2014 Business Leaders Magazine

A tradition of excellenceActing Dean Heather Norris takes the reins from two outstanding leaders

Business Leaders Magazine

2014

Business Leaders Magazine

2014

Walker College of

Our commitment to deliver transformational educational experiences to our students is steadfast

Welcome to this issue of Business Leaders Magazine. Throughout these pages, you will learn how our students are excelling in national competitions and see images of their experiences in Peacock Hall and beyond. We’ll share with you how our faculty members are actively engaged in research and service -- and about the transformational educational experiences they are delivering to our students. You’ll also read about our aim to modernize our newly renamed Peacock Hall.

As the college’s newly appointed acting dean, I look forward to building on the tradition of excellence set by Appalachian’s newly appointed interim Chief of Staff Randy Edwards and former dean and Chancellor Kenneth E. Peacock before him. In pursuit of our mission to deliver transformational educational experiences, we will continue to grow the many study abroad opportunities our students have, and we will further emphasize the importance of connecting industry professionals with our students. We will also underscore the importance of ethics and sustainability in our curriculum and continue to instill these values in our graduates.

Please consider giving back of your time and resources. As we embark upon the modernization of Peacock Hall, we need your membership in the Dean’s Club now more than ever. This annual giving society provides support for critical needs such as student scholarships, travel for student competitions or conferences and seed money to begin new programs in the college.

To learn how you can donate your time in the college, please contact Deanne Smith, Director of External Engagement, at 828 262-6221 or [email protected]. To make a financial pledge or donation, please contact Will Sears, Director of Development at 828 262-6231 or [email protected]. As always, we look forward to hearing your feedback on this publication and the college in general. We rely upon not only our active, hands-on Business Advisory Council listed below, but also our alumni community to ensure our success.

GREETINGS FROM THE WALKER COLLEGE

CHAIRJohn BelmanCEO, Standard Holding Corporation

VICE CHAIRDoug Johnson ’77CEO, Blue Ridge Electric Membership Corporation

J. Cantey Alexander III ’86President, Triad Region, BB&T

Roger L. BeahmExecutive Director, Center of Retail Innovations, Wake Forest University Schools of Business

Ryan Bolick ’01 Business Improvement Lead, Turner Broadcasting System, Inc.

H. Edward Boyles, Jr.Managing Director, Wells Fargo Securities

Marshall A. Croom ’86Senior VP & Chief Risk Officer, Lowe’s Companies, Inc.

Rick FinlayPartner, Conyers, Dill & Pearman

Benjamin Hamrick ’82CEO, Johnson, Price & Sprinkle, PA

Helen Hollifield ’87Tax Partner, Deloitte & Touche

Thomas H. Hudspeth, Jr. ’82, ’83Partner, PricewaterhouseCoopers

Roy McCrawRegional Chairman (ret.), Wachovia

Lynn MingesPresident & CEO, North Carolina Restaurant and Lodging Association

Beth MonaghanFounder & CEO, Monaghan Group

Charles V. Murray ’87President, Murray Supply Company

Phillip Ostwalt ’83Partner, KPMG, LLP

Kim Price ’77President & CEO (ret.), Citizens South Bank

Kenneth G. Reece ’73Sr. Vice President - Mid-Atlantic Region, First Tennessee Bank

Tony RomeroPresident & CEO (ret.), Privacy Data Systems

John Roos ’84Chief Sales & Marketing Officer (ret.), BCBS of North Carolina

Jack Sheffield, Jr.Managing Director/Client Advisor, Deutsche Bank Alex. Brown

John E. SilviaChief Economist, Wells Fargo Securities

Allan SingerManager, McNair Law Firm, PA

Gerry Smith ’70First VP Investments (ret.), Smith Barney

Hayes Smith ’82Managing Partner, Second Creek Development Company

Richard G. Sparks ’76, ’78President & CEO, Appalachian Regional Healthcare System

Jill Sparks ’91Executive Director, Small Business Center and Business Incubation, Asheville-Buncombe Technical Institute

Frank A. StewartPresident & Founder, Ultra Machine Co.

Richard Stroupe ’98Founder & Managing Principal, Crimson Holdings, LLC

David ThompsonCFO (ret.), WEDGE Capital Management, LLP

Joseph TowellCEO, Yadkin Bank

Mark E. Trivette ’83Partner (ret.), Transaction Advisory Svcs., Ernst & Young LLP

Brad Wall ’99Senior Vice President, Supply Chain Operations, Krispy Kreme

MEMBERS EMERITIW. Winfield Beroth ’65 William S. Creekmuir Robert G. Darst Joseph F. Freeman, Jr. Robin H. Gagnon ’82, ’95 Jamie Harris ’84 William R. Holland Scott Lampe ’94 Jeffrey A. Shepard Charlie Murray Jeffrey A. Shepard Frank H. Skidmore, Jr. Mike Steinback G.A. Sywassink ’94

Heather H. Norris Acting Dean, Walker College of Business

CONTENTS

4 Student Spotlight 5 Newly hired managing director

elevates the Transportation Insight Center for Entrepreneurship

6 Cross-disciplinary collaboration leads to potential business

8 Appalachian dominates financial analyst competition

10 Globally Minded 10 Walker College International

Programs: by the numbers

14 Making sustainability and affordability a reality: Appala-chian’s Solar Decathlon entry, Maison Reciprocity, is a row house with a strong foundation in business

17 Management professor Jim Westerman appointed Appalachian sustainability fellow

18 Faculty Highlights18 Five honored with Sywassink

awards for excellence

20 Leadership changes: Norris appointed acting dean, four receive new academic posts

20 Engaging Opportunities22 Women in Business: Mentoring

program allows special opportunity for female students

25 Appalachian alumni awards: Walker College alumni Marshall Croom and Preston Powell honored by alumni association

26 Modernizing Peacock Hall: A newly renamed building will provide the backdrop for cutting- edge instruction and programs essential to success in a global environment

On the Cover From left, former Chancellor Kenneth E. Peacock, Walker College of Business acting Dean Heather Norris and Appalachian’s interim Chief of Staff Randy Edwards stand in front of the new Peacock Hall sign, which was revealed June 27. Both Peacock and Edwards recently served as Walker College deans, which is a role that helps set the tone for an engaged university, and transformational programs that ensure the success of our business graduates.

Acting DeanHeather Norris

Associate Dean, International ProgramsMarty Meznar

Acting Associate Dean, Undergraduate Programs and AdministrationTim Forsyth

Assistant Dean, Graduate Programs and Research Sandy Vannoy

Director of DevelopmentWill Sears

Director of External EngagementDeanne Smith

Editor/LayoutHaley Childers

Contributing WritersJane NicholsonRob Robertson

PhotographersSabrina Cheves Marie Freeman

Walker College of Business Leaders MagazineThe Business Leaders Magazine is published annually by the Office of the Dean for alumni, faculty, staff and friends of the Walker College of Business.

Appalachian State University is committed to equality of educational opportunity and does not discriminate against applicants, students or employees on the basis of race, color, national origin, religion, sex, age, disabling condition or sexual orientation. Appalachian also actively promotes diversity among students and employees.

22,500 copies of this document were printed at a cost of $12,259 or 54 cents per copy.

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4 | Walker College of Business

Students earning an MBA at Appalachian State University may choose from seven individualized concentrations, effective fall 2014.

The degree, which is offered in an accelerated time frame allowing students to complete the program in one year by attending full-time classes year-round, may now be specialized in the fields of: business analytics, economics, interdisciplinary business, international business, leading and managing human resources, supply chain management or sustainable business.

“These new concentrations allow for a more individualized academic experience,” said Sandra Vannoy, assistant dean of graduate programs at the Walker College. “We found demand in the work force for a more specialized degree, as well as interest in the additional concentrations from surveyed prospective students.”

Previously, students could choose from only general management, sustainable business and international business. General management was eliminated as a concentration.

All degree options require 27 core hours, an additional nine hours in the selected concentration, plus an international experience. Each student is expected to develop a core set of competencies including functional business knowledge, leadership and teamwork skills, analytical and critical thinking skills, responsiveness to domestic and global business environments, appreciation for diversity and multiculturalism as well as ethical and legal responsibilities, professional development and communication skills.

The Walker College aims to accommodate working professionals seeking to enhance their careers through a part-time, evening program. Students in the part-time program attend classes part-time year-round, two nights a week in either Hickory, N.C., or on Appalachian’s campus in Boone. █

New concentrations for MBA studentsAppalachian’s

Summer 2014 cohort is pictured in front of Peacock Hall during

their orientation. Rolling admission is offered so that

students may begin in fall, spring or

summer.

Student Spotlight

Business Leaders Magazine | 5

Shark tank event gives student-run businesses opportunity for growth

Three student entrepreneur teams pitched their business ideas to a panel of expert judges Jan. 27, 2014. The event allowed the students to receive constructive criticism and win funding from a “shark tank” panel of judges. The campus event was modeled after the television show “Shark Tank,” which has run on ABC since 2009 and features entrepreneurs interested in gaining financial assistance from investors.

The student teams consisted of aspiring or current entrepreneurs who are members of the Association of Student Entrepreneurs. The teams were pre-selected to present projects they worked on during the fall 2013 semester. Presentations topics included: establishing a “Local Coffee Store” in Peacock Hall; “Tune Muze,” a music recommendation website that considers itself “Twitter meets Pandora,” and “BootstrAPPS,” a student-run, student brand and store that sells products made by Appalachian students, currently located in the University Bookstore.

Each student group received valuable feedback from the judges about their businesses and on how they might make them more successful. The judges awarded a total of $5,000 among the groups. The coffee store was awarded $2,000 to help with purchasing equipment for their location in the Transportation Insight Center for Entrepreneurship, housed in Peacock Hall. BootstrAPPS was awarded $3,000 to use for marketing activities and store renovations.

The judges (pictured below, from left) were Lifestore CEO Bob Washburn, retail entrepreneur Karyn Herterich, and Blowing Rock Town Council member and entrepreneur Dan Phillips. Herterich also sponsored the event. █

New managing director elevates center for entrepreneurship

Erich Schlenker

“ERICH SCHLENKER BRINGS CORPORATE, SMALL BUSINESS,

EMERGING MARKETS AND NON-PROFIT EXPERIENCE TO THIS

POSITION AND WILL BUILD ON THE CENTER’S SUCCESS ON CAMPUS.”

Erich Schlenker joined the staff in the Walker College January 2014 as managing director of the Transportation Insight Center for Entrepreneurship. Schlenker joins faculty director Ben Powell in leading the center and coaching students in forming and operating their own businesses.

Schlenker brings a range of experience to the position. He worked 11 years at Intel Corporation, where he managed a decentralized team to coordinate and synchronize marketing and branding strategies with top PC manufacturers worldwide. Most notably, he managed the market development team that launched and coordinated the Intel Inside® brand campaign in the U.S., European and Asia-Pacific markets and received the Intel Achievement Award for his efforts, the highest honor an employee can achieve at Intel Corporation. Prior to moving to the High Country in 2008, Erich founded and operated Synaptis, a Raleigh-based software training company supporting enterprise wide financial and human resource planning applications.

“I am very pleased that Erich has joined the staff as managing director of the Transportation Insight Center for Entrepreneurship,” said then-Dean Randy Edwards. “Erich brings corporate, small business, emerging markets and non-profit experience to this position and will build on the center’s success on campus.”

Housed in the Walker College of Business, the center was created

in 2006 and named for Hickory-based company Transportation Insight following a significant gift to support the center in 2011, when a 1,700-square-foot, contemporary space was opened in Peacock Hall. The center includes four offices, a student lounge, meeting area and incubator office space for student entrepreneurs.

In addition to offering support to students who are launching businesses, the center’s staff develops innovative programs, seminars and activities for Appalachian students of all majors, and builds bridges between the university and regional business and community leaders.

The Carole Moore McLeod Entrepreneur Summit, one of the center’s most popular initiatives, is open to the public and is scheduled for Oct. 3, 2014. For information about this or other activities and opportunities, or to begin a relationship with the center, contact Erich Schlenker, 828 262-6196, [email protected] or visit entrepreneurship.appstate.edu. █


Cross-disciplinary collaboration leads to potential businessA design for a therapeutic glove that could

help improve dexterity and grip strength for children and adults resulted in a $15,000 award to an interdisciplinary team of Appalachian students.

Junior industrial design major Bailey Williams from Advance designed and created a prototype for gloves with magnets in the finger tips as part of a design class in the Department of Technology and Environmental Design in the College of Fine and Applied Arts. Students in the class were challenged to design a product for a specific disability. Williams’ assignment was for 2 to 5-year olds with limited fine motor abilities.

While she initially wasn’t excited about the task, as Williams researched the challenges affecting the assigned demographic, she became more excited about its potential. “First I had to do the research on what children’s fine motor skills were,” Williams said about the first step in her design process. “I found that children with dyspraxia can have impaired gross and fine-motor abilities. I felt passionate about those children who may have trouble getting dressed

in the morning, feeding themselves or playing outside,” she said.

She designed a toothbrush and a spoon that might be easy to hold, which led to gloves that could help strengthen the hand. Her design, called MagnaGrips, uses small magnets placed in the glove’s finger tips to mimic the pinching motion needed to grip or hold items.

Williams, an apparel minor, used her sewing skills to create samples of her design. The more people she shared the mock ups with, the more she learned of other potential users, such as stroke victims working to improve their grip and hand strength. “The beauty of this product is that every time we show it to someone else they come up with 10 more ways it can be used,” said Williams, who consulted with an occupational therapist at Watauga Medical Center. “I was amazed that something so simple could be so helpful,” she said.

That’s what good design is about, said Kern Maass, Appalachian’s Associate Dean of the College and Fine and Applied Arts. “I

Jason Capps, left, Bailey Williams

and Mary Oshana won $15,000 at the

Texas Christian University Values and

Ventures Business Plan Competition for their business

plan to manufacture and distribute a

therapeutic glove designed by Williams to improve dexterity and grip in children

and adults.


tell students that if you design for the fringes, you solve for the masses,” he said of design methodology. “And that’s certainly true of Bailey’s project.” After students in her industrial design class were invited to compete for a chance to enter the Texas Christian University’s Values and Ventures Business Plan Competition, Williams enlisted the help of senior Mary Oshana, a family and consumer science and secondary education major, and senior finance and banking major Jason Capps to develop and present a business plan.

Their plan was selected out of more than two dozen proposals from others in her industrial design class to take to Texas. Williams and her team were mentored for the competition by Erich Schlenker, managing director of the Transportation Insight Center for Entrepreneurship located in the Walker College, as well as professors in the business college.

Their presentation won second place at the competition and a $15,000 award. Since winning the competition, Williams has been busy exploring manufacturing and market outlets for her product and plans to use her portion of the winnings to take her product to market.

“If Erich hadn’t told us about the TCU competition, this would be just another idea in my sketchbook,” Williams said. “I was impressed by the venture capitalists that approached us after the competition,” added Capps of the activity that has followed the April 2014 competition.

The therapeutic glove design has been protected by a provisional patent application filing thanks to assistance from Schlenker, mentor Art Thompson and patent attorneys with Womble Carlyle in Greensboro.

Schlenker said competitions, such as the one held at TCU, help students apply classroom knowledge to real-world applications. “When you take a concept out of the classroom, and in this case take it to a rehabilitation center at a hospital, a special-needs instructor at a high school and a mentor who has experience bringing product to market, it makes what they are learning in class real,” he said.

Williams is planning a Kickstarter campaign to help raise additional funds online to take her product to market, which would also keep her as sole owner of the company she has named Magna Pro Solutions. “I definitely want to carry it forward and create a business out of it,” she said of the class project. “So many people came up to us at the business plan competition and told us how a family member could use this product in so many different ways. We really want get the gloves out to address those needs as soon as we

can.”

Capps added, “I not only learned about business plans and entrepreneurial finance but also about teamwork, the struggles of starting a real business, thinking on my feet and decision making.”

While studying Finance and Banking in the Walker College, Asheville native Jason Capps was a member of the Walker Fellows, the Finance Student Association and the Bowden Investment Group. Capps also completed an internship in commercial lending and is now a commercial lending associate at Asheville Savings Bank.

The Walker College encourages students to become engaged in student professional associations, clubs and organizations as well as research and project collaboration across disciplines. For information on finding a niche in the Walker College, prospective or current students should visit business.appstate.edu/students. █

Top, from left, mentor Linda Nelson, Bailey Williams, Mary Oshana, Jason Capps and Erich Schlenker during the TCU Values and Ventures competition. Above, the patent-pending design by junior Bailey Williams, called MagnaGrips, uses small magnets placed in the glove’s finger tips to mimic the pinching motion needed to grip or hold items.


Appalachian dominates financial analyst competitionFive students won the 2014 N.C. CFA

Institute Research Challenge, besting student teams from Elon University, N.C. State University and UNC Wilmington.

Team members are Madison Bigham, Jack Bishop, Clark Featherstone, Zach Lavasque and Cameron Newell. All are finance and banking majors and members of the college’s Bowden Investment Group (BIG), a competitively selected group of students who manage a live portfolio as course work. The group was established in 2000 by Elbert V. Bowden to provide students the opportunity to gain investment experience.

The students presented their analysis and buy/sell/hold recommendations on Krispy Kreme Corporation. Their presentation at the CFA Society North Carolina was the culmination of months of research, interviews with company management, competitors and clients and presentation training. They were mentored by CFA member Chris Pavese.

“I am proud of these students. They are great representatives of Appalachian State University,”

said Finance Professor Dr. Delbert Goff. “Their victory makes three in a row for Appalachian in the North Carolina competition. Appalachian teams have won in four of the six years that the competition has been held in North Carolina, and Appalachian is the only university in the state to have a team in the finals in all six years.”

Appalachian’s team, part of the business college’s Bowden Investment Group, advanced to the Americas Regional competition in Denver, Colorado to compete against teams from the United States, Canada and Latin America.

The CFA Institute Research Challenge gathers students, investment industry professionals, publicly traded companies and corporate sponsors together locally, regionally and globally for an annual competition. In order to promote best practices in equity research and company analysis, students research, analyze and report on a company as if they are practicing analysts. █

Walker College of Business students Zachary Lavasque,

left, Cameron Newell, Madison Bigham,

Jack Bishop and Clark Featherstone won the

N.C. CFA Institute Research Challenge.


Insurance students continue to dominate in national competition

For the fifth consecutive year, a Walker College student has won the AAMGA Distinguished Chair Student Research Contest. Alyssa Bouchard RMI ’14 was chosen as one of two winners following AAMGA’s 2014 call for white papers focusing on “issues and dilemmas faced by organizations and individuals in the Wholesale or Excess and Surplus and/or Surplus Lines industry, specifically where the industry is headed in the future.”

Bouchard’s paper, “Pandemic Insurance: The Future of Excess and Surplus Lines,” detailed the impacts of pandemics on the insurance marketplace and took top honors among all papers from other RMI programs nationwide. Winning papers are selected based on soundness of industry knowledge, usefulness to other members of the industry and innovation and creativity. Her paper was published in the May issue of the AAMGA’s Wholesale Insurance News magazine.

AAMGA’s executive director, Bernie Heinze, noted that seven of the top 10 scores of white paper contestants were from Appalachian. “We can all be extremely proud of these young men and women and the solid foundation they receive from the professors and the program to give each of them a head start in their successful career journeys,” said Heinze.

Heinze, middle, and Bouchard, second from right, are pictured below with other competitors during the 2013 AAMGA University East event in Atlanta, Ga.

Previous winners from Appalachian are Steven Schallau in 2013, Justin Litaker in 2012, Lisa Blair in 2011 and Ben Robbins in 2010. █

2014 top business student Davis Roberts earned the honor of top business student at Appalachian

for 2014. The award, presented during the Walker College honors reception, is an honor presented to only one student per academic year. The selection is based on high academic performance, as well as engagement in academic and extracurricular activities at both the college and university levels. Roberts earned his undergraduate degree in marketing and management with minors in supply chain management and international business. He was a 2013 member of the Holland Fellows for Business Study in China, Beta Gamma Sigma, the Supply Chain Club and the American Marketing Association. Roberts also worked as assistant director of video services, production, for Appalachian’s football program. Roberts is the 33rd Walker College student to receive the honor. █

1984 Robert N. Willis Jr.1985 Kevin P. Boudreau1986 Jill F. Lyerly1987 Ying Liu1988 Matthew V. Hollifield1989 Julie D. Arnold1990 Margrit Kuratli1991 Bruce K. Billings1992 Tracy G. Peeler1993 Steven T. DeVoe1994 Angela C. Matherly

1995 Larry B. Pierce1996 William S. Dunkley1997 Patricia F. Sheridan1998 Sally E. Choate1999 Jason M. Hensley2000 Andrew H. Sain2001 Ryan L. Bolick2002 Laura F. Dudney2003 Carmen M. Kluttz2004 Jeremiah B. Gregory2005 Katie L. Myers

2006 Kelly N. Lorenz2007 Helen E. Archer2008 Lory A. Farrington2008 Sarah M. Killian2008 Giedre D. Taylor2009 Joshua A. Gates2009 Mason D. Norman2010 David M. Towarnicky2011 Peter A. Rowe2012 Daniel F. Favitta2013 Nathan J. Healy

“WE CAN ALL BE EXTREMELY PROUD OF THESE YOUNG MEN AND WOMEN

AND THE SOLID FOUNDATION THEY RECEIVE... TO GIVE EACH OF THEM A

HEAD START IN THEIR SUCCESSFUL CAREER JOURNEYS.”

Honors Convocation speaker Joe Towell, CEO of Yadkin Bank (left), and then Dean Randy Edwards (right) present the top student award to Davis Roberts.

Best of the Best


Twelve short-term study abroad programs demonstrate the global reach of the Walker College

During the fall 2013 and spring 2014 semesters, students in the Walker College had new opportunities to explore the world. There were twelve study abroad trips available, including a trip to Africa for the third consecutive year.

The May 2014 trip to Malawi and Zambia was an interdisciplinary study of sustainable development and social entrepreneurship. The 15-day experience featured instruction from Department of Management professor Heather Dixon Fowler and Sustainable Development assistant professor Jennifer Westerman, which allowed participants a variety of perspectives regarding issues on site. Over the course of the trip, students explored preservation efforts of national parks, learned about permaculture and its importance in food security in Malawi, and visited income-generating social ventures in Malawi and Zambia. Hands-on field projects

provided the ideal environment for students to learn about social responsibility, sustainable development and economic impacts of even small enterprises and the importance of cultural understanding.

Students on the first delegation to Africa (in 2012) worked with villagers to research the feasibility of establishing a maize mill, including start-up costs, monthly operating costs and projected revenue. They determined that start-up costs could be recovered in the first year of operation. After returning home, the students remained engaged with the African nation by forming the Sustainable Services Initiative Club on campus to explore solutions to community challenges - including collecting funds for the proposed maize mill and for children’s school fees.

On the second program to Malawi (2013), students met William Kamkwamba, co-author of the international best-selling book “The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind.” The book relates his story of how he achieved his dream of bringing electricity, light and the promise of a better life to his family and his Malawi village of Wimbe.

Walker College International ProgramsOpposite, two

international learning environments

complement the traditional classroom

experience. Top: Students participate

in an African safari during a program to Malawi and Zambia.

Bottom: Summer Business Program

participants in Angers, France learn

from Appalachian professors at the

Université d’Angers.

6 1240

16818

$2,700

Continents visited

Average length of stay in days*

Students spending a semester or longer abroad

Number of students traveling abroad*

Countries visited

Average out-of-pocket cost per student*

$ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $Globally Minded By the Numbers

* Reflects short term programs only.

Number of students traveling abroad*

Global Opportunities Conference Focused on Cuba Today

The 2013 Global Opportunities Conference marked the sixth annual event and focused on “Cuba Today.” Attendees heard first-hand, breaking news of the changes taking place in this island nation.

In the past five years, Cuba has been “updating” its economic model -- opening to foreign investment, allowing Cubans the possibility of selling cars and homes, moving toward eliminating the dual currency system, and permitting increasing numbers of self-employed entrepreneurs.

Dr. Humberto Blanco, keynote speaker and director of the University of Havana’s Center for Research of the Cuban Economy, spoke about these changes and their ramifications for Cuban society, with particular emphasis on the “cuentapropistas” – those private business owners. Dr. Blanco joined two panel discussions: “Social and Economic Dynamics in Strategic Change” and “International Dimensions in Cuba’s Transformational Process.”

Panels included perspectives from Appalachian’s Dr. Renee Scherlen, professor of political science and Dr. Joseph Gonzalez, professor of cultural, gender and global studies. UNC-Chapel Hill’s Dr. Rosa Perelmuter, professor of Hispanic literature, and Saul Berenthal, chief operating officer of Cuban Heritage Experiences, contributed their professional knowledge and personal experience as Cuban-Americans to the discussion.

The annual Global Opportunities Conference highlights innovative and entrepreneurial ways of addressing global challenges. The goal of the conference is to inspire students, faculty and the local community to use their knowledge and skills in the business of building a better world.

The 2015 Global Opportunities Conference on “Business for Good” will be held on Friday, April 10, and will feature keynote speaker Doc Hendley, 2009 CNN Hero and founder and president of the non-profit organization “Wine to Water.” The event is open to the public at no charge, but registration is required. For more information or to register, visit goc.appstate.edu. █

Meredith Church, Walker College international programs coordinator and student advisor, also offered a first-hand experience of that second-year trip. “It can take a village to show students how they can play a role in building a better world. Year after year different student groups return to Malawi and are welcomed with open arms to explore solutions to community challenges. This trip continues to be a good fit with our mission to develop socially minded leaders for global opportunities.”

The Africa trip is one of a growing number of study abroad opportunities available through the college’s International Programs. During the 2013 - 2014 academic year, 168 graduate and

undergraduate students studied abroad in 18 countries, including Belize, Brazil, China, Costa Rica, Cuba, England, France, Malawi, Panama, Poland and Zambia, on six continents.

Although trip leaders make every effort to keep costs reasonable for international travel, the expense is prohibitive for most students. “We do our best to provide scholarship assistance when available,” said Associate Dean for International Programs Marty Meznar. “However, there is a great need for additional support.”

More information on this and other study abroad opportunities can be found at the Walker College International Programs website: international.business.appstate.edu. █


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In Pictures[1] Walker College students traveled to Poland May 15 - 26, where they collaborated with Polish students from Adam Mickiewicz University on a business project to better un-derstand the Polish culture and the perceptions of EU/Polish - US relations. The students are pictured by the

Uprising Monument in Warsaw, Poland. [2] Six business students helped comprise a delegation of 12 from Appalachian who traveled to Belize during an Appalachian Alternative Spring Experience, March 8-15. The students partnered with Sustainable Harvest International to observe the supply chain of the chocolate industry and assist local farmers in planting trees. [3] The Walker College offered a faculty-led program, Business, Society and Sustainability, that included


6travel to the Amazon and the Northeastern coast of Brazil. In 2014, the students were in Brazil prior to the World Cup and are pictured visiting the Manaus World Cup Stadium. [4] A partnership between Appalachian and the University d'Angers in France was forged in 2013 that provides students a five-week study abroad opportunity, allowing for more thorough understanding of international culture. The students receive instruction from Appalachian professors on site in Angers.

Photo by Nick Byers [5] A view of the Basilica de Nuestra Senora taken by Computer Information Systems Professor Ken Corley, who led the annual trip to Costa Rica in 2014. Students in the program follow the complete supply chain in the or-ganic coffee industry. [6] Jordan Shoaf, an MBA student who participated in the Brazil trip, takes the MBA program to new heights as he displays his Appalachian apparel while visiting Macchu Picchu, Peru. █


Sustainable Business

Team Réciprocité members: Associate

Professor of Building Science

Jamie Russell (faculty advisor),

Associate Professor of Economics Ash

Morgan, MBA Student Jesse Pipes

(student business manager) and

Assistant Professor of Building Science

Jason Miller (faculty director of design)

stand in front of Appalachian’s Solar

Decathlon Entry in Versailles, France.

(Photo by Carrie Morgan)


Appalachian’s 2014 entry in the Solar Decathlon Europe may be a viable construction option for the general public.

Walker College Economics Professor Ash Morgan and MBA student Jesse Pipes were among the students and faculty on Team Réciprocité, the Appalachian delegation that worked on the university’s entry into the Solar Decathlon Europe in Versailles, France in July 2014.

Maison Reciprocity is an innovative part-to-whole design that reimagines the traditional row house, a familiar icon of American history that transformed single-family houses into durable, multifamily neighborhoods. Shared walls, zero lot lines, flexible programming, and connections to the street endorse an energy-efficient, naturally scaled community atmosphere not possible in standalone suburban houses or vertical developments. Row houses conserve energy resources and minimize material use, fostering a life cycle design approach that balances economic costs with environmental impacts and social needs with social goals.

Constructed in Boone and transported by cargo ship to the coast of France in 32-foot modules, the house was then trucked to Versailles and re-assembled by the Appalachian students in 10 days, prior to the start of the two-week competition, which included 10 juried competitions.

The juried competitions comprised the bulk of the competition, but the students also gave tours of the net-zero energy row house to the thousands who visited the Solar Village competition site.

In the end, Appalachian came away with first place and third place wins in the energy-balance and social housing juried competitions, respectively.

Born from a cross-campus

collaboration based in the Department of Technology and Environmental Design, which drew on faculty and student consultants in colleges including the Walker College of Business, Maison Reciprocity has a solid structure, literally and fundamentally.

The partnership the Walker College has forged through the Summer Business Program with the French host university, the Université d’Angers in France, was further strengthened. But what the concept means in the states may be more significant.

By promoting Sustainable Evolution through Education and Development, Maison Reciprocity serves as a model for how Americans can rethink, relive and reimagine our social environment.

Team Réciprocité has provided an adaptable, affordable, market-ready and community-centric solution.

“Sustainable and affordable communities produce energy, investment and jobs while promoting healthy and efficient living spaces,” said Team Réciprocité Student Business Manager Jesse Pipes. “The house is a market-ready model for the future development of communities by creating involvement through an adaptable, dynamic living system.”

Pipes was responsible for market analysis for the project and worked closely on site with Walker College Economics Professor Ash Morgan, who led the cost-benefit analysis and conducted market viability research.

The affordability of Maison Reciprocity row-houses encourages people to abandon traditionally sought-after detached suburban homes. As density of a development increases, the cost per unit decreases. Attaching units linearly serves as an important role in achieving affordability. The row configuration is more suited to a form, dimensions and overall geometry that are simple and economic. Instead of relying on

Making sustainability and affordability a reality

Interior photos by B. Dudley Carter


traditional agents of urban development – concrete, steel, labor, machinery, time and cost – Maison Reciprocity collapses these variables by exploiting the advantages of modular building assembly that can expand and contract according to need and function.

Developments designed to accommodate both living and working space take many forms and can respond to the needs of many niche markets. These developments are, by definition, examples of mixed use and go a long way toward establishing the critical mass necessary to form a unique urban neighborhood. In some cities, live/work developments have been the catalyst needed to create a downtown neighborhood, while in others, affordable live/work rental housing preserves the affordability of living

downtown while adding to the vitality of a downtown neighborhood.

According to the project business team, Winston Salem is in a solid position to experiment with the concept of a nodal community developed on the live/work platform. With an estimated payback period of four to six years depending on final production model product choices and annual energy savings of nearly $4,000 a year, Maison Reciprocity offers an energy-efficient, affordable alternative to standard construction models. Production costs for construction range from an estimated $125 to $175 per square foot.

Maison Reciprocity is the second Appalachian design to compete in a Solar Decathlon event. Appalachian last competed in the U.S. Department of Energy’s 2011 Solar Decathlon with its

Solar Homestead design.

Created in 2002 by the U.S. Department of Energy, the Solar Decathlon is an international competition open to universities and institutions of higher education that has expanded to Europe and China. It challenges students to design, build and operate cost effective, energy efficient and attractive solar-powered houses. The goal of the Solar Decathlon is to improve the transmission of knowledge, research and experimentation in the field of solar energy. Appalachian’s house was one of 20 competition houses from 16 countries and three continents on display in the Versailles solar village. █

THE TERM “RECIPROCITY” SPEAKS TO THE CLARITY OF OPPOSITE, OR RECIPROCAL, RELATIONSHIPS

AND THE MUTUAL, COOPERATIVE EXCHANGE BETWEEN COMPLEMENTARY PARTS TO ACHIEVE A SYMBIOTIC BALANCE.

Team members make final adjustments to a business plan for Maison Reciprocity prior to the competition. (Photo by Jesse Pipes)


Management professor Jim Westerman appointed as Appalachian sustainability fellow

Management Professor Jim Westerman will work to strengthen the university’s sustainability efforts by engaging in the development, support and encouragement of new initiatives related to sustainability in curriculum and research. As the first faculty member to hold the half-time position, Westerman will serve as a liaison between the Office of Sustainability and Appalachian’s Office of Academic Affairs, the Sustainability Council, faculty, staff, administration and students.

“Sustainability is an important core value at Appalachian as evidenced by the number of faculty who weave the concepts of sustainability and civic responsibility into their courses and research,” said Dr. Lori S. Gonzalez, Appalachian’s provost and executive vice chancellor of academic affairs. “Dr. Westerman’s expertise in guiding curriculum development and his track record of scholarship and research will further strength Appalachian’s goal of expanding sustainability-related coursework and research across campus and equipping students with the skills that will prepare them to be responsible citizens and leaders in their communities.”

With the new position, Appalachian joins the growing rank of universities and colleges such as the University of Vermont, Elon University and the University of Wisconsin-Eau Clair that have academic positions designed to promote academic sustainability programs, broaden sustainability across the curriculum and support research initiatives. Westerman will retain the position throughout the

2014-2016 academic years.

“Jim’s knowledge of and passion for sustainability, coupled with his experience and leadership on Appalachian’s campus make him an ideal partner in our ongoing effort to demonstrate and educate for a sustainable future,” said University Sustainability Director Ged Moody.

In his letter of application, Westerman wrote, “I was motivated to pursue my Ph.D. to address social, economic and environmental justice in the manner that I found to be most impactful – educating vast numbers of students who can change the future to be more sustainable. For me, sustainability is not just a high-minded, theoretical pursuit. It is grounded in personal experience and resulting intense desire to create meaningful change.”

Westerman’s research on sustainability and ethics has been published in numerous peer-reviewed journals. He is a past recipient of the Sywassink Award for Excellence in Teaching and the Board of Governor’s Award for Excellence in Teaching. Westerman already is active in the campus wide sustainability movement, helping to develop a proposal for a sustainable business minor to be offered that would include courses in sustainable development, anthropology, sociology, technology and political science. “I am deeply interested in advancing sustainability efforts on this campus, and I believe I have the motivation and experience to successfully launch this position in a meaningful and effective way,” Westerman wrote. █

A new take on study abroad: Summer Business Program

Thirteen Appalachian students recently participated in a unique international experience, a Summer Business Program, in Angers, France. The participants had the opportunity to spend more than twice as long overseas as traditional short-term study abroad participants. Whereas the average experience is 12 days in duration, the Summer Business Program offers students a month-long opportunity to immerse themselves in another cultural.

Between May 26 - June 28, 2014 the students collaborated with 27 Université d’Angers students, creating an intercultural classroom experience. The group received instruction from Appalachian professors in the fields of marketing and finance, and both undergraduate and graduate students participated. The program features four pre-program classes for Appalachian students on French culture and language, a three-day, in-country orientation, and three days of cultural visits in Paris.

The program grew from nine Appalachian students in 2013, and the college aims to continue the program with 12-15 Appalachian students annually. “Along with the Holland Fellows for Business Study in China, the Summer Business Program is another opportunity to work longer term with students from another university in a structured curriculum,” said Walker College Associate Dean for International Programs Marty Meznar.

The 2014 participants had the added opportunity to visit fellow Appalachian students competing simultaneously at the Solar Decathlon competition field in Versailles. The solar village was a two-hour train ride from the Summer Business Program host school, the Université d’Angers. Jesse Pipes, who served as the Student Business Manager for Appalachian’s Solar Decathlon team, was also a participant of the Summer Business Program. █


Four faculty members and one staff member have received the 2014 Sywassink Award for Excellence. The awards recognize excellence in teaching, service, research and contributions by a non-tenure track faculty member and a staff member. Presented annually, the awards are made possible by a contribution from G.A. Sywassink, chairman and CEO of Standard Holding Corporation of Charlotte. Assistant Professor Sandy Vannoy received the award for excellence in teaching. Professor Dawn Medlin was honored for her research contributions. The award for excellence in service was presented to Professor Mark Strazicich. Lecturer Jonathan Allen was honored as the outstanding non-tenure track faculty member, and Tung Ong was honored as the outstanding staff member.

Dr. Sandy Vannoy, a member of the Depart-ment of Computer Information Systems faculty, teaches courses on organizational information systems, software development and social com-puting. Regarding her teaching style, Vannoy said, “It is important to me that my students feel valued and that my classroom creates an

environment conducive to learning and intellec-tual development.” Vannoy began her career at Appalachian as a lecturer in 1998 and earned the Sywassink Award for non-tenure track faculty excellence in 2002. Vannoy was promoted to assistant professor in 2010 after earning her doctorate in information systems from the Uni-versity of North Carolina at Greensboro. In 2014, Vannoy was appointed assistant dean of graduate programs and research for the Walker College.

Research award recipient Dr. Dawn Medlin also is a member of the Department of Computer Information Systems. She served as department chairperson from 2007 - 2013. Medlin’s research fo-cuses on security, web design, global information systems and health care informatics. Her work has been published in prominent journals such as the International Journal of Advanced Com-puter Science and Applications, and the Journal of Information Technology Management, among others. Medlin is also a contributing author for books about cyber security. Medlin earned her bachelor’s and master’s degrees from Appala-chian and a doctorate of education from Virginia

Five honored with Sywassink awards for excellence

Faculty Highlights

Dr. Sandy Vannoy, left, Jonathan Allen, Dr. Mark Strazicich,

Dr. Dawn Medlin and Tung Ong

have received the Walker College

of Business’ 2014 Sywassink Awards for

Excellence.

Polytechnic Institute and State University.

Dr. Mark Strazicich is a member of the Department of Economics faculty. He came to Appalachian in 2004 and previously taught at the University of North Texas, the University of Central Florida and the Ohio State University. Strazicich is a member of the American Econom-ics Association, the Canadian Economics Associ-ation and the Southern Economic Association. He currently serves as faculty advisor for the Appalachian chapter of Omicron Delta Epsi-lon, an economics honor society and previously served as advisor to the Appalachian’s College Fed Challenge student group. Strazicich serves on the Department of Economics Promotion and Tenure Committee, the Walker College of Business Senior Honors Thesis Committee and Appalachian’s Faculty Senate Budget Committee, which he chairs. Strazicich earned his bachelor’s degree in economics from the University of Brit-ish Columbia in Vancouver, Canada, a master’s degree in economics from Simon Fraser Universi-ty in Burnaby, Canada, and his Ph.D. in econom-ics from the University of Washington in Seattle.

Mr. Jonathan Allen is a lecturer in the Department of Finance, Insurance and Bank-ing where he teaches courses in financial plan-ning, risk management and insurance, income tax planning and estate planning. He is also a financial advisor at Allen Wealth Management in Boone. Allen is a Certified Public Accountant, Certified Financial Planner and a Chartered Life Underwriter. He holds the Series 7, 9, 10, 31 and 66 licenses as well as North Carolina Life & Health and Long-Term Care Insurance licenses. He earned a Bachelor of Accountancy degree with a minor in business administration from the University of Mississippi, a Master of Science Degree in Accountancy from Wake Forest University and a Certificate in Financial Planning from New York University.

Mr. Tung Ong received the outstanding staff award, which honors staff members who exhibit dedication in service, innovation, workplace morale and service to Appalachian and the com-munity. Ong is a technology support specialist for Appalachian, and has served the Walker College since 2007. Previously, Ong was a technology consultant in Electronic Student Services and an electronic technician for the Instructional Tech-nology Center at Appalachian. A nominator said of Ong, “He is innovative, available, responsive and a pleasure to work with. He goes above and beyond in his work on a daily basis to help ensure the goals of the college are met.” Ong earned two degrees from Appalachian: a bachelor’s degree in industrial technology with a concentration in electronics and a minor in physics, and a master’s degree in industrial technology. █

Visiting faculty assignments

Dr. Todd L. Cherry, a professor in the college’s Department of Economics and director of the Center for Economic Research and Policy Analysis at Appalachian, was the Rasmuson Chair of Economics for 2013-2014 in the College of Business and Public Policy at the University of Alaska Anchorage (UAA).

The Rasmuson Chair was creat-ed with a $5 million endowment to bring UAA distinction and leader-ship in the study of economics and its relevance to Alaska’s future. The chair is an integral part of UAA’s research on environmental and energy issues that are vital to Alaska and the world. At UAA, Cherry collaborated with UAA researchers, interacting with students, and advis-ing local and state policymakers.

Cherry is a senior research fellow at the Center for International Climate and Environmental Research – Oslo, which is affiliated with the University of Oslo. He currently serves as an advisor to the Mountain Resource Legislative Commission and previously served as an advisor to the NC Rural Economic Development Center.

Cherry’s research focuses on public policy issues related to environmental challenges, energy resources and climate change. █

Book addresses new business approach for competitive edge

According to Walker College Computer Information Systems and Supply Chain Management Professor Dr. Richard E. Crandall, a combined emphasis on manufacturing efficiency and customer service is needed by business managers in today’s rapidly changing business environment.

“Increased global competition, extended supply chains and increased customer awareness are forcing businesses to find new ways to compete effectively and efficiently,” said Crandall, coauthor of the second edition of the book “Vanishing Boundaries: How Integrating Manufacturing and Services Creates Customer Value.” The book addresses this new approach that is needed for businesses to gain a competitive edge in a global business environment.

Published by CRC Press, the revised edition has added case studies on G.E. Aviation, Hewlett Packard, Amazon and UPS to illustrate blending manufacturing with business services offerings. Its target audience is business managers and owners of both manufacturing and service companies seeking to improve their businesses. Crandall summarizes, “If manufacturing companies provide services that support their products, that’s a valuable addition.” █


Richard Crandall Todd Cherry


Following Dr. Randy Edwards’ appointment as Appalachian’s interim chief of staff July 1. Dr. Heather Hulburt Norris was named acting dean of the Walker College. Norris joined the faculty in the college’s Department of Finance, Banking and Insurance in 2003. She was named assistant dean for undergraduate programs in 2005, associate dean for undergraduate programs and administration in 2008, and senior associate dean in 2012.

“Dr. Norris’ experience as associate dean in the Walker College of Business and her knowledge of administrative and curricular matters make her the ideal person to serve as acting dean of the college,” said Provost and Executive Vice Chancellor Lori S. Gonzalez.

Norris holds a Ph.D. and M.S. from Pennsylvania State University and a bachelor’s degree from James Madison University. Prior to her time at Appalachian, Norris served on the faculty at Bowling Green State University, the Pennsylvania State University and West Virginia University.

Norris was drawn to the Walker College of Business because of its clear mission and achievement of offering transformational educational experiences to students. As acting dean, she will guide the vision of the college and actively

pursue financial support to achieve it.

Norris’ teaching and research interests involve corporate finance and investments, with a particular emphasis on corporate restructuring. She has been published in the Journal of Portfolio Management, Financial Management, Managerial and Decision Economics and the Journal of Applied Business Research. Her work on corporate restructuring has been cited in The Wall Street Journal, Fortune, Business Week and Dow Jones Online News. Norris is a member of Beta Gamma Sigma and Phi Kappa Phi.

Norris serves on the Board of Directors of Homes for Children, the parent organization of Grandfather Home for Children and Barium Springs Home for Children. She is a member of the board’s finance committee, foundation board and investments committee. Norris also serves on the board of directors for the Boone Area Chamber of Commerce.

Dr. Tim Forsyth has been named acting associate dean for un-dergraduate programs and admin-istration. He has been a member of the accounting faculty since 1989, and has served as chairman of the Department of Accounting since 2005. Prior to his career in higher education, Forsyth was a financial

Leadership ChangesNorris appointed acting Dean, four receive new academic posts

Tim Forsyth

Heather Norris

Sandy Vannoy


Leadership ChangesNorris appointed acting Dean, four receive new academic posts

PROFESSORSHIPS AWARDED

Named in honor of significant benefactors to the college, professorships recognize faculty members who have demonstrated outstanding performance in instruction, scholarship and/or service.

Computer Information Systems & Supply Chain Management professor Dinesh Dave has been awarded the Beroth Oil – Four Brothers Food Stores Professorship, which was established in 1999 by Beroth Oil and Four Brothers Food Stores, a Winston-Salem based company.

The recipient of the Honorable Harlan E. Boyles Professorship is Accounting professor Ken Brackney. The endowment to fund the Boyles professorship was established in 1991 to honor the late N.C. Treasurer Harlan Boyles by Boyles’ family, friends and colleagues.

Chris McNeil, an associate professor in the Department of Finance and Banking has been named the L.M. Baker Jr. Partners in Excellence Professor. The Baker profes-sorship is named for Retired Wachovia CEO L.M. “Bud” Baker Jr.

Marketing professor Eva Hyatt has been awarded the John W. Guffey Jr. Professorship, which is named for the retired chairman and CEO of Coltec Industries Inc., which merged with BF Goodrich in 1999. It was established in 2000 and was funded by John and Monique Guffey.

Management professor Richard Pouder has received the Duane D. Daggett Professorship in Management, which is named for an executive in residence in the Walker College of Business from 1986 until 2000. The Daggett professorship was established by former student M. Lee Barnes Jr. and his wife, Christy L. Barnes.

Associate professor of Economics David McEvoy has received a Dean’s Club Professorship, and Leigh Dunston has been appointed Dean’s Club Distinguished Ethics Fellow. Both professorships are made possible by the Walker College Dean’s Club, which in addition to providing faculty research funds, lends support to student scholarships, seed money for new programs, and student travel to course-related conferences and corporation visits.

The recipients receive a salary stipend to further advance their work and will retain the professorships for two years. █

analyst and staff accountant for Litton Industries. Forsyth earned a Ph.D. in accounting from the Uni-versity of Alabama, an MBA from the University of Southern Mississip-pi and an undergraduate degree in accounting from the University of South Alabama.

Dr. Sandy Vannoy has been named assistant dean for graduate programs and research. Vannoy be-gan her career at Appalachian as a lecturer in 1998 and was promoted to assistant professor in 2010 after earning her doctorate in informa-tion systems from the University of North Carolina at Greensboro. Vannoy earned her bachelor’s and MBA degrees from Appalachian.

Forsyth and Vannoy join Dr. Marty Meznar, associate dean for international programs and assessment, in providing administrative leadership at the college level.

There are additional leadership changes at the department level. Dr. Don R. Cox has been named chair of the Department of Finance, Banking and Insurance. He has been a member of the Appalachian faculty since 1993 and served as associate dean of the Walker College from 2003 to 2008. He was a member of the University Accreditation Self Study Committee for SACS Accreditation and received the college’s Outstanding

Teaching Award in 2000. He earned an undergraduate degree from Georgia Southern University, a master’s degree from Georgia State University and a Ph.D. from Florida State University.

Dr. F. Doug Roberts has been named acting chair of the De-partment of Accounting. Roberts has been a faculty member in the Walker College since 2002. Prior to joining the faculty at Appalachian, Roberts was a graduate instructor at the University of Tennessee, a business systems analyst for Ameri-can Airlines and a staff accountant for Evers & Emrich, PLLC. Roberts is a CPA and earned his Ph.D. in accounting from the University of Tennessee, an MBA from the uni-versity of Arkansas and his under-graduate degree in accounting from Southern Arkansas University.

Cox and Roberts join current department chairs Dr. Jacqui Bergman, Department of Management; Dr. Unal Boya, Department of Marketing; Dr. Sean McGann, Computer Information Systems and Supply Chain Management; and Dr. John Whitehead, Department of Economics. █

Don Cox Doug Roberts


A 2013 pilot program of the BB&T Student Leadership Center, coined Women of Walker, saw a productive first year. The initiative aims to accelerate professional development, personal growth and leadership abilities for a specific demographic -- female business majors. During its first year, Women of Walker served eight business students, whose majors reflected all disciplines offered in the Walker College. Twenty female industry professionals and eight faculty and staff members interacted with the students.

“This program has given me the tools to become a confident leader,” said Sheria Sales, a student participating in the pilot group. “I have had the opportunity to meet industry professionals and build valuable relationships with them.”

Women of Walker participants met monthly during the fall 2013 and spring 2014 semesters

and had the opportunity to participate in networking interactions, hear panel experts, and learn hands-on during workshops focused on dining etiquette, dressing for success, financial literacy, interview skills and personal brand development. The group also participated in shadow days and site visits to companies, including Snyder’s-Lance in Charlotte.

“We aspire to shape young female students into young business professionals through empowerment, professional development and mentoring partnerships,” said program founder Dawn Medlin, a professor of computer information systems in the Walker College. “We also aim to further increase the number of female business graduates at Appalachian in the coming years.

“We’ve had a positive response from students as well as regional executives, and we aim to provide more professional development opportunities for Appalachian women next year. Programs like this set our female graduates apart from the competition.” █

Female business majors receive advice from women executives

WOMEN IN BUSINESS Left, BB&T Student Leadership Center’s Executive Director Michelle Boisclair meets with a student. Far left, top-bottom: An all-female expert panel presents in Peacock Hall; Computer Information Systems Professor Dawn Medlin hosts an etiquette dinner; students engage in a networking event; participants practice interviewing skills.

THIS PROGRAM HAS GIVEN ME THE TOOLS TO BECOME A CONFIDENT LEADER. I HAVE HAD THE OPPORTUNITY

TO MEET INDUSTRY PROFESSIONALS AND BUILD VALUABLE RELATIONSHIPS WITH THEM.

WOMEN IN BUSINESS Scenes from the Martha Guy Summer Institute’s 11th Class

For eleven years, the Martha Guy Summer Institute (MGSI)for Future Business Leaders has offered 24 high school students, selected from throughout North Carolina, an intensive study of business and leadership. The program allows for opportunities to engage with and learn from industry experts.

On July 18, such experts visited campus to offer students early and future career advice and recount their respective experiences and lessons learned. Pictured above, Bob Hambright, retired CEO of Balfour Beatty Construction, moderated the panel comprised of: Dianne Bailey, attorney with

Robinson, Bradshaw & Hinson PA in Charlotte; Bonnie Schaefer, Westglow Resort & Spa co-owner; Ken Lewis, retired CEO of Bank of America; and Steve Camp, an independent recreational facilities and services manager.

Former participants say that MGSI is the best summer opportunity available to North Carolina high school juniors. For more information about MGSI or about Miss Martha Guy, the banking pioneer for whom the program is named, please visit: marthaguy.appstate.edu. █

Appalachian and the Walker College welcome Chancellor Sheri N. Everts

Dr. Sheri N. Everts joined Appalachian State University as its seventh leader in July 2014. Previously, she had been provost and vice president for academic affairs at Illinois State University and as interim senior vice chancellor for academic and student affairs at the University of Nebraska Omaha.

“Sheri Noren Everts brings to the task two decades of academic and leadership experience at highly respected public universities,” said UNC President Tom Ross. “She has proven herself to be an energet-ic and effective leader who encourages creative problem-solving, promotes collabo-ration and inclusiveness and demonstrates a passionate commitment to academic excellence and student success. She has also earned a reputation for great integrity, sound judgment and a strong commitment to community engagement, outreach and partnership.”

Everts earned a bachelor’s degree in English and secondary education, a master’s degree in literacy education and English, and a doctorate in administration, curriculum and instruction from the Uni-versity of Nebraska-Lincoln.

In accepting her position as chancel-lor, Everts said she is fortunate to be able to build on the strength of Chancellor Peacock’s legacy and that the Appalachian family and Appalachian’s tradition of ex-cellence in undergraduate experience will continue under her leadership. █


Standing (l-r): Independent facilities manager Steve Camp, Walker College acting Dean Heather Norris, attorney Dianne Bailey, retired Balfour Beatty Southeast Regional CEO Bob Hambright, Westglow Spa Co-Owner Bonnie Schaefer and retired Bank of America CEO Ken Lewis. Sitting

(l-r): Chancellor Sheri N. Everts, Miss Martha Guy and Chancellor Everts’ husband, Dr. Jay Noren.

Twenty four students, selected from high schools throughout North Carolina, hear from industry experts as they recount lessons learned, challenges faced and coping strategies developed for the

real world during a panel presentation, part of their Martha Guy Summer Institute for Future Business Leaders. The institute is a three-week, intensive study of business and leadership.


Thanks to a substantial gift of $500,000 from William R. “Bill” Holland and his wife, Donna, the Holland Fellows Program for Business Study in Asia will continue to transform the lives of Walker College students for years to come. The Hollands paid tribute to former Chancellor Kenneth E. Peacock and his leadership with this gift; Peacock established a relationship with China’s Fudan University during his tenure as Walker College dean, before going on to promote the university-wide global experience as chancellor at Appalachian. The William and Donna Holland International Engagement Room in Peacock Hall will be named in recognition of their support.

“Donna and I are grateful for the opportunity to support this transforming program,” said Bill Holland.

The 19th class of the Holland Fellows Program recently returned home from their two-week experience in China. Students engaged in lecture discussions with professors in Fudan’s School of Management and visited Beijing, Shanghai and Hong Kong, where they gained

an understanding of international business by visiting state-owned enterprises and foreign joint ventures. In a message to Holland, 2014 fellow Michelle Harden wrote, “I have found endless ways that the program has developed my personal life and professional career. Thank you for helping make this opportunity possible.”

In a fall 2013 giving back competition between Holland Fellows alumni, the class of 2010 emerged victorious by having the highest participation rate of any alumni class.

“We are grateful to the Hollands for their invaluable support of this flagship program, and to Holland Fellow alumni for their investment in something that transformed their own lives, so that future business leaders may have the same opportunity,” said Walker College Acting Dean Heather Norris. █

Generous gift extends Holland Fellows China exchangeAbove, the 2014 Holland Fellows

participants from Appalachian are

welcomed by their Fudan University

partners at the Shanghai train

station. Below, Bill Holland speaks with

students during a reception prior to

the 50th Boyles CEO Lecture.


Two of the three 2014 Appalachian Alumni Association awardees are graduates of the Walker College.

Preston B. Powell, a 2001 graduate, is the 2014 recipient of the Young Alumnus Award. The award is given to individuals under 40 for their exceptional service to the university and accomplishments in their career. Powell is the co-founder of the privately held MOAM Group Inc. with offices in Indonesia, China, Hong Kong and North Carolina. The Holland Fellows Program helped launch Powell’s international career. While a junior in the Walker College, Powell spent two weeks studying international business and visiting manufacturing facilities and other sites in China and Hong Kong. That experience helped open the door to employment with international companies, and in 2009 Powell co-founded the MOAM Group with fellow Appalachian graduate Adam Scherer. Their firm specializes in designing, manufacturing and financing a range of sporting and consumer goods; its products can be found in more than 12,000 stores nationwide.

The 2014 Outstanding Service Award was presented to Marshall A. Croom '86, the chief risk officer for Lowe’s Companies, Inc. The award recognizes individuals for their exceptional service to the

university, such as serving on boards or councils dedicated to the progress of Appalachian, promoting Appalachian in the community, or contributing time and energy to the general development of the university. Croom joined Lowe’s in 1997 after an 11-year career with Ernst & Young in Winston-Salem. Since graduating from Appalachian in 1986, Croom has shared his time, energy and resources to support the Walker College of Business and its students. His journey of service began when he returned to campus for accounting student recruiting trips, presentations to classes and Beta Alpha Psi meetings. Croom served on the Accounting Advisory Board from 1994 to 1998 before joining the Walker College of Business Advisory Council in 1998. He mentors students through the college’s Executive Mentoring Program and has been a panelist for the Martha Guy Institute. In addition, Croom has helped lead fundraising for Dean’s Club scholarships and professorships. The BB&T Student Leadership Center and the college’s academic advising offices are housed in a center that bears his name in recognition of his work and support (pictured at right.)

L. Oval Jaynes of Blowing Rock received the distinguished alumnus award. The awards were presented June 7. █

Walker College Alumni Honored by Appalachian

Alumni join Walker College Business Advisory Council, Appalachian’s Foundation Board

Beth Monaghan ’82 and Joseph Towell ’74, ’78 have been appointed to the Walker College of Business Advisory Council. Joseph Piacentino Jr. has been elected to Appalachian’s Foundation Board of Directors.

Beth Monaghan is founder and partner at the Monaghan Group in Charlotte. She is a CPA and brings more than 25 years of business strategy and accounting experience to her role on the council. Monaghan is a member of the American Heart Association’s Circle of Red and Queens University of Char-lotte’s Entrepreneurial Leadership Circle. She earned a bachelor’s degree in business administration from Appalachian and a bach-elor’s degree in accounting from the Universi-ty of North Carolina at Charlotte.

Joseph H. Towell is president and chief executive officer of Yadkin Bank, based in Statesville. He provides executive leader-ship to Yadkin Financial Corporation and its subsidiary bank, Yadkin Bank. Towell is a member the Mitchell Community College Endowment for Excellence Board and the Piedmont Antique Power Association. He is also an alumnus of Appalachian, having received his bachelor’s in economics and mathematics and an MBA.

E. Joseph "Joe" Piacentino Jr. ’00 was recently elected to the Appalachian State University Foundation Board of Directors. Piacentino is the chief financial officer for the Carolinas Division of Balfour Beatty Construction. █

From left, L. Oval Jaynes, Preston B. Powell and Marshall A Croom receive 2014 awards from the Appalachian Alumni Association.


Peacock Hall modernization project progresses thanks to champion donors

There are very few times in our lives when we witness the great success and growth of a business or institution that Appalachian has experienced under the leadership of Chancellor Kenneth E. Peacock. His extraordinary vision, deep concern for students and his remarkable enthusiasm and tireless energy in advancing Appalachian have truly transformed the university and the Walker College of Business.

After 10 years as chancellor, 11 years as dean of the Walker College and a total of 31 years of outstanding service to the university, Dr. Peacock left his post June 30. With encouragement from the family of Thelma C. Raley, for whom the business building was formerly named, Appalachian’s Board of Trustees approved a new name for the structure, Kenneth E. Peacock Hall. The name change honors the outstanding programs that Peacock established while in the Walker College and the impact he made

throughout his career at Appalachian.

The Harlan Boyles Distinguished CEO Lecture Series, the Holland Fellows Program for Business Study in China and the Martha Guy Summer Institute for Future Business Leaders are just three examples of the legacy Dr. Peacock leaves the future business leaders of tomorrow. During his spring 2014 Boyles CEO address, Dr. Peacock spoke from the heart to the crowd of 1,250 business students, faculty and community members and advised them to “seize life’s opportunities.”

“Ken is truly an inspirational leader,” said G.A. Sywassink, CEO of Standard Holding Company and former chairman of the Walker College’s Business Advisory Council. “He has touched numerous lives because of his honest approach to life.”

On June 25, individuals and company representatives who spearheaded the Peacock Hall modernization project met in Blowing Rock to honor Chancellor Kenneth E. Peacock and Mrs. Rosanne Peacock as they prepared to

Honoring Chancellor Kenneth E. PeacockOn June 25,

champions of the Peacock Hall

modernization project met in Blowing Rock to honor Chancellor Kenneth E. Peacock

and Mrs. Rosanne Peacock as they

prepared to leave Appalachian after 31

years of service to the institution.


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Top, Surrounded by family, friends and peers, Chancellor and Mrs. Peacock unveiled the sign

at Peacock Hall on June 27. Middle, Peacock and Lindsay Raley, son of the late Thelma

Raley, stand near the sign. Above, Chancellor Kenneth E. Peacock was the featured speaker

at the spring 2014 Boyles CEO Lecture. Dr. Sheri N. Everts was in attendance at the event, where she was introduced to the

approximately 1,250 business students, faculty and community members in attendance

to hear Peacock’s speech, “Seizing Life’s Opportunities.”

leave Appalachian. On June 27, the building was formally rededicated in his honor. Surrounded by family, friends and peers, Chancellor and Mrs. Peacock unveiled the sign at Peacock Hall. Chancellor Lindsay Raley, son of the late Thelma Raley, spoke at the dedication. “My mom, if she were here today, would be the first to say ‘Job well done [to Peacock],’” Raley said, according to Jesse Wood of the High Country Press.

To further honor Peacock, and to provide a first-class facility for Walker College students, a modernization initiative is underway to update and enhance the 24-year old business building to create a better setting to serve students, enhance their learning environment and create improved networking space. Paying tribute to the accomplishments of its namesake in the newly modernized portion of Peacock Hall, donors to the project will ensure that future students will understand how he set the stage for their success.

In addition to a generous gift from Bill and Donna Holland honoring Chancellor Peacock through the Holland Fellows Program, other lead gifts have been given in Peacock’s honor that will be used to modernize the Walker College facility. Contributions have been made by Bud and Zanne Baker, George and Shirley Beasley, Blue Cross and Blue Shield of North Carolina, Blue Ridge Electric Membership Corporation, Broyhill Family Foundation, Marshall Croom, Joe and Emily Piacentino, G.A. and Shirley Sywassink and Yadkin Bank. █

Giving and naming opportunities to honor Dr. Peacock and help modernize Peacock Hall will end December 31, 2014; contact Will Sears, 828 262-6231 or [email protected] for information.

Walker College then Dean Randy Edwards was one of several to speak to a standing room only crowd at the rededication of the business building from Thelma C. Raley

Hall to Kenneth E. Peacock Hall. The large crowd was indicative of the role Chancellor Kenneth E. Peacock and Mrs. Rosanne Peacock played in the Appalachian community.

Non-profitUS Postage Paid

Boone, NCPermit No. 36

Calendar

Dean’s ClubBecome a member of the Walker College Dean’s Club -- an annual giving society that benefits the students, faculty and programs in the Walker College of Business.

By joining the Dean’s Club, you are providing support each year for critical needs in the college such as scholarships, travel funds, and seed money for new programs or opportunities.

Dean’s Club membership begins at an annual contribution of $1,000. In return for your generosity, you will receive:

• Invitation to an Appalachian home football game.

• Credit toward membership in Appalachian’s Chancellor’s Society, which offers free parking on campus.

• Invitations to numerous college receptions and activities, including CEO lectures and chancellor events.

• A gift of our appreciation for each year of membership and personal communication from the Office of the Dean.

WALKER COLLEGE OF BUSINESSASU Box 32037 Boone, North Carolina 28608

Save the date OCTOBER 5, 2012 50th Harlan Boyles

Distinguished CEO LectureMeet the CEOs Reception - 9:00 a.m.

Panel Discussion - 10:00 a.m. Moderated by Chancellor Kenneth E. Peacock

Executive Luncheon - 11:30 a.m.All events will be held in the Holmes Convocation Center.

Invitation to Follow.

ceo.business.appstate.edu

postcard.indd 2 8/1/12 8:04 PMTAKE YOUR APPALACHIAN

PRIDE TO A NEW LEVEL

Become a part of the Appalachian Family.

Sept. 10Beroth Oil and Appalachian State

Scholarship Golf Classic

Sept. 24Business Connections

Peacock Hall, 2nd Floor Boyles Lobby

Oct. 3 Carole Moore McLeod Entrepreneur Summit


Oct. 4 Walker College of Business Game Day

Peacock Hall, 1st Floor Patiouse code COB1402 for discounted tickets.

Oct. 9 Boyles CEO Lecture

Holmes Convocation CenterFeaturing SECU President Jim Blaine

Oct. 10Scholarship Reception

Plemmons Student Union

Oct. 11COB Homecoming Tailgate

Duck Pond Field

Oct. 23RMI Career Fair


Nov. 1 RMI/IIANC Tailgate

Peacock Hall, 1st Floor Patio

April 10Global Opportunities Conference

Plemmons Student Union

business.appstate.edu

Documents

2014 Business Leaders Magazine