplace leader for the West<br />
Region. A CPA, he has been with the firm for<br />
24 years and partner since 1997.<br />
John Timmons “Tim” Robinson (ACCT) is<br />
tax director for Hughes Pittman & Gupton LLC<br />
in Raleigh.<br />
Tom Robinson (MGMT) <strong>of</strong> Salisbury, was<br />
recently named to the board <strong>of</strong> directors for the<br />
ECU Medical and Health Sciences Foundation.<br />
He is the vice president <strong>of</strong> merchandising for<br />
Food Lion, LLC.<br />
1982<br />
Christopher M. Daly (MKTG) is senior vice<br />
president <strong>of</strong> Wachovia Bank in Greenville.<br />
William Russell Overman (ACCT) is Carteret<br />
County manager. He was previously county<br />
manager for Martin County. He and wife Lynn<br />
reside in Morehead City.<br />
Wanda Stephens (MBA)<br />
owns an insurance agency,<br />
Health Insurance Solutions<br />
<strong>of</strong> NC, that represents top<br />
rated insurance companies<br />
in North <strong>Carolina</strong>. She<br />
specializes in helping families<br />
Wanda Stephens<br />
and individuals secure quality<br />
affordable health insurance and Medicare policies.<br />
Visit her company online at www.hisonc.com.<br />
1981<br />
Roger L. “Vern” Davenport (MBA, MKTG<br />
’80) was named to the ECU Board <strong>of</strong> Visitors.<br />
He has three decades <strong>of</strong> experience in health care<br />
IT businesses. He provides strategy consulting for<br />
Quintiles, the biopharmaceutical services company.<br />
William Riley Gray (FINA), former chief<br />
financial <strong>of</strong>ficer and vice president for fiscal<br />
services for Carteret General Hospital, Morehead<br />
City, was honored by his co-workers with a robot<br />
named “Riley” that connects stroke victims with<br />
stroke specialists worldwide.
Randy Langley (MKTG) is sales producer with<br />
Mayo Simmons & Harris Insurance Co., Rocky<br />
Mount. He and wife Denise have two children.<br />
Fred Miller (ACCT) and wife Virginia received<br />
the Wake Soil and Water Conservation District<br />
Pioneers Award for leadership and innovation in<br />
developing Wake County’s first USDA-certified<br />
organic farm.<br />
Carolyn Swain Simmons, CPA (ACCT) is<br />
deputy director for administration and finance at<br />
Partnership for the Sounds. She and husband, Dallas<br />
McCoy Simmons Sr., reside in Columbia, N.C.<br />
1980<br />
Paul Dwyer (MGMT), <strong>of</strong> Pembroke, Mass., is<br />
vice president <strong>of</strong> State Street Corp.<br />
Marshall Gay (MBA, MGMT ’75) is a realtor<br />
with Coldwell Banker Howard Perry and<br />
Walston in Raleigh.<br />
Bob Peoples (MKTG) is a director <strong>of</strong> business<br />
development in the Southeast U.S. for Norwich,<br />
a full-service contract development and<br />
manufacturing provider for the pharmaceutical and<br />
biotech industry. He has directed manufacturing<br />
and packaging operations at Burroughs Wellcome<br />
and DSM Pharmaceuticals and spent the last ten<br />
years in sales and customer service.<br />
1979<br />
Robert E. Bencini III (MBA) is county<br />
manager in Washington County. Previously,<br />
he was director <strong>of</strong> community and economic<br />
development in Guilford County.<br />
David Livingston Denning (MKTG, HHP<br />
’77) celebrated 30 years in sales with San<strong>of</strong>i-<br />
Aventis Pharmaceuticals. He is senior sales<br />
representative selling Multac. At ECU, he was a<br />
Sigma Nu.<br />
1975<br />
Walter R. Whittemore Jr. (MBA) was named<br />
chief financial <strong>of</strong>ficer for Volunteers in Service to<br />
the Elderly (VISTE), a 501(c)3 serving the elderly<br />
in central Florida. He joined VISTE in 2002<br />
after 25 years <strong>of</strong> providing IT services to the U.S.<br />
military and intelligence communities. Walter and<br />
his wife, Barbara, reside in Lakeland, Fla.<br />
11<br />
75 YEARS OF EXCELLENCE<br />
AlUMNI NOTES<br />
1972<br />
Glenn R. Croshaw (BUSA) was elected by the<br />
General Assembly <strong>of</strong> Virginia for an eight-year<br />
term as a judge <strong>of</strong> the Second Judicial Circuit<br />
Court for the city <strong>of</strong> Virginia Beach.<br />
1971<br />
Phillip Dixon, center,<br />
accepts his award from<br />
the N.C. Bar Association.<br />
Phillip R. Dixon<br />
(MGMT ’71)<br />
<strong>of</strong> Greenville<br />
received the N.C.<br />
Bar Association’s I.<br />
Beverly Lake Public<br />
Service Award for<br />
2011. The annual<br />
award, bestowed at a<br />
dinner at the Grove Park Inn in June, recognizes<br />
a lawyer in North <strong>Carolina</strong> who has performed<br />
exemplary public service. Dixon was cited for<br />
serving on the UNC Board <strong>of</strong> Governors and<br />
previously chairing the ECU Board <strong>of</strong> Trustees<br />
and the Pitt Community <strong>College</strong> Board <strong>of</strong><br />
Trustees.<br />
1969<br />
Edward W. Bradley (ACCT) is a CPA and<br />
CFP and works for The Pinnacle Group in<br />
Midlothian, Va.<br />
1967<br />
Marian McLawhorn (BUSA,<br />
LIBS ’88), N.C. House <strong>of</strong><br />
Representatives member,<br />
was honored by the General<br />
Federation <strong>of</strong> Women’s Clubs <strong>of</strong><br />
North <strong>Carolina</strong> as a “Woman<br />
<strong>of</strong> Achievement” for her<br />
contributions to the state.<br />
1964<br />
Marian<br />
McLawhorn<br />
Eddie Buck (BUSA) <strong>of</strong> Charleston was inducted<br />
into the South <strong>Carolina</strong> <strong>Business</strong> Hall <strong>of</strong> Fame<br />
in May. Buck started out as a banker, rising to<br />
become executive vice president <strong>of</strong> Citizens and<br />
Southern National Bank. He bought a small<br />
lumber supply company in 1975 and built it into<br />
a mainstay <strong>of</strong> the area, Buck Lumber. He built<br />
the Bluewater chain <strong>of</strong> convenience stores, opened<br />
fast food restaurants and 18 public storage sites.<br />
His enterprises operate through Jupiter Holdings,<br />
the parent company <strong>of</strong> Buck Holdings. Buck<br />
has chaired more than a dozen <strong>of</strong> Charleston’s<br />
civic organizations as well as the State Railroad<br />
Commission and the State Ports Authority<br />
Commission. He and wife, attorney Margaret<br />
Brown, have two children, Susanne Buck Cantey<br />
and Eddie Buck, Jr., both <strong>of</strong> whom work in the<br />
family business.<br />
1961<br />
J. Paul Davenport (BUSA), a retired military<br />
<strong>of</strong>ficer and Greenville businessman, is chair <strong>of</strong> the<br />
Pitt Community <strong>College</strong> Board <strong>of</strong> Trustees. He<br />
has served on the college’s governing board since<br />
2005.<br />
1947<br />
Naomi Blanchard Bagley H<strong>of</strong>ler (BUSA) was<br />
inducted into the ECU <strong>College</strong> <strong>of</strong> Education’s<br />
Educators Hall <strong>of</strong> Fame.<br />
gOT NEWS?<br />
add your own<br />
alumni Note at<br />
www.business.ecu.edu/<br />
CoNNECT<br />
11
12<br />
<strong>College</strong> <strong>of</strong> <strong>Business</strong><br />
75 YEARS OF EXCELLENCE<br />
1950s<br />
AlUMNI NOTES<br />
h<br />
Ernest guy Black (BUSA ’59) <strong>of</strong> asheville died November 25.<br />
Robert Small Braswell (BUSA ’59) <strong>of</strong> mt. Dora, Fla., died Feb.<br />
25. He retired from lockheed martin after 35 years.<br />
John Andrew Kovalchick (BUSA ’52) <strong>of</strong> Greenville died may<br />
1. He was a mail carrier for 19 years.<br />
James Franklin “Jim” lee (BUSA ’54) <strong>of</strong> Raleigh died June<br />
29. a WWII Navy veteran, he retired from the N.C. Department<br />
<strong>of</strong> Transportation Personnel <strong>of</strong>fice, where he received<br />
the order <strong>of</strong> the long leaf Pine in 1999.<br />
James Clifton “Jim” Nobles (BUSA ’57) <strong>of</strong> Chatham, Va.,<br />
died Feb. 28. He was an auditor for the u.S. General accounting<br />
<strong>of</strong>fice in Virginia beach, retiring in 1986.<br />
lorenzo William “Pete” Peterson (BUSA ’56) <strong>of</strong> Chesapeake,<br />
Va., died June 8. a Korean War army veteran, he was a civil<br />
service auditor for the Navy.<br />
Voight Verne Pritchard (BUSA ’58) <strong>of</strong> Goldsboro died<br />
august 16. a member <strong>of</strong> Sigma Nu fraternity, he worked for<br />
Commercial Credit Corp. for 32 years.<br />
Eugene Paden Smith (BUSA ’51) <strong>of</strong> Williamston died July 25.<br />
a resident <strong>of</strong> Havelock for more than 50 years, he was editor,<br />
publisher, and owner <strong>of</strong> The Havelock Progress weekly newspaper.<br />
He was instrumental in the referendum establishing<br />
the town <strong>of</strong> Havelock, where he was mayor from 1975 to 1984.<br />
Carl David Tolson Jr. (BUSA ’53) <strong>of</strong> lancaster died June 11.<br />
an army veteran, he was an auditor with armour and Co.<br />
in atlanta and later worked with Springs Cotton mills, now<br />
Springs Industries.<br />
1960s<br />
Herman “Butch” Hardy (BUSA ’68) <strong>of</strong> Cary died april 24.<br />
He worked with adams Products Co. for 38 years, serving as<br />
the company president for 17 years.<br />
Kenneth Randall Mason (BUSA ’64) <strong>of</strong> Raleigh died april 1.<br />
He retired from Spring and the N.C. Department <strong>of</strong> Information<br />
Technology Services.<br />
John Rives “Big Read” Richardson (BUSA ’69) <strong>of</strong> Stevensville,<br />
md., died July 31. a Vietnam War veteran, he earned a<br />
National Defense Service medal and an army Commendation<br />
medal. He worked in the FDIC.<br />
IN MEMORIAM<br />
1970s<br />
Jeanette Matthews gibson (ACCT ’75) <strong>of</strong> New bern died<br />
april 28. She was a bookkeeper and accountant in New bern<br />
and morehead City, comptroller at Craven Community <strong>College</strong>,<br />
and a state auditor.<br />
John E. gilchrist (MgMT ’78, MBA ’80) <strong>of</strong> Dunwoody, Ga.,<br />
died may 14. a member <strong>of</strong> Pi Sigma Phi honor fraternity at<br />
ECu, he was an attorney in the atlanta area.<br />
Tom Minges (BUSA ’76) died June 8 <strong>of</strong> an apparent heart<br />
attack. He was 56. He was chairman <strong>of</strong> the board and chief<br />
financial <strong>of</strong>ficer for minges bottling Co., a Pepsi-Cola bottler<br />
that employs 250 people and serves 14 counties in eastern<br />
North <strong>Carolina</strong>. He is survived by his wife <strong>of</strong> 37 years, Kay<br />
branton minges, four daughters, three grandchildren, and<br />
two sisters.<br />
1980s<br />
James Kenneth Edwards (MKTg ’85) <strong>of</strong> ayden died aug. 9.<br />
after retiring as a land surveyor and civil engineering tech<br />
from NCDoT, he was licensed as a real estate broker.<br />
1990s<br />
Clinton “Clint” Paul Charles (MKTg ’90) <strong>of</strong> matthews died<br />
may 5. He worked in the hospitality industry.<br />
James Edward Mcgee IV (MKTg ’96) <strong>of</strong> morehead City died<br />
June 16. He was an admissions representative at miller-motte<br />
<strong>College</strong> in Jacksonville.<br />
Durwood Scott Weston Sr. (DSCI ’92) <strong>of</strong> blounts Creek died<br />
may 29. He retired from beaufort Community <strong>College</strong> as the<br />
system administrator and instructor in the business division.
75 YEARS OF EXCELLENCE<br />
William K. “Kel”<br />
Normann (MKTG ‘85)<br />
Normann received one<br />
<strong>of</strong> two Distinguished<br />
Service Awards from<br />
the <strong>East</strong> <strong>Carolina</strong><br />
Alumni Association. As<br />
a member <strong>of</strong> the ECU<br />
Foundation Board <strong>of</strong><br />
Directors, Normann<br />
serves as chair <strong>of</strong> the<br />
Investment Committee<br />
and oversees the investment portfolios <strong>of</strong> the<br />
Foundation and <strong>University</strong> Endowment. He<br />
is also a member <strong>of</strong> the <strong>College</strong> <strong>of</strong> <strong>Business</strong><br />
Advisory Council. Normann and his wife<br />
Parker support the <strong>University</strong> through generous<br />
gifts, funding the W. Kel Normann <strong>Business</strong><br />
Scholarship, an annual scholarship that<br />
recognizes a full-time undergraduate business<br />
student who has demonstrated both outstanding<br />
academic achievement as well as financial<br />
need, and were among the first to support the<br />
<strong>East</strong> <strong>Carolina</strong> Scholars Program and Access<br />
Scholarship Program with annual gifts.<br />
Normann is a member <strong>of</strong> the Order <strong>of</strong> the<br />
Cupola, the Chancellor’s Society, the Old Austin<br />
Society, and the Leo W. Jenkins Society. He<br />
is a life member <strong>of</strong> the Alumni Association<br />
and longtime supporter <strong>of</strong> the Pirate Club.<br />
Normann has also contributed to ECU’s<br />
<strong>College</strong> <strong>of</strong> Nursing, the <strong>College</strong> <strong>of</strong> Human<br />
Ecology, the Division <strong>of</strong> Student Life, and<br />
the ECU Foundation. In 2008, Normann<br />
was recognized by the ECU Foundation with<br />
an Advancement Award for his extraordinary<br />
contributions to the <strong>University</strong>.<br />
In his pr<strong>of</strong>essional life, Normann is managing<br />
director <strong>of</strong> the Normann Financial Group for<br />
Wells Fargo Advisors in Sanford, N.C. His<br />
daughter Jordan is a current ECU student in the<br />
<strong>College</strong> <strong>of</strong> Human Ecology.<br />
AlUMNI NOTES<br />
<strong>College</strong> <strong>of</strong> <strong>Business</strong> Alumni Honored with Awards<br />
The <strong>East</strong> <strong>Carolina</strong> Alumni Association has honored three <strong>College</strong> <strong>of</strong> <strong>Business</strong> alumni with awards for 2011:<br />
William K. “Kel” Normann, Ralph A. Finch Jr., and Steven H. Wright.<br />
Ralph A. Finch Jr.<br />
(BSBA ‘67)<br />
Finch, a business leader,<br />
was honored with a<br />
2011 Outstanding<br />
Alumni Award. A<br />
member <strong>of</strong> the first<br />
graduating class<br />
after <strong>East</strong> <strong>Carolina</strong><br />
<strong>College</strong> received<br />
university status, he is<br />
an influential mentor<br />
and philanthropist. As president <strong>of</strong> Virginia<br />
Land Company, Finch has been successful in<br />
developing retail sites in Virginia and North<br />
<strong>Carolina</strong> for Ashley Furniture Stores, Family<br />
Dollar Stores, and Tractor Supply Company,<br />
among others. A U.S. Air Force veteran, Finch<br />
also spent time in his career as a real estate<br />
agent, focusing on second home and vacation<br />
properties. He developed corporate sites for<br />
Heilig-Meyers Furniture and Family Dollar<br />
Stores across the U.S.<br />
Finch may be best known in the Pirate Nation<br />
as author <strong>of</strong> the <strong>University</strong>’s first mascot book<br />
The Adventures <strong>of</strong> Pee Dee the Pirate, with all<br />
proceeds given back to ECU as scholarships.<br />
Prior to the book’s launch, Finch gave ECU<br />
marketing students real-world experience<br />
through research, planning, and idea sharing<br />
for the book’s marketing plan. Finch stays<br />
involved with the <strong>College</strong> <strong>of</strong> <strong>Business</strong> as a<br />
visiting lecturer, student mentor, and supports<br />
<strong>College</strong> <strong>of</strong> <strong>Business</strong> Etiquette Dinners. Finch is<br />
a member <strong>of</strong> the Chancellor’s Society, the Old<br />
Austin Society, the Alumni Association, and<br />
Pirate Club.<br />
In Midlothian, Va., Finch is still actively<br />
working and serves as a deacon at Bon Air<br />
Baptist Church. He loves spending time with his<br />
grandchildren and restoring his 1930 Model A<br />
Ford.<br />
Steven H. Wright<br />
(MGMT ‘78)<br />
Wright, an executive<br />
partner at international<br />
law firm Holland &<br />
Knight, also received<br />
a 2011 Outstanding<br />
Alumni Award. Wright<br />
currently oversees<br />
management <strong>of</strong> his<br />
firm’s Boston <strong>of</strong>fice ‒ a<br />
120-lawyer firm. In his<br />
practice, he serves as lead counsel and strategic<br />
advisor for several Fortune 500 companies,<br />
where he represents senior, in-house counsel,<br />
and corporate executives in complex commercial,<br />
corporate, intellectual property, litigation, and<br />
regulatory matters. He also chairs the Boston<br />
<strong>of</strong>fice’s New England Executive Steering<br />
Committee and Compensation Committee. He<br />
is a member <strong>of</strong> Holland & Knight’s Directors<br />
Committee. Wright served the mayor <strong>of</strong> New<br />
York City as deputy counsel, where he resolved<br />
legal and policy issues for the mayor and his<br />
Executive Cabinet, and was general counsel to<br />
New York City’s Public Advocate. Wright’s court<br />
admissions include the U.S. Court <strong>of</strong> Appeals<br />
for the First Circuit, the U.S. District Court for<br />
New Jersey, and the Court <strong>of</strong> Appeals <strong>of</strong> New<br />
York State.<br />
Wright is a director for the Greater Boston<br />
Chamber <strong>of</strong> Commerce and serves as co-chair<br />
<strong>of</strong> its Commerce Transportation Committee.<br />
He is a member <strong>of</strong> the <strong>Business</strong> Law Section <strong>of</strong><br />
the American Bar Association and the Corporate<br />
Law Forum, and member <strong>of</strong> the Commercial<br />
Litigation Section <strong>of</strong> the National Bar<br />
Association. He is a former trustee and executive<br />
board member <strong>of</strong> the Boston Bar Foundation<br />
and past president <strong>of</strong> the Massachusetts Black<br />
Lawyers Association. He is currently a director<br />
for the Savings Bank Life Insurance Company <strong>of</strong><br />
Massachusetts and a member <strong>of</strong> its Executive and<br />
Investment Committees.<br />
At <strong>East</strong> <strong>Carolina</strong>, Wright is co-chair <strong>of</strong> the<br />
<strong>University</strong>’s National Leadership Advisory<br />
Council, chairman <strong>of</strong> the Ledonia Wright<br />
Cultural Center Advisory Council, and a former<br />
member <strong>of</strong> the Board <strong>of</strong> Visitors. He is also a<br />
member <strong>of</strong> the Chancellor’s Society. Wright is<br />
the son <strong>of</strong> Ledonia Wright, who was an associate<br />
pr<strong>of</strong>essor <strong>of</strong> community health at <strong>East</strong> <strong>Carolina</strong><br />
and a public health pr<strong>of</strong>essional, and for whom<br />
the Ledonia Wright Cultural Center was named.<br />
13
Alumni Highlight: Evelyn Preast Cooper (ACCT ‘85)<br />
From accounting to writing, Evelyn Cooper’s career<br />
has taken some interesting turns throughout the<br />
past few decades.<br />
After graduating from ECU in 1985 as a secondgeneration<br />
Pirate (her father, Dewey Preast, Sr.,<br />
earned his business degree in 1959), Cooper began<br />
her career in Toledo, Ohio as a manufacturing<br />
accountant at Owens Corning, a Fortune 500<br />
producer <strong>of</strong> residential and commercial building<br />
materials, glass-fiber reinforcements, and engineered<br />
materials for composite systems. She says her<br />
position was unusual for a woman in the 1980s.<br />
“I spent time on manufacturing lines, climbing<br />
asphalt tanks, and discussing football,” she said.<br />
“As such, I <strong>of</strong>ten found myself as the only woman<br />
on a team working on new manufacturing lines,<br />
new plants, new processes, and new s<strong>of</strong>tware. It<br />
was a fun experience.”<br />
After moving up the ladder to become a plant<br />
controller, Cooper says she found it necessary to<br />
“retire” after 15 years with Owens Corning. Several<br />
years earlier she had married the first southern man<br />
she found in Toledo, even though he was a <strong>University</strong><br />
<strong>of</strong> Tennessee graduate, and it was time to help raise<br />
their two sons ‒ just 18 months apart in age.<br />
Now 50 ‒ and with sons who are 14 and 15 years<br />
14<br />
75 YEARS OF EXCELLENCE<br />
AlUMNI NOTES<br />
old ‒ Cooper recently co-founded 4Gaby.com:<br />
Grits, a Brit, and a Yank. The web site features an<br />
online magazine created by a group <strong>of</strong> four friends<br />
who all have an interest in writing, in mothering,<br />
in aging, and in supporting each other and other<br />
women. The magazine features four monthly<br />
columns, <strong>of</strong>fering brief slices-<strong>of</strong>-life on their<br />
experiences dealing with the “older mom” trend.<br />
“We aren’t trying to be a literary magazine, just<br />
something lighter, more informal, and an easygoing<br />
forum to share and to listen,” Cooper said.<br />
“We want to have fun, share experiences, hope,<br />
problems, and praise.”<br />
Cooper credits ECU with the ability to be open<br />
to others and to communicate well with everyone<br />
from production line employees to CEOs to her<br />
online magazine followers.<br />
“ECU recognizes a blue collar work ethic that I<br />
still appreciate,” she said. “We expect nothing to be<br />
handed to us, and we expect to give no quarter.”<br />
Cooper is an avid Pirate football fan and still<br />
holds season tickets. She says she taught her sons<br />
their multiplication tables by explaining that three<br />
touchdowns is the equivalent <strong>of</strong> seven times three.<br />
“At home, I start out knitting during football<br />
Alumni Highlight: Whitney Sibol (MKTg ‘11)<br />
Being raised in Baltimore, Whitney Sibol<br />
decided to head south for college at <strong>East</strong><br />
<strong>Carolina</strong> <strong>University</strong>, where she studied<br />
marketing. She loved life in Pirate<br />
country, but she knew she ultimately<br />
wanted to return home to Maryland.<br />
With graduation approaching in spring<br />
2011, Sibol focused on networking as<br />
she searched for jobs and connected<br />
with others in any way possible ‒ even<br />
if it meant just getting advice from her<br />
new connections. As part <strong>of</strong> her efforts<br />
she explored social networking web<br />
sites like LinkedIn. It was there she ran<br />
across the ECU Alumni group. Sibol<br />
says she typed in “Baltimore” and came<br />
across one person in the marketing<br />
industry: Tom Ainsley, a 2004 political<br />
science graduate who was founder and<br />
CEO <strong>of</strong> Baltimore Media Group.<br />
Sibol reached out to Ainsley and<br />
learned he had started his own<br />
marketing and advertising company<br />
in Jan. 2010, after working for a<br />
larger firm. Although his company<br />
<strong>College</strong> <strong>of</strong> <strong>Business</strong><br />
was growing, Ainsley was not ready to<br />
hire ‒ but he was willing to share his<br />
insights.<br />
Sibol said, “Tom was incredibly<br />
helpful, and I learned a lot from our<br />
conversations. So I left it at this ‒ he<br />
was a good connection to make, and I<br />
could use his advice as I continued my<br />
job search in Baltimore.”<br />
Sibol went on several interviews over<br />
<strong>East</strong>er break and had two companies<br />
she was steadily interviewing with<br />
when May rolled around. After those<br />
job opportunities didn’t pan out,<br />
she emailed her ECU connection in<br />
Baltimore again and asked Ainsely<br />
where his company was growth-wise.<br />
They went to c<strong>of</strong>fee the next day, and<br />
it turned out he was looking to expand.<br />
“Our discussion evolved from there,<br />
and I have been a Marketing Associate<br />
at Baltimore Media Group for several<br />
months now and loving it,” Sibol said.<br />
“It is a perfect fit! And it just goes to<br />
Evelyn Cooper with her father, Dewey Preast,<br />
Sr., at an ECU football game<br />
games, and I end up throwing it to the side so I can<br />
pace. I get a little, let’s go with exuberant, during<br />
ECU games,” she said.<br />
In her spare time, she also enjoys volunteering with<br />
the Boy Scouts and is the local ECU Pirate Club<br />
representative and Alumni Association contact for<br />
upstate S.C., where she now lives. Cooper says her<br />
life has certainly taken some unexpected turns, and<br />
she encourages others to be open to change.<br />
“Always be open to the possibilities <strong>of</strong> a new<br />
career, always treat others (even in your own<br />
company) as a valued customer, and always look<br />
for unanswered needs,” she said. “Doing this has<br />
allowed me to move ahead in business and in life.”<br />
show that networking with strangers<br />
can work to your advantage, and it does<br />
happen!”<br />
Today, Baltimore Media Group is<br />
one <strong>of</strong> the fastest growing advertising<br />
and marketing firms in the Baltimore<br />
area. The firm works with local<br />
hospitals, mortgage companies, home<br />
improvement businesses, and tech<br />
startups ‒ basically anyone who has a<br />
story to tell and needs help developing Whitney Sibol (MKTG ‘11)<br />
a marketing plan for a product or<br />
service.<br />
“What I love most about working<br />
with Baltimore Media Group is that<br />
I get to meet new people every day.”<br />
Sibol said. “We work with some<br />
amazing clients. I’m either on-site or<br />
behind the scenes writing content and<br />
watching email marketing campaigns,<br />
making sure that our clients’ story is<br />
getting across and helping them grow<br />
their business.”<br />
Tom Ainsley (POLS ‘04)
Alumni Highlight: Vern Davenport (MKTg ‘80, MBA ‘81)<br />
Growing up just down the road from Greenville in<br />
Grifton, Vern Davenport knew he wanted to play<br />
football at <strong>East</strong> <strong>Carolina</strong>. In 1976, he walked on to<br />
the team as a redshirt freshman when Pat Dye was<br />
the coach and then played as a wide receiver and<br />
kicker for the next five years, including one year<br />
as an MBA student. Davenport says he especially<br />
enjoyed the family support he received during his<br />
college years; his father attended every football<br />
game and a large majority <strong>of</strong> the team’s practices.<br />
The hard work and discipline Davenport learned<br />
in football was quickly applied to the business<br />
world once he landed his first job as a newly<br />
minted MBA grad: a sales rep position with IBM’s<br />
Greenville <strong>of</strong>fice.<br />
“Greenville was a great town to serve with the<br />
university and new medical school,” Davenport<br />
said. “In fact, both are still IBM clients today. My<br />
first job helped cut my teeth on the healthcare<br />
industry, and for the most part I have had<br />
healthcare responsibility in various jobs throughout<br />
my career.”<br />
<strong>College</strong> <strong>of</strong> <strong>Business</strong> alum<br />
Allen Thomas (MKTG<br />
‘92) has been elected the<br />
new mayor <strong>of</strong> Greenville.<br />
This was his first run for<br />
<strong>of</strong>fice.<br />
Thomas, 42, co-founded<br />
IQMax Inc. with a<br />
fellow <strong>East</strong> <strong>Carolina</strong><br />
<strong>University</strong> graduate<br />
in the 1990s. IQMax is a medical s<strong>of</strong>tware<br />
technology company with clients in 36 states,<br />
three countries, and 154 medical facilities.<br />
His company processes approximately 15<br />
million medical records a day. Thomas is also<br />
licensed with the North <strong>Carolina</strong> Insurance<br />
Commission and the North <strong>Carolina</strong> Real Estate<br />
Commission.<br />
As a student at ECU, Thomas was elected<br />
student body president, where 21 years ago he<br />
first worked with the Greenville City Council<br />
as the university liaison to the council. After<br />
earning his degree in marketing from <strong>East</strong><br />
<strong>Carolina</strong> in 1992, he attended law school at<br />
AlUMNI NOTES<br />
With more than three decades <strong>of</strong> senior executive<br />
experience in healthcare IT, Davenport now<br />
serves as Chairman <strong>of</strong> the Board and CEO <strong>of</strong><br />
MedQuist, a leading provider <strong>of</strong> integrated clinical<br />
documentation solutions.<br />
Prior to joining MedQuist, he provided strategy<br />
consulting for Quintiles, a biopharmaceutical<br />
services company <strong>of</strong>fering clinical, commercial,<br />
consulting, and capital solutions worldwide. Before<br />
that, Davenport was CEO <strong>of</strong> Misys Healthcare<br />
and led the strategic merger <strong>of</strong> Misys Healthcare<br />
Solutions and Allscripts, creating the U.S. market<br />
leader in acute and ambulatory clinical information<br />
systems. He has also worked for Shared Medical<br />
Systems, Kodak, and Siemens Medical Solutions.<br />
Widely seen as an industry leader, Davenport<br />
enjoys a successful track record in taking difficult<br />
situations and executing rapid performance<br />
turnarounds.<br />
When asked about his favorite ECU memories,<br />
Davenport says football dominates his best times<br />
North <strong>Carolina</strong> Central <strong>University</strong> before<br />
accepting a position under N.C. Governor<br />
Jim Hunt to help the N.C. Department <strong>of</strong><br />
Commerce with business recruitment. Thomas<br />
also earned his MBA from the <strong>University</strong> <strong>of</strong><br />
North <strong>Carolina</strong> at Chapel Hill.<br />
So what’s first on his agenda as mayor <strong>of</strong><br />
Greenville?<br />
“I think initially we’re going to take a close look<br />
at city finances and see what we can do to make<br />
the city as healthy as possible for the long run<br />
going forward,” Thomas told WITN-TV in an<br />
interview. “Also, crime is an issue in the city and<br />
I think we’re going to continue to move forward,<br />
do what we can to improve safety. Quality <strong>of</strong> life<br />
for our citizens and job growth is a priority for<br />
me personally.”<br />
Thomas has served on the <strong>East</strong> <strong>Carolina</strong><br />
<strong>University</strong> Board <strong>of</strong> Trustees and the ECU<br />
Board <strong>of</strong> Visitors. A supporter <strong>of</strong> the Pirates,<br />
Allen has been a on-air radio host for the past<br />
eight years covering ECU athletics. During the<br />
struggle to earn state funding from the North<br />
<strong>Carolina</strong> legislature, Thomas was instrumental<br />
in college, and<br />
many <strong>of</strong> the<br />
lessons he learned<br />
on the gridiron<br />
continue to serve<br />
him today.<br />
“The time that<br />
you spend in<br />
college becomes<br />
the defining years,” Vern Davenport<br />
he explained. “At<br />
the end <strong>of</strong> the<br />
day, there is no substitute for hard work and no<br />
shortcuts. You have to continuously outwork the<br />
other guy. And if you do something that you<br />
believe in, it becomes a lot <strong>of</strong> fun, too.”<br />
Although he has lived all across the U.S., Davenport<br />
now makes his home in Wake Forest, N.C. with his<br />
wife, Julie. He also enjoys spending time with his six<br />
daughters, who range in age from three to 25, and all<br />
love watching ECU football games.<br />
<strong>College</strong> <strong>of</strong> <strong>Business</strong> Alum Elected Mayor <strong>of</strong> greenville<br />
Mayor Allen<br />
Thomas<br />
75 YEARS OF EXCELLENCE<br />
in developing and creating the “Purple Alert”<br />
system, which organized thousands <strong>of</strong> <strong>East</strong><br />
<strong>Carolina</strong> <strong>University</strong> alumni to lobby their local<br />
senators and representatives to vote for the<br />
funding for the <strong>East</strong> <strong>Carolina</strong> Heart Institute in<br />
2004, which now stands at UHS/Pitt Memorial<br />
Hospital in Greenville. He also previously served<br />
as chairman <strong>of</strong> the City <strong>of</strong> Greenville’s Planning<br />
and Zoning Commission and on the City <strong>of</strong><br />
Greenville’s Board <strong>of</strong> Adjustment.<br />
Thomas is married to Janet Stubbs Thomas and<br />
is the father <strong>of</strong> two daughters, Ava and Holly.<br />
Mayor Thomas with his family.<br />
15
16<br />
<strong>College</strong> <strong>of</strong> <strong>Business</strong><br />
75 YEARS OF EXCELLENCE<br />
STUDENT NOTES<br />
MIS Student lands Valuable gE Internship<br />
Junior MIS student Thanh Ngo<br />
has landed a competitive summer<br />
internship with GE’s healthcare<br />
division in Milwaukee for summer<br />
2012.<br />
Every summer, GE <strong>of</strong>fers fulltime,<br />
paid internships to qualified<br />
candidates at each <strong>of</strong> its businesses.<br />
Interns gain hands-on experience<br />
while working on challenging projects,<br />
networking with pr<strong>of</strong>essionals, and<br />
learning through one <strong>of</strong> the top firms<br />
in the U.S.<br />
MIS Student Thanh Ngo<br />
Ngo, 20, was born in Vietnam and<br />
has lived in Raleigh since age six with his parents. He says he initially<br />
applied for the GE internship as a sophomore at a recruiting event, but<br />
he was turned down due to his shyness and lack <strong>of</strong> interpersonal skills.<br />
“At first I did not have any people or presentation skills, skills that GE<br />
looks for the most, but I was determined to give it another go. For the<br />
rest <strong>of</strong> my sophomore year, I worked hard to improve myself.”<br />
Student Highlight: Daniel Carter (MBA ‘12)<br />
Deep in the heart <strong>of</strong> North<br />
<strong>Carolina</strong>’s Research Triangle Park,<br />
Daniel Carter had plenty <strong>of</strong><br />
options when it came to choosing<br />
an MBA program several years ago.<br />
In the city <strong>of</strong> Durham where he<br />
works, he was less than five minutes<br />
from Duke, 15 minutes away from<br />
MBA Student Daniel Carter<br />
<strong>University</strong> <strong>of</strong> North <strong>Carolina</strong> at<br />
Chapel Hill, and 10 minutes away<br />
from N.C. State. His high GMAT score allowed him to go just about<br />
anywhere.<br />
As a managing consultant at Health Planning Source, a healthcare<br />
consulting firm, Carter decided early on that an MBA degree would<br />
hold more flexibility in the future. When he was hired 10 years ago, his<br />
experience level was enough - but now he was one <strong>of</strong> very few colleagues<br />
who didn’t have a master’s degree. He knew an MBA would demonstrate<br />
both competence and a broader understanding <strong>of</strong> business, while giving<br />
him more flexibility and credibility with clients.<br />
In fall 2009, despite all the nearby choices, Carter decided on <strong>East</strong><br />
<strong>Carolina</strong> <strong>University</strong>‘s online MBA program. Although the physical<br />
campus was an hour and half away, the fully online program was the<br />
best fit for Carter’s travel-heavy lifestyle.<br />
“I researched several business schools before choosing ECU, including<br />
Campbell, Duke, Elon, N.C. State, and UNC, all <strong>of</strong> which are closer<br />
than ECU, but I don’t think I could have made a non-online program<br />
Ngo joined clubs and took leadership positions, practiced speech<br />
exercises in his spare time, and read books like “How to Talk to<br />
Anyone” to improve his s<strong>of</strong>t skills. He worked closely with ECU<br />
faculty and staff members, including Dr. April Reed, who helped him<br />
polish his technical skills and resume; Rod Bradley with the Ledonia<br />
Wright Cultural Center, who guided him through the recruiting<br />
process; Richard O’Dor <strong>of</strong> the <strong>Business</strong> Communication Center, who<br />
served as a mentor and fine tuned Ngo’s presentational speaking and<br />
communication skills; and Greg Hodges, a former MIS instructor with<br />
the Office <strong>of</strong> Institutional Planning, Assessment, & Research, who also<br />
served as a mentor.<br />
Ngo plans to work hard this summer and hopefully land a spot in GE’s<br />
Information Management Leadership Program, a two-year program<br />
consisting <strong>of</strong> multiple assignments and more than 12 weeks <strong>of</strong> formal<br />
training. It’s seen as a key entry point for information technology<br />
pr<strong>of</strong>essionals in GE.<br />
“GE’s internship program will open a ton <strong>of</strong> doors for me,” Ngo<br />
said. “I’m so glad I worked hard to achieve this position. Never let a<br />
chance go by; you will never know what could happen, only what didn’t<br />
happen.”<br />
work with my schedule, even an Executive MBA program. ECU’s<br />
program was definitely the best value from my perspective,” Carter<br />
explained. “Plus, since the MBA program at ECU is completely online,<br />
I have total flexibility to travel for work and do school while I’m out <strong>of</strong><br />
town.”<br />
Carter has taken two courses at ECU per semester since starting in<br />
2009, and he is taking three in his final semester this spring. Today, less<br />
than one semester away from graduation, Carter is still happy with his<br />
choice ‒ and he says it’s been challenging. He even took part in ECU’s<br />
travel-abroad option last summer, spending two weeks in China that<br />
helped him form bonds with his classmates.<br />
“I highly recommend a similar experience to anyone who can do so,” he<br />
said. “Studying abroad definitely takes a time commitment, but it not<br />
only opened up my perspective on a culture I had not experienced, it<br />
also allowed me to become friends with my fellow student travelers and<br />
engage directly with faculty ‒ something that isn’t always possible with<br />
an online program.”<br />
Overall, Carter says he’s extremely satisfied with the choice <strong>of</strong> ECU for<br />
his MBA.<br />
“It has been hard. I will be glad to get my degree in May, and I’m<br />
going to enjoy finding new challenges and opportunities that my MBA<br />
experience at ECU has afforded me.”<br />
Adapted from an interview with OnlineMBA at http://www.onlinemba.com/blog/<br />
student-perspective-daniel-carter-mba-2012-east-carolina-university/
75 YEARS OF EXCELLENCE<br />
Students Celebrate MlK Holiday with Community Service<br />
A team <strong>of</strong> students from the <strong>College</strong> <strong>of</strong> <strong>Business</strong>’ Leadership I course<br />
participated in ECU’s Martin Luther King Jr. Day <strong>of</strong> Service on Jan.<br />
16, volunteering time to help the Salvation Army on Dickinson Ave.<br />
in Greenville.<br />
Twelve graduate students who serve as lab facilitators for Leadership<br />
I and two instructors, Abby Knight and Charlie Brown, re-painted<br />
yellow walls in the Family Store shades <strong>of</strong> blue, green, and tan. They<br />
replaced damaged ceiling tiles and scrubbed, vacuumed, and cleaned a<br />
planned teen center that will open in a former restaurant in April. The<br />
remodeling is part <strong>of</strong> a larger effort in the organization’s work with<br />
teenagers. The <strong>College</strong> <strong>of</strong> <strong>Business</strong> team gave approximately 42 total<br />
hours <strong>of</strong> service.<br />
The Day <strong>of</strong> Service was put on by ECU’s Volunteer and Service<br />
Learning Center. Students said the event was a way to carry out Dr.<br />
King’s message about coming together to help those in need.<br />
“I think it’s great to turn the day into a day <strong>of</strong> action, rather than<br />
a sale at the mall,” Leadership I instructor Abby Knight said. “It’s<br />
significant because he spent his life calling people to action. We’re<br />
putting that in motion.”<br />
Graduate students who participated include Hannah Cherry, Ryan<br />
Chadwell, Devang Patel, Jonathan Atamanchuk, Emily Hampton,<br />
Heather Clayton, Chris Wheeler, Don Philyaw, Aly Schillig, Maggie<br />
Cunningham, and Lauren Baggett.<br />
(Left) Ryan Chadwell <strong>of</strong> Richmond, Va., holds a ceiling tile to replace the one being removed by Don Philyaw <strong>of</strong> Greensboro<br />
in the planned Salvation Army teen center. Chadwell and Philyaw are graduate assistants in the <strong>College</strong> <strong>of</strong> <strong>Business</strong>. (Right)<br />
<strong>College</strong> <strong>of</strong> <strong>Business</strong> graduate assistants Heather Clayton and Devang Patel work together to paint a wall in the Salvation<br />
Army’s Family Store. Photos courtesy <strong>of</strong> Cliff Hollis<br />
Marketing Students Earn Top Spot in google<br />
Competition<br />
A team <strong>of</strong> students in Dr. Christy Ashley’s consumer behavior class<br />
placed in the semi-finals during the 2011 Google Online Marketing<br />
Challenge last spring.<br />
Emily Baumgartner, Scott Dannelley, Sal Villari, and Kelsey Weeden<br />
placed among the top 15 teams in the Americas region (North and<br />
South America) for their work with Top Dog Academy and ranked in<br />
the top 100 teams internationally out <strong>of</strong> 3,082 teams. In addition, five<br />
other ECU teams from Ashley’s class placed in the top 10%. All eight<br />
teams were above the 80th percentile in the international competition.<br />
Ashley’s class has participated in Google’s Online Marketing Challenge<br />
since spring 2009. Students begin the semester by learning about<br />
principles that affect consumer behavior online, such as market<br />
segmentation, consumer search behavior, perceptions, attitude change,<br />
and communications. Then, with a budget provided by Google, students<br />
STUDENT NOTES<br />
develop an online advertising strategy for a real business or nonpr<strong>of</strong>it<br />
organization that has not used AdWords in the last six months.<br />
During a three week period, students make changes to their online<br />
marketing strategy based on feedback from their client and results<br />
(including impressions, click through rates, and conversions). Students<br />
make presentations and provide a weekly update to their clients. At<br />
the end <strong>of</strong> the project, students report their results and make future<br />
recommendations for online marketing.<br />
The international competition is open to enrolled undergraduate or<br />
graduate students, regardless <strong>of</strong> major. Ashley’s class will participate in<br />
the Google Online AdWords Challenge again in spring 2012 with the<br />
following non-pr<strong>of</strong>it and small business clients: Greenville Museum <strong>of</strong><br />
Art, Tryon Palace, Artisans, Cathy’s Homemade Biscuits, Lalee’s Cakes,<br />
ECU Stuff, and ECU Yesterday, Today, Tomorrow.<br />
17
18<br />
<strong>College</strong> <strong>of</strong> <strong>Business</strong><br />
75 YEARS OF EXCELLENCE<br />
STUDENT NOTES<br />
Students Inducted into Beta gamma Sigma<br />
The <strong>College</strong> <strong>of</strong> <strong>Business</strong> recently inducted more than 50 new members into the Gamma Chapter <strong>of</strong> Beta<br />
Gamma Sigma, the honor society serving business programs accredited by AACSB International - The<br />
Association to Advance Collegiate Schools <strong>of</strong> <strong>Business</strong>.<br />
An induction banquet was held Dec. 6 at the Rock Springs Center in Greenville, where chapter honoree Kevin<br />
Monroe (MGMT ‘99, MBA ‘05) delivered the keynote address. Monroe, vice president <strong>of</strong> CAPTRUST, is the<br />
former captain (and four-year letterman) <strong>of</strong> the ECU football team, a radio show host on The Pirate Sports<br />
Network, and the vice president <strong>of</strong> Future, Inc., a local youth outreach program. He currently serves on the<br />
boards <strong>of</strong> the Pitt County Health Education and the Pitt County Pirate Club.<br />
Two times per year, the <strong>College</strong> <strong>of</strong> <strong>Business</strong> inducts eligible students and faculty into Beta Gamma Sigma.<br />
Membership is by invitation only and is based upon eligibility criteria, including those who rank in the top<br />
7% <strong>of</strong> the junior class, top 10% <strong>of</strong> the senior class, and top 20% <strong>of</strong> graduate students within the <strong>College</strong> <strong>of</strong><br />
<strong>Business</strong>. Beta Gamma Sigma membership is the highest recognition a business student can achieve.<br />
Assistant pr<strong>of</strong>essor Andrew Herdman (MGMT) currently serves as faculty advisor in the <strong>College</strong> <strong>of</strong> <strong>Business</strong>.<br />
Fall 2011 Inductees<br />
JUNIORS Andrew Beamon Brooke Kessing Kylie Moss<br />
Britnee Coley Antoine Khoury Thanh Ngo<br />
Terresa Dent Casey King Matthew Rodwell<br />
Brandon Hall Christopher Lang Emilio Santiago<br />
Michael Hardy Tyler Masuda Danielle Stanley<br />
Mary Hill Marisa Melchiorre Zachary Teachey<br />
Stacey Hobbs Alexandra Morrison Stephon Thomas<br />
Allison Johnson<br />
SENIORS Christy Aguilar Sarah Howland Kseniya Shakotko<br />
Jennifer Clemmons Jessica Melton William Spain<br />
Kendell Harris Mary Newcombe Jessica Swanson<br />
Camille Hefner Clifton Quinn Christina Weaver<br />
MASTERS Jason Carman Megan Gabel Mark Rinehart<br />
Christopher Crotty Douglas Hayden Cheterra Sheff<br />
Melissa Ebili Jeffery Hope Ryan Stallings<br />
David Eckell Mitchell Kimsey James Teske<br />
Ronald Farlow Jackson McRae Jeremy Yates<br />
Olivia Fisher Joseph Rafalowski<br />
Beta Gamma Sigma faculty advisor<br />
Dr. Andrew Herdman (left) stands<br />
with chapter honoree Kevin Monroe.
75 YEARS OF EXCELLENCE<br />
Regardless <strong>of</strong> size, your annual gift makes a<br />
difference to ECU. Every gift is important<br />
and is a vote <strong>of</strong> confidence in the <strong>College</strong> <strong>of</strong><br />
<strong>Business</strong> and its future.<br />
Your annual gift to the <strong>College</strong> goes to work<br />
immediately to:<br />
• strengthen academic programs.<br />
• attract top faculty members.<br />
• make ECU affordable for all students.<br />
Annual giving allows the <strong>College</strong> <strong>of</strong> <strong>Business</strong> to<br />
provide extraordinary opportunities for learning<br />
and discovery; to extend financial aid to students<br />
who need it; and to help meet emerging needs<br />
and challenges. These unrestricted funds give<br />
the flexibility to undertake new initiatives, such<br />
as implementing our new leadership curriculum<br />
and the necessary elements to support it.<br />
Investing in the <strong>College</strong> <strong>of</strong> <strong>Business</strong> has never<br />
been easier. Annual gifts may be made by check,<br />
transfer <strong>of</strong> stock/securities, or credit card with<br />
Keeping Connected with your ECU <strong>College</strong> <strong>of</strong> <strong>Business</strong><br />
Hello ECU <strong>College</strong> <strong>of</strong> <strong>Business</strong> Alumni<br />
and Friends,<br />
My thanks to so many <strong>of</strong> you who have used<br />
the business.ecu.edu/CONNECT link on<br />
the ECU <strong>College</strong> <strong>of</strong> <strong>Business</strong> homepage. I<br />
am very pleased to see the updates and receive<br />
information from you about other classmates<br />
you know. Please also feel free to email me<br />
directly at westmorelandj@ecu.edu!<br />
All <strong>of</strong> our graduates are important in our<br />
<strong>College</strong> <strong>of</strong> <strong>Business</strong> alumni network. I am<br />
still working and encouraging students to<br />
seek you out as alumni and ask you to be a<br />
mentor in whatever form works for you. In<br />
my list <strong>of</strong> people who are volunteering to talk<br />
with students, I try to make good matches<br />
based on areas <strong>of</strong> expertise, location, etc.<br />
Please stay in touch with <strong>College</strong> <strong>of</strong> <strong>Business</strong><br />
news, events, and your fellow alumni. Now<br />
that our new Dean has been <strong>of</strong>ficially named,<br />
Stan Eakins and I will be traveling to various<br />
cities. We also welcome you to visit when you<br />
are in the Greenville area.<br />
I am always just an email or phone call<br />
away, whether you have news to share or just<br />
ADVANCEMENT NOTES<br />
Your Annual gift Makes a Difference<br />
our secure online giving form. And now, gifts<br />
can be made directly from your smartphone,<br />
using the Quick Response (QR) code on the<br />
right. Similar to a barcode, the QR code can be<br />
scanned using your smartphone’s camera, and it<br />
will take you directly to web site content. Read<br />
the code using a free app (like Barcode Scanner<br />
for Android and Scan for iPhone). QR codes<br />
are popping up everywhere, and they make it<br />
easy to give back and stay connected.<br />
Every gift matters. Make yours today.<br />
want to learn more about what’s happening<br />
on campus. Networking helps all <strong>of</strong> us stay<br />
connected.<br />
Jim<br />
James R. Westmoreland, Ed.D.<br />
Associate Dean for<br />
External Affairs<br />
<strong>College</strong> <strong>of</strong> <strong>Business</strong><br />
<strong>East</strong> <strong>Carolina</strong> <strong>University</strong><br />
Greenville, NC 27858<br />
(252) 328-0130<br />
westmorelandj@ecu.edu<br />
http://www.ecu.edu/business/connect/<br />
Colin O’Connor<br />
Senior Major Gifts Officer and<br />
Director <strong>of</strong> Academic Leadership<br />
Programs Philanthropy<br />
<strong>College</strong> <strong>of</strong> <strong>Business</strong><br />
<strong>East</strong> <strong>Carolina</strong> <strong>University</strong><br />
252-328-9562<br />
oconnorc@ecu.edu<br />
www.ecu.edu/cs-bus/support.cfm<br />
Scan the QR code above with<br />
your smartphone to access ECU’s<br />
secure online giving form. There<br />
are free QR reader applications<br />
available for all mobile platforms.<br />
The ECU <strong>College</strong> <strong>of</strong> <strong>Business</strong> Commerce<br />
Club continues to grow. Please share<br />
articles <strong>of</strong> your classmates or when you<br />
have been featured!<br />
19
<strong>College</strong> <strong>of</strong> <strong>Business</strong>—Commerce Club<br />
1200 Harold H. bate building<br />
<strong>East</strong> <strong>Carolina</strong> university<br />
Greenville, NC 27858-4353<br />
Change Service Requested<br />
Marketing Students Attend Career Conference in NYC<br />
For the third straight year, ECu marketing students participated in the annual<br />
advertising Women <strong>of</strong> New York (aWNY) Career Conference, held at the Fashion<br />
Institute <strong>of</strong> Technology in New York City. Twenty four students from <strong>East</strong> <strong>Carolina</strong><br />
were led by Dr. Tracy Tuten, associate pr<strong>of</strong>essor in the Department <strong>of</strong> marketing<br />
& Supply Chain management, and Shelly Spear, an administrative support<br />
associate in the <strong>College</strong> <strong>of</strong> business who is also earning her undergraduate<br />
degree in business.<br />
During the conference, held Nov. 11-12, approximately 750 students from across<br />
the country learned about various career opportunities in advertising. Students<br />
were exposed to industry leaders in the field <strong>of</strong> advertising, learned career<br />
planning techniques for landing the job they want, and attended resume building<br />
workshops led by experts in advertising placement.<br />
ECu students also toured Dentsu america’s New York <strong>of</strong>fice with its President,<br />
Doug Fidoten. Dentsu, which was awarded “advertising agency <strong>of</strong> the Year” by<br />
adfest 2011, is considered the third most awarded agency in the world.<br />
“This annual trip to New York is a great way for students to test the waters<br />
regarding a career in advertising,” Tuten said. “Students learn directly from top<br />
experts in the field and come away with a wealth <strong>of</strong> information that could never<br />
be taught in a classroom. It’s a unique experience for everyone.”<br />
Senior marketing student anna Katharina lohre agreed, “I really enjoyed the<br />
weekend in NYC and had a great time. The advertising Career Conference<br />
<strong>of</strong>fered a great variety <strong>of</strong> workshops and presentations that were very<br />
interesting. I can definitely say I was inspired by the end <strong>of</strong> the conference! Even<br />
if I do not end up working in advertising, this was an amazing opportunity that<br />
broadened by horizons and that I will never forget.”<br />
20<br />
About Stocknotes<br />
Nonpr<strong>of</strong>it Org.<br />
U.S. Postage<br />
P A I D<br />
Permit No. 110<br />
Greenville, NC<br />
Marketing students visit Dentsu in New York City<br />
Stocknotes is published by the Commerce Club, ECU’s <strong>College</strong><br />
<strong>of</strong> <strong>Business</strong> alumni organization. It is designed to connect,<br />
engage, and inform alumni, partners, and other friends <strong>of</strong> the<br />
<strong>College</strong> <strong>of</strong> <strong>Business</strong>.<br />
You can also read Stocknotes online at<br />
http://www.ecu.edu/cs-bus/stocknotes.cfm, where both past<br />
and current issues are available.<br />
We welcome your letters and comments.<br />
Please e-mail cclub@ecu.edu or contact us at 252-328-6377.<br />
Printed with nonstate funds.