Publication - College of Business

Conversations with
Glen Taylor
BIG
EXPERIENCES
SUPPORT
OPPORTUNITIES
2012/2013 in review
contents
Dean’s
Message
W
elcome to the second edition of
the College of Business InReview
magazine! It is an exciting publication
to share with you because it highlights
the many ways the College of Business is
working hard to provide students with big
opportunities. A cornerstone to being able
to provide significant opportunities is the
connection, partnership and engagement
with alumni, businesses, communities, and
friends. One of my roles as dean is to facilitate
those connections and help create those
opportunities. It is a role I welcome and truly
enjoy! Not a day goes by where I am not
humbled and impressed by the great people
that make up this Minnesota State Mankato
community.
During the past year, the College hosted and
created some truly memorable and lifechanging experiences. Some experiences
happened in Minnesota and some happened
in faraway places like New York City and
Belize. Some of them happened in the
classroom-- for example see the story on
page 22 about the Executive Seminar course
in the MBA program-- and some of them
happen out of the classroom like the Janavaras
International Business Conference.
Hosting Minnesota State Mankato alumnus
Mr. Glen Taylor as this year’s Morgan Thomas
Executive Speaker was memorable for many
reasons, including that almost 300 people
attended despite some significant snowfall
that morning and that many members of his
executive leadership team attended, filling
the front row of Ostrander Auditorium. We
are fortunate to have an organization like
Taylor Corporation right in our backyard
and are embarking on a new and innovative
partnership project with them.
2 // minnesota state university, mankato // college of business
12
The possibilities abound when we are able
to be a partner of choice. Stories within
about partnerships with firms like United
Prairie Bank and Abdo Eick & Meyers, LLP
are examples of how we are able to have
triple wins for students, companies and
communities. It is through these partnerships
that we are able to do our work better, faster
and on a scale that reflects the needs of
society.
Finally, the College of Business Global
Solutions capital campaign continues to gain
momentum. The story on pages 8-9 celebrates
the vision and all those who have been early
supporters of that vision. This partnership
and innovation facility will provide our
entire community with the space to connect,
partner and create. This facility is important
to the future of the College of Business and
its ability to be a solution for the many talent,
innovation and leadership imperatives.
Every day I am grateful for this amazing
community we called Minnesota State
Mankato. Our students are impressive, our
faculty and staff are committed, and our
partners are generous. The opportunities to
make a difference are endless, varied and
fulfilling. These are exciting times and I
encourage you to join us!
Dr. Brenda L. Flannery
Dean, College of Business
Minnesota State University, Mankato
Conversations
with Glen Taylor
Founder and CEO of Taylor
Corporation creates opportunities
for students, employees, and the
community
2
4
5
6
8
Dean’s Message
College News & Events
AACSB Re-Accreditation
Fielding a Future
The Global Solutions
Capital Campaign
9 Abdo, Eick & Meyers
Makes Lead Gift
10
Integrated Business
Experience Update
06
20
12
An International Legacy
Janavaras International Business
Conference & Retirement Celebration
Dean, College of Business
Brenda Flannery
Editor
Elizabeth R. Johnson
Contributing Writers
Wayne Carlson
Elizabeth R. Johnson
Dustin Patt
Leah Pockrandt
Dorothy Schwartzkopf
Joe Tougas
Graphic Designer
Terri Poburka
20
Fielding a Future
Student-athletes are finding that the
College of Business offers them a path
to utilize their unique skill sets
11 College News & Events
12 Conversations with Glen Taylor
15 Big Ideas Speaker Series
16 Faculty Spotlight: Dr. Steve Wilcox
17 Faculty News
18 My Internship at McGladrey
19 Launching the Master of
Accounting Program (MAcc)
20
22
23
An International Legacy
Networking for College Credit
MBA Alum Recognized
in 40 Under 40 List
Printer
Minnesota State University,
Mankato Printing Services
Print Coordinator
Doug Fenske
...............................................................................................
The mission of In Review is to inform and to connect the
reader to the College of Business community. In Review
welcomes story ideas supporting this mission.
In Review is copyrighted in its entirety.
This volume and all articles, images and
photographs within may not be reproduced
in any form without written permission from
the editor.
College of Business
120 Morris Hall, Mankato, MN 56001
507.389.5420 | cob.mnsu.edu
2012
2011-2012
- 2013 in review // 3
News & Events
news & events
college
News
Professor Kaliski’s
Business Simulation
Goes Global
Collaboration
Between Colleges
Creates New Minor
This fall Minnesota State University,
Mankato will begin offering an Actuarial
Science minor for the first time ever.
The College of Business and the College
of Science, Engineering and Technology teamed up to create the new minor,
which combines courses in finance,
economics, statistics, and math. The process for creating the new minor began in
fall 2012 and final approval was given in
the spring. The program is designed to
prepare students for the beginning of the
actuarial science career path. Actuarial
science has many levels that can take
up to decade of preparation and the
program helps students with the first few
levels of exams.
Actuaries are the professionals that find
ways to manage risk. It takes a combination of strong analytical and quantitative
skills, business and financial knowledge,
and people skills. Actuaries can work in a
number of industries including insurance
companies, banks, investment firms, and
colleges and universities. Employment
outlook and job security is strong for
those who decide to become actuaries.
“[The minor] provides our students with
more choices,” says Interim Associate
Dean Joseph Reising. “It provides more
opportunities to succeed, and one more
opportunity to find a great job.”
Students Take on
the Big Apple
Last January, 35 students and two faculty
members from the College of Business
took on the Big Apple. The Study Tour
of New York City had not been offered
for several years after the organizing
faculty members retired, but this year
Dr. Gloria Meng (Marketing) and Dr.
Robert Zelin (Finance) picked up the
torch and got to work. Students were
able to earn college credit and enjoy the
adventures of studying away from campus for a week between semesters. Their
uniquely New York activities included
Broadway shows, a walking tour of Wall
Street, visiting the Federal Reserve Bank
and the United Nations. But it wasn’t
all play; students also attended lectures,
and small classes in finance, marketing,
and social media, and were required to
take quizzes and complete homework
during the course of the trip. “New York
City was our live and vibrant classroom,”
says Dr. Zelin. “The trip was such a great
experience for the students and faculty
members that the trip will be offered
again in January 2014.”
John Kaliski, Associate Professor of
Management, is a member of a team that
owns and operates Oak Tree Simulations,
a company that creates business simulation software. According to their website,
“Oak Tree Simulations produces a family
of business simulation games intended
for teaching undergraduate, graduate
and corporate learners effective business
skills.” The simulations provide a fun and
challenging way for students to experience the kinds of issues that are involved
in managing an international business.
There are three simulations offered:
Micromatic is the original simulation
and also the largest and most complex.
It’s usually used in higher level courses
and offers students the chance to operate
a small manufacturing business that sells
their product internationally. Mogul is a
basic, entry-level simulation that allows
students to operate a small manufacturing company that creates two products.
Maven is a marketing simulation that is
targeted at entry-level principles.
The software is used internationally in
Australia, Europe, and Asia. The largest
account is in Malaysia where last year
over 4000 freshman-level Malaysian
students used the Mogul simulation. In
Malaysia, entrepreneurship is taught
across the curriculum, regardless of
major. Oak Tree Simulations is in the
process of expanding to North Africa
and the Middle East.
Celebrating 5 More Years
of Accreditation
By Dustin Patt
T
his spring, the College of Business
went under the microscope as a
team of deans from other colleges of
business and representatives from the
Association to Advance Collegiate
Schools of Businss (AACSB) made
a campus visit to evaluate our entire
program. Every five years, all schools and
colleges of business that have been accredited by
AACSB must undergo a review process to renew their
accreditation for another five years.
Accreditation is a voluntary, non-governmental process that
includes a review of a school’s ability to provide quality programs,
but just because it’s voluntary doesn’t necessarily make it optional.
AACSB accreditation keeps the College of Business competitive
among the other universities that offer business degrees, ensuring
continued relevance and success.
Accreditation helps to ensure that students are learning
relevant material and allows a school access to funding. Once
a school receives initial accreditation, it must be maintained
on a five year cycle, in a process known as Maintenance of
Accreditation.
“The accreditation process is one of the most important things
that happen in the College of Business,” says Dr. Marilyn Fox,
MBA Director and Director of Maintenance of Accreditation. “It’s
vital to students, potential employers, and alumni. It keeps the
College of Business going as we know it.”
This process begins with the submission of an application to
the AASCB two years prior to the formal review and concludes
with a peer review visit from a team that includes members of
the AACSB and Deans from other business schools. The team
reviews and evaluates the school’s strategic plan, mission, financial
strategies, faculty qualifications, faculty intellectual contributions,
and data pertaining to students, curricula, learning, and innovative
practices.
The faculty and staff began preparing for this visit
over a year ago and put in a tremendous amount
of effort and work. “Countless hours go into the
preparation,” says Dr. Fox. “Ten months of work
gathering information and writing the reports.
Lots of people spent a lot of time on this.”
The peer review team visited the College
of Business this year from February 3-5. The
visiting team first met with the leadership of
the college and then scheduled meetings with the
administration, faculty, staff, and student representatives from
undergraduate and graduate programs. The team then gathered
additional information from staff outside the College of Business,
including the career services staff, the advising center, and the IT
department.
The review team has three options. 1) They can extend
accreditation for an additional five years, 2) if there are standards
violations, they can schedule another visit one year later to see if
violations have been fixed, or 3) they can revoke accreditation.
The countless hours of work paid off when the College was
granted its re-accreditation for another five years. This is no small
feat considering less than five percent of the world’s 13,000
business programs receive accreditations from the AASCB.
Not only did the College of Business receive the re-accreditation,
the review team indicated that their visit was a pleasure and the
easiest re-accreditation decision they had ever made. They were
impressed with the students, the knowledge and involvement
of the faculty, the planning and assessment processes, and the
systems in place to ensure students receive the highest quality
education. The success of the visit and the impression left on the
visiting review team is a testament to the dedication and passion of
the staff, faculty, and students. n
More information can be found at
www.oaktreesim.com
Alumni Night
AT Canterbury PARK
Annual COB
Last year’s Alumni Night broke records with over 800 alumni and friends
of the College of Business in attendance! Join us this August at the 14th
annual Alumni Night at Canterbury Park for horse races, a free picnic
dinner, and good times with alumni and friends. Update your contact
information at www.mnsu.edu/alumni/update and visit our Facebook
page for event details and photographs from past years!
4 // minnesota state university, mankato // college of business
2012 - 2013 in review // 5
I
f you were to pick a conference
room inside a Fortune 500
company and eavesdrop on the
conversations happening inside it,
you wouldn’t have to listen long
before you heard an inference
related to team athletics. The
Fielding a
Future
Minnesota State Mankato student-athletes
are finding that the College of Business offers
them a path to utilize their unique skill sets
By Wayne Carlson
102
College of Business Student
Athletes Participate in:
Baseball
Basketball
Cross Country
Football
Golf
Hockey
Soccer
6 // minnesota state university, mankato // college of business
Softball
Swimming
Tennis
Track & Field
Volleyball
Wrestling
business world loves sports analogies.
There’s a reason for that.
It’s also likely that some of the people
you’re listening to will be former athletes
themselves. There’s a reason for that too.
“In sports, you get knocked down,
and you get up and get right back at it,”
says Robert Hoffman, Minnesota State
Mankato Vice President of business,
education and regional partnerships.
“That’s so important in a business
environment as well, where, like in sports,
if you lose, you have to work to get better.
Athletes learn that you must work hard
to become a winner. That’s why you hire
athletes — they’re used to making it
happen and know the value of hard work
and dedication.”
The Minnesota State University,
Mankato College of Business is a popular
choice among Maverick student-athletes.
And they graduate into a hiring climate
that makes them quite popular among
potential employers as well.
That’s because of transferable traits,
says Hoffman, who spent more than 18
years with Taylor Corporation in a variety
of executive roles and developed key
relationships within the executive level of
major companies. He hired many former
athletes during his time in management,
due to the intangibles that come ingrained
in a competitor.
“Take a quarterback, for example,”
Hoffman said. “A quarterback normally
has that edge to him. He’s good and he
knows it. If he manages it well, and has
that edge, I want him on my team. I want
him on my sales team especially. Because
you won’t beat him. He’s going to beat you,
because he’ll figure it out analytically, by
reading the defense and making it happen.
The same attributes that made him
successful on the football field can make
him successful in business as well.”
Of course, finding success in the
business world means first finding success
in the classroom, which can be a difficult
task when juggling the responsibilities and
time requirements that come with being a
student and an athlete at the same time.
There are three College of Business
scholarships available for student athletes,
a sign of the long-storied relationship
between the accredited program and the
athletes of Minnesota State.
The Henry Okleshen Finance Hockey
Scholarship was established by Dr. Henry
Okleshen, a former finance professor
who was a fan of Maverick hockey. The
scholarship, which is given to hockey
players who major in Finance at the
College of Business, was received by
goaltender Evan Karambelas in 2012.
Karambelas went on to claim WCHA AllAcademic honors this year.
The Morgan I. & Marjorie J. Thomas
College of Business Student Athlete
Endowed Scholarship honors Dr. Morgan
Thomas’ legacy of providing quality
business education and supporting student
athletes. Morgan joined the faculty in the
College of Business in 1953 and served as
Dean of the College from 1960 until his
retirement in 1982. Women’s soccer player
Lauren Somers received the scholarship in
2012 and the same year claimed Academic
All-NSIC honors as well as being named
First Team All-NSIC and was the first
player in program history to be named
NSIC Defensive Player of the Year.
Colleagues, community members and
former players of the legendary Minnesota
State Mankato baseball coach established
the Dean Bowyer College of Business
Baseball Scholarship. Bowyer started as
the baseball coach at Minnesota State
Mankato in 1976 and during his tenure
as a coach and instructor, he established
strong, lasting relationships with most
everyone that had contact with the
program. Mike Eckhart received the honor
in 2013 and was named All-Academic
NSIC this season.
“The rap against athletes is that they’re
only at the university to play sports,” says
Hoffman. “But when they’re connected
in the classroom, they’ll give you that
same intensity and that same spirit. And
that effort produces results both in the
classroom and in the business world.” n
Evan Karambelas
Lauren Somers
Mike Eckhart
“
Personal recognition
was clearly not the
driving force behind our
dad’s generosity; instead, we
feel, it was his belief in the
importance of education.
It is a gift that can never
be taken away from an
individual once given.”
— Dick and Jay Thomas
Sons of Morgan Thomas
2012 - 2013 in review // 7
global solutions center
The D
Global
Solutions
CAPITAL
Campaign
“Minnesota
State Mankato
is setting the
pace…”
—Al Lenzmeier,
former COO of Best Buy
Al and Kathy
Lenzmeier
Abdo, Eick & Meyers Makes Lead Gift
for Executive Suite
onors to the College of Business Global Solutions Center are
investing in true transformation at Minnesota State University,
Mankato. The Center will redefine the way scholars and leaders
collaborate and innovate as they create and implement solutions for
real-world needs, ranging from southern Minnesota to the world.
Community spaces will be key to collaboration, where faculty, staff, students and
business leaders learn and work together. This state-of-the-art facility will feature an
interactive 250-seat lecture hall, a third-floor conference center, specialty research
labs, student team breakout rooms, collaborative technologies, a business library and
a café. The naturally lit atrium will provide a space for community events and student
interaction. Combine these spaces with cutting-edge, globally wired classrooms, and
you’ll see transformation blossom.
Join us in creating the future of the College of Business.
Hear what our visionary supporters have to say…
“We think it’s
important to
give back and
support the
area.”
—Scott Bradley,
CEO of United Prairie Bank
“We deserve to
have a building
that we can call
home.”
—Norb Harrington, former
Regional President of Greater
Minnesota, Wells Fargo and
College of Business Advisory
Board Chair
Norb and Diane
Harrington
8 // minnesota state university, mankato // college of business
| By Joe Tougas
“During
undergrad I was
actively involved
as a student
leader and know
the importance
of having
those spaces
for students
to collaborate
and look to the
future.”
—Tim Huebsch, Integration
Manager, Digital Marketing,
General Mills
I
ts founder made history as the first person in the country to pass
his CPA exam before graduating from college. Fifty years later, the
firm bearing his name is making news by providing a better future
for business students at Minnesota State Mankato.
In its 50 years, Abdo Eick & Meyers LLP has been active in supplying funds, insight
and expertise to the College of Business at Minnesota State Mankato. It has contributed
at least $25,000 in gifts and scholarships and recently announced that it will provide
another $25,000 for the Advisory Council Executive Suite in the planned Global
Solutions Center.
The Global Solutions Center will not only be the home of the College of Business,
but also a high-tech hub for all disciplines at the University to come together to address
local, national and global problems.
The third-floor executive suite will be used by faculty, students, business partners,
industry leaders and guests. Such a room was identified as a need by the College of
Business Advisory Council, on which four members of Abdo, Eick & Meyers have
served over the past 20 years. The Council agreed to raise $200,000 for the suite, and
Abdo, Eick & Meyers’ $25,000 is the lead gift to the project.
Don Kreye, the firm’s business development manager and current member of the
advisory council, said the gift is a logical extension of Abdo, Eick & Meyers’ longtime
association with University business students, a tradition dating back to founder Joe
Abdo, a well-known University alumnus. Before founding the company in 1963, Abdo
made news as being the first known college student to pass the CPA exam before
graduating college.
From there the firm and the University have been in close contact. In addition
to funding scholarships, company leaders such as Kreye, Jay Abdo, Tom Olinger and
Scott Danger have served as curriculum advisors. The firm has always been keen on
hiring University talent—an estimated half of their 110 employees are Minnesota State
Mankato graduates.
Steve McDonald, the firm’s managing partner, stated the reasons for hiring so
heavily from the University are similar to why the company feels compelled to fund
the Global Solutions Center: It helps students and the business community, as well as
Abdo, Eick & Meyers.
“The College of Business is making a significant
impact in the current and future success of our firm
and business community,” McDonald says. In pledging
money to the suite, he adds, “we are contributing to
that future success and the success of all the students
and business leaders who will utilize the room.” n
2012 - 2013 in review // 9
integrated business experience
HANDS ON,
NAME ON.
By Joe Tougas
N
ot long ago, a small line of
type on the bottom of the
Integrated Business Experience’s
web page read: “The IBE program
would like to thank United Prairie
Bank for their support.” It was
accompanied by a tiny image of
the bank’s logo.
In the summer of 2013, however,
United Prairie Bank and Minnesota State Mankato’s College of
Business took steps to expand its collaboration on the program,
which resulted in naming the program The United Prairie Bank
Integrated Business Experience.
United Prairie, which was founded by alum James G. Sneer in
1973 and now serves 11 southern Minnesota communities, had
been a financial sponsor of the IBE for the past two years. The
bank’s CEO, Scott Bradley, said that during that time he and his
associates at United Prairie liked what they saw taking place in this
new venture and wanted to see more.
The two-year-old IBE program provides students with an
opportunity to start real-world businesses as entrepreneurs
would. They create business plans, secure financing, analyze the
marketplace and deliver products. It’s a 12-credit, four-course
News & Events
program that combines business finance,
marketing principles and management
principles with a practicum in which
students form a business. Any profits are
given to a local charity, and past classes
have been able to donate thousands of
dollars to local non-profits including Kids
Against Hunger and Junior Achievement.
“We really thought that there was
more here,” Bradley says, “more value
for us to get involved with, and we really
felt we wanted to do that. That’s how
it got started. I contacted [College of
Business Dean] Brenda [Flannery] and
said ‘Let’s talk a little bit more about our
involvement.’”
What emerged was the first time an academic program at the
University was attached to a benefactor’s name. In exchange, the
program will receive an annual $25,000 gift from United Prairie
that will go toward scholarship dollars and instructor salaries.
The attraction for United Prairie? Bradley said it’s having a
hand in transitioning students out of the theory-based and into the
reality-based. The IBE provides the kind of education and experience that can come only from doing, not by discussing, he said.
“It’s the real-world experience,” Bradley said. “Education is
wonderful and it’s important but real-world integration is really
where the rubber meets the road.”
“It’s a big deal for us,” he said. “We’re excited.” n
To learn more about the IBE program
Scholarships Reward
Entrepreneurial Spirit
D
aren Cotter has always had an
entrepreneurial spirit and a passion
for technology. Daren attended Minnesota State
Mankato as the recipient of an academic scholarship
and graduated in 2004. During his freshman year,
Daren created InboxDollars®, an Internet marketing
company that rewards consumers for their online
activities. Today, the company has paid consumers
more than $20 million and has expanded globally.
Both Daren and his wife, fellow alum Sarah, credit
their education at Minnesota State Mankato as a key
ingredient to their success. They now sponsor the
Daren & Sarah Cotter Entrepreneurial Scholarship,
which is the single largest College of Business
scholarship and was awarded to Finance major Matthew Lindquist, and the
Daren & Sarah Cotter Integrated Business Experience Student Advisor Scholarship,
which is awarded to a former IBE student who now serves as a company advisor for the
subsequent class and was awarded to Henock Yohannes and Kaitlyn Feind. n
10 // minnesota state university, mankato // college of business
college
News
Study Abroad in Belize
This spring, Dr. Kristin Scott piloted
“Fair Trade Study Abroad in Belize,”
a short-term study abroad class that
takes students out of the classroom,
and the country, to study fair trade,
sustainability, and entrepreneurship.
The first half of the semester is spent
on campus, building a foundation of
knowledge that would prepare them
for their real-world experience. During
spring break, Dr. Scott traveled with
her students down to Punta Gorda,
Belize where they worked with fair
trade businesses, including Maya Bags,
Sustainable Harvest International,
and Cotton Tree Chocolate. They also
spent time in San Pedro where they
volunteered at Holy Cross Anglican
School and stayed at the Blue Tang
Inn, co-owned by Minnesota State
Mankato alum Curt Fisher. When their
work was done, students were able to
go snorkeling, cave diving, visit Mayan
ruins and take a nighttime hike. For the
second half of the semester the students
worked on projects that helped the fair
trade businesses they worked with in
Belize. To learn more about this fantastic
short-term study abroad course, visit
http://tbs-cob.mnsu.edu/initiatives/
study-abroad-in-belize/.
New Mentoring Program Kick-Off
A new College of Business Mentoring Program kicked-off its pilot this past spring, with
19 students and 18 mentors, alumni and business professionals from the community,
participating. The new program works to connect students with the real-world of
business. Students were able to take advantage of new learning opportunities as they
attended business panels, shadowed their mentors in the field, and underclassmen even
received guidance on choosing a major.
The pilot was created by Heather Ludwig, an alumna and partner of the college. She
believes the students gained confidence in asking questions, networking, and seeking
out resources. “Having a mentor who works in the area the student considers for their
major offers them a great way to learn what’s expected and to confirm that the work is
really what they want to do for their career.” Ludwig hopes to, at a minimum, double
participation in the program for the next year.
Any alumni or business professionals interested in becoming a mentor should contact
Heather Ludwig at heather.ludwig@mnsu.edu or 952-221-0035.
Scholarships
Scholarship
dollars awarded:
$127,150
......................
Scholarships awarded:
70
Pictured left to right:
Henock Yohannes, Sarah and Daren Cotter,
Kaitlyn Feind, Matthew Lindquist
2012 - 2013 in review // 11
Founder and CEO of Taylor Corporation Creates Opportunities
for Students, Employees, and the Community
By ElizABETH JOHNSON
I
t’s not every day an undergraduate student
gets to sit in on a conversation between the
College of Business dean and the chief executive
officer of a major corporation, but on March 5,
2013, that’s exactly what happened. Well, that
student and nearly 300 other members of the
audience.
Conversations
with Glen Taylor
The Morgan Thomas Executive Lecture series
12 // minnesota state university, mankato // college of business
The 2013 Morgan Thomas Executive Lecture featured
CEO of Taylor Corporation, Glen Taylor. The significance
of Taylor’s presence on campus was celebrated with an
exclusive reception, an interview from the local news
station, and an address from University president, Richard
Davenport. And despite one of Minnesota’s snowstorms,
the front row of the auditorium was filled with Taylor’s
executive team, and behind them, a large and captive
audience.
This wasn’t the first time Taylor visited campus, far
from it in fact. Taylor has a long history of giving back to
the University and the Mankato community. That story
began back when he was a math major at Minnesota
State Mankato. Alongside his studies, Taylor took a job
working part-time for a wedding invitation business in
North Mankato. When his boss retired, he purchased the
business, and from that grew Taylor Corporation. Today,
Taylor Corporation has more than 80 operating divisions
in almost 20 states, as well as multiple Canadian provinces,
the United Kingdom, Australia, China, the Netherlands,
Sweden and Mexico. His world has grown much larger
since his days as a student, but he continues to come back
to his alma mater, and give back with great generosity.
The Morgan Thomas Executive Lecture series was
created 31 years ago, in honor of the first College of
Business dean, Morgan Thomas. Thomas’ son, Dick
Thomas, accepted the microphone before Taylor took
the stage, and shared his father’s legacy of connecting
the college with the business community. It was a timely
message, as that very night marked the official kick-off
of a new kind of partnership between Minnesota State
Mankato’s College of Business and Taylor Corporation.
Traditionally the Morgan Thomas Lecture is a formal
event, but one week before his arrival, Dean Brenda
Flannery suggested a more casual option. How about a
conversation? Taylor agreed.
The formality of the event may have been toned down,
but the anticipation of the audience rose at the opportunity
to meet the man who founded Taylor Corporation, is the
majority owner of the Minnesota Timberwolves and the
Minnesota Lynx, and has an athletic facility, Taylor Center,
named after him right here on campus.
When Flannery asked how it felt to be responsible for
more than 80 companies and 15,000 employees, Taylor
said leading people came naturally to him. “Leading
people, you can’t pretend that you’re better or more
important. You have to build a foundation of trust. I think
a lot of people think that trust means you’re greater or
something like that, but it isn’t that at all,” he says. “You
have to be honest. If you do something wrong, instead
of trying to hide it from your employees, you tell them,
‘I thought this was what we were going to do. I thought
about it, I studied it. It’s wrong. Now, we’re going to do
this.’ I found out people like that integrity. They want you
to be human.”
— continued on page 14
2012 - 2013 in review // 13
The big idea speaker series
Taylor Corporation’s mission statement reads:
We exist to create opportunity and security for employees.
Taylor surprised everyone when he said he came up with
it in the summer of 1963, before he even owned his first
company. He thought about what it was he wanted from
his work, and it was opportunity and security. As he
gained more leadership he realized he couldn’t provide
opportunity and security for the other employees unless
he was in charge. It was the mission statement that
actually pushed him to seek ownership of the wedding
invitation business. It was the mission statement that
birthed a corporation.
Taylor Corporation is not in the business of telling
its employees what opportunities it can provide. “They
have to tell me what their opportunity is,” says Taylor.
A student’s opportunity might be the internship that
helps them complete their degree. A parent’s opportunity
might be the ability to support their family or take their
children on vacation. But it goes beyond that as well. “If
you’re gifted in technology, we want to open the door
to new technology that makes you feel good about what
you’re doing. We want to give you pride in the results.”
As the world changes and technology advances at
an ever-increasing rate, Taylor Corporation works hard
and adapts itself to meet and exceed its clients’ evolving
needs. Taylor says leading people and running the
corporation isn’t about doing all the work or having all
the answers. His role is often to recognize the need for
change and take the next steps. “It’s in my interest to find
people, as technology evolves, who can meet [the new]
standards or stay ahead of those standards.”
14 // minnesota state university, mankato // college of business
The new partnership between Taylor Corporation
and the College of Business will be a resource that
can serve that purpose. Taylor Corporation will be
able to play a more active role in partnering to help
prepare students to become more skilled and innovative
employees. “If we want to have leaders out of [Minnesota
State Mankato] who are going to be helpful to us,”
explains Taylor Corporation executive, Deb Taylor.
“We have to be able to help mold what some of those
programs will look like.” In turn, the partnership
will enable the College of Business to provide more
internships, real-world experiences, and networking
opportunities for its students and faculty.
Before he left the stage, Taylor offered some parting
advice for students: don’t limit your own opportunities.
“When you go into your career, make sure it’s something
that you like,” he says. “Life is going to go very fast. Do
something that you like; you’ll be way better at it.” A
university degree teaches you how to think more than it
teaches you how to do a job, just ask the math major who
became an internationally respected businessman.
He also advised the audience to associate themselves
with people they admire, but who are not the same as
them. “Take my executive team. I don’t see myself in
any of these people. I see them all adding to me.” The
new partnership between the College of Business and
Taylor Corporation will work in the same way on an
organizational level. Working together both partners will
be able to learn more, gain more, and above all, create
more opportunities for students, employees, and the
community. n
Big Ideas = Big Changes
Matt Ames and Nate Garvis Shake Things Up
by Elizabeth Johnson
T
he Big Ideas Speaker Series
was established in the College of Business in the spring of
2011 as a way to bring people
with big ideas to our community.
and having a net worth of $1 million.
He delivered everything the College
requested. And then came the Q&A portion of the event and everything changed.
Anyone who has met Ames will tell you
that he’s charming and passionate and full
The hope was to inspire the creation and
of a contagious energy, which didn’t expursuit of our own big ideas. And then,
actly come across during the lecture. But
without warning, the 2012-2013 academic
the moment he stepped away from the
year events became their own big idea
podium and his notes, there it was, and
and were notably different than those in
the audience recognized it immediately.
the past.
The whole room came to life, catching his
In September 2012 the Big Ideas
energy. As the distance fell away, Ames
Speaker Series featured former Minnebecame less of the CEO in a dress shirt
sota State Mankato student Matt Ames,
and more of the young entrepreneur who
founder and president of MN Pro Paintis crazy about paintball, challenging himball. His paintball park in Lakeville is the
self, and giving back. It turns out, that’s
largest in Minnesota, with 10 individually
exactly who the audience wanted to meet.
themed fields, including Sherwood Forest,
By the springtime event the podium
Concrete Valley, and Artillery Hill. He also
was gone all together.
The stage was transformed from a large
To hear Garvis’ answers,
and learn more about Naked Civics,
open space with a
visit www.youtube.com/COBMankato
solitary podium, to
a cozy den, complete
with arm chairs and
a fireplace (electric,
of course). Gone was
the standing, the lecturing, the distance.
Now everyone was
invited and warmly
welcomed
to
a
fireside
conversation
owns two paintball retail stores located in
between social innovator Nate Garvis and
Minnetonka and Burnsville. His annual
Dean Brenda Flannery.
charity big game, Challenge for Children’s,
Dean Flannery and Garvis had
is a massive themed paintball game that
worked
together
raises money for the Children’s Hospitals
before at Studio/E,
of Minnesota cardiac unit. Since that first
an entrepreneurbig game, he’s raised more than $100,000.
ship workshop for
Did I mention that he’s not even 30 years
top tier leaders that
old?
Garvis co-founded,
Ames took the stage in the Centennial
and their familiarity
Student Union on September 26, 2012,
allowed a safe space
and delivered a lecture about his journey
for the new format
from owning a business in high school,
to take a test drive.
to getting kicked out of Fleet Farm for
The result was an
guerilla marketing, to being named Minorganic conversanesota’s 2012 Young Entrepreneur of the
tion, only occasionYear by the Small Business Association
ally structured with a question from Dean
Flannery. They started with a discussion
of Garvis’ book, Naked Civics, which
promotes the idea of Civic Design. As you
can read on Garvis’ website, nakedcivics.com, “Civic Design is a practice that
focuses on the common good outcomes
of our communities by pulling upon all of
the institutional tools in our communities, beyond our traditional sole focus on
government alone.” But the conversation
didn’t stop there. Dean Flannery asked
questions ranging from “Who do you
admire?” to “What kind of music do you
listen to when you want to be inspired?”
and “How do you support a big idea?”
The organic nature of the event removed
the formality and limits of a lecture
and dissolved them, and allowed for an
exchange of ideas without the pressure of
performing in front of an auditorium full
of people.
Big ideas are not perfect ideas. They’re
hopes and stretches of the imagination,
they’re flawed and risky and exciting.
They take time and more energy than can
ever be planned. The Big Ideas Speaker
Series is shifting out of the stasis and
security of formal, pre-planned lectures
and into a space where risks are taken
and questions and answers happen in real
time. It’s a space for honesty and stories
that aren’t rehearsed, and that’s a place
where we all can learn. It’s what the Big
Ideas Speaker Series was meant to be. n
2012 - 2013 in review // 15
Faculty
spotlight
Dr. Steve Wilcox
comes full circle
College of Business Student
Becomes Prominent Professor
By Dustin Patt
D
r. Steve Wilcox is a prominent member of the
College of Business; he is well-known and
respected within the university and he has a national
reputation. Throughout his career he has made a number of
contributions in the field of finance in the form of research, publications, and serving within professional organizations.
“He’s among the strongest researchers in the college,” says Dr.
Joseph Reising, Interim Associate
Dean of the College of Business.
“He has a national reputation for
his work in research and publishing, and he’s worked on the professional side [of the finance industry] as well.” Wilcox’s articles have
appeared in many well-known
journals and top publications.
His most recent contributions are
included in Journal of Investing,
American Association of Individual
Investors (AAII), and Financial
Analysts Journal. Dr. Wilcox also works as a consultant for the
Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) Institute where his main
responsibility is the creation of curriculum materials for the
CFA exams and preparing professionals for their certification.
He has recently co-authored two chapters on equity valuation
and one on fixed income securities that appear in CFA Institutepublished investment series textbooks and are required readings
for the CFA exams.
Aside from his research, publications and professional work,
Dr. Wilcox is also a passionate educator. “He brings his expertise
and experience into the classroom and enhances the education of
the students,” says Dr. Reising. “He’s a very popular professor and
always gets very positive feedback from his students.”
Dr. Wilcox says, “I enjoy the lifestyle of a college professor
and have never given serious thought to any other full-time job.
I have also always enjoyed being around the students. They ‘keep
you young’ as the saying goes and I like their sense of humor.”
In addition to working in the finance department, Dr. Wilcox
is a member of the Board of Directors for the Blue Line Club,
FACULTY
News
which is the official booster club of Maverick hockey. He frequently meets with recruits for the men’s hockey team when they
visit campus.
Before he was a prominent member of the faculty and community, Wilcox began his academic career as one of the many
undergraduates who have walked the halls at Minnesota State
Mankato (then known as Mankato State College). As an undergraduate he became interested in finance. “There are just so many
things that can affect the value of stocks, bonds, real estate, and
other assets,” says Dr. Wilcox. “And the result, for me personally,
is that finance is never dull or boring.”
Dr. Wilcox was encouraged to pursue graduate studies by a
former professor. “I was fortunate to meet Dr. Henry Okleshen
who was a Finance Professor at Minnesota State Mankato and,
at the time, Department Chair. I was a student in several of his
classes and that was when I first became enthused about finance.
My decision to attend graduate school reflected both my desire
to learn more about Finance and the fact that I found a career in
academia appealing.”
During his time as an undergraduate, Dr. Wilcox was a
student athlete and member of the swim team where he excelled
at the distance freestyle events, specifically the 1000 freestyle and
500 freestyle. He became a team co-captain and the teams he
swam on regularly finished at or near the top in competitions. “I
enjoyed the competition and camaraderie with my teammates. I
believe the values derived from athletic competition as a youth
are something that serves you well your entire adult life.”
“
His presence helps us recruit other high-level
faculty. They see him and they know that they
can come here and be successful.”
– Dr. Joseph Reising, Interim Associate Dean
After earning his Bachelor of Science in Finance from
Mankato, Dr. Wilcox went on to earn his MBA at Indiana
University and his PhD from the University of Nebraska. But Dr.
Wilcox didn’t stay away from Mankato for long, eventually becoming a member of the faculty at the same college from which
he earned his undergraduate degree. “I really like Mankato and
have felt that way since I began living here as a college student.
I have wandered away a couple of times due to jobs or continuing my education, but always returned and have now lived here
continuously since 1991. People are friendly here and I like living
in a small university town that is fairly close to the Twin Cities. I
view it as a ‘best of both worlds’ situation: small-town living with
easy access to big-city amenities.”
These days, when his days aren’t filled with teaching and
research, Wilcox enjoys watching competitive sports (he can be
found at most home Maverick hockey games with family and
friends), playing fantasy football, traveling with his wife and
spending time with his grandson. n
16 // minnesota state university, mankato // college of business
MBA Coordinator:
Christine Brown
Mahoney
Dr. Christine Brown Mahoney joined
the College of Business as an Associate
Professor of Management and MBA
coordinator
for the Edina
campus at 7700
France in the
fall of 2012. She
teaches MBA
Leadership and
Organizational
Development
classes and
this fall she will teach undergraduate
Organizational Design, Development,
and Change. In addition to teaching,
Dr. Mahoney’s presence will bring focus
to MBA student recruitment, including
advertising strategy, market analysis, and
building relationships with companies
who want employees to obtain additional
education.
Her areas of interest in research involve
the labor force of healthcare professionals, particularly nurses and general
practitioner MDs which includes supply,
demand, educational pipeline issues, job
turnover, career leaving, and migration.
Another area of interest is costs and
outcomes in providing healthcare in the
United States.
Dr. Mahoney received her PhD in Human Resources and Industrial Relations
from the University of Minnesota and
has previously worked at the University
of California-Berkley, the University of
Minnesota, and internationally at Wissenschaftliches Institut in Germany.
Dr. Mahoney also owns and operates
the Moondance Inn bed and breakfast
in Red Wing, Minn. with her husband.
They established the B&B in 1999, and
did a historically accurate renovation of
the 1874 stone house.
In order to receive the research grant,
Dr. Park had to write a research proposal
for the Instructional Review Board. In
addition to the proposal, Dr. Park will
also have to submit a final report when
her research is complete.
Faculty Promotions
Dr. Sung Kim, Management
Department, promoted to Professor and
Dr. Byron Pike, Accounting Department,
promoted to Associate Professor
Welcome New Faculty!
The Accounting and Business Law
department welcomed two new faculty
members this past year.
Jim Kroger received his Juris Doctorate
and MBA from the University of South
Dakota. He currently teaches Business
Law and Income Tax Accounting at the
undergraduate level.
Ferdinand Siagian received his Ph.D.
in Accounting from the University
of Oregon and his MBA in Finance
from Indiana University and teaches
Financial Accounting and Management
Accounting at both the undergraduate
and graduate level.
Research Grant
Award
Finance professor
Dr. Hyuna Park
recently received
a research
grant that she
will use during
her upcoming
teaching
sabbatical during
the 2013-2014
academic year.
Dr. Park used the grant to purchase a
subscription to the TASS hedge fund
database that will allow her to analyze
the risk and return of hedge funds. “My
main interest is analyzing the risk profile
of young hedge funds using the longer
history of older funds for benchmark
indexes,” says Dr. Park. “Analyzing the
risk of funds is important because it
helps investors make better decisions.”
Teaching Fellowship
Award
College of Business
Management
Professor Claudia
Pragman
was awarded
a Presidential
Teaching Scholar
Fellowship
for summer 2013. According to the
university, “the purpose of these
Fellowships is to provide support
for faculty in their commitments to
teaching and learning at Minnesota State
University, Mankato.” The Presidential
Teaching Scholar Fellowships are
awarded by President Davenport on
a University-wide, competitive basis.
Applicants submit their proposals in the
fall of the academic year. Those proposals
are reviewed by the University Faculty
Association’s Faculty Development
Committee and recommendations for
awarding the fellowships are made to the
Provost and then the President. Fellows
must be engaged in a teaching and
learning project that is unique, innovative
and enhances both the Fellow’s teaching
and their students’ learning.
During her fellowship Dr. Pragman will
create video tutorials for her MGMT
346 course, Productions and Operations
Management, that demonstrate the use
of analytics to solve business problems
which, Dr. Pragman says, “will better
prepare [students] for their postgraduate careers.” She will use Camtasia
Relay to produce instructional videos
and SoftChalk Cloud to create modules
and assessments for D2L. Dr. Pragman
has been teaching at Minnesota State
Mankato since 1991 and currently
teaches MGMT 346: Production and
Operations Management and MBA
612: Data Analysis and Statistics for
Managers.
2012 - 2013 in review // 17
program spotlight
My Internship at
McGladrey
by Dorothy Schwartzkopf
Launching the Master of
Accounting Program
• Abdo, Eick & Meyers
The beginning of fall semester marks the official launch of the new Master
of Accounting program (MAcc). As of June, 20 students have been accepted into
the program and will take classes on both the Mankato and Edina campuses.
The MAcc was first conceived to be a “snap on” program for undergraduate
accounting students, allowing them to graduate with a bachelors degree and a
masters degree in five short years, and have enough credits to take the Certified Public Accountant exam, a certification that would open doors for career
advancement and make our students better candidates overall. But the program
isn’t limited to current undergraduate accounting majors; current professionals
seeking a masters degree or a new career path are encouraged to apply to the
twelve-month program. The MAcc incorporates both theory and technical expertise, as well as the professional skills employers are looking for, as the program
pulls courses from the MBA program in writing, negotiation, leadership, management, and an executive seminar (see page 22). The program is also structured
to correlate to each of the four parts of the CPA exam: financial accounting and
reporting, auditing and attestation, business environment and concepts, and
regulations.
The MAcc program excels in its connection to industry. Two years ago,
when the long-desired program started to come together, an advisory board was
created bringing together representatives from ten different accounting firms.
As the program started to take shape the advisory board was consulted on a
regular basis, and this trend will continue as the program grows. Last year one of
the discussion topics was the value of online courses in an accounting program.
The College of Business was surprised at the resounding “No” from the advisory
board, and they took it seriously, eliminating online courses from the curriculum. Discussion topics marked for the coming year include internship programs
and career paths for accounting students. A trend Dr. William Brown, director
of the MAcc program, has noticed is recruitment of the “best and the brightest”
accounting students for short term projects. “The students complete the projects
and then are out of work, not sure what to do next.” Fortunately, the number
of full time job offers for accounting majors at the undergraduate level has
increased, and Dr. Brown wants to make sure that trend continues and hopes the
advisory board can assist the college in making that happen.
• Boeckermann
Grafstrom & Mayer
I
• Boulay, Heutmaker,
Zibell & Co.
remember being asked by friends and family
if I planned on becoming a CPA when I first
began my college career at Minnesota State
Mankato in 2009. Back then, I didn’t even
know what a CPA was.
I’ve come a long way since then. This past May I
graduated from Minnesota State Mankato with 150 credits
and will be studying for my CPA exam this summer.
As I reflect back on my college experiences there’s one
in particular that stands out to me: My internship with
McGladrey in the spring of 2013.
The Minnesota State Mankato Accounting Club played
a major role in finding an internship. I was a regular
attendee at meetings during my sophomore and junior
years, and it was there that I was able to connect with firms
and get a much better idea of the realities of a career in
accounting.
The summer before my senior year I was involved in
summer programs at a number of CPA firms: Deloitte,
McGladrey, CliftonLarsonAllen and Boulay. They provided
an opportunity for students to get an in-depth look at what
it was like to work in public accounting. It was through
these programs that I obtained an interview, and ultimately
an internship, with McGladrey. McGladrey LLP is the
largest provider of assurance, tax and consulting services
focused on the middle market in the United States, and I
was able to work in the Minneapolis office.
There is nothing more valuable to an accounting
student than an internship. I always thought of it as a trial
run; I could make sure that I wanted to go into accounting,
and I could get a huge amount of real world experience in
a single semester. It ended up being the most meaningful
experience of my college career. Working at McGladrey
I finally understood how everything I learned in the
classroom fit together in the real world. There were several
days when a supervisor would explain a new task to me and
I would have a “light bulb” moment where I remembered
learning the exact same thing in school.
I was a part of the Financial Institutions auditing team.
I worked at a different bank in the Twin Cities area almost
every week completing an audit with the McGladrey team.
Because I was an intern I primarily focused on less risky
A Sampling of
Where Our
Students Interned
• Carlson Advisors
• CliftonLarsonAllen
• Eide Bailly
• Hutchinson
Technology
• Kern Dewenter Viere (KDV)
• KPMG
• McGladrey
• Olsen Thielen & Co.
areas of an audit such as cash, long-term debt, fixed assets
and investments. And believe me, they call it the busy
season for a reason. Typically each week I would put in 5060 hours. Working long hours wasn’t as tough as I thought
it was going to be. It gave me the opportunity to get to
know the people I was working with better and taught me
better time management skills.
By the end of my internship I knew I had grown
as a person. I gained confidence in myself and in my
work ability. I remember feeling that all my hard work
throughout school had paid off. I had the ability to be an
auditor, I had worked as an auditor, I was an auditor.
I am pleased to say that I will be starting full time at
McGladrey this January. With my education from the
College of Business, my internship, and hopefully my
CPA exam behind me, I know I will have what it takes to
succeed. n
By Elizabeth Johnson
For more information on
internship opportunities
visit www.mnsu.edu/cdc/
18 // minnesota state university, mankato // college of business
2012 - 2013 in review // 19
An International
Legacy
Alumni and friends gather to celebrate
Professor Basil Janavaras (Opa!)
By Elizabeth Johnson
N
ot many College of Business events start
with a faculty roast and bottles of Greek
wine, but sometimes the occasion is just right (and
the guest of honor has a wine import business).
In celebration of Professor Basil Janavaras’ legacy
with the college, a dual-purpose event was created:
the Janavaras International Business Conference.
Night one of the conference was a retirement celebration
hosted at the Courtyard by Marriott in Mankato. The crowd of
approximately 100 people was lively. A large contribution to
the energy level were the many alumni who returned to town
to celebrate one of their favorite professors, many who credit
Janavaras’ classes as the beginning of their international careers.
As the crowd found their seats and dinner was served, a
photo slideshow played on the presentation screens. Small
20 // minnesota state university, mankato // college of business
bursts of noise could be heard scattered around the ballroom
as photos brought back memories. A photo of Janavaras with
students on a study abroad trip, Janavaras with colleagues at
holiday gatherings, and a crowd favorite, a handsome young
Basil at the beginning of his career.
The roast was planned—it was on the invitation. The
idea was to have—maybe five—people speak to the crowd
after dinner and share their memories of Professor Janavaras.
With such a passionate and unique man as the subject, a few
good stories were expected. What followed, however, was
overwhelming. The roast went on for 5 people, then 10, and 15,
and more. It was an outpouring of memories, appreciation and
affection, with lots of laughter mixed in.
The second day of the conference was more subdued,
but no less successful. More than 75 business professionals
and students attended the international business panels. The
speakers, all College of Business alumni, discussed the state of
international business today, the changes that have occurred
in recent years, and their thoughts on the future. They were a
valuable resource of experience and advice for current students
interested in pursuing careers in international business.
Janavaras’ absence after 40 years of teaching will be greatly
noticed this fall and for many years to come, but his legacy
will continue on through the Janavaras International Business
Conference. Even most importantly, his legacy will influence the
world through his students.
If you would like to contribute to the newly established
Basil Janavaras International Business Scholarship Fund,
please contact Sr. Director of Development Jeff Halbur at
507-389-2578. n
“
I am most proud of my life-long
commitment to international
business education and training in
an attempt to create an environment
and provide opportunities for both
students and practitioners to think
globally and act locally.”
– Dr. Basil Janavaras
2012 - 2013 in review // 21
MBA Program
Networking:
for college credit
MBA Executive Seminar Brings Executives and Students Together
By ElizABETH JOHNSON
I
t’s not easy to get the attention of a successful executive.
They’re busy people. They have
companies to run, meetings to
attend, problems to solve, people
to help. But if you’re an MBA student
in Minnesota State Mankato’s Executive
Seminar, executives are going to learn
your name, shake your hand, and tell
you their personal stories. But the seminar is not just an amazing opportunity,
in the MBA program, it’s a requirement.
MBA Director Dr. Marilyn Fox
says that creating the Executive
Seminar was a deliberate choice. “I
wanted something unique; I wanted
networking.” And who did she bring in
to take the lead? Mike Nolan, Director
of the Southern Minnesota Small
Business Development Center (SBDC).
The SBDC offers services for
start-up businesses as well as existing
businesses, training workshops and
seminars, and professional consulting
for the community. The center is
now located on the Minnesota State
Mankato campus, and under Nolan’s
leadership, was named the Minnesota
and Upper Midwest Region SBDC
Center of Excellence by the U.S. Small
Business Administration in the spring
of 2013.
Early in the semester Nolan brings
in Heather Ludwig, Minnesota State
Mankato alumna and founder of Key
to Renew (www.keytorenew.com), to
educate the students on self-branding
and personal marketing. Each student
creates or recreates their profile for the
networking site LinkedIn. The students
then “connect” with each other, with
past Executive Seminar students, and
as the semester progresses they connect
with some of the executive lecturers as
well.
Real Life Results of networking
in the mba executive seminar
Kurt Meyer,
MBA Alum,
CFO Minnesota
Elevator
suggests his CEO,
Rick Lowenberg
as a guest lecturer
for the Executive
Seminar
Rick is impressed
by MBA student
Ashley Roelike
in class
Rick Hires Ashley
as Minnesota
Elevator Comptroller.
A Sampling of Guest Lecturers:
Patrick Joyce, Sr. Director, IT & Global Security, Medtronic, Inc.
Bonnie Baskin, Founder & CEO, ViroMed; Founder & CEO, Apptec
Dan Levinson, Sr. Vice President, Best Buy, Geek Squad
Dan & Angie Bastian, Owners, Angie’s Artisan Treats
Todd Loosbrock, Market President, US Bank
Richard Davis, CEO, US Bank Corp
Brad Peters, President, Bremer Bank
Mike Derheim, CEO, The Nerdery
Ellen Steck, President, Chicago Pneumatic
Tom Douty, Marketing Vice President, Target Corporation
Richard Todd, Vice President, Federal Reserve Bank, Minneapolis
Tom Johnson, CFO, Taylor Corporation
Scott Wine, CEO, Polaris Industries
22 // minnesota state university, mankato // college of business
And as we all know, networking, like
learning, isn’t confined to a classroom.
Instead of always bringing the guest lecturers
to campus, Nolan takes his students out
into the world. Meeting executives on their
company’s home turf gives the experience “a
different flavor,” says Nolan. They get tours of
the facilities and get to see the executives in
their own environment. Instead of delivering
a presentation, the executives are able to
share an experience.
MBA student Amanda Mackie says,
“I seem to take one or two ‘sound bites’
away from each speaker. They each have an
uncanny knack for putting a simple phrase
to a complicated concept.”
In the students’ response papers, it seems
that Mackie wasn’t the only one to take
away a central concept from the executives.
When Bruce Paradis, retired CEO of
GMAC RFC, spoke to the class, nearly every
student mentioned Paradis’ phrase “clear
measurements,” in reference to avoiding
office politics. Mackie writes, “With clear
measurements, employees better understand
expectations, are evaluated more honestly,
and management is able to define the
successes and failures of the organization.”
Paradis, now “retired,” owns the Blue Tang
Inn in Belize where some of our marketing
undergraduates stayed during their shortterm study abroad class.
Angie Bastian of Angie’s Artisan
Treats spoke with the class this spring and
was, “delightfully valuable.” MBA student
Matthew Seavey writes, “She offers great
insight into the entrepreneurial process,
from the beginning ‘garage’ stages to a very
successful company.” The sound bite that
turned up in nearly every response paper:
“Limitations are illusions.”
The Executive Seminar helps remove
some of those limitations, and closes the
distance between top-level executives and
students at Minnesota State Mankato.
For more information about
the SBDC, visit http://www.
myminnesotabusiness.com/
40Under 40
MBA Alumna Recognized in
40 under 40 list
S
ara Dziuk was a member of the inaugural MBA class back
in 2004 and it’s safe to say she’s done the program proud.
Dziuk ran the Greater Mankato Convention & Visitors Bureau when she
started her MBA classes at the Mankato campus. The eight-week courses and
the evening hours worked well with her schedule as she built her knowledge
to serve her position at the time and her future career.
As of today, she has spent 10 years in leadership positions in non-profit
organizations. She currently serves as the Executive Director of St. Paulbased College Possible, a non-profit
organization that makes college
admission and success possible
for low-income students. The
organization as a whole, with bases
in four cities, has a 98 percent
success rate for college acceptance.
The St. Paul base supports students
at 21 high schools in the Twin Cities
and their students are enrolled
at 150 universities nationwide.
As for Dziuk’s future with the
organization, she says, “We have 20
additional high schools in the Twin
Cities alone with students that need
our services, and I’m excited to
grow our reach in the Twin Cities,
and nationally.”
Giving back to her community has been an important part of Dziuk’s life
since she graduated from Gustavus Adolphus with a Bachelor of Science in
Business Management. In Mankato she was deeply engaged in the community
and held leadership roles with the Mankato Rotary, Junior Achievement,
and March of Dimes. At Minnesota State Mankato she served on the MBA
Advisory Council and the Minnesota State Mankato Athletics Advisory
Council. In the Twin Cities she has remained a Junior Achievement volunteer,
as well as taking on a mentee through the College Possible Idealistic Mentors
program, and serving on the Gustavus Economics and Management National
Advisory Board.
Between her work with College Possible, her commitment to giving back,
and her young family (she has an 18 month-old daughter with her husband,
Mark), it is no wonder Dziuk was recognized as one of Minneapolis/St. Paul
Business Journal’s “Forty Under Forty” this spring. This honor recognizes
40 leaders under the age of 40 who have already accomplished much in
their careers and continue to give back to their communities. Well deserved
indeed. n
Interested in the MBA
program? Visit http://cob.
mnsu.edu/mba/
2012 - 2013 in review // 23
{ one c ol or l o go
Save the Dates CaleNdar
➤Alumni Night at Canterbury Park: August 22
➤Homecoming: September 23-28
➤ Accounting & Business Law Scholarship Banquet: October 3
➤ College of Business Scholarship Reception: October 4
➤ Fall Graduation: December 14
➤ Spring Graduation: MAY 10, 2014
➤Accounting Golf Event: May 16, 2014
Ways to Connect:
Facebook: www.facebook.com/MSUMankatoCOB
LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/groups/
Minnesota-State-University-Mankato-College-124122
College Website: cob.mnsu.edu
To make a donation to the College of Business or to
learn more about how to get involved, please contact
Sr. Director of Development Jeff Halbur at 507-389-2578
or jeffrey.halbur@mnsu.edu
A member of the Minnesota State Colleges and Universities System and an Affirmative Action/Equal Opportunity University.
This document is available in alternative format to individuals with disabilities by calling the
College of Business at 507-389-5420 (V), 800-627-3529 or 711 (MRS/TTY).
BUSC131NE_8/13