The Neeley School`s Founding Fathers Alumni Profiles 1950-2002

A
P u b l i c a t i o n
f o r
F r i e n d s
o f
t h e
N e e l e y
S c h o o l
o f
B u s i n e s s
Spring 2003
M. J. Neeley
1898-1996
The Neeley School’s
Founding Fathers
Alumni Profiles
1950-2002
Texas Christian University
—
Volume 4 • Number 1
In an era where everything seemingly revolves around
in later years, became a trademark of sorts. From the
computers, it’s hard to imagine a time when
installation of the bank’s first phones in 1882, to
light bulbs were considered a bold technological
one of the state’s first “on-line” data transmission
advancement. But that was the case in 1888 when
networks in the 1960’s, to the Internet banking
Frost Bank traded in its old gas fixtures for
systems of today, Frost Bank has always taken
fancy new electric lights. The way Col. Frost
advantage of the latest technology and
passed it on to its customers. After all,
probably worth having. This willingness to
just because some of our values happen
embrace new technology with open arms
to be a little old-fashioned doesn’t
was important for the young bank, and
mean the way we do business has to be.
member fdic
saw it, if it benefited his customers, it was
to learn more about us, please visit frostbank.com
Robert Lusch, Dean
817-257-7526
r.lusch@tcu.edu
William C. (Bill) Moncrief
Sr. Associate Dean, Undergraduate Programs
817-257-7526
b.moncrief@tcu.edu
Charles R. (Bob) Greer
Associate Dean, Graduate Programs
817-257-7565
c.greer@tcu.edu
Kristi Mayfield Dill, Assistant Dean,
Finance and Marketing
817-257-7570
k.dill@tcu.edu
Editor
Kristi Mayfield Dill
Assistant Dean
Co-editors
TCU Communications Interns
Amanda Hosey
a.j.hosey@tcu.edu
Mark Lewis
m.e.lewis@tcu.edu
Mary Kathleen Baldwin
m.k.baldwin@tcu.edu
Neeley in the News . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .4
by Amanda Hosey
International Board of Visitors
Message from the Dean
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4
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5
The Neeley School’s Founding Fathers
6-9
....
by Rix Quinn
Spring 2003 Calendar
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10
Robert Schumacher ’50 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .11
by Sarah B. Johnson
William Poteet ’68 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .12
by Sarah B. Johnson
Maribess Miller ’75
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13
by Sarah B. Johnson
Liz Minyard ’76 and
Gretchen Minyard Williams ’78
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14
............................
15
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16
by Sarah B. Johnson
Nick Giachino ’77
Ma’lisa Mann
817-763-9557
mann2@worldnet.att.net
by Sarah B. Johnson
Art Direction and Design
Jennifer Oliver Design
817-335-0100
by Sarah. B. Johnson
Michael Baer ’85
Tatiana Frierson MBA ’87
....................
17
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18
by Sarah B. Johnson
Neeley@dvantage is published two times a year by
the Neeley School of Business at Texas Christian
University (TCU). For additional information on the
Neeley School and TCU, visit our web site at:
http://www.neeley.tcu.edu.
Address changes can be sent to
Texas Christian University, Neeley School of Business
P.O. Box 298530 Fort Worth, Texas 76129 or
2900 Lubbock Street Fort Worth, Texas 76109 or
www.neeley.tcu.edu/alumni/infoupdate/index.asp
Phone: 817-257-7527
Fax: 817-257-6049
World Wide Web: http://www.neeley.tcu.edu
Dave Corbin ’89
by Sarah B. Johnson
Horatio and Angie Porter MBA ’94 . . . . . . . . . .19
by Sarah B. Johnson
John Merrifield EMBA ’02 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .20
by Sarah B. Johnson
Class Notes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .21-23
Neeley@dvantage, Spring 2003
3
Neeley
inthe
News
BY
A MANDA H OSEY
Sarah and Steve Smith
Entrepreneurs Hall Nears
Completion
expected to move
in beginning in
February, Neeley
alike anxiously await
Architects: Ellerbe Becket
Hahnfeld Hoffer Stanford
Builder:
Linbeck
the opening of the Sarah and Steve Smith
Entrepreneurs Hall. The $15 million state-of-the-art
facility will house the James A. Ryffel Center for
Entrepreneurial Studies, the Graduate Career
Service Center, MBA classrooms, student team
meeting rooms, conference facilities and dedicated
areas for student programming, all designed to
reflect an entrepreneurial spirit. The building was
made possible by a $10.5 million gift from TCU
parents and business leaders Sarah and Steve
IN THE NEWS
Smith, the largest non-alumni donation in the history
4
of TCU. Mr. Smith, an Austin developer and former
vice president of marketing for Dallas-based Excel
Communications, has pursued various entrepreneurial interests throughout his career. Construction
of the Smith Entrepreneurs Hall began last spring,
and dedication of the facility is set for April 5.
Neeley@dvantage, Spring 2003
The Neeley School of Business • Texas Christian University
Charles Ansley, President & CEO
Symon Communications
Richard Howell, former Practice Director
Southwest Region, Arthur Andersen
Bernard Appel, President
Appel Associates
(Former Chairman of RadioShack)
Henry Joyner, Senior Vice President, Planning
American Airlines, Inc.
Michael Baer (BBA ’85)
Group Executive Board
Julius Baer Holding Ltd.
Mike Barrington, CEO
AmeriCredit Corp.
Connie Beck, (Retired) President
Private Banking-Western Region
Bank of America
Peter L. Bermont (BBA ’67)
Senior Vice President/Portfolio Manager
Salomon Smith Barney
With classes
students and faculty
International Board of Visitors
Karen Kennedy, CEO
Impel Management Services, L.L.C.
J. Luther King, Jr. (BBA’62, MBA ’66)
President, Luther King Capital Management
Kay Miller, (MBA ’83)
Executive Vice President
Bank of America
Ron Parker (BA ’76), Sr. Vice President
Frito-Lay North America
William D. Poteet III (BBA ’68)
President, North Texas Division, HCA
Mike Berry (MBA ’82), President
Hillwood Properties
Roger Ramsey (BSC ’60), Retired Chairman
Allied Waste Industries, Inc.
Frank Blasé, (BA ’80, MBA ’81)
CEO, igus GmbH
Charles (Chuck) Schultz, Executive Vice President &
Chief Marketing Officer, Burlington NorthernSanta Fe Railway
John Burgoyne, President
Burgoyne & Associates (Former
President, IBM China)
Tim Carter, President & CEO
Harris Methodist Health Foundation
B. Corbett Christie (BBA ’75)
Chief Development Officer
Southwest Foundation for Biomedical Research
John F. Davis III (BBA ’74)
Chairman & CEO
Pegasus Solutions, Inc.
Vivian Noble DuBose (BS ’75)
President, Noble Properties, Inc.
Jeffrey Fegan, CEO
Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport
Evelyn Follit
Senior Vice President & CIO
RadioShack Corporation
John Gavin, President & CEO
Wells Fargo, Texas, N.A.
Nick Giachino (BBA ’77)
Senior Vice President
Pepsi-Cola USA
William E. Greenwood
The Zephyr Group (Former Chief Operating
Officer, Burlington Northern Railroad Co.)
Ralph Heath, Executive Vice President
Lockheed Martin Aeronautics Company
Max Hopper, Principal
Max D. Hopper Associates, Inc.
Former Sr. Vice President, American Airlines,
Former Chairman, The Sabre Group
Timothy (Tim) Sear, President & CEO
Alcon Laboratories, Inc.
Robert (Bob) Semple (BBA ’72), Chairman & CEO
Worth Bancorporation, Inc. (Former President,
Bank One, Fort Worth)
P. D. Shabay (BBA ’68), Executive Vice President &
Chief Human Resources Officer, Bell Helicopter
Textron, Inc.
Bruce Sohn, Site Manager
Intel Corporation
C. Jim (Jimmy) Stewart III (BBA ’72)
Vice President
Stewart & Stevenson Services, Inc.
Roy Topham (BS ’72, MPA ’74), Partner
Keenum & Topham
Paulette Turner, Manager
Sales Force Transformation
IBM - America
Steven T. Van Dorselaer
(Former Vice President, Business Services Sales
AT&T)
David Walker
Executive Vice President, Logistics & Allocations
Pier 1 imports, Inc.
Ron Yagoda, Executive Director
OsteoBiologics, Inc.
Fehmi Zeko (BBA ’81, MBA ’82)
Co-Head, Global Communication Group
Salomon Smith Barney
From the
Dean
I
n times of increased uncertainty and turbulence, we find it natural to look back to our roots and core values.
Whether as individuals, institutions or a society, we find that order emerges from our core values despite a
highly disordered environment. At the Neeley School, we often find ourselves looking back to our long-standing
tradition of ethical leadership and values so thoroughly defined in our positioning statement: Creating
Strategic Leaders. We are not only celebrating this long-standing history, but also doing more to incorporate ethics and
leadership into our curriculum, programming and communications.
I hope you enjoy reading about the history of the Neeley School and three extraordinary men — Dan D. Rogers, M. J.
Neeley and Charles Tandy — whose dedication and vision made the school into what it is today. Their commitment to
giving, longing to learn, approachability, and loyalty to TCU and their community provided the Neeley School with the
foundation for teaching both strong business principles and ethical leadership.
You also will read about an exemplary group of Neeley alumni from the 1950s through 2002. All of these individuals
help to confirm that the Neeley School has a long tradition of educating and “developing ethical leaders with a global
perspective who help shape the business environment of a rapidly changing future.”
Let me close by sharing with you the good news that Neeley’s MBA program was ranked by The Wall Street Journal as
one of the top 75 programs in the United States during fall 2002. This clearly establishes our program in the top 10
percent of the highly competitive MBA marketplace. Our goal over the next decade is to move into the top 50 programs
in the United States. With your continued help and guidance, we will reach that goal.
Dr. Robert F. Lusch
Dean & Distinguished University Professor
THE DEAN’S CORNER
M. J. Neeley
Charles Tandy
7
Dan Rogers
Neeley@dvantage, Spring 2003
5
NEELEY SCHOOL’S FOUNDING FATHERS
BY
6
R IX Q UINN
M. J. Neeley at groundbreaking ceremony with Hall, M. E. Sadler, and Walker.
S
uppose you could climb aboard a time machine, race back to another era
and meet with the Neeley School’s benefactors Dan D. Rogers, M. J. Neeley
and Charles Tandy? What would you ask them? And what messages would they
share with you and future generations?
Neeley@dvantage, Spring 2003
Left to Right: Lindsey Medick, Corbitt Burns, Gustavo Frank
and Chrissie DeLoach
Cheerleader to the last
Dan D. Rogers was a 1909 graduate of what was then known as the
Commercial School of TCU, when the university had less than 500
students. A loyal school supporter, he was elected trustee in 1915
and helped guide TCU’s tremendous growth over 37 years.
Rogers became a Dallas business leader who gave time and money
to civic and church causes. Committed to education, he served on
the Dallas school board for many years, and an elementary school
there is named for him.
“My grandfather loved his family, East Dallas Christian Church and
TCU,” Sally Holmes says fondly. “In fact, he’d been a cheerleader
(at TCU) in college and remained devoted to the school all his life.
“The day before my granddad died,” Holmes recalls, “he’d been to
Fort Worth for a TCU game. He died in church, right after singing ‘God
Bless America.’”
Rogers’ contribution to TCU was commemorated with the naming
of a building on campus in his honor. Dan D. Rogers Hall, currently one of three classroom and office buildings for the Neeley School
of Business, is a lasting reminder of its namesake’s belief in education.
Horned Frog at heart
M. J. Neeley didn’t graduate from TCU, rather, he adopted the
University whole-heartedly. A graduate of Texas A&M, he played
football for the Aggies and received a degree in textile engineering.
Neeley’s first job was managing a twine mill in Waco. He left that
Dan Rogers
job to come to Fort Worth, where he purchased a house on
University Drive and worked as a bookkeeper for Hobbs
Manufacturing.
Former chancellor Dr. James M. Moudy recounts Neeley’s first major
business endeavor. “[Hobbs Manufacturing], as I recall, was struggling. M. J. thought he could turn it around and offered to buy it.
The owners were surprised by his offer, because their own views of
the business were negative. But M. J. bought the company and built
a tremendous business.” Today, Hobbs is a part of the trucking
manufacturer Terex, a Fortune 500 company.
“Some very successful entrepreneurs own one or two companies,”
marvels Dr. Stan Block, a Neeley finance professor and holder of the
Stan Block Chair in Finance. “But Mr. Neeley held ownership in
some 30 companies over the years. And some of that he helped lift
from near-bankruptcy. Mr. Neeley could always spot value in a business. He always looked for opportunity.
“He was a solid Fort Worth citizen,” Block recalls. “He even encouraged Dean Harrison to get the business school nationally accredited
by the National Association of Collegiate Schools of Business.”
Columba Reid, executive director of the Neeley Foundation, says,
“He was a wonderful mentor. He had the uncanny ability to look at
a financial statement and see what was wrong with a company, and
then fix it.”
M. J. Neeley
Neeley@dvantage, Spring 2003
7
“M. J. always lived close to the school…in the neighborhood,” Dr.
Moudy recalls. “His association with the University was life-long. He
was elected to the Board of Trustees in 1947, served as its chairman
from 1969 to 1972, and was named an honorary trustee in 1975.”
After graduate school, he served in the Navy during World War II
and then returned to Fort Worth to work for his father’s company.
In 1963, he bought Boston-based RadioShack. (formerly Tandy
Corp.) one of America’s greatest success stories.
Neeley’s devotion to the Neeley School and TCU included other gifts,
too. He and his wife, Alice, founded Starpoint School on the campus
in 1966 for children with special learning needs. In 1981, Neeley
endowed two professorships at the business school: one in marketing
and the other in management. M. J. Neeley epitomized the ethical
and moral business leaders. In recognition of his devotion and dedication to the School of Business and TCU, the school was formally
named the M. J. Neeley School of Business in September, 1967.
Lewis Kornfeld, former president of RadioShack, started his career
there as advertising manager in 1948, when the company had one
store. “When Charles bought the company in 1963, he stressed the
value of college education, and brought great training programs to
the company. He strongly believed in preparation and learning,”
Kornfeld remembers.
“It seemed natural to name the business school for M. J.,” recalls
Dr. Moudy. “He was a totally honest man who embraced both the
school and the city, and he gave time and money generously to TCU
after his move to Fort Worth.”
Humble executive
Charles Tandy graduated from TCU in 1940. He had the chance to
go to Harvard for graduate school, and asked to borrow the required
funds (then totalling $500) from Fort Worth’s Rotary Club. The
Rotary Club honored his request and Tandy paid back the loan in
$10 and $20 installments upon graduation.
“Charles instructed employees to call him by his first name from
the day we met him,” says former RadioShack chairman Bernie
Appel. “He made it abundantly clear that there was only one Mr.
Tandy, and that was his dad!
“Charles was always approachable,” Appel continues. “He answered
his own phone, drove his own car, smoked 40-cent cigars, and
served coffee himself in plastic cups from a Thermos on his desk.”
“Charles was fun to be around,” Dr. Stan Block says. “Each year the
business fraternity Delta Sigma Pi hosted an annual formal, and he
attended often. One year someone complimented his tuxedo. He
said it wasn’t his, then showed us the rental ticket from his pocket!
Inauguration of Dr. Moudy as TCU Chancellor (M. J. Neeley seated at Moudy’s left)
8
Neeley@dvantage, Spring 2003
Business
school still
‘sets the pace’
Reporters crowded around a high school sophomore
who’d just set a district record in the mile run. “How did
you do it?” they asked.
“I’m not sure,” he smiled. “All I know is, an older teammate said ‘I’m gonna start fast. You just try to keep up
with me, and you’ll do fine.’
“So that’s what I did,” he said. “I tried to keep up, and all
of a sudden I surged out in front.”
At the Neeley School, current leaders – following the
examples of Dan D. Rogers, M. J. Neeley and Charles
Tandy – still set a pace for students.
Kimberley See heads the Neeley Student Resource Center.
“We want our students to feel they’re part of a close-knit
community,” she says. “Freshman year, we begin by
advising them on their schedules, hosting orientation sessions and monitoring academic progress.
Charles Tandy
“I consider Charles Tandy second only to Amon Carter in representing Fort Worth to the world,” Block adds. “I think it’s fair to say
that he and his companies created more millionaires in this city
than anyone else.
“And here’s something else,” Block continues. “Charles was dedicated to telling Tandy (now RadioShack)employees about TCU. He
helped raise scholarship money for the school… and he encouraged his employees’ children to go to TCU.”
“Charles Tandy believed that everyone’s duty was to teach,” Bernie
Appel emphasizes. “To teach someone down the line how to be a
better business person, how to build an estate, how to communicate
and follow up, how to contribute to the corporation and to the community.”
That’s one of the major reasons, says Appel, that the Anne Burnett
and Charles Tandy Foundation (now the Burnett Foundation) created a significant grant for the Charles Tandy American Enterprise
Center in the Neeley School.
“It’s a tribute to his commitment to teaching, and a way to contribute something of lasting impact to the business community,”
Appel adds.
If Dan D. Rogers, M. J. Neeley, and Charles Tandy could ride that
time machine into the present and visit the students who benefit
from the school they nurtured, they would be amazed at TCU’s
nationally recognized business program and its enduring value.
“We look for new ways to bring Neeley students together.
For instance, our annual awards banquet honors academic achievement in all majors. And right now, we’re
discussing service projects to build teamwork and benefit
the community.”
One hugely successful training and service project is the
Educational Investment Fund, begun in 1973 with a
$600,000 gift of Alcon stock from Alcon co-founder
William C. Conner.
Finance professor Dr. Stan Block, who has overseen this
project since it began in 1973, says participating students “learn how to do in-depth, high-quality financial
analysis, and to communicate their results in an extremely effective manner. They also enhance their ability to
interact effectively with others.”
Each year, 6 percent of the fund’s net asset value – a
substantial sum — is distributed to TCU’s Annual Fund
and the Baylor College of Ophthalmology.
“Forty percent of the students who work on the EIF pursue
investment careers. The balance of the students leverage
their skills into other areas such as banking, accounting,
law, entrepreneurship and related areas,” Block says.
“Graduating students tell us what they’ll miss most are
the relationships with faculty and staff, plus the openness
that allows them to discuss both personal and academic
concerns,” See says.
A close-knit community. Teamwork. Good advice from
faculty and older students. It’s a winning formula that
graduates take with them into their careers.
And they would be very proud.
Neeley@dvantage, Spring 2003
9
calendar
Spring 2003
JANUARY
6
18
22
30
31
FEBRUARY
1
7
10
11
13
15
17
18
21-23
22
27
27&28
MARCH
1
7
15
19
20
27
29
APRIL
MAY
2-4
4&5
5
12
Neeley Undergraduate Applications open
Executive MBA Information Session, 8:30 - 10:30 AM
Charles Tandy Executive Speaker Series with Tom Caskey
Neeley Undergraduate Admissions Interview Workshop, 6:00 - 6:30 PM, DRH 134
MBA Industry Led Perspective: Pam Bledsoe-Noble, USAA
Graduate Career Service Center 2nd Annual Recruiter Conference
Executive MBA Information Session, 8:30 - 10:30 AM
MBA Information Session, 9:30 AM -12:00 PM
Supply and Value Chain Executive Forum
Neeley Undergraduate Admissions Interview Workshop, 9:00 - 9:30 AM, DRH 134
Neeley Undergraduate Application closes
CPC Workshop: Listen Up! - How to understand and remember what you hear, 5:15 - 6:45 PM
MBA Industry Led Perspective: Tim Sear, Alcon
Executive MBA Information Session, 8:30 - 10:30 AM
Neeley Undergraduate Admissions Interview Workshop, 9:00 - 9:30 AM, DRH 134
CPC Workshop: Team Writing That Makes the Grade, 5:15 - 6:45 PM
MBA ’91 Alumni Reunion in Fort Worth
Neeley Undergraduate Interview Day, 8:00 AM - 12:00 PM
MBA Industry Led Perspective: Doug Hawthorne, Texas Health Resources
CPC 6th Annual Corporate Communication Workshop: Communicating in a Changing World
Executive MBA Information Session, 8:30 - 10:30 AM
MBA Information Session, 9:30 AM - 12:00 PM
CPC Speech Contest: “Why Hire Me?”, 8:00 AM - 3:00 PM
Executive MBA Information Session, 8:30 - 10:30 AM
Neeley Alumni Event in Austin, 6:00 - 8:00 PM
MBA Industry Led Perspective: David Walker, Pier 1
Neeley Alumni Event in San Antonio, 6:00 - 8:00 PM
Neeley Alumni Event in Houston, 6:00 - 8:00 PM
Executive MBA Information Session, 8:30 - 10:30 AM
16
21
2003 Global Supply Chain Conference
International Board of Visitors Meeting
Sarah and Steve Smith Entrepreneurs Hall Dedication
Executive MBA Information Session, 8:30 - 10:30 AM
MBA Information Session, 9:30 AM - 12:00 PM
MBA Industry Led Perspective: Chip Webster, Duke Capital Partners
Beta Gamma Sigma Inductions and Banquet, Dee J. Kelly Center, 3:30 - 7:00 PM
2
8
18-25
22
Entrepreneurs Summit, 11:00 AM - 1:00 PM
Charles Tandy Executive Speaker Series with James Cash
Executive MBA International Trip: Cologne and London
Neeley Alumni Event in Dallas, 6:00 - 8:00 PM
For additional information on these events, please visit: http://www.neeley.tcu.edu/news/calendar/index.asp
10
Neeley@dvantage, Spring 2003
ROBERT J. (BOB)
SCHUMACHER, CPA
BY
S ARAH B. J OHNSON
Chairman and Director
Texland Petroleum, Inc. (Fort Worth and Levelland, Texas)
worked with Sproles & Woodard as a CPA in Fort Worth before
joining Sojourner Drilling Company in Abilene as CFO in 1953.
He then returned to his hometown in 1967 as an independent
oil and gas operator, and founded Texland with Rector in 1973.
Schumacher credits his training in accounting with his success
in his sometimes volatile industry. “It helped a lot,” he says.
“When you ask a person about their business, they answer you
in accounting. It’s a language.” He also acknowledges TCU’s
strong academics. “I think I got a better undergraduate education at TCU than I would have at UT, where graduate students
rather than professors teach many of the classes.” He encourages today’s aspiring accounting students with an accounting
scholarship at TCU.
Robert J. Schumacher ’50
“
B
ob Schumacher (BS ’50) likes things done his way,
but his way is usually the right way,” chuckles Don
Paige. “I really respect him; he can see the potential
in business situations that others don’t.”
ALUMNI PROFILE
Paige should know, since he’s co-owned an Abilene, Texas, car
dealership with Schumacher for almost 30 years. That’s just
one of Fort Worth native Schumacher’s interests, although he’s
probably best-known as a co-founder (with the late W.E. “Bill”
Rector) of Texland Petroleum, a privately held oil and gas
company based in Fort Worth and operating primarily in the
Permian Basin of West Texas.
In fact, most of 72-year-old Schumacher’s career has been in
the oil and gas business, although he started out with a bachelor’s degree in accounting from TCU (’50), which was interrupted for a three-year military stint during World War II. That
was followed by a master’s degree in professional accounting,
which he earned from the University of Texas in 1952. He
Indeed, that concern for others conveys the personal warmth
that his business partner Paige also mentions. “Bob’s a very
caring person,” says Paige. “He’s done countless things that he
never says anything about to help people in need.”
Schumacher is active in his church and has been involved with
various community groups over the years, including the Boy
Scouts. He enjoys spending time with his family, including a
son, two daughters (both TCU alums), and five grandchildren,
one of whom is a TCU freshman. “He’s crazy about his grandchildren,” laughs his wife of 52 years, Edith. Hobbies like
hunting and fishing are activities often shared with family, and
he’s been a pilot for more than 50 years.
Paige concludes his description of his associate, “He has
something not a lot of people have: he can both have the idea,
and then take the next step. He can make it happen. That’s
what sets him apart.”
“BOB’S
A VERY CARING PERSON.
HE’S
DONE COUNTLESS
THINGS THAT HE NEVER SAYS ANYTHING ABOUT TO HELP
PEOPLE IN NEED. IN BUSINESS, HE LIKES THINGS DONE HIS
WAY, BUT HIS WAY IS USUALLY THE RIGHT WAY.”
— DON PAIGE, OF HIS LONGTIME BUSINESS
PARTNER ROBERT J. (BOB) SCHUMACHER
Neeley@dvantage, Spring 2003
11
WILLIAM D. (BILL) POTEET, III, F.A.C.H.E.
President
HCA - North Texas Division (Irving, Texas)
BY
S ARAH B. J OHNSON
“
P
oteet’s word is his bond. I don’t see that as much as
I’d like in today’s business world,” muses Michael
Denis, executive director of the nonprofit DFW-Area
Health Education Center. Poteet, a 56-year-old TCU
alum (BBA ’68), now heads the North Texas division of
Nashville-based health care giant HCA, overseeing 15 hospitals
and 8,000 employees in North Texas and El Paso. A Fort Worth
native and resident, Poteet chose his career path while still at
TCU, going immediately after graduation to Trinity University in
San Antonio to pursue a master’s degree in health care administration, which he earned in 1970. He then fulfilled a fouryear commitment to the Army, overseeing the surgery depart-
Of course, Poteet’s leadership has extended across his industry
as well, as he’s headed up a number of state and regional
health care boards and committees. He’s also taught and
served in various advisory capacities for Trinity University and
at TCU, where he is currently a member of Neeley’s
International Board of Visitors. He and his wife of 32 years,
Margaret, also a TCU alum (BS ’69), are board members of
the Fort Worth TCU alumni chapter. As you’d expect, Poteet’s
commitment to excellence and service in his field and beyond
have garnered him much recognition, including Trinity’s
Outstanding Healthcare Alumnus of the Year honor in 1995.
Of TCU, Poteet recalls, “I grew up around TCU and never wanted
to go anywhere else. A lot of important things in my life happened while I was there.”
When he’s not at the office, Poteet and his wife enjoy sharing
their lakeside vacation home with friends and family, including
their children: Bill, 31, a DFW-area stockbroker; Brad, 27, a
Houston-based mechanical engineer; Bryan, 23, a Texas Tech
business major; and Shanna, 22, a Fort Worth homemaker.
They also enjoy the company of two grandchildren, both rambunctious 2-year-olds.
William Poteet ’68
ALUMNI PROFILE
ment at Brooke Army Medical Center in San Antonio as a captain in the Medical Service Corps.
12
After two decades of working in increasingly challenging
administrative posts in health care facilities and systems
around Texas, Poteet joined his current employer in 1996.
His arrival coincided with a period of major reorganization
for HCA. He recalls, “Since 1997, we’ve allocated almost $900
million into health care facilities in my division — remodeling,
recapitalizing and, in some cases, replacing hospitals, to make
our facilities some of the most advanced in the region.”
Neeley@dvantage, Spring 2003
Poteet “is a great guy to work with,” says Richard Bracken,
once Poteet’s boss in North Texas, now at HCA corporate headquarters as president and COO. “Bill is a very honorable person, has a straightforward attitude, treats others with respect,
and always acts as a gentleman,” he adds. Denis concurs. “Bill
is a rare find.”
“BILL’S
WORD IS HIS BOND.
I
DON’T SEE THAT AS
MUCH AS I’D LIKE IN TODAY’S BUSINESS WORLD.
HE’S
A RARE FIND.”
— MICHAEL DENIS, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR,
DFW-AREA HEALTH EDUCATION CENTER
MARIBESS MILLER, CPA
Managing Partner
PricewaterhouseCoopers (Dallas, Texas)
BY
S ARAH B. J OHNSON
D
oes Maribess Miller (BBA ’75) enjoy her work? Look
no further than her grin. “People tell me I have a
huge smile on my face all the time,” she says with a
laugh. “I’m very fortunate because I love what I do.”
The 49-year-old CPA is a managing partner of
PricewaterhouseCoopers’ Dallas office, one of their five largest
in the United States.
Miller, a native of Kerrville, Texas, and a PricewaterhouseCoopers
partner since 1984, joined the firm (then Coopers and
Lybrand) in 1975 — straight from TCU. She rose quickly
through the ranks. In the process, she has become a nationally
recognized expert on health care issues, regularly speaking
and publishing as well as leading key industry groups like the
Healthcare Financial Management Association’s Principles and
Practices Board.
She also makes time for community service and is a board
member of the Greater Dallas Chamber of Commerce, Better
Business Bureau and Dallas Symphony Orchestra. She is a past
chair of the YMCA and a former MADD national treasurer. Her
contributions to her community and profession have garnered
her a number of awards, such as a nod as Beta Alpha Psi’s
Distinguished Alum in 1987. She makes her home in Dallas with
her husband of 21 years, Jerry Miller (BBA ’71), also a Neeley alum.
“I’M VERY FORTUNATE BECAUSE I LOVE WHAT I DO.
IT INVOLVES PEOPLE AND CHANGE, SOMETHING I
THRIVE ON. I LOVE THE PROCESS OF MOVING
THINGS FORWARD.”
— MARIBESS MILLER
A natural athlete who happens to be an exceptional tennis
player and recently, a marathoner, Miller feels TCU and the
Neeley School has had a lot to do with her career success. She
comments, “TCU was big on theory and that gave me the ability
to analyze problems. Just as important, though, was the
chance I had at TCU to network with top people. That really
helps you get ahead in the business world.”
That networking experience solidified perhaps her greatest
business skill. “You can’t do things by yourself,” she says. “I
never hesitate to call on those around me, and they always
come through. If you approach life like that, there’s nothing
you can’t achieve.”
Miller’s natural verve spills over into her relationships with her
employees, comments Kelly Barnes, a partner in Miller’s office.
“She’s a very active, hands-on, selfless leader who puts others
in the limelight.” Barnes is one of many individuals Miller has
mentored over the years, an aspect of leadership that Miller
has particularly treasured.
ALUMNI PROFILE
Miller reflects on her work, “This has been the most fascinating career because I’ve gotten to do so many different things in
different industries. What I do involves people and is different
every day.” In addition to her administrative duties, she continues to personally oversee several clients, explaining, “It’s
important to keep that perspective, and it’s what I enjoy —
working with our people and clients.”
Maribess Miller ’75
Neeley@dvantage, Spring 2003
13
LIZ MINYARD
GRETCHEN MINYARD WILLIAMS
Co-CEOs and Co-Chairwomen of the Board
Minyard Food Stores (Dallas, Texas)
“THEY’RE
BY
S ARAH B. J OHNSON
TWO OF THE STRONGEST PILLARS OF THE
COMMUNITY, RESPECTED FOR THEIR BUSINESS ABILITY
AND ZEAL FOR THE WELFARE OF THE AREA.”
— METROPLEX
EBBY HALLIDAY ACERS,
FRIEND OF THE MINYARDS
BUSINESSWOMAN
LONGTIME
hey’ve got the cowgirl spirit,” laughs JP Morgan Chase
(Dallas) Chairwoman Elaine Agather. She’s describing
the strength, tenacity and drive of fellow Metroplex
businesswomen and TCU alums Liz Minyard (BBA ’76)
and Gretchen Minyard Williams (BBA ’78). Daughters of the
late Buddy Minyard, they are among the second generation to
lead their family’s 70-year-old, privately owned grocery chain.
Minyard generates over $1 billion in annual revenue, and has
a work force of almost 6,000 in 73 stores throughout the
Dallas/Fort Worth area.
“
T
ALUMNI PROFILES
Since the sisters succeeded their father in 1988, they’ve
received numerous honors, widespread business press coverage and regular listings among top achievers. The pair’s recent
honors include Liz’s recognition as the Dallas Chamber of
Commerce’s 2001 Businessperson of the Year, and their company’s listing as the 16th ranked woman-owned business in the
United States by Working Woman magazine in 2001.
14
They also commit substantial time and resources in leadership
roles for myriad civic and community groups, such as the
North Texas Food Bank and Baylor University Medical Center.
That generosity extends to their alma mater. They received the
TCU Distinguished Alumnae Award in 2000. The sisters credit
TCU for giving them a firm foundation for their work success,
and enjoy returning on occasion to speak to students.
Ask them which of their stellar accomplishments they’re
proudest of, though, and they’ll tell you about two that are
closest to their hearts: their work for the Leukemia Association
of North Central Texas and their successful continuation of the
family business. The former, started by a group led by Buddy
Neeley@dvantage, Spring 2003
Liz Minyard ’76 and Gretchen Minyard Williams ’78.
Minyard after his wife’s death from the disease in 1967, raises
money for leukemia research in North Texas. After Buddy’s
death, the sisters continued his work, starting the annual 5K
Minyard Buddy Run, which has raised more than $1.4 million.
Says Dallas attorney Jerry Lastelick, “There wouldn’t be a
Leukemia Association here today if not for the Minyards.” As
for their successful continuation of the family business, both
quickly give credit to their father. Liz comments, “Our dad
knew that transition was coming and planned for it.”
That successful transition was no small feat, says longtime
Metroplex businesswoman Ebby Halliday Acers, who has
known the Minyard family for years. Of the sisters she says,
“They’re two of the strongest pillars of the community, respected for their business ability and zeal for the welfare of the
area, while still maintaining a wonderful family life.” The sisters, both Dallas natives and residents, are each married: Liz
to attorney Paul Lokey, and Gretchen to Minyard President and
COO J.L. (Sonny) Williams. The Williamses have a four-yearold daughter.
Halliday concludes, “They’ve more than lived up to their
father’s expectations of them. I know how proud he would be.”
NICK GIACHINO
Senior Vice President
Pepsi-Cola USA (Itasca/Chicago, Illinois)
BY
S ARAH B. J OHNSON
“I
LOVE THAT [MY WORK IS IN] A VERY COMPETITIVE
BUSINESS AND THAT YOU CAN SEE THE RESULTS OF
YOUR WORK SO QUICKLY. IT MAKES THE BUSINESS A
HECK OF A LOT OF FUN.”
—NICK GIACHINO
Nick Giachino ’77
I
The gregarious 47-year-old Pittsburgh native has devoted his
career to Pepsi, starting as a part-timer in the management
training program between graduate business classes at West
Virginia University. Since then he’s made quick time up the
corporate ladder, noting with characteristic verve, “I love my
job! I love that this is a very competitive business and that you
can see the results of your work so quickly. It makes the business a heck of a lot of fun.”
That enthusiasm has great results, says Tim Trant, vice president/general manager of the Tri-State Division of bottler
PepsiAmericas: “Each market is different from the bottler’s
perspective. Nick has the insight and experience we need to
help us compete effectively in our market.” Adds John
Bortells, a Pepsi director of franchise development in
Giachino’s division: “Nick exudes enjoyment of his job. It’s not
just a paycheck for him. Everyone who works for him loves the
company and the job because Nick makes it fun.”
A similar positive environment drew Giachino to TCU: “I visited
the campus and fell in love with it: the size, the people, the
whole atmosphere.” A four-year golf-team Letterman, Giachino
remembers the tough academics and personal touch as key to
preparing him to succeed in his competitive industry. “The
personal connection with faculty was part of what helped me
manage both athletic responsibilities and academics,” he says.
“That also taught me to balance working hard with other
important aspects of life.”
Those lessons come in handy, as Giachino values family time
with his wife of 19 years, Sarah, and daughters Olivia, 16, and
Victoria, 12. He also manages to fit in volunteering as his
schedule permits, including his service on Neeley’s
International Board of Visitors. Other interests include sports
and Civil War history and collecting.
Although he’s often on the road, his family is close-knit. Sarah
supports her husband’s many pursuits. She says with obvious
affection and good humor, “He believes in what he does and in
his company. He really, truly loves selling Pepsi. He is very passionate about what he does and his family — and life!”
Neeley@dvantage, Spring 2003
ALUMNI PROFILE
t’s the first thing you notice: the focused, high-energy,
can-do spirit that has made Nick Giachino (BBA ’77)
one of the best in his field. As a senior vice president
at Pepsi-Cola USA’s central region headquarters in
Chicago, he works with franchise owners and bottlers, analyzing
market opportunities and building strategic plans to capitalize
on them. He’s done so well that his territory — 11 states in
the central United States — is called the “Pepsi Heartland”
because more people there drink his company’s products than
competing brands.
15
MICHAEL P. BAER
Head of Private Banking
Member of the Group Executive Board
Julius Baer Holding Co. Ltd. (Zurich, Switzerland)
BY
S ARAH B. J OHNSON
“WHEN I LEFT TCU I KNEW I COULD
TACKLE ANY CHALLENGE. I COULD
MAKE A DIFFERENCE IN THE WORLD
WHEREVER
I
WENT.”
— MICHAEL BAER
Michael P. Baer ’85
W
ALUMNI PROFILE
arm, personable and down-to-earth, Michael Baer
isn’t what you would expect. The 40-year-old TCU
alum (BBA ’85) is the fourth generation of his illustrious European family to head the 110-year-old Bank Julius
Baer, Switzerland’s largest private bank, managing more than
$80 billion in assets. Though his family still holds a voting
majority, the business is a publicly traded Swiss blue chip, so a
lot was expected of him as he rose through the ranks to
become head of day-to-day operations. Baer explains, “There
are very stringent conditions for family members to work here.
You have to have an MBA or higher and have had your own
successful career elsewhere first. You either succeed quickly,
or you’re out.”
16
Baer was amply qualified for the task. After TCU, he earned a
master’s degree in management (’92) as a Sloan Fellow at
MIT. He participated in the Wharton School’s Advanced
Management Program, and then excelled in key posts in international finance in Hong Kong, Tokyo, London and Frankfurt.
When the family asked him to join the bank in 1992, he hesitated: “I had lived in most of the big centers of the world and
had a good career, so Zurich was not my first choice. In the
end, tradition won out, since this is where I grew up.”
Neeley@dvantage, Spring 2003
According to European business magazine Bilanz, Bank Julius
Baer has a new, more Americanized generation of business
leadership. The magazine recently featured Baer (his family’s
“rising star”), along with other young Swiss executives. Not
surprisingly, Baer’s preference for a more egalitarian approach
to higher education drew him to the United States, then TCU:
“[Unlike Swiss universities], at TCU I found the classes are
small, and the professors are interested in the students.”
It was a good choice, he says. “When I left TCU, I knew I
could tackle any challenge. I could make a difference in the
world wherever I went.” Baer returns regularly to serve as a
member of the International Board of Visitors, and he and his
wife, Susan (Oliver) Baer (TCU ’86), recently established an
award to recognize outstanding mentorship. The award’s first
recipient, TCU marketing instructor John M. Thompson III,
was a mentor to Baer and remains a friend.
Even with his career success, Baer is proudest of his family. He
notes, “We have a well-functioning, happy family. My children
(Isabel, 7, and Simon, 9) are bilingual and well-integrated
into the community.” Family time is more limited than Baer
would like. “I work most of the time,” he sighs.
For someone with the insight, vision and courage to take his
family, company, country and world in exciting new directions,
that’s exactly what you’d expect.
TATIANA FRIERSON
Director, North American Account Services
Global Infrastructure Services
Perot Systems Corporation (Dallas, Texas)
BY
T
o catch up with Tatiana Frierson (MBA ’87), you’d
better move fast: This 40-year-old manager for Texasbased IT services giant Perot Systems is usually on the
move. “During my first years with Perot Systems, I
was on the road 100 percent of the time, traveling anywhere in
the country and Europe where I was needed,” she recalls. Her
travels took her across the globe, seeing that the well-known,
can-do Perot philosophy was fulfilled: “Great people doing
great things — whatever it takes — to get the job done for
our clients,” she quotes with a smile.
Those travels were nothing new to the daughter of a geologist
who moved his family regularly while following oil patch
opportunities. “I was born in Rome, Italy (Her mom is
Italian.), and I’ve lived or worked everywhere from Argentina
to Austin.” The latter was during her undergraduate years,
when she followed in her dad’s footsteps, earning a bachelor’s
degree in geology (and a minor in petroleum engineering) at
the University of Texas. Then, for more career options in the
sometimes turbulent oil and gas industry, she opted for an
MBA at TCU, which she earned in 1987. She notes, “That was
the best pivotal decision I ever made. And my time at TCU was
great: I learned a lot but had fun in the process.”
S ARAH B. J OHNSON
Currently, that “something” is training for triathlons, a new
hobby for the competitive, athletic Frierson. She also stays in
close touch with friends and family, and is an MBA Alumni
Partner and advisor at The Neeley School. Although today she’s
not on the road as often, supervising more than 1,200 employees and a continentwide customer base still keeps her on the
fast track, both figuratively and literally. But don’t be fooled —
this confident, get-it-done dynamo wouldn’t have it any other way.
“TATIANA
REALLY GOES ABOVE AND BEYOND FOR HER
COMPANY, CUSTOMERS, AND ASSOCIATES.
GREAT LEADER
NATE TO HAVE
SHE’S
A
— FULL OF SPIRIT. WE’RE VERY FORTUHER.”
— ROSS PEROT, CHAIRMAN
OF THE
BOARD,
PEROT SYSTEMS
A typical accomplishment, says Perot Systems associate and
former boss Steve Ingram, was Frierson’s development of a
Web-based software system that cut the company’s time and
cost to fill job openings in half in comparison to other recruitment options being considered. Adds fellow Perot Systems
associate Ron Lacock, “Tatiana has a zeal for work and life.
She’s fun to be around because she’s always got something
going on.”
ALUMNI PROFILE
Her MBA and oil-and-gas background caught the attention of
Perot Systems, where her drive and commitment to excellence
quickly cemented her reputation for top performance.
Comments board Chairman Ross Perot, “Tatiana really goes
above and beyond for her company, customers and associates.
She’s a great leader — full of spirit. We’re very fortunate to
have her.”
Tatiana Frierson MBA ’87
Neeley@dvantage, Spring 2003
17
DAVID A. CORBIN, CFA
President and Chief Investment Officer
Corbin and Company (Fort Worth, Texas)
BY
“YOU
S ARAH B. J OHNSON
HAVE THREE THINGS IN LIFE TO WORRY
ABOUT: YOUR COMMITMENT TO
GOD,
TO FAMILY
AND TO FRIENDS.”
— DAVE CORBIN
David A. Corbin ’89
was on a plane to New York in 1995 when I read a
profile of Dave Corbin in The Wall Street Journal,”
recalls Richard L. Connor, editor and publisher of the
Fort Worth Business Press. “I thought, ‘Who is this
guy, and why don’t I know him?’”
“
I
ALUMNI PROFILE
By now, almost everyone has heard of Corbin ’89, the 35-yearold head of a Fort Worth-based investment advisory firm managing over $125 million in assets for wealthy individuals, pension plans, foundations and endowments. He’s also portfolio
manager of the Corbin Small-Cap Value Fund (CORBX), one of
the best performing mutual funds in the country (ranked No. 1
by Lipper and No. 3 by Morningstar in 2001). He’s also a regular commentator on Bloomberg Television and CNBC, among
others, and has been widely featured in the national and local
financial press.
18
A native Midwesterner and TCU alum, Corbin isn’t the stereotypical finance professional, says friend and business associate, Texas Bank VP and senior trust officer Thomas P. Lang Jr.:
“Dave’s very laid-back and unassuming, but very dedicated to
what he does. He developed a belief in value investing very
young, and has followed that throughout his life. His consistency and talent have spared his clients some of the brunt of the
down market we’re in now.”
Neeley@dvantage, Spring 2003
Corbin attributes his success in part to doors opened for him
along the way: “TCU and Fort Worth gave me an environment
where I could show that I could do the job.” No doubt his priorities have helped: “You have three things in life to worry
about: your commitment to God, to family and to friends.”
Corbin is respected for honoring all three. Raised an evangelical Christian, he makes faith the center of his life and still
shares a home with his parents, whom he persuaded to join
him in Fort Worth in 1994. He also stays in close touch with
friends, notes fellow TCU alum Dean Davis MBA ’89 of Plano:
“He’s never too busy to help someone out.”
Naturally, that includes Corbin’s community and alma mater,
where he is currently teaching securities analysis, serving as
an advisory board member of the James A. Ryffel Center for
Entrepreneurial Studies and was a co-chair of the Dr. Stan
Block Endowed Chair of Finance steering committee. His many
contributions have been recognized with numerous accolades,
including his recent inclusion in the Fort Worth Business
Press’ “40 Under 40,” an event and publication honoring outstanding young community leaders in Fort Worth.
Says Davis, “Dave has built his business around doing
what he enjoys. A lot of people want to do that. Dave is one
who’s succeeded.”
HORATIO PORTER, CPA
Director of Policy Compliance and Review
Trinity Industries, Corp. (Dallas, Texas)
ANGIE PORTER
BY
S ARAH B. J OHNSON
Planner/Distributor Executive
Esteé Lauder (Irving, Texas)
“SUCCESS IS NOT BASED ON HOW MUCH YOU ACCUMULATE, BUT RATHER HOW MUCH YOU DISTRIBUTE.”
— HORATIO PORTER
Horatio Porter BBA ’92, MBA ’94
I
From a single-parent home in east Fort Worth, Porter was a
track standout and scholar in high school. His mother’s insistence that he could aspire to more, along with encouragement
from high school coaches and teachers, kept him away from
the gangs, drugs and violence that took many of his peers.
During his senior year, he was the most recruited track athlete
in the country, and TCU won him over with outstanding academics and a top-notch track program. Porter led one of
TCU’s “winningest” track teams ever, and was individually recognized by seven All-American honors and a nod as Scholar
Athlete of the Year in 1992.
As an undergraduate, Porter met his future wife, New York
native Angie Carter, through college track meets. She was a
gifted runner as well. Also a distinguished student, she won
SMU’s top honor, the M Award, for all-around excellence in
1992, earning her BBA in marketing from SMU that same year.
She received an MBA from TCU in 1994.
Both Porters have racked up impressive achievements and
accolades in their careers as well. In 2000, Horatio was recog-
nized with Trinity’s Determination Award for grit in the face of
adversity. As a planner/distributor executive in Esteé Lauder’s
South Central regional headquarters, Angie is “a sea of calm in
the middle of a storm,” says her boss, Paul Scherer, Esteé
Lauder’s regional vice president, noting her unflappable poise
and good humor under pressure. The company’s regional
marketing director, Jan Lombardo, agrees: “Angie doesn’t get
rattled — she just gets the job done.” The Porters both credit
TCU and family with giving them the skills and confidence to
succeed. “The Porters are a great match,” says Horatio’s associate Marshal L. Wesley, director of financial processing services at Trinity.
Angie and Horatio live in Grand Prairie and are parents of
three boys, ages 10, 7 and 4. When asked if they’re a handful,
Angie sighs, “That’s an understatement!” Even with the
demands of family and work, they make time for volunteering.
Horatio speaks to at-risk kids and generously lends his time
for TCU, most recently as vice president for the National
Alumni Board. They share various church and community
group posts as well. Horatio summarizes their philosophy on
the importance of family, community and giving back with wisdom that has eluded many others: “Success is not based on
how much you accumulate, but rather how much you distribute. Spending a lifetime gathering acorns is fruitless if you
don’t have anyone to share them with.”
Neeley@dvantage, Spring 2003
ALUMNI PROFILES
was an inner-city kid, an at-risk youth, you name it,”
begins Horatio Porter (BBA ’92, MBA ’94). The 33year-old CPA, now director of policy compliance and
review for Dallas’ Trinity Industries Corp., is recounting his life’s difficult beginning. “When I drive through the old
neighborhood, I think, ‘Wow!’ ”
“
19
JOHN E. MERRIFIELD, CLU, RHU
Founder and President
Innovative Financial Concepts (Fort Worth, Texas)
BY
S ARAH B. J OHNSON
“I
STILL KEEP
BURGESS’
PHOTO ON MY DESK BECAUSE IT’S A
REMINDER THAT IF YOU SET YOUR MIND TO IT, ONE PERSON CAN
CHANGE THINGS FOR THE BETTER.”
ALUMNI PROFILE
— FORMER STATE SEN. MIKE MONCRIEF, D-FORT WORTH
20
ohn Merrifield (TCU EMBA ’02) is on the trail of a child
killer, and he’s driven by the one life he couldn’t save.
Merrifield’s 16-year-old son, Burgess, was a back seat
passenger in an SUV returning from a scouting trip in 1997
and died when he was ejected in a rollover accident. Texas law
didn’t require the buckled seat belt that could have saved
Burgess. At the time, the state only required backseat restraints
for children under 4, even though car wrecks are the No. 1
killer of children ages 5 to15 nationwide.
J
Following the long lobbying effort, Merrifield refocused on his
successful 15-year-old insurance brokerage firm, Fort Worth’s
Innovative Financial Concepts. He also tackled TCU’s Executive
MBA program to help re-energize the enthusiasm that had
been sapped by his son’s death. “The program was tough, but
it’s helped me to be a much more solid business person,”
Merrifield notes. “I saw results immediately. My [already
robust] sales have grown 50 percent nationwide. I’m ready to
take my company into our next 15 years.”
Merrifield says of his son, a handsome, popular 6-foot-5-inch
Crowley High junior, “He was a
gentle giant who never met a
stranger.” In Burgess’ honor,
Crowley High School retired his
varsity football jersey after his
death. Merrifield says, “After the
accident, I felt so helpless. I could
do nothing about this except spare
other parents that pain.”
The Merrifields continue to make time for community service
and hold key roles in the Church
of Jesus Christ of Latter-day
Saints. They are committed to
faith, family and community,
instilling these commitments in
their other children: Matilda, a
23-year-old Utah State student,
Will, a 19-year-old now doing
mission work in California, and
John Jr., a 16-year-old junior at
North Crowley High School.
Fueled by that resolve and supported by his wife, Skylar, Merrifield
Merrifield also hopes to one day
led a statewide coalition passing
extend Texas’ mandatory
new, tougher seat belt laws in 1998
John Merrifield (EMBA ’02) with former Texas State Senator, Mike Moncrief
restraint requirement to all pasand 2000. The laws required
sengers. Sen. Moncrief agrees that there’s more progress to be
restraints for back seat passengers under 17. “This was simply
made, one reason he still keeps a photo of Burgess under the
the right thing to do for Texas’ children,” says former Texas
glass on his desk. He explains, “It’s a reminder that if you set
State Sen. Mike Moncrief, D-Fort Worth, who drafted and coyour mind to it, one person can change things for the better.”
sponsored the legislation.
Neeley@dvantage, Spring 2003
class
notes
Neeley@dvantage, Spring 2003
MBA Alumni
1980s
Lenny A. Nuño de la Parra MBA ’83 is a financial analyst with
Hylsamex in Puebla, Mexico. lnuno@hotmail.com
Alberto Navarro MBA ’87 is the director of technology at Sitel in
Panama City, Panama. anavarrot@hotmail.com
1990s
David Svoren MBA ’93 and Jean Svoren MBA ’93 are pleased to
announce the birth of their second son, James Benjamin, on Sept. 13.
“Big brother Michael (3) can’t wait to take Jim to his first Horned
Frog game,” the Svorens say. The family lives in Overland Park, Kan.
jdsvoren@hotmail.com
Sheldon Byde BS ’93 MBA ’94 and Jenniffer Byde had their first
child, Sophie Ernestine, on Aug. 10. Sheldon is an attorney for the city
of Layton, Utah, practicing in the areas of real estate, municipal law
and criminal prosecution. The Bydes live in Salt Lake City and say they
greatly enjoyed last year’s Winter Olympics. sheldon@law.com
John F. Garren MBA ’94 works at Ideafest Consulting Group as a
business management consultant. He lives in Miami Beach, Fla.
jgarren@the-beach.net
Kent Cys BS ’92, MBA ’95 recently accepted a new position with
Pitney Bowes at their corporate headquarters in Stamford, Conn.
Pitney Bowes has licensed SAP AG’s mySAP CRM Solution for Leasing
and Asset Management. As manager of SAP leasing process re-engineering, his team will be responsible for the design and delivery of
Pitney’s systems and processes around captive leasing.
kent.cys@pb.com
Melissa Susan Rewinkel MBA ’95 currently lives in Alexandria, Va.
She is a senior legislative representative with Mutual of Omaha.
mrewinkel@prodigy.net
Erick Chang MBA ’97 returned to the Metroplex to study international management at UT-Dallas and work toward a Ph.D. “It was just a
hunch about coming back to the United States, especially Texas, but I
did it and I got support from my TCU professors: Roger Pfaffenberger,
Larry Peters, Chris Barry, David Cravens and Bill Moncrief,” Erick
explains. “I ended my corporate career as interim GM for the
Guatemalan railroad, but I’m still writing my weekly business column
for Siglo XXI, the second largest newspaper in Guatemala.”
rickep@yahoo.com
Mike Daughton MBA ’97 works for Thomson-West as a senior financial analyst. He lives in Prior Lake, Minn. tcumba@yahoo.com
Raghu Vijay Kowshik MBA ’97 is a corporate IT manager at
Flextronics. Raghu currently resides in Pleasanton, Calif.
raghu.kowshik@flextronics.com
Rowan J. Sanders MBA ’97 graduated in August 2002 with highest
honors from the master of management program in e-commerce at
the University of Dallas. rowjsan@aol.com
Alfredo Garza MBA ’98 is a principal consultant with
PricewaterhouseCoopers Consulting. He lives in Burbank, Calif.
alfredo.garza@us.pwcglobal.com
Liwei Ma MBA ’99 works for Washington Mutual as vice
president/manager. Liwei lives in Issaquah, Wash.
liweima@yahoo.com
Lucia Puccetti MBA ’99 works in São Paulo, Brazil, at Itaú Corretora
de Valores, Banco Itaú’s Brokerage House, Brazil’s second largest private bank. She participated in the Rally dos Sertões last July, a 10,000mile speed rally that crosses seven states through dirt roads.
Lucia.Puccetti@itau.com.br
Gianfranco Silveri MBA ’99 was recently named Director of Finance
for Executive Airlines, a subsidiary of American Airlines. He will be
relocating to San Juan, Puerto Rico, where Executive Airlines is based.
gianfranco_silveri@aa.com
2000s
Carrie Susan (Joyce) MBA ’00 and Jason Kemmer MBA ’00
were married in November of 2001 at The Fort Worth Club. The couple resides in Fort Worth, Texas where Jason is employed as a
Consultant with Accenture and Carrie is employed as the Assistant
Director of the Supply and Value Chain Center at TCU.
c.kemmer@tcu.edu
Rakesh Nair MBA ’00 is product manager at WebLink Wireless. He
lives in Dallas. rakeshnair@hotmail.com
Scott Munson MBA ’01 is an analyst with Accenture. He lives in
Alpharetta, Ga. samunsontx@yahoo.com
Sommer Amberly Reese MBA ’01 is an outside property representative
with The Hartford. She lives in Artesia, N.M. samberlyr@yahoo.com
Michael Zheng MBA ’01 is working for CitiGroup in Dallas as a senior
risk analyst. He and his wife, Mei Ye, live in Fort Worth.
michael.zheng@citigroup.com
Paula Kahanek MBA ’02 is living in New York City and working as a
Assistant Treasurer with Bank of New York.
Omar Mata MBA ’02 lives in Dallas. He is manager of financial analysis for SBC. mataomar@yahoo.com
Stuart Royal MBA ’02 recently moved to The Woodlands, Texas. He is
serving as a product/service manager for North America for Champion
Communications Services, Inc. sturoyal@hotmail.com
Steven R. Witten MBA ’02 works for Security National Bank as an
equity manager in Sioux City, Iowa. switten@snbonline.com
Neeley@dvantage, Spring 2003
21
Undergraduate Alumni
1970s
Irv Morse ’70 is a state and local tax manager with Federal-Mogul
Corporation. He lives in South Lyon, Mich. irv_morse@fmo.com
Bill F. Heaberg ’72 is a transition assistance program manager with
the U.S. Air Force Civil Service. He resides in Warner Robins, Ga.
william.heaberg@robins.af.mil
Jim G. Blumeyer ’73 is an account representative with CMI. He lives
in St. Louis. Mo. jimblumeyer@aol.com
Jim Bowie ’73 and team won the Dixie Sectional at the Cotton Creek
Golf Club in Golf Shores, Ala. The Auburn Links Team will represent
the South Alabama/North Florida area in the Buick Scramble National
Finals at Walt Disney World. The 5-person team will compete against
the 130-team field at the Disney Resort in Orlando.
Shannon O’Kelley ’88 spent 10 years at Johns Hopkins Hospital in
Baltimore before moving to Manhattan to continue work in international health care marketing for the hospitals of Columbia and Cornell.
He has been there three years and experienced Sept. 11 firsthand.
“When the towers collapsed, we emptied our facilities in preparation
for a large influx of casualties,” Shannon says. “Sadly, none came. We
lost four of our own EMTs that day and the hole in the skyline sickens
our hearts. One year later, the city has a new vigor and pride with
which to rebuild. In my brief career, the training and guidance provided by all the faculty of our business school have served me well. In
particular, thanks to Drs. Moncrief, Shipp and Thompson. For my
classmates, I apologize for not keeping in touch. I hope that if any of
you travel to NYC, you will allow me to show you around this magnificent city.” jso9002@nyp.org
Win H. Barsachs ’89 works for Sun Microsystems as a technical
account manager. Win lives in Dallas. barsachs@yahoo.com
1990s
David Branch BBA ’78
On November 22, 2002, David Branch,
received a phone call from U.S. Commerce
Secretary Donald Evans informing him that his
company, Branch-Smith Printing, had won the
prestigious Malcolm Baldrige Award for excellence. Branch will receive the award from
President Bush during a ceremony in
Washington in early 2003.
The fourth generation of his family to run the 90-year-old Fort Worth
printing business, Branch decided that his printing company needed a
rededication to quality.
To win the award, a company must go through a process, which Branch
said started a decade ago. Branch-Smith took the route of competing and
self-improvement at the local level before taking it to the national stage.
Along the way, business executives, who make up the award jury, evaluate
the applicants.
Through the generations, Branch-Smith had always emphasized quality.
Today, however, Branch’s goals are a bit broader. “Our goal is to continue
to improve the ways in which we understand our customer’s needs, to create measurable ways to address them, and find the true solutions to their
problems,” he explains.
Branch and his management team did not earn the award on their own. It
was truly a team effort. He admits, “we want workers to push the management, rather than the other way around.” This is what separates BranchSmith from other printing companies who simply “put ink on paper” and
makes them a true communications leader.
Melinda Harvey Lawrence ’92 and husband Stacey proudly
announce the birth of their first child, Sophie Lynne, on Sept. 3.
Melinda is a senior manager with Ernst & Young and Stacey is taking
time off from his career to take care of Sophie until they move back to
Dallas next summer. They live in Paris, France.
melindalawrence@yahoo.com
Pat Lewis ’92 and wife Judy, donor
of the Barbara Snell Management
Leadership Award, adopted daughter
Chelsea on May 16, three days after
her birth. Chelsea is a big supporter
of the Frogs and wears her cheerleading outfit when watching all of the
games from their home in Orlando,
Florida. lewi3744@bellsouth.net
Sandro Mungioli ’94 is a loan officer with Prime Lending in Dallas.
smungioli@yahoo.com
Patrick Blanton ’95 is vice president of Wolfpack Studios and lives in
Round Rock, Texas. varios@wolfpackstudios.com
Christine Dawn Foucault ’95 is a planning analyst at McLeod USA in
Tulsa. christinedawn@aol.com
Doug S. Smith ’95 resides in Ann Arbor, Mich., and is working on
his MBA at the University of Michigan. doug@smithpostoffice.com
Jennifer Lamb McPhaul ’96 is a flight attendant with Delta Air Lines.
She lives in Dallas. jenlamb@peoplepc.com
1980s
Kirk Alland ’83 is a general manager with Motorola. He lives in Fort
Worth. kirkalland@aol.com
Jose Cleves ’84 lives in Ridgewood, N.J. He is director of financial
services for Americas with BP. clevesjr@bp.com
22
Neeley@dvantage, Spring 2003
Morrow B. Evans ’98 is working for Cabot Oil & Gas Corporation.
He lives in Houston. w.evans@cabotog.com
Joe Duane Briggs ’99 is finishing a master’s degree in political
science. He is the executive assistant to the president at Florida A&M
University, serving his last year before going to law school.
joe.briggs@famu.edu
2000s
Josh Justin Anderson ’00 has been a pharmaceutical sales representative for Alcon Laboratories, Inc., in the Phoenix area since
graduating from TCU with a double major in marketing and business
management. He is also attending Arizona State University and plans
to complete ASU’s MBA program in May 2003.
Joshua.Anderson@AlconLabs.com
Ryan Buchan ’00 is a sales analyst with Banc of America Securities,
LLC, in Chicago. rpbuchan@hotmail.com
Katie Joy Ellis ’00 is a supply chain solutions sales consultant with
Hub Group, Inc. Katie lives in Corona del Mar, Calif.
kathlyn_ellis@yahoo.com
Kevin Mitchell Jordan ’00 is an arbitrage rebate consultant with
First Southwest Company. He lives in Addison, Texas.
kmitchelljordan@yahoo.com
Kristen Lawrence ’00 is promotions coordinator for Daydots. She
lives in North Richland Hills, Texas. KLtheGreat@hotmail.com
Jeff Miley ’00 currently lives in Austin. He works for CyberTrader,
Inc., in brokerage technology. jeffmiley@hotmail.com
Dave Michael Morgan ’00 is a pharmaceutical sales representative
with Alcon Laboratories, Inc. He lives in Andover, Kansas.
David.Morgan@AlconLabs.com
Wynn Tucker ’00 is in real estate at Mohr Partners in Dallas.
wynntucker@hotmail.com
Jessica Inserra ’01 lives in Newark, Texas. She is an accountant with
Baron Investments, Ltd. jess0526@aol.com
Charles Marais ’01 is an analyst at CVGI. charlesm79@yahoo.com
Vanessa K. Parker ’01 is in convertible origination with Wachovia
Securities. She lives in Charlotte, N.C. vanessa.parker@wachovia.com
Submit Class Notes at
www.neeley.tcu.edu/alumni/infoupdate/classnotes.asp
or mail to Assistant Dean
Neeley School of Business
TCU Box 298530
Fort Worth, TX 76129
Announcements may be edited due to space restrictions.
Information received will be published as soon as possible.
COULD YOUR
MBA BE JUST
12 MONTHS AWAY?
The Neeley Accelerated MBA Option allows qualified
students to complete the Full-Time MBA program in just 12
months. This option is targeted to students with professional
work experience and a strong academic background in
business. The 36-hour curriculum is a subset of courses from
the Full-Time MBA Program, individually tailored to build upon
the student’s unique business background and career goals.
To quialify for the Accelerated MBA option, candidates
must meet the following criteria:
• Completion of a Bachelor of Business Administration
(BBA) degree or equivalent with a strong academic
record from a college or university accredited by
AACSB International,
• Minimum GMAT score of 620, and
• Minimum of three years of postgraduate professional
work or military experience.
For more information about the Accelerated MBA option
as well as other MBA offerings, please contact the MBA
Admissions office at 817-257-7531 or visit
www.mba.tcu.edu.
Neeley@dvantage, Spring 2003
23
GLOBAL SUPPLY CHAIN CONFERENCE - 2003
GETTING AND MEASURING RESULTS:Realizing the Value from your Supply Chain Investments
In today's competitive marketplace, with its inherent uncertainty and complexity, effective management
within and across firms in a supply chain is key to success. The Neeley School Supply and Value Chain
Center helps current and future business leaders develop capabilities to keep pace with the changing
times and position their supply chains for competitive advantage.
On April 2 - 4, 2003, the Supply and Value Chain Center will host the 2003 Global Supply Chain Conference Getting and Measuring Results: Realizing the Value of your Supply Chain Invesment - at The
Speedway Club, Texas Motor Speedway in Fort Worth, Texas. Join business leaders, faculty, and
students to learn from supply chain experts how to build the business case for change, execute
effectively, and measure results from your supply chain improvement initiatives.
www.svcc.tcu.edu
•
817-257-7463
Creating opportunities to advance leading-edge thinking and exchange ideas
about integration and optimization in the supply chain.
The Neeley School of Business
Texas Christian University
TCU Box 298530
Fort Worth, Texas 76129
www.neeley.tcu.edu
Non-Profit Org.
U.S. Postage
PAID
Ft. Worth, TX
Permit No. 2143