Gregory Stoup, Director of Research The Center for Regional Economic Issues Weatherhead School of Management 10900 Euclid Avenue Cleveland, Ohio 44106 July 28, 2003 Dear [name withheld], Since joining the REI team as our marketing and communication consultant, Betsey Merkel has demonstrated a remarkable talent for cultivating strategic relationships on behalf of WSOM. In less than a year, she has launched several communication initiatives that have positively impacted faculty and community awareness of REI. On reflection, it seems to me that her success has been due to something beyond the requisite skill set expected of a strategic marketing professional. Betsey is creative and possesses a unique understanding of today’s varied communications technologies. She is organized, disciplined, and highly motivated. Betsey is also the kind of thinker who can take giant leaps under and around complex issues, with a strong ability to grasp high-level concepts and apply them to meet a market need. She is able to quickly and effectively identify commonalities across disparate groups. Time and time again I have seen her identify connections where others have failed; to discover them and illuminate them to the benefit of all concerned, both within and beyond the university. Since joining us, Betsey has immersed herself in the WSOM culture. She has conducted multiple interviews with constituencies: core funders and sponsors; policy and decision makers; students and alumni; the academic faculty, administration, and staff; the media; and the wider community. The equity that has been generated by this work has fueled multiple development opportunities and strategic partnerships for REI. Betsey Merkel has already become an invaluable asset to this university. Given her successful work directing the implementation of the transformational methodologies conceived here at Weatherhead, I believe that placing Betsey in a permanent position at this school would facilitate a critical aspect of the university’s strategic marketing agenda: the prolific generation of marketable product. It is my belief that Betsey can bridge the ideas being generated all over this campus to marketable projects: demonstrable research, entrepreneurial partnerships, and world-class publication. Therefore, I am recommending Betsey for your consideration for the open position of WSOM Director of Strategic Marketing. Best regards, Gregory Stoup Director of Research The Center for Regional Economic Issues Weatherhead School of Management