Standing out from the crowd. - Eller College of Management ...

PROGRESS MAGAZINETHE UNIVERSITY OF ARIZONA ®Eller College of ManagementFall 2008Standingout fromthe crowd.ELLER COLLEGE STUDENTS DISTINGUISH THEMSELVES BEYOND THE CLASSROOM.

Fall 2008P R O G R E S S M A G A Z I N EFrom the DeanLast year, the Eller College ofManagement passed with flyingcolors its regular five-yearaccreditation review conductedby the Association for theAdvancement of CollegiateSchools of Business. It’s nice to Paul Portneyreceive confirmation that theresearch of our faculty and programs of study we’vecreated at the undergraduate, master’s, and Ph.D. levelsare meeting the needs of students and industry.We pride ourselves in delivering a rigorous education,and I like to think that we keep Eller students extremelybusy with the academic demands we place on them. Butmany of our students also take on Herculean projectsand responsibilities above and beyond the requirementsof their degree programs. On page 12, you’ll find storiesabout a few of these outstanding students, who haveshoehorned activities as diverse as intercollegiateathletics and student leadership into their alreadypacked schedules.I also look forward to hearing your views as we prepareto develop a new strategic vision to guide the EllerCollege into the future. Among the topics we will consider:how to take greater advantage of our pre-eminentreputation in entrepreneurship and managementinformation systems; how to pull together our faculty’sstrengths and interests in leadership, governance,and corporate social responsibility to create a brandadvantage among schools of business and publicadministration; and, perhaps most ambitiously, whetherand how to expand our physical space to better serveour 5,200 undergraduate and 700 graduate students.I look forward to sharing information about thesedevelopments with you in future issues of EllerProgress magazine.FEATURE12 Standing OutEller Students Go Above and BeyondBRIEFINGS2 McClelland Professor of Accounting Leslie Eldenburg Appointed Vice Dean3 Paulo Goes Joins Eller College as MIS Department Head4 New Faculty at the Eller CollegeRESEARCH REPORT6 Networks Expert Keith Provan Collaborates with ArizonaCancer Center on New Grant7 Alumnus Stephen Robbins Funds Research and Study Space forManagement Ph.D. StudentsINNOVATIONS8 Eller College Spearheads Creation of Sports Management Minor9 Entrepreneurship Students Come Out on Top Among MobilePhone Industry InnovatorsCONNECTIONS10 McGuire Center for Entrepreneurship Heads Rural EntrepreneurshipComponent of State-Wide Grant11 Marketing Class Project Turns into Lucrative ContractGATHERINGS22 Save the Date23 Distinguished Speaker SeriesALUMNI NOTES & PROFILES24 Profile: David Gemelli, MBA ’7225 Profile: Sarah Brown Smallhouse, MBA ’8725 Profile: Marc Blackman, BSBA ’8227 Alumni NotesLAST WORD28 Last Word on…LeadershipLouise Francesconi, Eller National Board of AdvisorsOn the Cover: Eller students and Associated Students of TheUniversity of Arizona leaders Jessica Anderson and Tommy Bruce.Let Us Hear from You Please e-mail comments,questions, or feedback to progress@eller.arizona.edu.Paul R. PortneyDean and Halle Chair in LeadershipManager of Marketing and Communications and Editor: Liz Warren-Pederson• Publications Manager: Marsha Dean • Photography: Thomas Veneklasen (unless otherwise noted)• Design and Production: Shevon Johnson Design, Inc. • © 2008 The University of ArizonaCorrection: The story on page 2 of the Spring/Summer issue of Progress magazine incorrectly spelled the name of financier Warren Buffett.FALL 20081

BRIEFINGSExceptional ContributionMcClelland Professor of Accounting Leslie Eldenburg Appointed Vice Dean.NEW FACULTY AT THE ELLER COLLEGEEller College welcomes four new faculty memebers to itsexceptional team of researchers and educators.This year, McClelland Professor ofAccounting Leslie Eldenburg was appointedvice dean of the Eller College, stepping upafter SRP Professor Stan Reynolds completedfour years in the office.“I always think about where I can makethe most contribution,” says Eldenburg.“When I was initially approached about theposition, I hesitated, because I felt I wasmaking a difference at the department level,working with Ph.D.s and mentoring juniorfaculty. But because of my cost accountingbackground, I knew I had a skillset that Icould bring to the vice dean position. Overthe next three years, I think I can make aneven larger contribution than I was makingas a faculty member.”Eldenburg earned her undergraduatedegree in special education and taught for anumber of years after serving in the PeaceCorps in what is now the DemocraticRepublic of the Congo. She stayed at homewith her young son, and eventually returnedto the workforce at Virginia Mason Hospitalin Seattle. She moved into an accountingposition at the hospital after earning herMBA, but found that she missed teaching.So she went back for her Ph.D., and has beenwith the Eller College since 1993.In her new role as vice dean, Eldenburgcites priorities including satisfying recruiterdemand for diverse hires and recognizing thevalue added by hard-working Eller faculty.“People contribute hugely here at Eller, wherewe work under significant resource constraints,”she says.Biomedical Communications photoLeslie EldenburgEldenburg notes that there are interestingparallels between the way that hospitalsand universities are structured today.“I’d describe them as quasi-governmentnon-profit organizations,” she says. “Publicuniversities today are not fully funded bythe state, and are heavily reliant on donorsand tuition.” In some respects, this hybridmodel presents challenges; the public universitymust satisfy government and regulatorystakeholders, as well as the donorswho give so the College can shine. But,says Eldenburg, this structure is not new toEller. “At Eller,” she says, “We’ve alwaysbeen a hybrid because we are true entrepreneursand have been able to be morenimble in our operations.”Building New PartnershipsPaulo Goes joins Eller as department head of top-five MIS program.After a nationwide search, Paulo Goeshas been appointed department head ofthe Eller College’s top-five MIS program.“The research and quality of the programcaught my attention,” he says. “Thedepartment already has a great reputation— the best technical researchers inthe country are here — and I am excitedabout the potential to leverage thatexpertise to build new partnerships.”Goes comes to The University ofArizona from the University ofConnecticut, where he built a collaborativebusiness relationship with GE, thecenterpiece of which is edgelab, abusiness laboratory where Universityof Connecticut faculty and studentswork side-by-side with GE managerson strategic projects. “The partnershipchanged the way I think about academia,”he says. “Information systems ismultidisciplinary; we are the glue thatholds everything together. There isenormous potential for working withcompanies in this capacity, as well aswith other departments in the College.”Goes believes there is potential todevelop similar, mutually beneficialcollaborations between The University ofArizona and corporations throughout theregion. “The existing reputation and thepotential for growth were the first thingsthat drew me in when I considered Eller,”he says. “Then I came for a visit andfound a collegial group of people in thedepartment. That combination of intellectualcapital and collegial atmosphere— it added up to that feeling of just being theright fit.”Goes is originally from Brazil, but has beenin the U.S. for over 20 years. His currentresearch explores online auctions. “I startedoff very technical,” he says. “Then I saw thepotential of working with other industriesduring the Internet boom of the 90s.” Hebegan studying economic systems, measuringdata collected from online auctions tocharacterize buyer behavior and to see howeconomists’ theoretical predictions bear outin the market. His research areas also includeevaluation of emerging technologies andinnovations, e-business, confidentiality andsecurity issues, and database technology andmanagement. He holds M.S. and Ph.D. degreesin computers and information systems fromthe University of Rochester; a B.S. in civilengineering from the Federal Universityof Minas Gerais, Brazil; and an M.S. inproduction engineering from the FederalUniversity of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.“Paulo Goes is an outstanding leader,”says Paul Portney, dean and Halle Chair inLeadership. “He will add to the luster of analready exceptional department.”A FRIEND OF THE FACULTYMIS department head Paulo Goes also holds the title of Salter Professor,established by Peter Salter, president and CEO of Salter Labs.Salter and his wife Nancy funded the Salter Distinguished Professorship inManagement and Technology in 2006, to support a partnership between theEller College and the College of Engineering. His interest grew out of his positiveexperience hiring interns from both colleges at Salter Labs, which he founded in 1975.2ELLER PROGRESS THE UNIVERSITY OF ARIZONAWWW.ELLER.ARIZONA.EDUFALL 2008 3

BRIEFINGSNEW FACULTYAT THE ELLER COLLEGETHE COLLEGE IS ALSO PLEASEDTO WELCOME NEW LECTURERS:Michael Thomas BondPh.D., Case Western Reserve University, 1985Senior Lecturer, FinanceMichael Bond comes to the Eller Collegefrom Cleveland State University, where he wasa professor of finance. His research interestsinclude Medicaid reform. At the Eller College,Bond will teach Risk Management andDerivatives, Real Estate Finance, and amaster’s level venture capital course.Suzanne DelaneyPh.D., The University of Arizona, 1995Lecturer, Management and OrganizationsKirsten A. CookAssistant Professor of AccountingPh.D., Texas A&M University, 2007Kirsten Cook comes to the Eller College fromMays Business School at Texas A&M University,where he earned his doctoral degree and servedas a Mays Post-Doctoral Fellow. His dissertationexplored the stock market’s response to a capitalgains tax rate cut, the impact of taxes on companies’debt and equity financing decisions, and thefactors influencing manufacturing firms’ inventorylevels. He is currently researching earningsmanipulation and auditor independence. This fall,he will teach Introduction to Federal Taxation, anupper-division course.Anna BremanAssistant Professor of EconomicsPh.D., Stockholm School of Economics, 2006Anna Breman’s research and teaching is centeredon applied microeconomics and behavioral andexperimental economics. She did her post-doctoralwork at the Stockholm School of Economics in hernative Sweden, and was a visiting researcher atthe University of California, San Diego. For one recentresearch paper, Breman documented her field experimentto explore inter-temporal choice in charitablegiving. Other works have examined the economics ofaltruism and paternalism. This fall, she will teach theupper-division course Introduction to Econometrics;and in the spring, she will also teach a course inbehavioral economics for Ph.D. students.Lan Nguyen ChaplinAssistant Professor of MarketingPh.D., University of Minnesota, 2003Lan Chaplin conducts research into children’sconsumer behavior, branding, and materialism. Shecomes to the Eller College from the University ofIllinois at Urbana-Champaign, where she taughtconsumer behavior to undergraduate students andbrand management to MBA students. Some recentpapers have explored age differences in materialismand the development of the self-brand connectionin children and adolescents. She started at the EllerCollege in spring, and will teach Buyer Behavior toundergraduates and Brand Management to MBAs.Suzanne Delaney teaches in The Universityof Arizona Psychology Department, whereshe earned her Ph.D. At Eller, she willteach Statistical Inference in Management,the basic statistics course for all Ellerundergraduates.Alex H. WilsonPh.D., Drexel University, 1999Senior Lecturer, FinanceAlex Wilson comes to the Eller College fromRhode Island College; he also teaches onlinecourses for the University of MarylandUniversity College and Kaplan University. AtEller, he will teach Financial Intermediariesand the MBA core finance course.4 ELLER PROGRESS THE UNIVERSITY OF ARIZONAWWW.ELLER.ARIZONA.EDUFALL 2008 5

RESEARCHREPORTQuitting TIMENetwork expert Keith Provancollaborates with Arizona CancerCenter to reduce tobacco usethrough new grant.Despite sobering statistics — tobacco use isestimated to kill 430,000 Americans and coststhe U.S. $97.2 billion in health care and lostproductivity each year — one in five Americanscontinues to smoke.Now McClelland Professor of PublicAdministration and Policy Keith Provan iscollaborating with Dr. Scott Leischow of theArizona Cancer Center on a new grant-fundedproject to identify how innovations and bestpractices regarding smoking cessation aredisseminated across the 62 members of theNorth American Quitline Consortium (NAQC).They will recommend ways to implement thesepractices, with the goal of reducing the numberof tobacco users. The grant, which approaches$2.5 million over five years, was awarded bythe National Cancer Institute, a branch of theNational Institutes of Health.“Tobacco quitlines provide an access pointto resources for treatment and prevention,”explains Provan. “They are usually state operated,and may work with a range of other organizationsthat provide a variety of services. Whatwe’re interested in is how organizations atthe state, provincial, and national levels areconnected to each other and whether or notthese connections are beneficial.”For example, Provan says, perhaps a quitlinesystem in Massachusetts develops a novel wayof helping people to quit smoking. “How doesthe quitline in Arizona find out?” he says. “Manynew approaches are generated by research, andKeith Provanmany come from practice. To what extentare these advances being implementedthrough knowledge diffusion through quitlinenetworks and NAQC? If a practice works, itis critical to spread the information quicklyand to have it widely adopted. We need tounderstand this process better if we are toimprove patient treatment.”Along with researchers from the ArizonaCancer Center and the College of Social andBehavioral Sciences, Provan will analyze thesecomplex networks to understand how improvingcommunication and collaboration canlead to better cancer prevention and care.It’s an approach that has a track record ofsuccess in business, military, and scienceapplications that has also taken hold in thepublic sector in recent years. Along with H.Brinton Milward, associate dean and directorof the School of Public Administration andPolicy, Provan authored a guide to nonprofitnetworks that is available to these organizationsat no cost, funded by the IBM Centerfor the Business of Government.“When we understand and improve hownetworks work together toward a commongoal, the benefits to society are greater thanthe sum of what individuals can achieveseparately,” he says.Laura and Stephen Robbinswith management andorganizations departmenthead Stephen Gilliland.Management textbook guru Stephen Robbins remembers howtough it was to make ends meet when he was a doctoral studentat The University of Arizona in the late 1960s. "I'm in a place nowwhere I can be of assistance," he says. Robbins recently fundedtwo doctoral fellowships in organizational behavior, as well as astudy room for Ph.D. students in the Department of Managementand Organizations."It's challenging for departments to attract top doctoral studentsin today's competitive environment," he says. "It's my hopethat the enhanced facilities and expanded financial assistance canhelp attract students that we might not otherwise be able to get.""Reputation-wise, business schools are judged for the qualityof the faculty they have, as well as the quality of the faculty theyproduce," explains department head and Arnold Lesk Chair inLeadership Stephen Gilliland. "One of our goals is to increase thequality of our Ph.D. applicants." To that end, the departmentincreased stipends, revised the curriculum and the mentorshipstructure, and lightened teaching loads so more students couldtake research assistantships. "One of the complaints students hadwas that working in study carrels was too noisy and distracting,"Gilliland says. "Many of them chose to work at home, but thenthey were missing out on interactions with faculty and peers.Having a space where there's a door that they can close has beena dramatic transformation."Second-year doctoral student Michael Christian concurs. "Thespace has been extremely helpful for several reasons," he says."The first of these we expected: it has given us a quiet place toHOME BASEEller Ph.D. students get research and study spacethanks to generosity of alumnus Stephen Robbins.work. The other reasons were less expected, but have proved tobe just as important. Now we have a sense of place, a sense ofidentity — we are a more cohesive unit. We find ourselves collaboratingmore, sharing information, and developing ideas together."Christian shared his thoughts on the space at a dedicationceremony this past spring that Robbins and his wife, Laura,traveled from Seattle to attend. In addition to earning his Ph.D.at The University of Arizona, Robbins is also an undergraduatealumnus in finance. "I barely graduated from high school and waslucky to get into the UA," he says. "Then as a sophomore, I gotserious about my studies. By the time I was a senior, I was makingmostly As. It was a significant metamorphosis."Robbins thought he wanted to be a college administrator andearned his Ph.D. to that end. But, he says, once he started as adepartment chair, "I didn't enjoy it and I wasn't particularly goodat it. What I liked was writing. Within six weeks, I went to thedean and told him I wasn't happy." After that, things began tofall into place. Robbins began writing textbooks in the areas ofmanagement and organizational behavior, teaching all the while.He continued to write after accepting a faculty position with SanDiego State University in 1979. He retired from teaching in 1993to concentrate on writing his textbooks, which have sold morethan 4 million copies to date. More than 1,200 U.S. colleges anduniversities use his books, which have been translated into19 languages."My friends from back in high school shake their heads," hesays. "I'm the last person they expected to become an academic."6 ELLER PROGRESS THE UNIVERSITY OF ARIZONAWWW.ELLER.ARIZONA.EDUFALL 2008 7

INNOVATIONSThe Business of SportsEller College spearheads creation of a sports management minor.Eller College photoLehman BensonStephen GillilandChris MoranCreating a new degree minor is no smallfeat at The University of Arizona, but a proposedsports management minor has clearedhurdles with amazing agility.“It started as a conversation between[associate professor and McCoy/RogersFaculty Fellow] Lehman Benson and me thisspring,” explains Stephen Gilliland, ArnoldLesk Chair in Leadership and head of theEller Department of Management andOrganizations. They shared the idea with JimLivengood, director of UA Athletics, whoembraced the concept. Then pre-businessfreshman and Eller Scholars president ChrisMoran heard about it at the annual Executiveof the Year luncheon.“I was seated at a table with other studentsand faculty, and we were discussingour interests,” Moran says. “I told them thatI was in the Sports Marketing Associationand that my goal was to someday run thefinances for a professional sports team.Someone mentioned that the sports managementminor was in the works, but it was not100% finalized for approval, so it wasn’tready to be promoted. I thought to myself,no way! We should spread the word!”Moran approached Gilliland and asked howhe could help. “I suggested he write a letterof support and ask some friends to sign it,”Gilliland says. “He came back two weeks laterwith 500 signatures.”“I went to my Sports Marketing Associationnetwork first, and they were extremelyenthusiastic,” says Moran. “Overall, the tonewas that people who are not particularly interestedin sports strongly supported the minor forthe diversity of knowledge it would bring to thecampus. As for the people who did enjoy sports,they wanted to learn more about it and getinvolved in the program as soon as possible!”“The University is always looking for academicoptions that will appeal to athletes,” Gillilandsays, “And the minor also offers the opportunityto expose non-Eller students to some of therigorous classes we have to offer.”The proposed minor would consist of sixclasses, such as sports administration, sportsmarketing, and sports negotiation, that couldbe taken non-consecutively by students fromacross the University. The minor would also fitinto interdisciplinary studies and could be combinedwith two other minors to create a custommajor. At press time, the proposed minor wasunder review with The University of Arizonacurricular committees, and, once approved, willgo on to the Arizona Board of Regents for finalapproval. Gilliland says that once approved,sports management courses could be availablein summer 2009. Ordinarily, a new program ofthis nature would require significant funding,but Gilliand says that the program is designedto be self-supporting through a combinationof philanthropic support and summer sessioncourse fees.“As we’ve developed the minor, many Ellerfaculty who have an interest in sports-relatedresearch have come forward,” he adds, citingfaculty such as Lisa Ordóñez, who has studiedhow National Football League statistics relate todecision-making. “Down the line, we’d also liketo launch a research component thatwould include a conference in sportsmanagement and a research series.Years from now, this could developinto a program that really setsus apart.”PICTURE THISEntrepreneurship studentscome out on top among mobilephone industry innovators.Nearly 100 mobile phone innovatorsentered Nokia’s “Mobile Rules!” Challengeearlier this year, and LenSense, a venturedeveloped in the Chris and Carol McGuireCenter for Entrepreneurship, was theonly university-based team among the12 finalists to present its technology toexecutives in California.”We’ve centered around the premisethat your best camera is the one youalways have with you,” says Pouria Valley,a doctoral candidate in the UA Collegeof Optical Sciences and a McGuireEntrepreneurship Program graduate. Inhis Ph.D. program, Valley worked with theoptical technology that forms the basisof the company: a compact, voltage-controlled,zoom lens module that could beintegrated into cell phone cameras toaddress the current models’ limitedresolution and lack of optical zoom.But the venture didn’t start outfocused on the mobile phone industry.Valley entered the McGuire Program withthe goal of identifying a market for histechnology. He teamed up with JamieYuFang Huang and Yan An (both MBA‘08) to identify the best market andcreate a comprehensive venture planfor launch.At least 300 million cell phone camerasare manufactured each year. According toHuang, this booming market was theideal venue into which to introduce thetechnology. When applied to a cell phoneL-R: Yan An, Pouria Valley, Jamie YuFang Huang.camera, the ZoomSense 1.0 technologyallows the camera to achieve true opticalzoom, improved picture quality, andimproved battery life, while maintainingthe compact size that cell phone consumersprefer.“With small amounts of voltage we canchange the focal length and thereforeachieve optical zooming at a very compactsize with no mechanical movements,”Valley explains.His team’s vision is to supply a lens forone of every four cameras worldwide by2013 through research development andpartnerships with cell phone manufacturers.Though Huang and An both graduatedin May, Valley is still working with hisMcGuire Center mentor, Jim Jindrick, todevelop a camera phone prototype andpursue venture funding.8 ELLER PROGRESS THE UNIVERSITY OF ARIZONAWWW.ELLER.ARIZONA.EDUFALL 2008 9

CONNECTIONSTargeting the Innovative WorkforceMcGuire Center spearheads rural entrepreneurship component of region-wide grant.Kevin Romo-Leon photoIn 2007, the U.S. Department ofLabor funded a comprehensive initiative— Innovation Frontier Arizona(IFA) — proposed by partners acrossSouthern Arizona and endorsed byGovernor Janet Napolitano. The grantunites 40+ partners around the goalof aligning education, workforcedevelopment, and economic developmentin Southern Arizona. TheMcGuire Center for Entrepreneurshipis administering the entrepreneurshiptrack, which aims to build entrepreneurialcapacity through communityand education programs to serveentrepreneurs and K-16 education.“The broader grant focused on thetalent supply chain, entrepreneurialculture, and regional knowledge-sharingas the three key spires,” explainsGuillermo (Bill) Quiroga, the newlynamed director of rural entrepreneurshipinitiatives at the McGuire Center.Quiroga will oversee regional entrepreneurshipactivities. “We want tobuild a competitive workforce, as wellas significant entrepreneurial mindsetand capability, which will enable anew type of competitive edge for ourregion,” he says. “Specific industry targetsinclude homeland security, bordermanagement, and defense —issues ofequal relevance across the region.”The McGuire Center will fulfill itsIFA goals through its RuralEntrepreneurship Initiative. Theinitiative takes a four-prongedapproach, targeting K-12 studentswith an Idea Fair, collegiatestudents with regional entrepreneurshipcurriculum standards,emerging entrepreneurs with amentoring network, and matureentrepreneurs through recognitionof best practices and identificationof regional goals.Quiroga, who joined the McGuireCenter in June, understandsSouthern Arizona’s entrepreneurialcommunity well. In addition tobeing an alumnus of the McGuireEntrepreneurship Program, he alsolaunched and continues to operateNative American Botanics, thecompany he developed while hewas a student.He is currently focused onlaunching the K-12 Idea Fair. “TheIdea Fair is the outcome,” he says,“but the goal is really to buildstudents’ problem-solving skills.” A2007 pilot of the Idea Fair conceptat Tucson’s Pistor Middle Schoolprovided a valuable starting pointin teaching entrepreneurial principlesthrough a problem-solvingmethodology similar to the scientificmethod. “It’s tough to find anew and fun way to teach thematerial that also fits into teachers’lesson plans and meets staterequirements,” he says. Over theBill Quiroga photoGuillermo (Bill) Quiroganext several months, he will convene asubcommittee of educators to develop akit that packages everything teachers willneed to bring the curriculum into theclassroom. The goal is to have the materialsready for a spring startup phase, andthen expand the program in its secondand third years.“This is a three-year grant, but theMcGuire Center is invested in buildingentrepreneurial capacity in our region forthe long term,” says Quiroga. He is workingclosely with partners to reach eachpopulation targeted in the grant, includingsmall business development centersand community colleges. “I’m basicallythe quarterback of the team,” he explains.“Innovation is key here, both because thisis not an established program, andbecause it’s ambitious in its scope. Nowit’s a matter of putting it all together.”Hot TopicMarketing class project turns into a lucrative contract.In Hope Jensen Schau’s Integrated MarketingCommunications course, teams of students select a companyand create an integrated campaign that includeseverything from packaging and distribution to pressreleases and advertising. The campaign doesn’t typicallyinclude a signed contract with the company, but for fourEller students, that’s exactly what happened.The students — Charney Marks, Kevin Romo-Leon,Audrey Sibley, and Jenn Schmitt — chose to build acampaign around Toasti Toes. The product is producedby HeatMax, Inc., a manufacturer of air-activated heatpacks used by skiers, snowboarders, and hunters —a predominantly male market.“One of our group members was an actual consumerof the product,” says Romo-Leon, a marketing senior.“Because she had already been using the product for adifferent purpose, we immediately saw the opportunity toexpand it to the female market.” Their idea? Change thepackaging to appeal to female consumers and targetprofessional women who need to keep their feet warmin inclement weather — so a woman attending a swankyevent in January in New York could wear strappy sandalsor open-toe shoes and still be comfortable. The teamdubbed their reinvented product Toasti-Toezies, and createda hip repackaging plan plus a detailed distributionL-R: Charney Marks, AudreySibley, Jenn Schmitt andKevin Romo-Leon.strategy. “Along with the change in packaging, we introducednew distribution channels — two of which HeatMaxhad never considered,” says Romo-Leon.“They were asking all the right questions and they reallydid the research,” says Schau. “After the final presentation,we told them they had to take it back to HeatMax.” Romo-Leon contacted the company, which agreed to fly two ofthe students to company headquarters in Dalton, Ga., tomeet with executives in research and development, as wellas the company’s CEO. The Eller College marketing departmentfunded the other two airline tickets, and the teamtraveled to Georgia and delivered its presentation.“The students ended up signing a contract with HeatMaxthat will allow them to stay involved in every aspect of thenew product launch,” Schau says. The team will alsoreceive a percentage of sales, have the opportunity to travelwith HeatMax sales reps to call on prospective buyers,and contribute to future marketing campaigns.“Presenting our idea to HeatMax was an incredibleopportunity for us,” Romo-Leon says. “It's the ideal resumebuilder — we created a business relationship with HeatMaxand are now considered marketing representatives for thecompany. The future looks very bright for our idea, and weare just so excited to think that we came up with a projectthat we were literally able to take from the classroom tothe real world.”10 ELLER PROGRESS THE UNIVERSITY OF ARIZONAWWW.ELLER.ARIZONA.EDUFALL 2008 11

FEATUREELLERSTUDENTSGOABOVE&BEYONDEller student athletes L-R: Karen Wurm (BSBA Marketing ‘08), Darrell Brooks (MPA ‘08) and Will Patton (MBA ‘09).Arizona Athletics photosAcross the board, Eller College programs are tough.Just ask an undergraduate about business math, or anMBA about business communication. The academic workis rigorous for a reason: so that Eller graduates will beequipped to take on the challenges that business andpublic management pose in today’s global marketplace.Despite schedules crammed with team meetings andhomework, Eller College students just seem to take onmore. They participate in intercollegiate athletics. Theylead student organizations. They volunteer their timeand give back to the community. They bring class projectsto life in unexpected ways. And then they graduatefrom the University, as well-rounded professionals readyto make a mark on the world.Laura Prehoda (BSPA ’08) is one of those overachievers.Prehoda, now a communication administrator in theVanguard Accelerated Development Program, served aspresident of the Eller College Student Council, anddelivered a convocation address in May. “Our academiccareers at the Eller College set us above the rest becauseof the experiences we shared together,” she says. “Thoseexperiences have given us the ability to take the lead.”Eller Progress checked in with other students and recentalumni to see how they have chosen to take the lead intheir lives, in and out of class.12 ELLER PROGRESS THE UNIVERSITY OF ARIZONAWWW.ELLER.ARIZONA.EDUFALL 2008 13

FEATUREFor many athletes, the drive to win on the field laterbecomes the drive to succeed in the boardroom. It wastrue for College namesake Karl Eller — who playedUA football — and it’s true for the numerous intercollegiateathletes who have earned their business orpublic administration degrees at the Eller College ofManagement. Eller Progress caught up with two studentsand one recent alumnus to see how they havejuggled academics and athletics, and how that mix ofexperiences has made them stronger.“For me, what’s translated most both on and off thefield is handling adversity,” says Darrell Brooks (MPA’08), who was a four-year All Pac-10 starting free safetyon the UA football team from 2001-2005 and was afree agent with the Dallas Cowboys until August of2006. “It’s helped me to keep a level head and tounderstand that you’re not going to win every game.”Brooks, cheerleader Will Patton (MBA ’09), and gymnastKarin Wurm (BSBA Marketing ’08) agree that onecritical skill they’ve developed is time management.“Balancing books and ball helped me tremendouslyin being organized,” Brooks says.“Cheer is a big time commitment andthe MBA program is time-intensive aswell,” Patton says. “I have to plan everythingtwo to three weeks in advance. Ineed to be disciplined during the day soI don’t have to stay up all night to get itall done.”“The great part about sports is thatfrom day one, you’ve got a schedule,”Wurm says. “It helps keep you structuredand focused, which carries over to academics.”During the marketing department’sspring Thinking ForwardConference, Wurm was awarded theopportunity to shadow Eller alumnus andMattel CEO Robert Eckert for a day. “Itwas an amazing experience,” she says.“I was able to make a lot of valuable connections.”Wurm also did an internshipwith Nike last summer, and is weighingher career options. One thing that probablywon’t be an issue? Performing underpressure on the job.Brooks agrees. “Playing in front of alarge crowd, being expected to performand be productive in front of 50,000-60,000 people, gives you an extremeadvantage in the workplace.” After earninghis MPA, Brooks joined the Universityof Wyoming as athletics developmentofficer. “It’s a great first career opportunity,and the fundraising skill set willmake me a more attractive candidate as Idevelop and grow in the field of athleticadministration,” he says.Another advantage he’ll have in thatarena is experience working on a team inhigh-pressure situations, somethingPatton has experienced as well. Last year,he was one of two graduate students onthe UA cheer squad. “In teamwork, youhave to find a way to work productivelywith lots of different types of people, ofdifferent ages and different experiencelevels,” he says. Patton also holds anundergraduate degree in mechanicalengineering from the UA. “After I graduate,I would like to find a position thatcombines my business and technicalbackgrounds; for example, something inan operations environment,” he says.All three are grateful for the opportunityto experience college sports alongsidetheir degree programs. “Playing collegiatesports was an honor,” Brooks says.“But it could have ended any time due toinjury, and I always took a lot of pride inmy academic accomplishments, as well.”Darrell Brooks photoUA Athletics photoKarin Wurm photoELLERATHLETESELLER OLYMPIANSThe College salutes its students and alumni whoparticipated in the 2008 games in Beijing.Jean BassonPre-business Major: Swimming, South AfricaSimon BurnettBSBA Business Economics ’07: Swimming, Great BritainClaire FebvayMBA ’06: Diving, FranceLyndon FernsBSBA Accounting ’07: Swimming, South AfricaJoel GreenshieldsPre-business Major: Swimming, CanadaAngelique RodriguezBSBA Marketing ’99: Diving, Puerto RicoJake TappPre-business Major: Swimming, CanadaTodd WellsBSBA MIS ’00: Cycling, USADarrell BrooksWill PattonKarin Wurm14 ELLER PROGRESS THE UNIVERSITY OF ARIZONAWWW.ELLER.ARIZONA.EDUFALL 2008 15

FEATUREGENERATIONRENOVATIONL-R: Eller students Stefanie Goldman, FrancoisVandermerwe, Marisa Castro, Amber Dzik, AaronHogue, and Andrew Kewer with associate dean ofundergraduate programs Pam Perry.Between McClelland Hall and SpeedwayBoulevard stands a dilapidated whitehouse owned by The University of Arizona.The Douglass House was built in 1906 andis on the National Register of HistoricPlaces. It belonged to A.E. Douglass, whofounded Steward Observatory and is consideredthe father of dendrochronology,the science of tree-ring dating.In January 2008, UA FacilitiesManagement was considering a majorrenovation of the property — and thenassociate dean of undergraduate programsPam Perry’s class on improving the EllerCollege came into the picture. “I heardgreat things about the class and wasexcited to work in a small group on projectsthat could change the Eller College,”says senior finance major Aaron Hogue.The Douglass House became one ofthose projects. The students saw significantopportunity to transform theproperty into a coffee shop/restaurantspace to serve students attending classesat McClelland Hall, the James E. RogersCollege of Law, and the School ofArchitecture and Landscape Architecture— all of which need more space forstudents to meet, study, or just hang out.Over the course of the spring semester,the Eller students conducted significantresearch into all aspects of theproject, including the cost of bringingthe house up to code, an analysis ofUA-run vs. outside vendor-run coffeeshops, possible sources of funding, andmore. In a final presentation to EllerCollege dean Paul Portney, the studentspresented a concept for a coffee, crepe,and sandwich shop with décor thatwould pay tribute to the pioneeringtree-ring research of the home’s originalowner. They also identified opportunitiesto feature the work of landscapearchitecture students in the house’ssurroundings.The students also established connectionswith the key stakeholders in theprocess, from Facilities Management tothe Student Union. “In order for theproject to move forward, I think settingup a committee for follow throughwould work best,” says Hogue. “I knowmany people are excited about theDouglass House. In order to take off,we need to have experienced personnelworking on it.”“Over the course of the semester, thestudents developed a real passion for thisproject and took it much farther than Icould have hoped. They are thrilled at theopportunity to continue to work on it,”says Perry. “There are many stakeholdersin a project of this scale, and the nextstep is to bring them all to the table forfurther discussion.”16 ELLER PROGRESS THE UNIVERSITY OF ARIZONAWWW.ELLER.ARIZONA.EDUFALL 2008 17

FEATUREOVERSEAS ETHICSEduard CiocanescuThe annual Eller Ethics Case Competition madeits international debut in Scotland this past spring,thanks to the efforts of Romanian-born studentEduard Ciocanescu (BSBA MIS and InternationalBusiness ’08). Ciocanescu studied abroad inScotland during spring ’08, his last semesterat Eller.“When I arrived at the University of Edinburgh,I joined a business society called InnovativeConsulting University of Edinburgh, or iCue,” hesays. One of the organization’s annual projectswas the Jade UK conference, an internationalnetwork that fosters the entrepreneurial spiritin university students. “I thought it was a greatopportunity for me to network with people fromall over Europe and at the same time improveboth my leadership and communication skills,” hesays. “I was elected as the logistics director andwas responsible for the business game. The Ellerethics case came to my mind when we weredeciding the theme for our conference.”Ciocanescu persuaded the team to organizearound the theme of corporate social responsibility,and got in touch with Paul Melendez, directorof the Eller ethics and honors programs, whowrote the cases used in the competition. “Withouthis help, the business competition would not havebeen as successful as it was,” Ciocanescu says. “Itwas considered the main attraction of the conference.All the participants enjoyed the case andhave expressed their intent to participate at asimilar event in the near future.”“It felt really good to be able to representmy home university here at the University ofEdinburgh,” he adds. “As soon as I realized I hadan opportunity to represent Eller to a diversepopulation of European students, I made sure toperform at my best.” Ciocanescu graduated in Mayand is interviewing with global management firmsabroad. “I am planning a career in managementor technology consultancy,” he says. “This kind ofjob would allow me to combine my two passions:people and workplace technology.”MIXING BUSINESS AND POLITICSTommy Bruce and Jessica Anderson —both Eller College marketing seniors —have made history with the AssociatedStudents of The University of Arizona(ASUA): as president and vice president,respectively, the pair is the first executiveteam in ASUA's 95-year history to beelected to second terms.Because they were elected at the endof their sophomore years, a second termalways felt like a possibility. “Since theday we were elected to our first term,we’ve been talking about it,” Bruce says.“We’d have yes days and no days. There isso much opportunity for growth nowthat we’re in the second term — we don’thave the learning curve a new teamwould have. We try to look at runningASUA like a business, and now we’re lookingfor new ways we can grow.”Anderson says ASUA was a natural stepfor her: she always took an active role inher high school, and her sorority alsoencouraged involvement. She met Brucein ASUA’s Freshman Class Council, andboth joined the Eller cohort early so theycould accommodate ASUA’s demands intotheir schedules. “Balance and time managementcan be hard, especially duringelection season,” Anderson explains. Brucesays that he takes nine credit hours duringthe semesters, and is always enrolledin summer and winter sessions.Ordinarily, ASUA leaders are required tospend summers on campus to transitionbetween administrations. Because thatwasn’t an issue this year, Anderson wasable to accept an internship in theMicrosoft marketing department at thecompany’s Redmond, Wash., headquarters.She’s since become the company’s firstmarketing recruit from the UA, which alsohelps ease the stress of her senior year. “Itwould be impossible to work and have tojob hunt on top of ASUA,” she says.This year Bruce and Anderson aim tobuild on the successes of their first term,a highlight of which was bringingGrammy-winning performer Kanye Westto McKale Center. “It had been 30 yearssince ASUA sponsored a concert on thisscale, and 10 years since a major musicact performed at McKale,” Bruce says.“ASUA had been working on bringing in ashow for years; this was the biggest tourin the country and it put us on the map.”“Anytime ASUA sponsors an event, theTommy Brucegoal is to entertain students affordably,”Anderson adds. “The Kanye West ticketswere less expensive at UA than anywhereelse on his tour.” Anderson coordinated250 volunteers for the event. Along withspecial events coordinator AndrewStanley, Bruce managed all aspects ofbringing West’s high-profile “Glow in theDark” tour to Tucson, including logistics,budgeting, and contracts. Immediatelyafter the concert, the Arizona DailyWildcat published an article indicatingthat ASUA lost money on the event, butonce final budget numbers were in —including significant sponsorship fundsand ASUA’s event budget allocation —the organization ended up comingout ahead.And ASUA isn’t looking back. “Thegoal,” Bruce says, “is to put the nextconcert in Arizona Stadium.”Jessica Anderson18 ELLER PROGRESS THE UNIVERSITY OF ARIZONAWWW.ELLER.ARIZONA.EDUFALL 2008 19

FEATUREREACHINGOUTFinding time for community outreachand student leadership in the middle of abusy MBA curriculum can be tough Butit can be done. 2008 graduates LeeannChristensen and Courtney Martin wererecognized for the contributions theymade over and above academics at theannual MBA awards in May. Both havenow relocated to Portland, Ore., forpositions with Intel.Christensen, now a consolidationanalyst, received the Rogers Award inCommunity Service, established by firstMBA class alumnus Tom Rogers (MBA ’53)to recognize an MBA student whoexemplifies volunteerism.She came to the Eller MBA programfrom Expedia.com, which sponsoredcompany-wide volunteer days. “I alwaysthought it was a good way to stayinvolved in the community,” she says,“So when I moved to Tucson, I registeredwith VolunteerMatch.org and wasmatched with Aviva Children’s Servicesas a life book writer.”The project was fun but time-consuming,so once the MBA program gotunderway, Christensen developed timemanagement strategies so she couldcontinue to give back. “I decided thatsingle-day projects would be better,” shesays. “One of the first things I organizedat Eller was a volunteer day at SaguaroNational Park.” Christensen contacted thepark and set up a day for MBAs to clearbuffelgrass, a non-native brush species.“I found that I was able to do more whenthe semester was starting or windingdown,” she says. Christensen also coordinatedan adopt-a-family effort over theholiday break and gathered a team toparticipate in the Arthritis Foundation’sRun for the Cure, both through theMBA Student Association.The association also provided a jumping-offpoint for Courtney Martin’sengagement with the MBA community,for which she was awarded the Ray H.Johnson Award in Leadership, establishedby Johnson and colleagues atPricewaterhouseCoopers to recognizeindividuals whose personal and professionalleadership qualities have made asubstantial difference at the College.“The Eller course load can beextremely demanding at times, so it wasoften difficult to balance courseworkwith extracurricular activities,” Martinsays. “But it was a priority for me,because it enhanced my overall experiencein the program.” While at Eller,Martin was an active participant in theUA Peace Corps Fellows Program, andworked with community organizationsincluding Catholic Relief Services andHouse of Neighborly Service.Martin also completed the McGuireEntrepreneurship Program, in whichshe and her team created a venturearound the concept of urban agriculture.“As a team I feel we met thischallenge with enthusiasm and creativityto fully articulate how our conceptcan enhance offerings in the marketplace,”she says. “At the same time, wewere able to address concerns aboutresource conservation,” she says.“Within my class, there were so manystudents who really went above andbeyond in leadership roles to create abetter learning, professional, and socialenvironment for everyone,” Martin continues.“I’m proud of the opportunity Ihad to work with such diverse studentsand develop personal and professionalrelationships with my colleagues.”Eller College photoLeeann ChristensenCourtney MartiniStock photo20 ELLER PROGRESS THE UNIVERSITY OF ARIZONAWWW.ELLER.ARIZONA.EDUFALL 2008 21

GATHERINGS GATHERINGS GATHERINGSSave theDATE2008-2009D I S T I N G U I S H E D S P E A K E R S E R I E SConnecting students with industry leaders.Jon Krosnick photoFATHAUER LECTURE IN POLITICAL ECONOMYThursday, October 16, 5:30 p.m. at McClelland Hall’s Berger AuditoriumJust in time for the presidential election, the Eller College presents anevening with political scientist Jon Krosnick of Stanford University —one of the country's leading experts in public opinion polling. Krosnickwill discuss the role and reliability of polling in politics. RSVP onlineat www.eller.arizona.edu/lecture.HOMECOMING 2008Saturday, October 25 at the UA CampusReunite with the Eller College and celebrate Homecoming 2008as the Wildcats take on the USC Trojans. Learn more and register online atwww.eller.arizona.edu/homecoming.IDEAFUNDING 2008: IDEA GENERATIONThursday, October 30, 8:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. at The Manning House, TucsonNow in its tenth year, IdeaFunding is a one-day workshop full of valuableresources for entrepreneurs. This year's event focuses on the processof idea generation and validation and company formation and launch.Find out more at www.ideafunding.org or call 520.621.4823.Brad Casper photoSteven Pearlstein photo1Each year, the Eller College brings high-profileexecutives from a variety of fields to The University ofArizona for the Distinguished Speaker Series. Theseleaders address topics and issues that affect organizations,industry, business, and community. Events beginat 5:15 p.m. at McClelland Hall’s Berger Auditorium witha reception following.Brad Casper (1) October 23, 2008President and CEO, Dial CorporationSteven Pearlstein (2) November 6, 2008ECONOMIC OUTLOOK LUNCHEONFriday, December 12, 11:30 a.m. at the Westin La Paloma, TucsonJoin us for lunch as UA economists Marshall J. Vest and Gerald J. Swansonreview the nation's current situation regarding budget deficits and national debt, and providean economic forecast for the state and metro economies. Reservations required.For information, visit www.eller.arizona.edu/outlook.William K. Reilly photo2Pulitzer Prize-winning economic and political journalistSponsored by Harris Private Bank.William K. Reilly (3) January 29, 2009Former Administrator, U.S. Environmental Protection AgencyPlease note: Dates and speakers subject to change. Check the websiteat www.eller.arizona.edu/speakers for current information.Gregory Crawford322 ELLER PROGRESS THE UNIVERSITY OF ARIZONAWWW.ELLER.ARIZONA.EDUFALL 2008 23

ALUMNI NOTES &PROFILESDavid Gemelli photoAmerican ClassicDavid J. Gemelli, MBA ’72President and CEO, Gem Gravure Company, Inc.David J. GemelliALL IN THE FAMILYFamily business accounts for 64 percent of the U.S. gross domestic product, according to a 2003study by Family Business Review. The same study found that family firms comprise 80 to 90 percent ofall business enterprises in North America. The American dream — and entrepreneurial drive — still motivatesindividuals to stake their futures on the conviction that it’s possible to find a successful niche inthe marketplace. Eller Progress checked in with three alumni who have joined familybusinesses in very different ways — but are all looking ahead to the next generation of success.From the time he was young, DavidGemelli worked summers in his father’s business,Hanover, Mass.-based Gem Gravure.Gemelli’s father Joseph is recognized as thefather of wire identification, or systems tomark on cables. Joseph was the eighth ofnine children — the first generation ofGemellis born in the U.S. to parents whoimmigrated from Italy — and put himselfthrough Northeastern University’s engineeringprogram while working days at a SimplexWire and Cable manufacturing plant. “It tookhim eight years to get through school,then Simplex promoted him to theengineering department, which was fullof guys from Harvard and MIT,” explainsGemelli. “He was the only one who hadworked in manufacturing and becamequite innovative in that area.” In 1952Joseph founded his own company, GemGravure. “Gem is for Gemelli, but alsomeans ‘twins’ in Italian, and Gravureis for photographically engravingplates used to mark cables, for whichhe received one of his six patents,”says Gemelli.Gemelli graduated with his businessadministration degree from theUniversity of Vermont in 1970, thendecided to come to The University ofArizona for his MBA. “I’ve been an EastCoast guy my whole life,” he says, “but Iwas always enthralled with the West.Coming to the UA gave me the opportunityto travel to California and LasVegas, plus experience Mexican-American culture.” After graduation, hefulfilled his military obligations as fieldartillery officer, then joined AmericanOptical as a cost analyst. A year later,he moved on to Polaroid as financialanalyst in the camera division.“By ’76, things were going well forme at Polaroid,” Gemelli says. “I hadasked my father if I could eventuallyALUMNIprofilejoin him at Gem. Dad was 61 at the timewith several health issues, and he came tome and said, ‘If you don’t come now, therewon’t be anything left for you.’” SoGemelli joined the family business. Underhis leadership it has grown from $1.5 millionin sales with 20 employees to $25million in sales with over 100 employees.“I have always been grateful for theopportunity,” Gemelli says. “My father hadtremendous values and great respect forpeople.” Gemelli has worked to keep hisfather’s values strong in Gem Gravure, andconsiders the company’s greatest assetsits employees and its customers.Another of his father’s values has alsoremained strong: “Dad was always a progressiveindividual: He knew we had toinnovate to stay alive.” One way GemGravure looks to the future is in workingwith environmentally friendly products.As for the future of the company,Gemelli hopes it will stay in the family. Histwo sons and daughter are in the businessnow. “The fact that my dad started thecompany means more to me than if Ihad started it myself,” he says. “It’s theAmerican dream: he started with nothing,from a first-generation family, put himselfthrough school, and built this successfulcompany. I know today he’d be mostproud of the way we treat each otherand our customers.”Staying True to the VisionSarah Brown Smallhouse, MBA ’88President, Thomas R. Brown Family FoundationSarah Brown Smallhouse grew up observing the familybusiness — her father Thomas cofounded Burr-BrownResearch Corporation, which was purchased by TexasInstruments in 2000 — but, she says, “It was definitely not aforegone conclusion that I’d work for Burr-Brown.”“Our family operated in such a way that we were veryengaged,” she continues. “My sister Mary and I attendedboard meetings, but we weren’t being groomed to takeover.” Smallhouse attended the University of Washingtonand earned her bachelor’s degree in economics, but wasinterested in natural resources. She returned to Arizona andbegan work with Southern Arizona Water ResourcesAssociation, a group formed to promote completion of theCentral Arizona Project to Southern Arizona. Then, she says,“A couple of the board members who were attorneysapproached me about working with their firm and I accepteda position as a paralegal in water law.”Smallhouse decided to go back to school a year and a halflater. “I wanted something versatile,” she says, “so it waseither going to be a JD or an MBA.” She chose the Eller MBAand graduated in 1988, then launched the business shedeveloped in the entrepreneurship program. “It was basedon passive evaporative cooling, a technology developed inthe UA Environmental Research Lab,” she says. Her companyworked with the U.S. Department of Transportation in earlyapplication of the technology: towers designed to createcool downward air flow. The first application was at reststop tourist kiosks, so visitors could read information undera cool breeze. They closed the company because the technologywas too simple and widely published to protect. Theearly towers were all custom-built, and too expensive forthe broader market.The Smallhouse family relocated to Alamos, Sonora,Mexico, where Smallhouse opened a real estate company. “Ihad some legal background and was fluent in both Englishand Spanish, so it worked well,” she says. She operated thecompany for about five years. “It was an interesting thing,because the market was so small in Alamos,” she says. “Itwas a very international crowd of people. There was a hugeexpatriate community, and it was a rich experience.”Thomas R. Brown Family Foundation photoALUMNIprofileSarah Brown Smallhouse (left front) and her sister Mary Brownwith Brown Foundation Board members Gerry Swanson,John Carter, and Michael Hard.In the late 1990s, her family established the Thomas R. BrownFoundation. “It was part of the overall family plan for giving backand developing a strategic vehicle for family philanthropy,”Smallhouse explains. “We tend to focus on gifts that are transformative,that help organizations do things they would notordinarily be able to do.” In addition to funding initiatives at theEller College and the College of Engineering, the Foundation hassupported a Tucson Medical Center-Pima Community Collegepartnership, the Critical Path Institute, and many others.“We got advice early on to think long-term, to think aboutways to help people be more capable on their own,” she says.“But we try not to pick something so long-term that we’ll neversee the results, or so big, that we will never see them reached.”Those goals dovetail nicely with what her father envisioned forBurr-Brown. “Our family’s situation exists only because of Burr-Brown,” she says. “And Burr-Brown was never a quest to makemoney. It was a quest to make things that benefit mankind. Wetry to stay true to that purpose in the philanthropic end ofthings and constantly remind people of my father’s successstory. We want to provide the foundation for people to repeatthat story.”24 ELLER PROGRESS THE UNIVERSITY OF ARIZONAWWW.ELLER.ARIZONA.EDUFALL 2008 25

ALUMNI NOTES &PROFILESAccelerating GrowthMarc Blackman, BSBA Business Economics ‘82President and CEO, Gold Eagle CompanyALUMNIprofileNews FROM ALUMNIUpdate your contact information and tell us what’s new: progress@eller.arizona.edu.Marc Blackman photoMarc BlackmanMarc Blackman represents the thirdgeneration to lead family-owned fueladditive manufacturer Gold EagleCompany, in this case, by marriage. “Mywife and I both went to The University ofArizona and had just gotten engaged,” hesays. “At graduation, my father-in-lawpulled me aside and said, ‘Someday, afteryou’ve got some experience, it’s not outof the question that you could lead thecompany.’” Although he never imaginedrunning a manufacturing company,Blackman kept the opportunity in theback of his mind.After college he joined a year-longtraining program with Conoco Oil focusedon the surface transportation environment.“About that time — like today — thebusiness was going south,” he says. “I alsodiscovered that operations managementwasn’t what I wanted to do.” He beganlooking at consumer products and joinedGallo Winery. “I was with Gallo for tenyears and loved it,” he says. “It’s also afamily business, so it gave me an idea ofhow a family business could operate as abig corporation.” Blackman was consideringanother promotion and relocating toSeattle when he sat down with his wifeand father-in-law to discuss Gold Eagle.“We decided it was time,” he says, “so wemoved the family from Denver to Chicagoinstead.”“I started with the company in a newlycreated position in the private label business,”he continues. “I knew a lot aboutmarketing and selling, but I had a lot tolearn when it came to the company andits products.” He moved up to head allcompany sales, then sales and marketing.“When I became president, I took over theoperations side,” he says. “As difficult as itis, it’s fascinating. We’ve implemented SixSigma and lean operations principles,things we hadn’t done in the past.” Thenin May 2007, at a 75th anniversary event,Blackman’s father-in-law surprised himby appointing him CEO.“There are pros and cons to working fora family-owned business,” Blackman says.In his own family, he’s seen war storiesplay out. “It’s nice to be the son-in-lawcoming in, because my father-in-lawdoesn’t think of me as a young child hewatched grow up,” he says. “On the challengingside, yes, you’re a part of thefamily and working like crazy because ifyou continue to grow to your potential, itwill be yours to run. On the other hand,you’re still working for the family, whichin some ways can be more challengingthan working for a corporation.”Blackman has an aggressive growthplan for the next five years. “We’re indirect competition with many companies,including Clorox’s STP brand andHoneywell’s Prestone,” he says. “Whatsets Gold Eagle apart is being both amanufacturer and a marketer. We are ableto be a private label supplier as well andadd value to these brands as a marketer.”That plan is part of Blackman’s overallvision for the company. ”Any family businessis challenged to change with thebusiness environment and not accept thestatus quo. In today’s market, companieshave to continually redefine themselvesto meet customer requirements and takeadvantage of opportunities. This is notalways easy for family businesses. It isthe choice between growth and death.”1990sRon Butler, BSBA Accounting ’91Ron was recently promoted to partner in charge ofthe Ernst & Young Phoenix office. As a result of hissuccess and commitment to helping others, he wasrecognized as an Outstanding Alumnus of theAccounting program in May 2008.Marty Metro, MBA ’94Marty was recruited by Andersen Consulting out ofthe MBA program. He left after eight years to createsomething that would make a significant impact onthe environment. His company, Used CardboardBoxes, Inc., acquires quality used boxes then resellsthem as low-cost and Earth-friendly moving kitscomplete with packing paper, tape, box cutters,and markers.Clint Jameson, BSBA Finance ’97In 2007, Clint formed CenterPointe DevelopmentGroup with fellow UA alumnus Jason Haun.CenterPointe is a commercial real estate developmentcompany that focuses primarily on the acquisition,development, entitlement, and constructionof high-quality neighborhood and communityshopping centers.2000sDoug Jennings, MBA ’00Doug was recently named director of business developmentand specialty sales of Lowe’s. Doug joinedLowe’s in 2005 as a senior analyst. Before joiningLowe’s, Doug was manager of sales and marketinganalysis for America West Airlines.Francesco Renna, Ph.D. in Economics ’01Francesco was promoted to associate professor atthe University of Akron. His research interestsinclude applied econometrics and labor economics.Patrick Horsman, BSBA Finance ’02Patrick is a managing partner at Blue SandSecurities in New York, which he co-foundedin 2002. He works on behalf of several tophedge funds and private equity funds to raiseassets from institutional investors includingfoundations, endowments, and familyinvestment offices.Jacob Kaldenbaugh, BSBA Finance ’03Jacob is the director of strategy and new businessdevelopment for the IT platform group atNEC Corporation of America, the U.S. subsidiaryof NEC Corporation, a Japanese technologysolutions provider.Surya Pandruvada, MBA ’03Surya is a senior analyst with FedEx inMemphis, TN.Joseph B. Baugh, MBA ’04Joseph recently earned his Ph.D. in organizationand management with a specialization inleadership from Capella University. Baugh isan adjunct instructor teaching informationtechnology and business classes at CochiseCollege and UA South, where he is also thefaculty coordinator for the BAS degree programin supervision.Nithin Iype, MBA ’05Nithin is a senior consultant with Ernst & YoungReal Estate Advisory Business Services in Safat,Kuwait. He and his wife welcomed a son,Joshua, on August 11.Trent Kruse, Master’s in Finance ’05Trent has recently been appointed investorrelations manager at JCPenney in Plano, TX.He has been with the company since graduatingthe UA in 2005, starting as a financial analystin planning.Brett Farmiloe, BSBA Accounting ’06After graduation, Brett foundedPursuethePassion.com, a website on whichhe shared interviews with individuals who lovetheir jobs that he and two friends conductedon a nationwide tour. The tour’s 2007 sponsor,Jobing.com, has now acquired Pursue the Passion,which Farmiloe will continue as a speakingand internship program.Steve Crouch, MBA ’07When Steve began the Eller Executive MBAprogram, he was driving implementation of theHoneywell Operating System as the aerospaceHOS deployment leader and Six Sigma leanmaster for the Sky Harbor Maintenance Repairand Overhaul Operations in Phoenix. Midwaythrough the Eller Executive MBA program, Stevewas recruited to lead the layout, design, andproduction flow programs for a new AerospaceHoneywell Manufacturing Center in an internationalemerging region.Will Harris, MBA ’07Will is currently enrolled in a highly competitivetwo-year fellowship program through RotaryInternational earning a Master’s in peace andconflict resolution in Buenos Aires, Argentina.Will’s focus will be on micro lending.Josh Hottenstein, BSBA MIS ’07After completing his BSBA, Josh entered themaster’s program in MIS at the Eller College,where he is also a teaching assistant, a researchassistant with the Center for the Managementof Information, and a leader in the MISGraduate Association.Melissa Howell, BSBA Marketing ’07After 11 months on the job with Rubbermaid inTexas, Melissa has been promoted, and ended2007 as the #1 Lowe’s representative on thecompany’s field performance tracker.Leo Medovyy, BSBA MIS ’07After earning his degree from the Eller College,Leo joined Simpleview, Inc. in Tucson as anintermediate developer.E L L E R C O L L E G E O F M A N A G E M E N T26 ELLER PROGRESS THE UNIVERSITY OF ARIZONAWWW.ELLER.ARIZONA.EDUFALL 2008 27

LAST WORD ON LeadershipLouise L. Francesconi,Former President, RaytheonMissile SystemsPROGRESS: You’ve made your mark in a male-dominated industry. What do you thinkaccounts for the great success you’ve had at Raytheon?LLF: I have had the great privilege of running Raytheon Missile Systems, and it’s a role Icame to without a technical background. I started in the finance department of the organization33 years ago, and I was always someone who was interested in learning everythingabout the industry that I could. My business background was a great asset, but this is ahighly technical field: I had to learn. I read and studied, I took formal classes in topics likepropulsion. It was also important for me to understand what other people do so that Icould give them the information they need. And finally, it was important to be willing toask questions. So many people are afraid to reveal when they don’t know something. Ifound it was very freeing within the organization; it created a culture of learning.F A C U L T Y N E W SCongratulationsto the Eller faculty members who receivedpromotions for the 2008-09 academic year.PROGRESS: What was the biggest surprise you encountered when you became president?Louise L. Francesconi stepped downfrom her role as president ofRaytheon Missile Systems and vicepresident of Raytheon Company inJuly 2008 and retired in September.A 33-year veteran of the defenseindustry, Francesconi was elected avice president of Raytheon andappointed general manager of MissileSystems in November 1999; she wassubsequently appointed presidentin August 2002. Francesconi hasgenerously shared her time with theEller College, and serves on theCollege’s National Board of Advisors.This fall, she will join the College asexecutive-in-residence.LLF: ‘Surprise’ isn’t quite the right word for it, but I’m a very accountable person, and theresponsibility for 12,000 families was something I felt very deeply. I’d long since preparedfor the business aspect, but feeling that personal accountability was something new.PROGRESS: What obstacles do you see to attracting new companies to Southern Arizona?LLF: I think Tucson needs to work on its infrastructure — highways, education, health care.Projections ten years into the future indicate a shortage of high-tech workers. This industryis very competitive, and to attract companies who will bring in these workers, Tucsonneeds to be affordable, with a high quality of life. It’s tough to attract these companiesnow, and it’s only going to get tougher.PROGRESS: What are you most proud of when you consider your time at Raytheon?LLF: One of the most exciting things has been the satellite shoot-down from February —it was a way to bridge defense technology into a civilian role. I think that most Americans,when they heard this story, understood that it was about safety. This is technology that istraditionally used for military applications being applied for the social good: we successfullydeployed it to protect people from a damaged U.S. spy satellite carrying toxic fuelthat was expected to crash into Earth.PROGRESS: Tell us about the interactions you’ve had with the Eller College during yourtime at Raytheon.LLF: I’ve always stayed close to the Eller College and its leadership and have alwaysbeen willing to come and talk with students. I’m excited about being an executive-inresidenceand look forward to getting involved through guest lecturing and mentoring —particularly of women — plus staying connected to youth and the issues that areimportant to them.Thomas BatesFinancePh.D., The University ofPittsburgh, 2000Thomas Bates has been promotedto associate professor offinance. His areas of expertiseinclude corporate finance, corporategovernance, mergers andacquisitions, and valuations.Gregory CrawfordEconomicsPh.D., Stanford University, 1998Gregory Crawford has beenpromoted to associate professorof economics. His researchempirically analyzes consumerand firm behavior in the presenceof incomplete or asymmetricinformation, particularlyin the cable television industry.Aleksander EllisManagement and OrganizationsPh.D., Michigan State University,2003Aleksander Ellis has been promotedto associate professor of managementand organizations. Hisresearch focuses on group andteam processes and effectiveness,stress in the workplace, trainingdesign and implementation, andonline bargaining.L E A D E R S H I P28 ELLER PROGRESSTHE UNIVERSITY OF ARIZONA

Undergraduate student club presidents pose with college namesake Karl Eller at his 80th birthday celebration.ELLER COLLEGE OF MANAGEMENTPO Box 210108Tucson, Arizona 85721-0108NONPROFIT ORG.U.S. POSTAGEPAIDTUCSON, ARIZONAPERMIT NO. 190Change Service RequestedWWW.eller.arizona.edu • Email us at progress@eller.arizona.eduVISIT WWW.INVESTINELLER.COM TO FIND OUT HOW YOU CAN GIVE BACK AND GET INVOLVED WITH THE ELLER COLLEGE.