Taking Flight – November 2016
Message From the Dean
As I write this, I am on a plane flying home from a conference of business school deans. With time to sit and think and with the Thanksgiving holiday fast approaching, I am reflecting on the College and on the great work that is being done here. You can read about the busy month we’ve had and about the things we have been doing. But, if you’ll allow me, I’d like to give you some perspective on the reasons behind our activity from 30,000 feet.
More than anything else, we are focused on impact and making a positive difference. We want to graduate students who will positively impact the business world and society at large. We want to engage the business world and to create positive impact through the research of our faculty members. Their expertise is transformational, and we want it out and in the marketplace, where it can solve problems, spark innovations, and make a real difference. We want to create a culture that promotes aspiration, builds community, encourages growth, and attracts the best and brightest to invest their energies and to work and study at Georgia Southern.
So, as I ride along and look at the countryside below me, I am reminded that we do the things we do because we want to have a positive impact on our state, region and country. And, as I review the month’s activity and I think about the things we are doing, I can’t help but be thankful. Thankful for our thousands of alumni and for the way they represent our College and University. I am thankful for our faculty and staff and for their hard work, professionalism, and commitment to our mission. Mostly, though, I’m thankful for the opportunity to be a part of this team and a part of this great work.
Alumni Spotlight – Sean Gainey
Sean Gainey (MGMT, 1991) is the commanding general for the 94th Army Air and Missile Defense Command at Fort Shafter in Hawaii. As commanding general, Sean is responsible for integrating all the missile defense systems in the Pacific area of responsibility. His favorite part of his job is leading soldiers in the United States Armed Forces. Since 1996, Sean has been on five overseas operational assignments including Desert Sentry III in Saudi Arabia, Operation Iraqi Freedom in Turkey and Operation Enduring Freedom in Qatar.
While enrolled at Georgia Southern, Sean was a football player and was in the ROTC program. Although playing football under Erk Russell was a strong influence in his leadership development, the Georgia Southern ROTC program and the School of Business were the two programs that truly developed his leadership skills and prepared him for his career as a military officer. Lewis Stewart, assistant professor emeritus of finance, also played an integral role in Sean’s life while he was in college. Professor and Mrs. Stewart not only encouraged Sean to succeed in business school, but they also supported him in his personal life while he was a student athlete.
After attending Georgia Southern, Sean went on to obtain his Master of Science in administration from Central Michigan University and his Master of Science in national resource strategy from Eisenhower College (formerly known as Industrial College of the Armed Forces). He has also attended several military schools including Air Defense Artillery Officer Basic and Advanced Course and United States Army Command and General Staff College. Sean and his wife have two children. Their daughter recently graduated from George Mason University, and their son is a sophomore at the University of Virginia.
Accounting Hosts Executive in Residence
On October 21, 2016, the School of Accountancy hosted BBA Accounting alumnus Michael “Mike” S. Lamberth as the Fall 2016 Executive in Residence (EIR). The primary purpose of the annual Accounting EIR program, now in its 21st year, is to bring high-profile, highly successful executives to campus to encourage and advise students on how they, too, can have meaningful and rewarding careers.
Mike shared his professional journey with the 400 attendees, which included students, faculty and local accounting professionals. He found his calling by combining his expertise in law with his solid accounting and business training to start in the new field of compliance. Ensuring business managers are sensitive to their regulatory responsibilities while planning effective business growth opportunities is what makes compliance the ideal field for Mike. He said he was told many years ago that, when he could wake up in the morning and be excited to get to work, he would know he had found his calling. He told the students that they will have to find their way from where they are to their “dream jobs.” “You will only know when you get there, and it’s not likely to be the first job out of college,” he stated. Mike has hired many employees over the years, and he encouraged all students in attendance to never stop learning and working hard. Then, after years of work with a mix of success and occasional failure, he said they will find their passions. Mike has decided to give back to the School of Accountancy by becoming an active member of the Accounting Advisory Council.
Mike is a managing director in KPMG’s Risk Advisory Practice, specializing in advising financial institutions on its regulatory and compliance risk obligations. Most recently, he was a member of the Compliance Senior Leadership Team for Capital One Financial Corporation, a Fortune 200 financial services institution. In this role, he served as the senior compliance officer responsible for all aspects of compliance risk for Capital One’s global credit card businesses. In addition, Mike was responsible for compliance risk oversight of Capital One’s Global Finance organization, Third Party Management, Foreign Corrupt Practices Act and all support staff functions.
Mike holds J.D. and MBA degrees from Georgia State University, as well as a cum laude BBA degree in accounting from Georgia Southern. He holds active certifications as a Certified Regulatory Compliance Manager, Certified Anti-Money Laundering Specialist, Certified Information Privacy Professional, and Certified Public Accountant and is an active member of the Virginia Bar in addition to being a frequent speaker and author on compliance and risk topics. In 2016, Mike was awarded the prestigious honor of being chosen as one of the “Top 12 Global Thought Leaders in Ethics and Compliance” by Compliance Week publications.
Fraud & Forensic Accounting Students Visit Jesup Prison
The Fraud Examination program made its annual student trip to the federal prison located in Jesup, Georgia, on October 28, 2016. Since the only experience most people have with prisons is what they see on TV or in the movies, about 25 students and faculty had a very unique experience—by actually spending three hours in prison.
The prison staff emphasized that its medium security facility is not a prison to punish but a place to rehabilitate inmates. Instead, the goal of the federal prison is to allow human beings to realize their wrongdoings and prepare for their release dates and start over in life as productive members of society. To accomplish this, the group of Georgia Southern College of Business visitors were told, and it was observed, that all inmates are kept busy and productive.
The tour included walk-throughs of the yard, library, educational, medical, counseling, recreational, religious, housing and dining areas. The most impressive stop was at a factory in the prison, which is staffed entirely by inmates and is known as UNICORE.
Many prisons have factories for contracted government needs (remember license plates?). The group of students and faculty were told that Jesup’s factory is the highest grossing in the country with more than $6 million in sales. The facility produces clothing (and stenciling) for numerous federal law enforcement agencies. The group not only toured the plant floor as work was in progress but also walked through the administrative offices and observed inmates doing paperwork and accounting.
A true testament to the quality of the staff at Jesup was when students were told, “Communication is the key to running this institution effectively and safely.” Of course, the best part of the tour for the group was when everyone was released.
Business Etiquette on the Golf Course
During the afternoon of Friday, November 4, 2016, the Eagle Executive Society—Student Chapter held its third annual Golf Outing at the Georgia Southern University Golf Course. Assistant Golf Professional James Kittinger gave a presentation of the correct business etiquette to abide by on the course while also explaining the basics of the game of golf. At the conclusion of the presentation, the Eagle Executive Society members followed Kittinger, Michael Veverka, Georgia Southern Golf Course graduate assistant, and Marten Olsson, Georgia Southern Golf Course director, for the hands-on portion of the outing on the driving range. The members were then instructed on the proper hand placement when holding the golf club and the optimal technique to swing the club and hit the ball. Everyone then put these new-found skills to use by practicing and sending balls down the range as they molded their individual swings and tailored their shots to perfection. To wrap up the outing, students were invited to a cookout of hotdogs, hamburgers and sides catered by the Georgia Southern Hospitality Association while participating in a trivia game-based giveaway of College of Business-themed swag.
Economics Society Invites College of Business Faculty Member to Speak During Monthly Meeting
On Wednesday, November 2, Christopher Brunt, Ph.D., assistant professor of economics, presented his research on “Moral Hazard and Adverse Selection of Healthcare” to the Eagles Economics Society. His research data used a rental health insurance experiment conducted from 1974–1981. Data were collected from 2,000 U.S. households across six different locations at a cost of approximately $300 million. The data included the co-insurance rates charged for both in- and out-patient treatment. Brunt fitted an ordinary least squares (OLS) model with results suggesting moral hazard but not adverse selection in service utilization and risk. The model controlled for the Medicare and Medicaid gaps with supplemental insurance that impacts the selection process of insurance. Brunt’s presentation allowed students in the Economics Society to learn about the health insurance policy market among various households in the U.S. His research showed the members of the student organization how diversity affected the insurance rate and how doctors made changes according to patient insurance policies. Brunt also showed the students how to interpret numerical data in research and analysis.
Homecoming 2016: Let the Southern Games Begin
Georgia Southern University celebrated Homecoming 2016 on Thursday, November 10. This year’s Homecoming theme was “Let the Southern Games Begin,” playing off of this summer’s Olympic Games. Various activities throughout the week, along with the Homecoming parade, were held leading up to the much-anticipated football game against the Ragin’ Cajuns from the University of Louisiana–Lafayette and the crowning of the king and queen at halftime.
The College of Business Dean’s Office participated, for the second year, in the “Paint the Campus Blue” competition, coming in as 1st runner up. The College also held its annual Homecoming Tailgate catered by Skillet and Spurs, an authentic 1880’s cowboy-style cooking and catering service set up with a chuck wagon. We’d like to thank Skillet and Spurs and our alumni who came out to support the College of Business and cheer on our Eagles football team.
National Millennial Community
Timothy Miller and Ngoc Le, two undergraduate business students, recently traveled to Atlanta for two days of executive meetings as part of their membership in the National Millennial Community (NMC). Miller and Le are two of four Georgia Southern University students who were selected to represent the University in the NMC, a non-profit founded in 2016 to “change the conversation about the millennial generation, to raise the standard of millennial thought and challenge the misconceptions created by the generation gap.” Georgia Southern was selected as the sole representative from the state of Georgia to the community, adding to the more than 100 students, alumni, faculty and administrators from 23 colleges and universities that currently comprise the NMC.
Along with 24 other students and faculty from as far away as Alaska and Hawaii, Miller and Le had the opportunity to interact with executives from a number of leading companies, including Coca-Cola, UPS, AT&T, Newell Brands, Porter Novelli and Edelman, among others. Executives and NMC members discussed a range of topics including diversity initiatives, leadership, innovation, marketing platforms, and networking and career development.
“The visit to Atlanta was an incredible experience for the students and myself,” said Steve Charlier, Ph.D., assistant professor of management, and the Georgia Southern faculty advisor to the NMC. “Tim and Le did a terrific job representing Georgia Southern and the millennial generation to the executives and organizations that we visited. And, the students walked away with several professional connections that should prove very beneficial as they embark in their professional careers. Based on feedback from all involved, this was a total success! We look forward to continuing our relationship with the NMC in the future.”
Global Logistics Trade & Policy Symposium 2016
On Monday, November 14, 2016, Bank of America Merrill Lynch hosted the Global Logistics Trade & Policy Symposium 2016 in partnership with the Georgia Southern College of Business, the Savannah Maritime Association and the Propeller Club Port of Savannah. During the symposium, the state of Georgia post-election, implications for the port, the global macro environment and FX markets, and the considerations for business owners in utilizing the port were discussed. Featured speakers included John Shin, senior G10 FX strategist with Bank of America Merrill Lynch Global Research; Leslie Griffin, senior vice president of international public policy with UPS; Jerry Burke, Ph.D., chair of the Department of Logistics and Supply Chain Management at Georgia Southern University; and Hayes Howard, publisher and CEO of American Shipper Magazine.
November BIG Café
BIG Café is a networking event held by the Business Innovation Group (BIG) on the second Wednesday of each month at City Campus in downtown Statesboro. Local entrepreneurs, students and faculty gather in an effort to help one another solve business problems. As two local entrepreneurs presented, attendees enjoyed a complimentary cup of coffee provided by Cool Beanz, doughnuts provided by the Downtown Statesboro Development Authority (DSDA) and cupcakes provided by 4&20 Bakers, one of this month’s presenters.
The two presenters for November’s BIG Café were Todd Friedel with the idea of Statesboro Sherpas and T. Chad Montgomery, owner of 4&20 Bakers, both veterans of the U.S. Armed Forces. Each presented with hopes of receiving feedback from the attendees to help solve business problems.
Todd Friedel is a recruiter with the Georgia National Army Guard with a business concept he discovered at the Universities of Michigan and Wisconsin named Just Ducky Errands. The Statesboro/Georgia Southern equivalent would be called Statesboro Sherpas, which “will provide families a peace of mind, knowing an adult will be checking in with their student at least three times a week.” The basic Sherpa service includes buying groceries, laundry and dry cleaning pick up and return, pharmacy and medication delivery, bill reminders, family event reminders and three weekly check ins Monday through Friday. Additional Sherpa services would also be available for an additional fee that include emergency situation assistance, car repair assistance and servicing, bill pay service, and crock pot meal planning and shopping. The current model is priced at $60 per week and includes all basic services. Each additional Sherpa service adds $5 per week. A $200 refundable deposit is required at the time of Sherpa sign up. Feedback from those in attendance included offering this service to junior faculty who are having to concentrate on research to make tenure and questions about Todd’s market research. He has spoken to students about this service, and he said the students were in favor. It was suggested that he talk to parents since they are the ones who will be paying for this service. Several in the audience said they would be willing to pay for this type of service for their children who are off to college and away from home for the first time in their lives.
The second presenter, T. Chad Montgomery, a self-proclaimed dessert snob and “Granma Chad,” of 4&20 Bakers is looking to expand and grow his current business to include office birthday celebrations, morning food truck service and late night coffee service. Chad owns the only food truck in Statesboro. He is a veteran who made his way to Statesboro from upstate New York to help his father with the family farm in Sylvania. Before making the move south, Chad worked for Hilton Hotels, where he was given the freedom to experiment with all kinds of foods including cricket flour and other world-renowned delicacies. He has also had the opportunity to hand deliver cupcakes to Patti LaBelle prior to some of her performances. 4&20 Bakers specializes in cupcakes, whether they are sweet cakes, savory cakes like man cakes which includes the BuffCake (cornbread cupcake with Buffalo chicken filling) or designer cupcakes (his signature designer cupcake is the chocolate Guinness ganache bombe). He will unveil the cricket flour cupcake in January which packs ten grams of protein. Chad currently has very low overhead, using student volunteers and interns. He is looking for a prime spot around Statesboro to park his food truck in the morning to add biscuits and gravy to his repertoire, along with crème brûlée to the night coffee service. Suggestions for locations in Statesboro included the Statesboro Mall area with the name and contact information of the Statesboro Mall’s manager. He was also asked if he wanted to be more of the owner rather than the owner/operator since he is looking to add employees. Chad wants to be the owner who does the baking. Chad believes in buying locally and partners with various other local companies in and around Statesboro/Bulloch County. During the spring, summer and early fall, you can find Chad and his food truck at the Statesboro Farmers Market, and occasionally at Three Tree Coffee where his cupcakes are featured.
BIG Café was a huge success thanks to everyone who attended and gave invaluable feedback. Also, special thanks to Todd Friedel and T. Chad Montgomery for presenting and to our sponsors, David Hoyle of Cool Beanz and the DSDA. If you would like to present your business obstacle(s) at BIG Café, please contact Jill Johns at jjohns@GeorgiaSouthern.edu or (912) 478-0872. Attend the next BIG Café if you would like to network, drink coffee and help one another thrive. Also, attend five times, and you receive a free BIG Café coffee mug!
Blue Mile Gateway Groundbreaking Ceremony
On Wednesday, November 16, 2016, at noon, the Statesboro Blue Mile Committee hosted the historic groundbreaking for the Blue Mile Gateway at Jones Lane Park, across the street from the Sweetheart Circle entrance on Highway 301 South.
Statesboro has been selected as a finalist in the national America’s Best Communities competition, a reflection of the city’s dedication to building a strong, vibrant community that drives economic development and innovative growth. The Gateway will serve as a representation of the commitment of Statesboro and Georgia Southern University to the common goal of creating the brightest future for the community.
To learn more about the Boro Blue Mile, visit BoroBlueMile.com.
Student Ambassadors Host Canned Food Drive
For the past month, the Georgia Southern College of Business Student Ambassadors hosted a canned food drive in the introduction to business classes. Each section competed to be the class with the most number of cans donated. The winning class, Linda Mullen’s class, won a pizza party with Dean Amason. Mullen’s class brought in 1,773 cans, contributing to a total of 4,945 cans of food donated to the Statesboro Food Bank.
Thanks to everyone who contributes to the monthly newsletter.
Last updated: 12/10/2018
