TION ADMINISTRA BUSINESS

COLLEGE OF BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION YEAR IN REVIEW 2010–2011
THANK YOU
CARL & JOYCE MAMMEL
DR. ROGER P. & JEANNINE K. SINDT CONFERENCE ROOM
RUTH & BILL SCOTT
ROSS T. RIDENOURE LANDSCAPING
MARVIN & VIRGINIA SCHMID AUDITORIUM
DAN & ALISON O'NEILL RECEPTION AREA
UNION PACIFIC COURTYARD
LOU JR. & KATHLEEN ROTELLA EMBA CONFERENCE ROOM
DAVID & PAMELA GROSS FAMILY STUDENT LOUNGE
LOU JR. & KATHLEEN ROTELLA STAIRCASE
HOLLIS & HELEN BARIGHT REAL ESTATE LAB
DEAN & MARIA JACOBSEN COLLABORATION SPACE
KATE KING WU & HORACE WU ACCOUNTING LAB
DEAN & MARIA JACOBSEN STUDENT LOUNGE
ROBERT C. STEDMAN STATISTICS LAB
DR. ROBERT L. & JOANN G. MATHIS EMBA LIBRARY
SAM & TOFFEE LEFTWICH CLASSROOM
GEORGE P. TUMLIN, III STUDENT STUDY
GREG & LORI MCMILLAN CLASSROOM
FRANKEL ZACHARIA, LLC CERTIFIED PUBLIC ACCOUNTANTS
STUDENT STUDY
NEBRASKA BANKERS ASSOCIATION CLASSROOM
HARLAN J. NODDLE CLASSROOM
OMAHA STEAKS CLASSROOM
SECURITY NATIONAL BANK CLASSROOM
KEITH V. KIERNAN COMPUTER CLASSROOM
LOU JR. & KATHLEEN ROTELLA EMBA CLASSROOM
LOU JR. & KATHLEEN ROTELLA EMBA CLASSROOM
ALAN & MARCIA BAER ENTREPRENEURSHIP ROOM
PAUL & BARBARA KISTLER CLASSROOM
MARK & FRANCES GRIEB CLASSROOM
JACK & STEPHANIE KORALESKI CLASSROOM
COLLEGE OF BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION
ROB, MARY JO & SAMMY JO RANDELS STUDENT STUDY
DR. MARK E. WOHAR STUDENT STUDY
DR. S.R. ADIDAM & N.R. ADIDAM STUDENT STUDY
DR. JACK & MARTY HILL STUDENT STUDY
TEJAL SINDHAV & GANESH SINDHAV STUDENT STUDY
MARGARET SOVA & BOB KREITNER SCHOLARSHIP RECIPIENTS STUDENT STUDY—GRANT STANLEY, ANDREA ERIN BASS, LACI PEMBERTON, DEVYN MUSIL, MAYA DOGHMAN
ROBERT E. BERNIER RECEPTION AREA
IAN, TERA, & AYDEN MAHER MOTHERS' ROOM
2
NAMING OPPORTUNITIES are still available. Call Sue Kutschkau, 402-502-4109 for more information.
Cover: “Taking Flight” by Adam Weiss photographed by Tim Fitzgerald, UNO photographer
TO ALL OUR GENEROUS DONORS RECOGNIZED IN MAMMEL HALL
ACCREDITATION REAFFIRMED
WELCOME FROM MAMMEL HALL
O
ur first year in Mammel Hall has been spectacular. The students, faculty,
and staff of the college are thriving in their new environment. Visitors
to Mammel Hall have come from our community, from all over the
United States and from more than 30 different countries on five continents. They
consistently tell us that this is, by far, the best business school facility they have
ever seen.
Over a relatively short time-span, Mammel Hall has become a gathering place for our
community. Whether hosting a conference on franchising, bringing together 700 people
to dedicate Mammel Hall, or having 600 Girl Scouts and their parents participate in an
art expo, our new home has become a place to meet, learn, participate and collaborate.
By now many of you know that we achieved Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Gold certification for Mammel Hall. We are the first LEED facility on
the UNO campus and the first LEED Gold building in the entire University of Nebraska system. Among business schools in the United States, only 26 have LEED certified
buildings and these include Harvard, Carnegie Mellon, Duke, Georgetown, Georgia Tech,
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, University of Michigan, and Yale.
This year’s ‘annual review’ covers 18 months. We wanted to send you stories from
our first full year in Mammel Hall, yet we did not want to exclude the important events
from Spring 2010, thus the expanded time frame. In the future, our review will cover
July 1 of the prior year to July 1 of the current year.
Thank you for your unwavering support and confidence in our work. It is a pleasure
and privilege to be part of this community and have the opportunity to help guide the
learning of those who will lead our future. Best regards,
LOUIS G. POL, JOHN BECKER DEAN
Since 1965, programs in the College of Business Administration at the
University of Nebraska at Omaha have
been accredited by the Association to
Advance Collegiate Schools of Business
(AACSB-International), the gold standard in business school accreditation.
Fewer than five percent of business programs worldwide are accredited by this
organization. In April 2011, after more
than six years of intensive preparation,
the College learned that it had achieved
re-accreditation.
To prepare for the re-accreditation
process, key learning goals were developed for all programs and were translated into specific measures to assess
student learning. For the undergraduate business degree, 22 distinct areas
were measured including business
knowledge, decision-making, communication, the ability to use technology
and to function effectively on a team.
For the MBA program, the assessments
focused on business knowledge, problem-solving and technological skills, the
ability to influence others, ethics and
social responsibility. This assessment
identified strengths as well as ways to
enhance our programs in the future.
Since AACSB also emphasizes faculty
qualifications, we conducted detailed
analyses of the academic and professional qualifications of all CBA faculty.
And lastly, we examined the College’s
mission and our progress toward accomplishing that mission.
At the end of the six-year process, a
report was provided to a team of three
business deans who traveled to Omaha
and evaluated the College firsthand. In
addition to earning re-accreditation, the
College received positive feedback on
the extensive and thorough nature of
our assessment of the learning process.
AACSB-International brings two
significant benefits to the College. First,
it ensures that a high quality student
learning is occurring here. Second, peer
review legitimizes the process and gives
assurance that we continue to achieve
the level of best-practice required by
AACSB-International.
2010–11 YEAR IN REVIEW 3
PEOPLE
PLANET
SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT IS DEVELOPMENT THAT MEETS THE
NEEDS OF THE PRESENT WITHOUT
PRINCIPLE
PROFIT
COMPROMISING THE ABILITY OF FUTURE GENERATIONS
TO
MEET THEIR OWN NEEDS.
4
COLLEGE OF BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION
THE RIGHT
THING TO DO
T
he College of Business
Administration does more than
teach better business practices.
It inspires them.
“Our goal every day is to set an example for our students, our neighbors and
the community,” says CBA Dean Louis Pol.
“From our commitment to excellence in
education and our innovative research and
programs that provide the tools for businesses to succeed, to our genuine concern
for the environment now and for generations to come, the common thread is
sustainability.”
That thread of sustainability is woven
into the fabric of the college. It is visible in
the eco-friendly design of Mammel Hall—
which opened its doors in the fall semester
of 2010—with natural light streaming into
classrooms equipped with the latest in
energy-saving technology. It is in the curriculum, with a sustainability concentration
in the MBA program, a popular “Environmental Economics and Management”
course and case studies developed in Study
Abroad classes.
The thread of sustainability is in research
projects linking CBA faculty and Nebraska
Business Development Center (NBDC) specialists with local organizations to develop
economic models and studies that evaluate natural resources. And it is there in the
event partnerships, community development activities, and sustainability services
for businesses offered by NBDC.
“It’s everywhere,” says Dr. Pol. “Sustainability isn’t a catch phrase or a passing fad
for the College or for UNO. It is a conscious
decision to take actions today that help ensure a better tomorrow.”
“THIS IS A WAY OF TEACHING,
A WAY OF SERVING AND
A WAY OF LIFE THAT WE
HAVE CHOSEN TO EMBRACE
BECAUSE IT IS THE RIGHT
THING TO DO.”
Clockwise from top left: Executive MBA capstone project in Costa Rica, CBA Study Abroad in Costa
Rica, green vendor fair in Mammel Hall, LEED Gold certification medallion in Mammel Hall
2010–11 YEAR IN REVIEW 5
CBA TAKES
A GREEN
INVENTORY
W
hen Rick Yoder set out to
report the sustainability
activities in the College, he
wasn’t sure how much he would find.
He wound up with a list six pages long.
“There are obvious accomplishments
like the LEED (Leadership in Energy and
Environmental Design) Gold certification
that Mammel Hall has achieved,” says Yoder, director of NBDC’s Pollution Prevention
Regional Information Center. “But there is
also an incredible level of activity going on
behind the scenes. Faculty members are
very engaged in bringing the concept of
sustainability into their classes.”
The idea of sustainability can be traced
to a 1987 United Nations conference that
defined sustainable developments as those
that meet present needs without compromising the ability of future generations to
meet their needs.
“It takes more than a definition,” Yoder says. “It takes a fundamental change
in attitude; an organizational and behavior
change that calls upon individuals and businesses to incorporate sustainable practices
as part of their overall, day-to-day strategy.
“We teach that here at CBA. That’s why
the College is so well-positioned to lead the
way.”
A registered professional engineer, Yoder
knows how to develop solutions for design and environmental issues. “We need
the business side to put those solutions
into play through education, research and
outreach.”
Yoder says an emphasis on sustainability
preserves the physical resources we have
and attracts potential employees.
“I work with sustainability managers in
a variety of businesses and corporations
throughout the area,” he says. “They see
the importance of demonstrating that they
have a sustainability ethic. It’s a shared ethic that the young talent pool we are trying
to attract and keep here wants to see.“
“BEING ENVIRONMENTALLY
AWARE IS A PART OF WHO
YOUNG PEOPLE ARE. THEY
NEED TO KNOW IT’S A PART
OF WHO WE ARE AS WELL.”
CBA
EDUCATION
ɶɶ Offers a sustainability concentration in the MBA program
ɶɶ Integrates with other sustainability classes across the University system
ɶɶ CBA Study Abroad in Costa Rica program focuses on sustainability
ɶɶ Offers “Environmental Economics and Management” course and is developing
new “Sustainability for the Business Manager” course
ɶɶ Faculty include elements of sustainability in their curricula and serve as
advisors to capstone projects that study sustainability issues
ɶɶ Offers “Sustainability for Managers: A Strategic Perspective” in the Executive
MBA program
RESEARCH
ɶɶ Economics and marketing faculty collaborate with NBDC consultants and
personnel from Omaha Public Power District to explore what drives businesses
to participate in utility demand-side management programs and how to use this
knowledge to promote programs
ɶɶ Real Estate and Land Use Economics faculty evaluate water resources in the
community
OUTREACH
ɶɶ Works with other Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business
(AACSB-International) entities as a member of Principles for Responsible
Management Education (PRME)
ɶɶ Partners with the U.S. Green Building Council Flatwater Chapter to sponsor
events such as the Green Homes Tour and “What Follows LEED?”
ɶɶ Takes a leadership role in the Green Business Council of the Green Omaha
Coalition and is collaborating with it to develop a local Green Business Award
ɶɶ NBDC provides business assistance that includes: the Green Business and
Sustainability Certificate program; online database of energy incentives for
businesses; and lean manufacturing consulting and training.
COLLEGE OF BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION
6
CBA STUDY
ABROAD
EXAMINES
ECOTOURISM
C
BA’s first student study trip to
Costa Rica examined ecotourism
and the implementation of
sustainability programs.
In past years, students traveled to Ireland
to study globalization. Professor of Management Rebecca Morris says the decision to
travel to the Central American nation and
focus on sustainability was well received by
students. The spring semester course and
the trip, held March 16-27, 2011, attracted
23 students and three faculty members in
addition to Dr. Morris.
During the seven weeks of classes prior
to the actual trip, students researched Costa
Rica’s history, economy and culture, and
took a close look at the companies and facilities they would visit.
While in Costa Rica, the group focused
on claims made about sustainability practices to evaluate whether they were real or
simply a marketing gimmick to increase
the ecotourism business.
After they returned, students presented
their observations and analyses in class.
SITES STUDIED —
ɶɶ Fruit and coffee plantations
ɶɶ Golf course that utilizes seawater to
irrigate
ɶɶ Rain forest to observe evidence of
climate change
ɶɶ Marina addressing pollution issues
as part of an attempt to return
native species of fish to the area
“We wanted to witness firsthand the benefits that sustainability programs can have
for residents and the community beyond
the obvious ecological benefits,” Dr. Morris said. “If some of the claims are nothing
more than ‘greenwashing,’ we wanted to
learn that, too.”
Based on interest in the 2011 course, a
second CBA Study Abroad trip to Costa Rica
is being planned for spring 2012.
ɶɶ Treatment plant that recycles waste
water for irrigation
ɶɶ Hotel where guests participate in
activities that improve the local
community, such as
planting trees.
2010–11 YEAR IN REVIEW 7
WHAT IS LEED?
LEEDGOLD
Leadership in Energy and
Environmental Design (LEED) is
the U.S. Green Building Council’s
benchmark for sustainable
design. It is the recognized
system for certifying that highperformance green buildings
are healthy, productive places
to work; are less costly to
operate and maintain; and
leave a smaller environmental
footprint.
LEED® promotes a wholebuilding approach to
sustainability by recognizing
performance in five key areas:
sustainable site development,
water savings, energy efficiency,
materials selection and indoor
environmental quality.
DEMONSTRATING SUSTAINABLE PRACTICES
WHAT DO THE BUSINESS SCHOOLS AT HARVARD, YALE, CARNEGIE-MELLON, DUKE,
GEORGETOWN, AND THE UNIVERSITY OF NEBRASKA AT OMAHA HAVE IN COMMON?
ALL HAVE BUSINESS SCHOOL FACILITIES THAT ARE LEED CERTIFIED.
Securing LEED Gold certification demonstrates that the College of Business Administration is committed to creating a
culture of sustainable practice in Mammel Hall. Building structures and processes designed for long- term efficiency and
success are important components of sound business practice. For example, in Mammel Hall, somewhat higher initial
costs are being recovered quickly through energy and water cost savings. An alternative information technology strategy
that provides the best software and data access for students, faculty and staff, also resulted in an installation that has a
much longer life expectancy and offers significant energy savings.
COLLEGE OF BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION
8
THINCLIENT
PUTTING
TECHNOLOGY
ON A DIET
A
s director of technology and
budget and the building
manager for the College,
David Nielsen needs to look no farther
than his own desktop to find evidence of
Mammel Hall’s sustainability efforts.
Nielsen oversees the conversion of CBA’s
computers from independent PCs to “thin
client” technology – where computer “towers” are replaced by cigar box-sized units
that link users to the computing horsepower in the server room.
“The energy consumed in one hour by
the old tower can run one of these thin clients for 15 hours,” Nielsen says.
When the College occupied Roskens
Hall, computers were replaced on a threeyear cycle. However, the move to Mammel
Hall brought with it the need to install new
computers.
“We have more labs here and they’re
larger than at Roskens, which means more
computers,” Nielsen says. “If we had installed individual PCs, we could never
afford to recycle the whole building at one
time.”
Enter thin client technology.
“In the future when we upgrade a lab,
we won’t have to swap out the thin client units because we expect to get seven
to 10 years of service out of them. We can
upgrade the server instead, which means
everyone will share in the immediate
benefits.”
Mounted on the backs of the computer
monitors, the thin client units connect the
user to the server but do not contain a hard
drive. “If someone were to steal one, no
information would be lost,” Nielsen says.
“They have to be connected to the server
to be useful, and we have security to prevent unauthorized connections.”
Students can save their information
either to their Web folder or to a portable flash drive. “At night, we shut them
all down across the board,” Nielsen says.
“When they come back up in the morning, they restart at the initial install settings
so every day they start clean. Everything
works the same as the day they were first
installed.”
Because the units operate quietly and
without generating additional heat, the
change reduces noise pollution and the
need for additional cooling.
Other innovations include wiring the TV
screens and digital clocks throughout Mammel Hall using the same network cable
as the thin clients, Nielsen says. “There’s
no coax cable pulled to any of the TVs,
and the clocks are powered over the network. That means there are no batteries
to change, and no need to reset the clocks
individually when we move to daylight savings and back.
“In the old building, we’d need a ladder
to get up and physically change each clock,
and they’d never all be at the same time.”
When combined with LED lighting and
an air-flow system that utilizes ultra-violet
light to remove 97 percent of the bacteria,
the result is an energy-efficient, environmentally friendly and healthy building.
The College is finding that others are taking note.
“WE’VE HAD SEVERAL
FORTUNE 500 COMPANIES
VISIT US TO SEE HOW WE
DID IT. THAT’S A TESTIMONY
THAT WE DID IT RIGHT.”
2010–11 YEAR IN REVIEW 9
Photo by Jon Jackson Bleicher MD
A CYCLIST’S
PERSPECTIVE ON
THE ROAD TO
SUSTAINABILITY
R
ecycling isn’t enough for
Rick Yoder. “Even better than
recycling is reusing something,”
he says. “Even better than reusing is not
generating waste to begin with. That’s
reducing.”
Yoder knows what he’s talking about. He
is Sustainability Coordinator for the College
of Business Administration and manages
the Pollution Prevention Regional Information Center (P2RIC) for the Nebraska
Business Development Center (NBDC).
A native of Kansas City, Missouri, Yoder
grew up in Iowa City, Iowa. As a youth, he
worked as a gandy dancer for a railroad
contractor, helping build the bed of rock
upon which new rails were laid to grain
elevators.
“I shoveled rock all day,” he says. “It was
the fittest I’ve ever been.”
After watching an engineer staking the
route for new track, he began to think
there might be a less strenuous way to earn
a living.
He attended Iowa State University and
earned a bachelor’s degree in mechanical
engineering. That’s also where he met his
COLLEGE OF BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION
10
future wife, Elizabeth (Nelson), who was
studying to be a veterinarian.
As a student, Yoder took a class called
“Human Thermal Environment.” He and
his fellow students worked on a project
to discover how many cigarette smokers
could be on a commercial airliner at one
time (back when smoking was allowed) yet
still ensure good air quality for the rest of
the passengers.
“The number was two,” he recalls.
“That’s when I learned about the ties
between the environment and human
health.”
Upon his wife’s graduation in 1983,
the couple moved to Alaska, where Yoder
worked for the Department of Environmental Conservation. In 1992, as their
daughters Synneve and Krista approached
school age, Yoder and his wife decided a
change was in order.
“We wanted to be closer to our families,
so we took out a U.S. map and drew a line
equidistant between our parents,” he recalls. “We moved to Plattsmouth.”
His wife became part owner of an animal hospital. Yoder went to work as the
environmental engineer for Lincoln-Lancaster County Health Department (LLCHD).
“There was a fee to dispose of any special waste in the county landfill,” he says.
“I tried to convince businesses to avoid
the cost of that special permit by reducing
waste.”
In 1996, Yoder was offered the opportunity to join the NBDC staff as a consultant
in the Manufacturing Extension Partnership
(MEP) program.
Soon after his arrival, he prepared a successful proposal to the EPA for NBDC to
establish a P2RIC for Federal Region VII
(Iowa, Kansas, Missouri, and Nebraska) and
to provide research for pollution prevention
consultants throughout the region. With
the assistance of CBA’s IT specialists David
Nielsen and David McKnight, and with Dan
Klima and other members of the NBDC
Technology Training Program, Yoder built
a model P2RIC that used a unique webbased consulting assistance resource.
“NBDC has a real commitment to making good businesses better,” Yoder says.
“Bob Bernier, NBDC state director, understands which services will strengthen
the small business community and that
they must include promoting sustainable
practices.”
A bicyclist, Yoder often drives from his
home near Plattsmouth to Bellevue, then
bikes to Mammel Hall. A frequent participant in the Des Moines Register’s Annual
Great Bicycle Ride Across Iowa (RAGBRAI),
he and a friend took a train to Denver last
summer and biked back to Omaha.
“I RODE MY BIKE YEARROUND IN BARROW, ALASKA.
IT HAD STUDDED TIRES. I
ONCE MET A MOOSE ON THE
TRAIL.”
Yoder coauthored a book (with David
Harding) about odd and weird things he’s
found riding around the state titled Nebraska Curiosities.
And, although he’s very environmentally conscious, he doesn’t stop and pick up
trash when he sees it along the roadside.
Unless it’s his roadside.
“We adopted a county road,” he says.
“It’s at 12th Street and Hobscheidt Road,
just south of Murray, Nebraska.”
Whether he’s bicycling or recycling, Yoder keeps his eye on his surroundings,
looking for ways he can preserve, protect
and make it better for everyone.
2010–11 YEAR IN REVIEW 11
NBDC
(and
Ernie)
explain
energy
savings
NBDC’s green business program publishes tip sheets featuring Ernie the Energy
Saver, a cartoon elephant who offers serious advice on little changes that can yield
big savings. The program also published
a business guide offering case studies of
companies that saved money by reducing waste in basic areas such as lighting,
solvents, water, air compression and
packaging.
Waters says business owners don’t always fully grasp how much conserving
energy can directly benefit the bottom line,
but she and Ernie are determined to see
that they do.
P
rotecting the environment
isn’t always reason enough to
convince business owners to
spend a few extra dollars. But reducing
costs while reducing pollution and
energy consumption can be a real
incentive to invest.
That’s the message taken to businesses
across the state by Jean Waters, energy and
environmental engineer for the Nebraska
Business Development Center (NBDC).
As part of the Pollution Prevention Regional Information Center (P2RIC), Waters
explains the long-term benefits of Energy Star appliances and other conservation
methods to business owners who seek the
assistance of NBDC to secure loans for expanding or upgrading their facilities. This is
the perfect time to incorporate energy efficiency measures.
NBDC has an informational web page
(nbdc.unomaha.edu/energy/) that links users to utility companies and government
entities that have incentive programs.
“With utility rebates, for example, we
offer details and direct links to the appropriate application forms,” Waters says. “We
know the shortcuts that make it easier for
people to find the information they need to
make informed decisions.”
COLLEGE OF BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION
12
“WE WANT TO SHOW
BUSINESSES HOW TO
REDUCE OVERHEAD AND
INCREASE PROFITS BY
LOWERING THEIR ENERGY
CONSUMPTION.”
NBDC green business
certificate focuses on
alternative energies
R
WHAT FOLLOWS
LEED?
O
n May 20, 2011, representatives
from the Omaha community interested in the implications of
LEED certification met for a brainstorming and networking event coordinated by
Rick Yoder, program manager for NBDC’s
Pollution Prevention Regional Information
Center (P2RIC).
Sixty people representing organizations with LEED facilities (either certified,
or registered and planning for certification) attended. Participants from CoSentry,
Creighton University, DOL, DLR Group,
FBG Service Corp, HDR, Holland Basham
Architects, Kiewit, M.E. Group, OPPD,
UNO, UNMC, U.S. Green Building Council Nebraska Flatwater Chapter, and others
met in the Mammel Hall auditorium and
discussed how to keep momentum going for sustainability after achieving LEED
certification.
According to Yoder, “Getting a facility
LEED-certified is a great achievement, but
it’s still just a building. Sustainability requires human commitment to a long-term
goal. This meeting was designed to explore
barriers to continuing sustainability initia-
tives after certification has been achieved.”
Speakers Jay Noddle, Noddle Companies, and George Morrissey, Morrissey
Engineering, shared their perspectives as
developers, designers and owner/occupants
of LEED properties.
Roni Reiter-Palmon, UNO Center for Collaboration Science, facilitated a fast-paced
brainstorming exercise that generated ideas
from the group about issues including: education and training needs for LEED building
occupants, building the business case for
LEED, researching opportunities relating
LEED to occupant experience, and implementing and maintaining best operating
practices in LEED buildings.
CBA graduate assistants working in the
P2RIC program will compile the exercise
results and distribute them to participants.
Yoder said, “I was very impressed with
the collaboration session and I hope regular meetings of the LEED group will develop
from this event.”
esponding to increased interest,
the Nebraska Business Development Center (NBDC) began
developing a Green Business Certificate in
the spring of 2011. The training program,
scheduled to roll out in late summer, will
begin with several workshops about sustainability and how it relates to business
principles and management.
Participants will select from concentrations in wind, solar or biofuel alternative
energy sources and will cover the design
principles of the renewable energy system
and how it relates to economics, business
financing, job creation and commercial
product development.
Instructors will be Julie Diegel, a consultant from WasteCap Nebraska; David
Madchara, a Nebraska solar and wind consultant; Robert Byrnes, owner of Nebraska
Renewable Energy Systems, and Eric Williams, president, Omaha Biofuels Coop.
According to Jennifer Metzler, NBDC
program coordinator, other concentrations
being considered for the future include
green purchasing, indoor and outdoor water management, and training to complete
the Omaha Green Business Council green
business certification process.
2010–11 YEAR IN REVIEW 13
CHARGED AND SETTING THE PACE
HELPING
DRIVERS TURN
OVER A NEW
LEAF
S
usan Brennan knows from
experience that concern for
the environment and ensuring
sustainability are not only good for the
planet, they’re also good for business.
When it comes to the new all-electric
Nissan LEAF, being eco-friendly also can
be fun.
Brennan, who earned her MBA from
UNO’s College of Business Administration
in 1991, is vice president, manufacturing-Smyrna (Tennessee) for Nissan North
America.
Although the Smyrna plant won’t begin
manufacturing the Nissan LEAF—an acroCOLLEGE OF BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION
14
nym for Leading, Environmentally-friendly,
Affordable Family car—until late 2012,
Brennan has been one of the fortunate few
to drive one.
“I think it’s a great car,” she says. “It’s
got amazing acceleration. It’s a very roomy
five-seater, thanks in part to the fact that it
has no transmission or gas tank.”
A native of St. Louis, Brennan earned a
bachelor’s degree in microbiology from the
University of Illinois. She spent five years
as a chemical and biological researcher
and conducted a breast-cancer epidemiological study at M.D. Anderson Hospital in
Houston. She was also a pharmaceutical
researcher for Hoechst-Celanese in Corpus
Christi, Texas.
Brennan (then Susan Baska) came to
Omaha when her first husband accepted
a job in Emerson, Iowa. She began working on her MBA at UNO after accepting
an environmental and chemical research
position with automobile hardware manu-
facturer Douglas & Lomason Co. in Red
Oak, Iowa, where the wastewater produced in the process of coating auto seat
frames was a major concern.
“After about a year there, it became
clear that there was no way to treat the
volume of waste being produced,” Brennan recalls, “so I got involved in changing
the processes and eliminating the waste.”
The experience revealed something
unique about Brennan’s abilities.
“I found I had an aptitude for operations and management,” she says. “I make
things run and make them run well.”
After three years with Douglas & Lomason, she went to work at Ford Motor
Co., where in 13 years she served as plant
manager, director of manufacturing, director of the manufacturing business office
and director for the automaker’s global
manufacturing business office.
She joined Nissan in 2008. As the senior executive on-site for the Tennessee
plant, she is responsible for safety, quality, operations, productivity, environmental
compliance and new model introduction
of Nissan’s key North American products
including the Maxima, Altima and Altima
Hybrid, Pathfinder, Frontier and Xterra.
Initial Nissan LEAF production is sourced
from Oppama, Japan, with battery production at Zama, Japan. Construction is
underway for new vehicle assembly and
battery production in Smyrna. The plants
will have an eventual annual production
capacity of 150,000 electric vehicles and
200,000 advanced lithium-ion batteries.
Brennan says adding the all-electric LEAF
to its models is another indication of Nissan’s commitment to the environment
and to setting the pace for technological
innovation.
“ONE OF THE EXCITING
THINGS ABOUT THE LEAF IS
THAT NISSAN HAS DONE
EVERYTHING TO MAKE IT
VERY MUCH A REAL CAR,
NOT A VEHICLE LIMITED
TO SHORT TRIPS AROUND
TOWN.”
She said studies indicate 90 percent of
everyday driving is limited to less than 100
miles. The LEAF will have a range of 100
miles when fully charged.
Customers may purchase their own
charging stations, and Nissan is working
with government, power companies and
other entities such as Cracker Barrel restaurants to establish charging stations in
convenient locations across the country.
“We’re providing an environmentallyfriendly alternative that is also convenient
and fun to drive,” she says. “Nissan has
done a great job communicating that.”
Since December 2010, the LEAF has
been available in limited supply and will
gradually be available nationwide. At least
20,000 of the cars have been reserved by
customers.
Brennan commutes to the plant in Smyrna from her home in Brentwood, Tenn.
She and husband, Terry, have a son, Corrie, who is 12, and a daughter, Mikela, 8.
Brennan enjoys spending free time with
her family, riding bikes, snow skiing each
winter and staying physically fit. She has
participated in “a couple half marathons.”
Named in 2005 and 2010 by Automotive News as one of the Top 100 Leading
Women in the North American Auto Industry, Brennan is the president and a
founding member of the Southern Automotive Women’s Forum (SAWF), a nonprofit,
professional organization dedicated to
promoting the personal and professional
advancement of women in the automotive
industry who are located in the Southern
Region of the United States.
She is past vice president of Automotive Women’s Alliance, a resource group
formed to support women in the automotive industry, and has served on the board
of directors of the Clara B. Ford Academy in
Dearborn, Michigan.
Brennan puts her experience and wisdom to good use mentoring young women.
“My MBA has been instrumental in helping me to further my career,” she says.
“That message is very powerful for me,
and I talk about its value when we discuss
what’s next in their careers.”
She also imparts knowledge she
acquired at the College of Business Administration from professors including Dean
Louis Pol and Associate Dean and Professor of Management Lynn Harland, two
mentors with whom Brennan still keeps in
touch.
“Just as I learned at UNO, I stress the importance of joining networks, really getting
to know other women through support and
personal development activities,” Brennan
says. “They’ll find out most people face the
same issues in the workplace.”
She also recommends internships.
“Hiring is such a big commitment on a
company’s part today. With an internship,
a company gets a good close look at you.
They can see your work ethic, your acumen, and that can give you a much better
chance of getting in the door.”
Once through that doorway, Brennan
advises having someone within the company on your side. “Few relationships are
as advantageous to your career as having
someone within the organization whom
you can trust to have candid conversations
about what you need to do to progress.”
Brennan returned to UNO in 2009 to receive the CBA Distinguished Alumni award
and speak to MBA students about her career. But because Mammel Hall had not yet
been completed, she says a return trip to
Omaha is among her plans.
She might even drive up in a brand new
LEAF.
2010–11 YEAR IN REVIEW 15
CLEAN & GREEN
COLLEGE OF BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION
16
ECO-FRIENDLY
BUSINESS
THRIVES
K
ermit Engh was an
administrator at Clarkson
Hospital when he bought
a laundromat in 1991, seizing upon it as
an opportunity for a second income for
his childrens’ education.
With the purchase of Fashion Cleaners
one year later, he wound up with a second
career.
Engh, a member of the Nebraska Business Development Center (NBDC) Advisory
Board, has done more than earn extra
income for his kids’ college funds. He’s
earned a reputation as the owner of the
only environmentally-friendly dry cleaners
in Omaha.
The machines at Fashion Cleaners utilize the newest eco-friendly, biodegradable
cleaning agents available. The solvent costs
more initially but ultimately cleans more
clothing while virtually eliminating the hazardous wastes inherent to the dry cleaning
process.
“IT’S BETTER FOR THE
EMPLOYEES, BETTER FOR THE
CUSTOMERS, BETTER FOR
THE ENVIRONMENT AND
ACTUALLY BETTER FOR THE
CLOTHES!”
Engh owned a small laundromat in west
Omaha and was considering buying another when he was presented the opportunity
to purchase Fashion Cleaners at 3031
Leavenworth Street. Six months later, his
original laundromat was destroyed by an
early-morning fire.
“So I refocused on this business. It had
been run by a couple who owned it for 12
years. It was the two of them, nine employees, one van and a whole lot of antique
equipment that I didn’t know was antique
until I owned it,” he says. “Some of it was
held together with hanger wire and duct
tape.”
He invested in technology, upgraded
equipment and applied automation to every aspect of the dry cleaning process,
“which allows our employees to focus on
what’s important—the care and presentation of garments.”
In 2000, Engh acquired Omaha Lace
Laundry and blended the two companies
into one. Today, Fashion Cleaners employs
about 65 people at seven Omaha locations.
It also operates three full-time delivery vehicles, powered by clean diesel, and is the
dominant player in the local dry cleaning
pickup and delivery service.
Engh is proud to be the first dry cleaner
in the state to drastically reduce the use of
paper in his business by employing barcoding to track garments. Fashion Cleaners
was also the first in Nebraska to use a true
water-based process to clean “dry-clean
only” items, and a computer-controlled
process that enables his business to wet
clean angora, wool, cashmere, leathers and
other delicate materials. And he has the
only automated distribution and assembly
conveyer system in the state that takes garments all the way to packing and bagging.
In Oct. 2009, Engh was the first in the
state to convert his DF2000 cleaning machines to a liquid silica cleaning solvent
called Green Earth. In May 2011, he went
one step further, becoming the first in the
region to add new German-made organic
cleaning agents called SystemK4 that are
also environmentally-friendly and exhibit
“great cleanability characteristics.”
“In our restoration division, we clean
a lot of sooty, smoky clothes from house
fires,” he says. “K4 simplifies the process
by allowing odor removal and cleaning in
one step.”
Fashion Cleaners also does what it can
to protect the environment by recycling
hangers and reusing the water for the cooling towers for its machines. Even the clear
plastic bags are biodegradable.
Promoting itself as an eco-friendly
dry cleaner with competitive pricing has
earned Fashion Cleaners a loyal following.
It’s been voted “First Place, Best in Omaha” in a local magazine poll seven years in
a row, as well as the recipient of numerous
customer service awards.
“We were able to maintain our volume
even during the recent downturn in the
economy,” Engh says. “To me, that’s a message that people in Omaha are ready for a
truly green dry cleaning option.”
Clean clothes—and a clean conscience—
thanks to Kermit Engh’s dedication to
protecting the environment.
2010–11 YEAR IN REVIEW 17
From left: Kathleen Piper, deputy district director, SBA; Len Dickinson and Jule Goeller, Sand Creek Post and Beam, Inc.; Robert Bernier, NBDC state director; Senator David Bloomfield,
District 17; Loren Kucera, NBDC center director; Cindy Johnson, Grand Island Chamber of Commerce
NBDC IS
TECHNOLOGY
ACCREDITED
T
he Nebraska Business
Development Center (NBDC)
is now one of only seven small
business development centers in the
country accredited to provide assistance
to technology companies.
The certificate of accreditation was presented by NBDC State Director Bob Bernier
to Louis Pol, CBA dean, at a luncheon in the
State Capitol on May 24, 2011.
The technology accreditation, according
to Bernier, “assures technology businesses in Nebraska that they have a source for
business development.” NBDC has three
technology development consultants certified by the Association of Small Business
Development Centers. Two are located in
Omaha at the NBDC office in Mammel Hall
on the UNO campus. One is located in Lincoln at the NUtech Ventures office near the
University of Nebraska-Lincoln campus.
NBDC services, including technology development assistance, can be accessed at
any of its offices. UNO is the host school
funded by the U.S. Small Business AdminCOLLEGE OF BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION
18
istration (SBA) to operate the program in
Nebraska. UNO operates business advising offices in Auburn, North Platte, Omaha
and Scottsbluff. NBDC subcontracts with
the University of Nebraska-Lincoln to operate an office at NUtech Ventures in Lincoln,
with the University of Nebraska at Kearney
to operate offices in Kearney and Grand Island, with Wayne State College to operate
an office in Wayne, and with Chadron State
College to operate an office in Chadron.
Six small businesses that are NBDC clients were recognized at the luncheon for
their significant contributions to the Nebraska economy:
Brothers Zakary
and Ira Olsen, Ronco
Construction Company
SBA NEBRASKA SMALL BUSINESS OF THE YEAR
Based in Wayne, Nebraska, Sand Creek
Post and Beam, Inc. manufactures custom
built wood post-and-beam barn kits and
accessories. It has production facilities in
Wayne, Cleveland, GA, and San Antonio,
TX.
The family-owned business started operations in 2005 on a concrete slab near the
owners’ home. In 2008–2009, the company completed a $1 million expansion of its
operating facilities.
The company currently has 40 employees in Wayne with a $1 million payroll.
Annual sales exceeded $5 million in 2010.
Owners Len Dickinson and Jule Goeller
traveled to Washington, D.C. in mid-May to
be honored with other state award winners
at the White House.
SBA NEBRASKA FAMILY BUSINESS OF THE YEAR
Ronco Construction Company has served
the greater Omaha area for the past 34
years. It grew from a small family construction business to become a major player in
the construction field, demonstrating consistent growth during a serious downturn
in the industry. Challenged by the passing
of the original owner, family members and
long time employees stepped up to carry
on the company’s high-quality and service.
With 25–30 employees, the small company boasts successful work on schools,
office buildings, health care infrastructure,
retail, industrial, government and commercial projects, and a water treatment plant.
Brothers Zakary and Ira Olsen of Ronco
Construction accepted the award.
NBDC TECHNOLOGY BUSINESS OF THE YEAR
Gene Seek, a division of Neogen of Lincoln, NE, provides comprehensive solutions
and services for the agricultural biotechnology industry.
Since 1998, Gene Seek has assisted customers spanning the genotyping
continuum from research and development to focused genetic markers. Gene
Seek provides customers with the services and expertise to assist in areas such as
SNP profiling, marker assisted selection
(MAS), disease diagnostics, and identity
management.
Gene Seek is a leading global provider of
DNA testing for farm and animal improvement, and veterinary diagnostic testing and
surveillance. Susanne Hinkley, president of
Gene Seek, accepted the award.
NBDC GOVERNMENT CONTRACTOR OF THE YEAR
Founded in 2003, Signal 88 Security
Franchise Group of Omaha revolutionized the security guard industry and was
named in Entrepreneur magazine’s list of
the “Franchise 500” for 2010. With over 60
locations, Signal 88 has been able to solidify its network of security experts through
franchise owners and greater resources for
security training to provide better and more
customized solutions for its clients. Reed
Nyffeler oversees the general operations
and research and development for Signal
88. Josh Minturn and Steve Perry accepted
the award.
NBDC BUSINESS OF THE YEAR ENERGY AND THE
ENVIRONMENT
M.E. Group is dedicated to delivering
engineering solutions that further its mission—“improving life through a better built
environment.”
M.E. Group’s solutions include optimizing HVAC systems in existing buildings and
teaching facilities managers how to achieve
the highest efficiencies, which include
behavioral changes—an important component of energy efficiency and one that is
typically overlooked by engineers. Demonstrating its commitment to environmental
performance, the company hosted an open
house at their Leed platinum-certified facility in Omaha, which uses a real-time
measurement and reporting system to display energy useage.
M.E. Group held continuing education
sessions for its national staff at Mammel
Hall and made these sessions available to
NBDC staff and CBA’s student marketing
organization. Andrew Thompson, principal
of M.E. Group, accepted the award.
Other statewide winners were:
Lisa Tedesco, NBDC; Susanne Hinkley, Gene Seek
Andy Alexander, NBDC; Josh Minturn, Signal 88
Security Franchise Group
WOMEN IN BUSINESS CHAMPION OF THE YEAR
Cindy Johnson, Grand Island Chamber
of Commerce. Johnson was also the Region
VII winner.
SBA SMALL BUSINESS OF THE YEAR FOR
CONGRESSIONAL DISTRICT ONE
Technical Maintenance and Service of
Lincoln
Jean Waters, NBDC; Andrew Thompson, M.E. Group
SBA SMALL BUSINESS OF THE YEAR FOR
CONGRESSIONAL DISTRICT TWO
Nebraska Dance LLC of Omaha
SBA SMALL BUSINESS OF THE YEAR FOR
CONGRESSIONAL DISTRICT THREE
Clint Spearman Trucking of Scottsbluff
Marisol Rodriguez, NBDC; Lincoln Williams, Technical
Maintenance and Service of Lincoln
2010–11 YEAR IN REVIEW 19
LARRY BRADLEY
Dino P. Cagni
Doug Nielsen
2010 & 2011
DISTINGUISHED
ALUMNI
Larry Bradley
Larry Bradley, a 1983 UNO CBA graduate,
is an audit partner for KPMG LLP based in
New York. Bradley, who has been with KPMG
for 27 years, started in the Omaha office.
Elected to the partnership in 1995, he is currently the lead audit partner for Pfizer, Inc.,
the world’s largest pharmaceutical company.
He has also served as lead partner on other
global companies including The Hershey
Company, Pepsi Bottling Group and Omnicom Group, and spent seven years as audit
partner for PepsiCo, Inc.
Bradley serves on the board of directors
for KPMG LLP, KPMG Americas, and Park Indemnity Limited. Bradley also serves KMPG
as an SEC reviewing partner for companies
such as Daimler AG (formerly DaimlerChrysler), YUM! Brands, ConAgra Foods,
Constellation Brands, General Mills, Cablevision and The Home Depot.
DINO P. CAGNI
Paul G. Smith
Rod Rhoden
Robert C. Goedken
Daniel J. Jaksich
COLLEGE OF BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION 20
After earning his BS degree in accounting in 1957 from UNO (then Omaha
University), Dino Cagni was employed by
the Department of Defense as an auditor
of government contractors. Cagni joined
North American Aviation (later Rockwell
International) on the Apollo Program as a
major subcontract negotiator and manager on Apollo Command and Service Module
Subsystems.
After the Apollo program, he was an administrator at Canoga Park and Encino
Hospitals and was the CEO at hospitals in
Miami, Ft. Lauderdale, Jupiter, and St. Petersburg, Florida. Cagni opened Jupiter Medical
Center and operated the facility for ten years.
In addition, he was the CFO for a sporting
goods manufacturer, the Humane Society of
Miami, and various marketing organizations.
Cagni has served on the board of many
civic and professional organizations, including the Florida Hospital Association. He
served as president of the Jupiter/Tequesta
Chamber of Commerce and chairman of the
Florida Hospital Malpractice Trust Fund.
ALUMNI
ROBERT C. GOEDKEN
Robert Goedken, general manager,
Yamaha Electronics Corporation, earned
his Executive MBA from UNO CBA in 2000.
In 1985, he joined the financial software
startup Profitstar as the company’s first
salesperson. After he was promoted to SVP
of sales and marketing in 1998, Profitstar
became a Top 25 Growth Company in the
Omaha metropolitan area and the AIM Institute’s State Technology Company of the
Year in 2001.
In 2003, Goedken joined Yamaha Electronics as national sales manager. He was
then promoted to general manager of the
AV division (#1 market share in AV receivers in the U.S). Goedken also leads a
corporate initiative creating sales process
best practices among all Yamaha music
divisions. In 2010, he completed the threeyear Yamaha Global Institute Executive
Management Course at Tokyo’s Hitotsubashi University.
DANIEL J. JAKSICH
Daniel Jaksich is vice president and
controller for Berkshire Hathaway Inc., a
holding company with subsidiaries that operate in a wide range of industries. He has
been controller since 1984 and is heavily involved in Berkshire’s consolidated
financial reporting and other corporate
responsibilities.
Jaksich received a bachelor of science
degree in business administration with a
major in accounting from UNO in 1980.
After graduating, he worked in public accounting at Deloitte, while earning his CPA
license.
com, creating the leading market place for
gift certificates. In 2002, he co-founded
NetShops Inc., an innovative online retail
business that now has over 200 web stores.
During Nielsen’s tenure as president and
CEO of Netshops from 2002 to 2007, the
company grew from under a million dollars in revenue to nearly $200 million. In
2006, Netshops was named the 13th fastest growing company in America by Inc.
Magazine. Netshops, rebranded as Hayneedle, continues to grow rapidly and Nielsen
now serves as chairman of the board. He
is focused on a new venture, Xuba, an innovative approach to online commerce and
social engagement.
ROD RHODEN
Rod Rhoden earned his BSBA degree
from UNO’s CBA in 1967. He later attended law school in California before serving
active duty in the U.S. Air Force Reserves.
In1971, Rhoden began his own automobile
business. His firm, Motors Management,
now operates five dealerships in Omaha,
Lincoln and Council Bluffs. Combined, they
generate approximately 200 million dollars in annual retail sales and employ 330
full-time employees. Many employees have
been with the company for over 25 years—
several since day one.
Rhoden’s Honda and Acura dealerships
are longtime recipients of top national
awards for customer satisfaction.
His dealerships have been active in the
athletic programs at both Omaha and Lincoln campuses for over 35 years.
PAUL G. SMITH
Paul Smith is vice-chairman of Tenaska Energy Inc., an independent energy
company concentrating on reliable, costefficient, and environmentally responsible
power plant operations. Tenaska also provides energy risk management services
and is involved in natural gas, biofuels, and
electric power marketing; gas exploration,
production and transportation systems;
and electric transmission development.
Smith serves as vice-chairman of the
Tenaska board of stakeholders and is a
member of the company’s five-person executive team.
Under his leadership, Tenaska Capital
Management (TCM) oversees approximately $5 billion in assets. Smith, along
with the company’s other senior managing
directors, is responsible for the overall strategy, investment, operation and disposition
of TPF I’s and TPF II’s investments. He is
also a member of the Investment Committees for TPF I and TPF II and serves on
the boards of directors for fund portfolio
companies.
Smith earned a bachelor of science degree in mechanical engineering from Iowa
State University and, in 1984, earned his
MBA from UNO.
DOUG NIELSEN
After graduating from UNO in 1990,
Doug Nielsen founded Market Innovators,
Inc., creating a successful coupon book
concept and then expanding into other direct marketing and business information
products. He co-founded GiftPoint.com and
steered its merger with GiftCertificates.
Paul Smith at the 2011
Distinguished Alumni
Luncheon
2010–11 YEAR IN REVIEW 21
CBA ALUMS
LOOK BACK AND
FORWARD
G
erald Karlin became president
of a bank. Marshall Widman is
an entrepreneur and inventor
whose patented heat transfer process
is the foundation for a very unique
business. Robert Kreitner is an author
who taught in classrooms at Arizona
State University and in a bar in Yap,
Micronesia. Gail DeBoer is president
of a growing federal credit union. Jack
Koraleski is an executive vice president
at one of Omaha’s Fortune 500 company
headquarters.
Five people whose varied paths all cross
at one point—UNO’s College of Business
Administration—all agree that education
has been a cornerstone of their success.
Karlin received his bachelor’s degree
from Omaha University (now UNO) in
1960 and started his career as a teller at
Center Bank in Omaha. He retired as president of Southwest Bank in 1995.
COLLEGE OF BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION
22
“I don’t think I could have done any of
the things I did without that degree and the
education I received at OU,” he says.
Through the years, Karlin’s co-workers
were products of several colleges.
“The quality of business instruction at OU at
the time was superior to what I heard from
these other people and from what I see
that’s still true today.” Gerald Karlin
DeBoer’s commitment and determination are evident in the fact that she
attended classes for 10 years to earn her
BSBA in accounting in 1987. Today, she
serves as president of SAC Federal Credit
Union, a $520 million financial institution
employing 200 people at 19 locations in
the Omaha metro area.
A Certified Public Accountant, DeBoer
started her career at InterNorth but left the
company after it became Enron Corporation. She recalls meeting Kenneth Lay, who
served as CEO and chairman at Enron and
who was later convicted of securities fraud
in a scandal that led to the company’s
downfall.
“When Ken Lay came to town after the
merger, everything about what he said just
didn’t ring true to me,” she recalls. “I trusted my gut feeling, and it turned out to be a
good move on my part.”
DeBoer says being a “non-traditional”
student taking many evening classes while
working full time provided an added perspective. “I was able to meet people going
through the same experiences, and that
was a benefit to me,” she says.
Widman, founder of BallStars Inc. and
inventor of the BallStars Heat Transfer
Process (see sidebar), attended OU in the
1960s—but didn’t officially graduate until 2005. He left his final semester to join
the Air Force, and it wasn’t until 2004 that
Widman learned he had in fact earned a
diploma.
“My letter caught Dean Pol’s attention
in 2004 when I wrote to find out exactly
what I needed to finish my degree,” Widman says.
“Dean Pol called me with the good
news—that I could pick up my diploma at
the spring graduation ceremony in May. I
had forgotten that I had taken a couple of
summer classes, which gave me enough
credits to graduate.”
Koraleski earned his bachelor’s degree
in 1972 and his MBA in 1981. He went to
work for Union Pacific Railroad in 1972,
and in 1999 was named executive vice
president, marketing and sales. He is responsible for Union Pacific’s six major
business units: agriculture, automobiles,
chemicals, energy, industrial products and
intermodal, which collectively account for
nearly $16 billion in annual revenue. He
also oversees the railroad’s National Customer Service Center.
Koraleski fondly recalls the enthusiasm
of his teachers, the administrators and his
fellow students.
“There was a real excitement about being there,” he says.
“We weren’t just sitting reading Harvard
case studies. We were out in the real world,
helping small businesses, gathering realworld data and experiences.” Jack Koraleski
SHARING
SUCCESS
Marshall Widman is one of many
CBA graduates who continue to give
back to the College.
After establishing several mall
kiosk businesses that marketed
personalized photographic mugs
and other items, Widman formed
Star Innovations in 1996, where he
invented and patented a proprietary
technology that reproduces full-color
photographs as images on a variety
of curved surfaces and materials,
including sports balls.
Star Innovations has since become
BallStars Inc., which manufactures
and markets the BallStars Heat
Transfer Process apparatus.
Students in the “Entrepreneurship
Business Formation” class taught
by David Ambrose, professor of
management, have launched
their own sports ball photo image
company. The company, named
BALListic Memories, utilizes an
image-transfer machine Widman
donated.
“I am proud to even have my name
associated with Dean Pol and the
College of Business Administration,”
he says. “It’s my desire to take an even bigger role in the future with
the students.”
Kreitner received a bachelor’s degree
and master’s degree in business from UNO
in 1970 and 1971 and a Ph.D. in business
from UNL in 1974.
A Professor Emeritus of Management
at Arizona State University and a member of ASU’s W.P. Carey School of Business
Faculty Hall of Fame, Kreitner taught management at UNO, UNL, Western Illinois
University, Arizona State University and
the Thunderbird School of Global Management. He also taught in Micronesia,
Albania, and Switzerland. He is the author
or co-author of 31 editions of seven college
textbooks and since retiring 10 years ago
devotes his time to revising his best-selling
management and organizational behavior
textbooks.
He says he owes it all to a call in December 1965 from OU football line coach
Don Watchorn, whom he had met while
playing football at the U.S. Coast Guard
base in Cape May, New Jersey, during his
enlistment.
“He told me to get into my VW and drive
to Omaha, school starts in January,” Kreitner recalls. “I was going nowhere, making
$1.40 an hour in a factory near where I
was born in Buffalo, New York. I grabbed
that lifeline and I did something with it.”
At the College, he benefitted from many
faculty mentors, including former Management Department Chair Jack Hill,
Dean John Lucas, and Associate Professor
of Management John Anstey—“the best
teacher I ever had in my life.”
“He was authentic. Even in a class of 30
or 40 people, he still taught to you—and he
busted your butt every minute. Thanks to
him and all the great teachers there, I grew
a brain at age 22.”
Kreitner’s wife, Margaret A. Sova, holds
a bachelor’s degree and a master’s degree
in special education from UNO. Longtime
supporters of UNO and the College, they
have established the Robert Kreitner and
Margaret A. Sova Scholarship. Each year
they travel to Omaha from their home
in Arizona to meet with their scholarship
recipients.
“At a time when the U.S. political climate is so backward-looking, negative
and fearful, those students come across
as forward-looking, positive and fearlessly
hopeful,” he says. “Meeting with them is
like a fountain of youth for us.”
All five CBA alums are tremendously impressed by the College’s new home,
Mammel Hall.
“It’s clearly the leading edge of education today,” says Koraleski, “and it’s
deserving of all the people who teach
there.”
DeBoer says it’s a world of difference
from when she studied while sitting on the
floor in the hallways at Roskens Hall.
“I am jealous. I can’t even imagine
how much more advanced the learning
experience is today.” Gail DeBoer
Kreitner, who has taught in auditoriums before 400 students at ASU and in a
dimly-lighted bar in Yap, says the scale of
Mammel Hall is perfect. “The class sizes
are right, the student-teacher ratio is right,
the size of the building is right.”
He hopes CBA students realize how good
they have it. “They should get down and
kiss the floor every time they walk into that
building.”
70s
UNO IN THE
Opposite page: Robert Kreitner
This page: Marshall Widman (left) and Jack
Koraleski (above)
2010–11 YEAR IN REVIEW 23
STUDENTS
AGAIN
OUTPERFORM
THE S&P 500
65.1 percent compared to 31.8 percent by
the S&P 500.
The Colonel Guy M. Cloud, Jr. and Patricia Cloud Student Managed Investment
Fund was established with a $250,000
contribution from Colonel Cloud. The Maverick Investment Program was organized
to manage the fund, and after two years of
excellent results, Colonel Cloud contributed
$90,000 more to the fund. Dr. David Volkman, Professor of Finance, is the program
TOTAL RETURN SINCE
INCEPTION
T
he University of Nebraska at
Omaha’s Maverick Investment
Program announced that
the return on its investment fund has
outperformed the S&P 500 for the ninth
consecutive year. The student managed
fund’s return for 2010 was 18.4 percent
while the S&P 500’s return was 15.1
percent. The Maverick fund grew by
$70,176.
The return on investment by the studentmanaged fund has exceeded that of the
S&P 500 every year since the program was
established in 2001. Since inception, the
Maverick portfolio’s cumulative return is
 MAVERICK INVESTORS 65.1%
 S&P 500 31.8%
advisor and teaches courses in portfolio investment and analysis.
Members of the Maverick Investment
Program meet once a month during
the school year. At one meeting each
semester, members make buy/sell recommendations supported by thorough
analysis. Recommendations are vetted by
the student voting members before decisions are made.
Program members are approaching a
long-term goal: growing the fund to over
$500,000. In keeping with the fund’s directives, at that point members will have the
option to use some of the returns for student scholarships.
2011 Maverick Investment Club officers Timothy Fowler, Omar Vargas, Muzaffarjon Mahsudov, Blake Lohnes, Jason Henderson (VP and Omaha Branch
Executive, Federal Reserve Bank of KC), Raja Mukherjee, Scott McCandless, Steven Nielsen
COLLEGE OF BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION
24
UNDERGRAD
ception. Eight roster players were CBA
students, and together they played a key
role in the success of the team.
In late May, Coach Dean Blais announced the names of the new recruiting
class, eight players in all. Of the eight, six
plan to major in some aspect of business,
guaranteeing that the close relationship between UNO hockey and CBA will continue.
#23 Eric Olimb and goalie John Faulkner
STUDENT
ATHLETES
KNOW THEIR
BUSINESS
H
ockey fans at UNO this season
had lots to cheer about when
the Mavs delivered an up-tempo offense against their Western Collegiate
Hockey Association (WCHA) opponents.
Finishing third in the best conference in
the U.S. (UNO joined the WCHA this year)
and making it to the NCAA playoffs topped
the Mav’s achievements. Although they
did not make the Frozen Four, they could
boast that during the regular season
they beat three of the teams that did.
Hockey has a special place in
the hearts and minds of CBA students, faculty, staff and alumni.
For more than a decade, many
members of the UNO hockey team have also been CBA
students, and good ones at
that. Scott Parse, forward for
the NHL Los Angeles Kings
is a CBA alum. During some
seasons, nearly one-half of
the team are CBA students
and 2010–2011 was no ex-
AWARD WINNING
SWIMMER EARNS
DEGREE IN FINANCE
I
n February 2011 and for the second year in a row, CBA student
Laura Kemp was named Female
Swimmer of the Year at the Midwestern
Collegiate Conference Championship. In
March, Laura was one of the six UNO athletes who qualified to compete in the 2011
NCAA Division II Swimming and Diving
Championships in Texas. She competed in
the 200 and 400 individual medley events,
100 yard breast stroke and on the 800 freestyle relay team. Laura earned her BSBA
degree in May 2011 with a specialization in
finance.
Front: John Faulkner, Kyle Ensign and Eric Olimb
Back: Alex Simonson, Pasko Skarica, Matt Smith,
Andrej Sustr, Fredrik Bergman
2010–11 YEAR IN REVIEW 25
EXECUTIVE EDUCATION
NEIGHBORS
MAKE GOOD
PARTNERS
A
series of workshops being
presented to different levels
of management at Blue
Cross Blue Shield of Nebraska is an
example of the non-credit executive
education the College of Business
Administration tailors to fit the needs of
area corporations.
“We are able to design workshops and educational programs
based on a client’s goals,” says Bill
Swanson, CBA’s executive director of professional management
education and the Executive MBA
(EMBA) program. “The first step
is to understand their needs, then
customize elements from what we
offer and put together a program
just for them.”
Workshops and programs are
designed for a specific company or
industry, Swanson says. “We ask
participants to tell us about issues
they are facing and we’ll incorporate those into the exercises,” he
says. “At the end of the session, they’ll take
with them the tools they need to continue
developing viable solutions for the challenges they face.”
The series with Blue Cross Blue Shield
of Nebraska (BCBSNE) is one component
of a longtime relationship between the in-
COLLEGE OF BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION
26
surance corporation, UNO and the College.
In addition to partnering for educational
opportunities, several CBA graduates are
employed at the nearby headquarters.
“Access to the University and the College
of Business Administration offers significant value to BCBSNE,” says Tom Whalen,
Vice President of Human Resources and
Organizational Development. “The wealth
of highly professional and knowledgeable
experts at UNO affords us the opportunity
to develop targeted education and learning
experiences for our employees.”
Whalen says the series with CBA, which
began with a 1½-day workshop for senior-level executives in the fall of 2010, is
intended to enhance the financial skills of
the BCBSNE executive management team.
Swanson says subsequent sessions in
2011 present financial concepts to directors and managers specific to BCBSNE and
the insurance industry. “One of the goals is
to clarify financial terminology as it applies
to the industry and to health care reform,”
Swanson says.
The workshops are fine-tuned for BCBSNE and for each level of management.
“The various executive tiers have different duties and perspectives,” he says. “The
foundational information we present is
somewhat similar but the applicability is
targeted to a specific audience.”
Whalen says CBA Dean Louis Pol and administrators at UNO have been “responsive
and excited” about continuing educational opportunities. The sessions are led by
David Volkman and Laura Beal of the department of finance, banking and law.
“Going forward, we intend to explore a
number of our organization’s education and development needs to
identify where we can partner in
custom designing programs that
will strengthen our workforce’s
overall skills and capabilities,” he
says. “Working together we believe we can create a win-win for
the College, the University and
BCBSNE.”
“ACCESS TO THE
UNIVERSITY AND THE
COLLEGE OF BUSINESS
ADMINISTRATION
OFFERS SIGNIFICANT VALUE
TO BCBSNE.”
INTERNSHIPS
REAL ESTATE AND
LAND USE ECONOMICS
Premier One/ Keller
Williams Real Estate
Joshua Larsen
Landmark Group
Jessica Lang
Amy Powell
ECONOMICS
Van Wall Energy
Sally Hopley
ACCOUNTING
ABH Behavioral
Services
Channell Jones
Berger & O'Toole
Jacob Bright
Blackman &
Associates
Amber White
Brittney Grabow
ConAgra Foods
Charles Hall
Devin Tierney
Greg Fonda
Consolidated Water
Solutions
Chad Brummels
Countryman &
Associates
Jordan Downey
Deboer & Associates
Brittany Grabow
Chad Anderson
Katherine Papadopolous
Deloitte & Touche
Cathy Lovell
Rae Christensen
DiGiorgio's
Sportswear
Chelsee Eck
Frankel Zacharia
Katie Nath
Gallup Corporation
Kelly Stone
Gottsch Enterprises
Colby Hart
Hancock & Dana
Aaron Junge
Jamie Cafferty
Shonsey & Associates
Union Pacific
Silverstone Group
Tenaska
Walentin, O'Toole,
McQuillan and
Gordon
The Kitchen Place
Wells Fargo
Bryan Frew
Ann Vacanti
Matt Pickens
Gerald Parriott
The Richdale Group
Steven Warnock
Thomas, CPA
Spencer Cox
Raja Mukherjee
Martina Kolobara
Eric Burns
Muzaffarjon Mahsudov
MBA
FINANCE, BANKING
AND LAW
Sandhills Publishing
Jessica Gorat
University of Nebraska
Medical Center
Mark Bernier
Boys Town National
Research Hospital
Kristyn Wiehl
Brookestone Village
Sabrina Englemann
Buckle
Corey Young
Cline Williams Law Firm
Emily Kirkland
CoMc LLC
Gulruh Niyazova
ConAgra Foods
Leah Alexander
Danielle Bollich
Tyler Budke
Justin Dlugosz
Jerrod Foster
Ryne Higgins
Nicole Morrison
Jessica Radke
OdessaNicole Carter
UNO College of Business
Administration
Molly Glennie
UNO Athletics, Campus
Recreation
Kyle Booras
MARKETING
State Farm Insurance
Adam Fuchtman
Strawhecker Group
Andrew Nuss
Strictly Business
Magazine
Chase Spencer
Swanson Russell &
Associates
Mallory Messenger
Advance Services, Inc.
TapOut Mouthguard C&E Sports LLC
All Paws: Natural Food
Store
TD Ameritrade
Chelsea Alt
Brad Nelson
Eric Scherer
Bold Office Solutions
Bank of the West
Farmers Insurance
ConAgra
Cox Communications
First National Bank of
Omaha
Davis Chiropractic
Elizabeth Hoffman
Durham Museum
Xavier Rodriguez
Fastsigns
Kimberly Gavin
Gallup Co.
Domingo Correa
Greek Chic Cuisine
Larissa Brewer
H & H Chevrolet
Molly Luebe
Harrah's Entertainment/
Horseshoe Casino
Veronica Nyambok
Henry Doorly Zoo
Durham Museum
Brian Meyer
Alexa Sommers
Zasha Humbert
Jackie Makarov
Cale Deardorff
Antonino Nastasi
Jessica Muhle
Vytautas Juozokas
Micaela Olmer
Aaron Goodenberger
Oliver Hopkins
Hayneedle
Immanuel Communities
Independent Study
Jimmy John's
Justin Coogan
Kiewit
Daniel O'Leary
Merrill Lynch
Milburn M. Sartin, Jr.,
PC
Scott McCandless
Nicole Morrison
Jacob Whitney
Metlife Home Loans
Landmark Group
Wei Liu
Kyle Geschwender
Millard
Manufacturing
Margaret Fohner
Northwestern Mutual
Megan Ohm
Kristi Wiebelhaus
Heather Oehm
Dana Watermeier
Ben Buckley
Tyler Vandament
Erin Mantz
Philip Niewohner
Josh Johnson
Mutual of Omaha
Northwestern Mutual
Mail Solutions
Jamie Moats
Mutual of Omaha
Securities America
Turner Anding
Security Home Bank
Eusebio Javier Alba
TD Ameritrade
Charles Layne
Maribel Garcia
Laura Gilliam
Megan Landolt
Eric Mueller
Huy Tran
Hunter Bolding
La Vista Chamber of
Commerce
Payflex Systems Inc.
Melissa Kotera
Kimberly Piepmeier
Kelli Goeser
Dexter Kalin
Amanda Grothe
Emily Ridder
Megan Parks
Daniel Klosowski
Andrew Bishoff
Leukemia and Lymphoma
Society
Mallory Bergwell
Kyle Reeves
UNO Campus Recreation
Damir Selimovic
Jalon Fusion
Hyun-Ji Lee
Footprints Asset
Management
Security National
Bank
Sleight Advertising
Andrew Lyons
Amy Powell
Steve Perry
Allstate Ins. Co.
Erin Schumacher
Lehigh & Kading
Missy Poppen
UNMC Alumni Relations
Dillard's Inc.
David Gnam
Maya Doghman
Orizon
Signal 88 Security
Alegent Health
Matthew Nohl
First National Bank
Evan O'Keefe
Stephanie Bauer
Nicole McCoid
Athletes Training Center
Sports Performance
& PT
Koski
Nebraska Medical
Center
Signature Media Group
Access Capital Group
Joe Kawa
Jay Skogland
Meg Pryal
TD Ameritrade
Cox Classic presented by
Lexus of Omaha
Financial Visions, LLC
Metropolitan Utilities
District
Shadow Ridge Country
Club
James Bewley
Victoria Foreman
HyVee Corporation
John Hills
Alissa Boukal
Maria Eilerts
Bank of the West
Craig Navickas
Jacob Bright
SnapStone
Gulruh Niyazova
Brett Castinado
Dynastic Partners
Scott Rosen
Veronica Dimas
Alison Lercher
AXA Equitable
Horizon Dance
Mark Hennings
Primary Home Health
Care
Signature Performance
MANAGEMENT
Kyle Thompson
Sophie Plumb
Pentagon Federal Credit
Union
Jessica Curtis
Reader
Divya Kaladhar Allu
William Harvey
Company
Chris Fanciullo
Orthopaedic Marketing
Group
Lynsay Kemp
U.S. Strategic
Command
Adam Cooper
John Gudenrath
Nicole Karrick
Packaging Corporation
of America
Nick Aldieri
Jessica Starzec
Peter Kiewit Institute
Union Pacific Railroad
West Corporation
Brad Nelson
Oriental Trading Company
Ali Alkhamis
Xinyou Liu
Behzod Soliev
Divya Kaladhar Allu
Brian Jeter
Brittney Nichols
Cara Horn
Damien Foster
Danita Summers
Ellen Thommes
Eric Hansen
John West
Nicholas Osborn
Stephanie Vanicek
Trisha Ponce
Valerie Jenkins
Oscar's Pizza & Sports
Grille
Erin Dougherty
Jyoti Gandha
Michaela Kluthe
Union Pacific
Cody Luchsinger
OPPD
TFL Inc
Tony Buda, P.C.
Dale Larson
Jamie Haddock
Orthopaedic Marketing
Group
NP Dodge Real Estate
Omaha Royals
Kevin Houlton
Omaha Steaks
Laurie Rookstool
Oriental Trading
Company
Chandra Webb
Diana Petersen
Katherine Knight
Ryan Vaughan
Millennium Capital
Advisors
Maren Ring
Mutual of Omaha-Great
Plains Division
Bill Larsen
Trevor Forbes
John Treinen
UNMC Alumni Relations
Andrew Lyons
UNO Campus
Recreation
Eric Hoff
UNO College of Business
Administration
UNO University Relations
Valley Oak Cabinets, Inc
Verizon Wireless
Walt Disney Company
WOWT Channel 6
Zales Jewelers
NOT FOR CREDIT
Giang Nguyen
DiVentures Scuba and
Swim Center
Ashley Rosonke
Union Pacific Railroad
Patricia Mayorga
UNMC Alumni Relations
Office
Kayla Uhing
EXECUTIVE
INTERNATIONAL
CONSULTING PROJECT:
GERMANY
TEAM MEMBERS
KC Bradley, Scott Faith, Nate Maniktala,
and Sharyl McGuire
FACULTY ADVISOR
GOAL
To conduct a market entry feasibility
study for a U.S. franchise that provides
non-medical home care services. Study
included demographic, industry, cultural information provided by government
officials, industry experts and targeted consumers in Germany. (August, 2010)
Dr. David Volkman, professor of finance
DESTINATION
Ten cities in Germany
“NOT ONLY DID WE GAIN
KNOWLEDGE AND KEEN
INSIGHT THAT WILL
CERTAINLY BENEFIT US
PROFESSIONALLY, BUT WE
ALSO MADE LIFELONG
FRIENDS IN THE PROGRAM
AND ABROAD. THE
EXECUTIVE MBA PROGRAM
AT UNO HAS BEEN ONE OF
THE MOST REWARDING
EXPERIENCES OF OUR LIVES.”
COLLEGE OF BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION
28
MBA
INTERNATIONAL
CONSULTING PROJECT:
WESTERN EUROPE
TEAM MEMBERS
Clint Backhaus, Christian Graham, Jared
Reinoehl, Jeremy Reinoehl
FACULTY ADVISOR
GOAL
To investigate the cable management
systems market in the United States and
Europe for an international company headquartered in Omaha. The recommended
strategy was based on findings drawn from
the financial, environmental, competitive,
product and market analysis in both Europe and the U.S. (August, 2010)
Dr. Phani Tej Adidam, professor of
marketing
DESTINATION
Cities in France, the Netherlands and
Germany
This page (top): Jared Reinoehl and Dr. Tej Adidam in front of the Notre Dame Cathedral in
Paris; Above: Jose Maria Echeverria (interpreter), Christian Graham, Jared Reinoehl, Dr. Tej
Adidam (faculty advisor), Jeremy Reinoehl and Clint Backhaus in Madrid, Spain
Opposite page top: KC Bradley and Nate Maniktala at the Hofbräuhaus in Munich;
Center: German resident with Dr. David Volkman, Nate Maniktala and Sharyl McGuire in
Germany; Bottom: Scott Faith, Nate Maniktala, KC Bradley and Sharyl McGuire in front of the
Berlin Wall
2010–11 YEAR IN REVIEW 29
Above from left: Prem Neelakanta, Scott Kinnaird, Ronaldo Loyo, Dr. Jonna Holland (faculty advisor), Dr. Jack Schinstock (UNL), John Bredemeyer, Jorge Gil
Opposite page: Jorge Gil shows off a young tuna caught near Bahia Hermosa before releasing it back into the ocean.
COLLEGE OF BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION
30
INTERNATIONAL
CONSULTING PROJECT:
COSTA RICA
GOAL
To identify potential areas of sustainable
research and educational opportunities
for the College of Agricultural Science and
Natural Resources at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, targeting the financial and
marketing implications of a collaboration
with EARTH University, a small university
dedicated to promoting economic growth
and the environmental well-being of Costa
Rica and other Latin American countries.
(August, 2010)
TEAM MEMBERS
John Bredemeyer, Jorge Gil, Scott Kinnaird, Ronaldo Loyo, Prem Neelakanta
FACULTY ADVISOR
Dr. Jonna Holland, professor of marketing and managment
DESTINATION
Costa Rica
“BESIDES BEING FUN
AND EXCITING, OUR
INTERNATIONAL CAPSTONE
EXPERIENCE WAS A
UNIQUE, LIFE CHANGING
EXPERIENCE. EACH MEMBER
OF OUR TEAM WAS ABLE
TO GROW ACADEMICALLY
AND PERSONALLY. OUR
TRIP CHANGED THE WAY
THAT WE PERCEIVE THE
WORLD AROUND US—
AN EXPERIENCE THAT CAN
CERTAINLY BE LEVERAGED
IN TODAY’S GLOBAL
BUSINESS ENVIRONMENT.”
COSTA RICA
2010–11 YEAR IN REVIEW 31
July ~ August ~ September
FIRST DAY OF
CLASSES IN
MAMMEL HALL
YEAR IN BRIEF
Mammel Hall welcomed its first
students who quickly dispersed
throughout the building to make
themselves at home in the
many roomy and comfortable
areas for studying, collaborating, and socializing.
COLLEGE OF BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION
IN THE PARK
On August 28, CBA sponsored
the Aksarben Village concert
in Stinson Park and got some
shoutouts from the Soul Dawgs.
WELCOME
CELEBRATIONS
Students were encouraged to
make UNO’s south campus their
home through a variety of welcome week events including a
BBQ co-hosted by CBA and the
College of IS&T.
32
2010
ANNUAL
SCHOLARSHIP
RECEPTION
GIUNTA ART RECEPTION
In a season full of firsts, CBA
held its annual event for scholarship recipients and donors for
the first time in the Mammel
Hall atrium. For a list of scholarships see page 48–49.
Works by artist Vincent Edward Giunta
(1934–2007) were on
display August through
September in the Art
Gallery in UNO’s Del
and Lou Ann Weber
Fine Arts Building. The
exhibit was sponsored
by CBA Dean Louis Pol,
nephew of the artist,
and Gail Baker, dean of
the College of Communication, Fine Arts and
Media.
From left: Peggy Swanson, Debbie Hart and Sue Bollich
SKYBOX AT COX CLASSIC
CBA alumni and friends connected to enjoy hospitality and
a birdseye view of the 18th green at Champions Run during
the Cox Classic Golf Tournament. For the fifth year in a row,
CBA sponsored a skybox at this PGA event. The 2011 event
will be held August 4–7. Stop by Skybox #11 for a cold beverage and say hello.
AUGUST GRADUATION
2010–11 YEAR IN REVIEW 33
YEAR IN BRIEF
OCTOBER
COLLEGE OF BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION
From left: Jessica O'Connor, Bill Scott, Ruth Scott, Carl Mammel, Nicholas Britton, Louis Pol, Virginia Schmid
MAMMEL HALL
DEDICATION
On a beautiful Friday evening
in October, UNO celebrated the
successful launch of the new
home for UNO’s College of Business Administration.
University of Nebraska
President J.B. Milliken
speaking at the Mammel
Hall Dedication
34
The dedication acknowledged
the exceptional generosity of
lead donors—Carl and the late
Joyce Mammel, Bill and Ruth
Scott, and Virginia and the late
Marvin Schmid—along with
many others who made the
121,000 square foot facility
possible.
Over 700 people filled the
atrium and spilled over into
halls and classrooms to listen to
speakers that included Governor
Dave Heineman, University of
Nebraska President J.B. Milliken,
University of Nebraska at Omaha Chancellor John Christensen,
and Mammel scholars Nicholas
Britton and Jessica O’Connor.
BUFFETT VISITS
A group of CBA finance students and journalism students
from UNO’s School of Communication met with Warren Buffett
at the Berkshire Hathaway offices in Omaha in October. This
is the third year that CBA students have had the opportunity
to meet the Omaha investor and
highly respected businessman.
UNO students were joined by
business students from other
universities, including Columbia University and The Wharton
School of Business at the University of Pennsylvania.
2010
GARY RODKIN:
MBA LEADERSHIP
SPEAKER
Gary Rodkin, CEO, joined
ConAgra Foods in October 2005.
With his leadership, ConAgra
has been transformed from a
holding company for dozens of
brands to a unified operating
company. Rodkin was formerly
chairman and CEO of PepsiCo: Beverages and Foods North
America. He graduated Phi Beta
Kappa with a bachelor's degree
in economics from Rutgers College and an MBA from Harvard
Business School. Rodkin is vice
chairman of the Grocer Manu-
2010 GREEN HOME TOUR AND
GREEN HOMECOMING
facturers Association and served
as the chairman of the 2010–
11 United Way of the Midlands
campaign.
The third annual Green Omaha Coalition (GOC) Green
Home Tour was offered in conjunction with UNO Homecoming on October 2. The event gave Omaha residents
an opportunity to learn how to “green” their living environments. Participants visited midtown Omaha homes
showcasing new technologies, including UNL’s Zero Net Energy Test House (ZNETH) at 6454 Woolworth Ave. Tours were
led by representatives from GOC and co-host University of
Nebraska-Lincoln's Durham School of Architectural Engineering and Construction.
The event marked the first Green Homecoming on the UNL
and University of Nebraska at Omaha campuses. Mammel
Hall hosted UNO’s free vendor fair and a presentation by Bill
Moore, internationally known leader of the eco-website EVWorld.com.
OPEN HOUSE
The accounting department
hosted a networking event to
connect with alumni and
introduce them to Mammel Hall.
Members of Beta Alpha Psi provided guided tours for guests.
From top left: Dan Kinsella
(accounting advisory board chair),
Tim Robinson, Dick Zacharia, Susan
Eldridge (department chair), Kate
King, Beta Alpha Psi students
MONEY SMARTS
In November, UNO’s Center for Economic Education and
CBA hosted a week-long series of events in conjunction with
Money Smart Nebraska. The goal is to increase knowledge
about personal finance across the campus community and the
general public.
Mary Lynn Reiser, co-director of the Center for Economic Education, was UNO coordinator of the event. A speaker from the
National Student Loan Program presented a workshop on repaying student loans following graduation.
2010–11 YEAR IN REVIEW 35
November ~ December
GRADUATION
YEAR IN BRIEF
EMBA GRADUATION DINNER
STOCK MARKET
CHALLENGE
In November, more than 100
area high school students from
the Boys and Girls Club of the
Midlands competed in teams by
trading $500,000 in mock equities during a simulation of the
NYSE. Members of the winning
team were awarded four $1,000
UNO College of Business Administration scholarships. More than
40 UNO finance students acted
as floor traders. Many of the students are members of UNO’s
Maverick Investment Club.
The Stock Market Challenge
concluded with a competition
among dozens of teams from
local businesses that included
student and faculty teams from
UNO. The competition raised
funds for the Boys and Girls Club
of the Midlands.
MBA LEADERSHIP SPEAKER
LOUIS ROTELLA, JR.
From an early age, Louis Rotella, Jr. worked at the family-owned Rotella's Italian Bakery, and he continued working
there full-time while earning his BSBA in management from
Omaha University (now UNO) and wrestling for its national
championship team.
After graduating in 1972, Rotella worked with his family to
expand the bakery to Lincoln, Nebraska. In 1981, he initiated a
route in Des Moines, Iowa.
By 1984, he was working toward
his vision of selling Rotella’s products
throughout the United States. In the
past five years, Rotella led an expansion that has made Rotella's
Italian Bakery one of the largest independent specialty
bakeries in the country.
In his remarks,
Rotella shared the business challenges he has
faced and spoke of the
hard work required
to build a world-class
company.
Dale Eesley, assistant professor, with Big Idea C
place); Derek Stearns (first place), and Ashley R
COLLEGE OF BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION
36
2010
BIG IDEA
CONTEST
MIDWEST
FRANCHISE SEMINAR
Held November 12 in Mammel Hall, this event provided
franchise entrepreneurs the
opportunity to network and discuss trends in the midwest, and
featured a vendor exhibit and
two workshop tracks. Speakers included Omaha Mayor Jim
Suttle; Winsley Durand, director of minority economic
and retail development for the
Greater Omaha Economic Development Partnership (pictured
above); Dale Eesley, CBA assistant professor of marketing and
management; and Louis Pol,
CBA Dean.
The Center for Innovation,
Entrepreneurship & Franchising
held its second annual BigIdea Elevator Pitch Contest on
November 19. From the 120
students who entered, eleven
finalists were selected to pitch
their idea to a panel of eight
judges composed of area entrepreneurs. The contestants
came from across campus, with
majors in the fields of biology,
health informatics, construction
engineering technology, broadcast journalism and business.
Winners were: Derek Stearns, a senior accounting major
and president of the Collegiate
Entrepreneurs Organization
(CEO); Ashley Rosonke, a senior
marketing major; and Timothy
Alexander, a senior in construction engineering technology,
Contest finalists. Winners from left: Timothy Alexander (third
Rosonke (second place)
With members of Girls Inc. of Omaha at the portrait installation
ceremony in Mammel Hall, from left: Roberta Wilhelm, John Morgan,
Susie Buffett
BUFFETT PAINTING UNVEILED
In 2008, Warren Buffett commissioned speed artist and performer Michael Israel to paint his portrait during the Berkshire
Hathaway shareholders meeting. The artwork was later auctioned on eBay to raise funds for Girls Inc. in Omaha. High
bidder John Morgan, chairman and CEO of Winmark Capital Corporation and a UNO alumnus, paid $100,000 for the
painting and in 2010, donated it to CBA. During the November
ceremony, the portrait was installed in Mammel Hall’s atrium
outside the investment science lab.
EXECUTIVE MBA GRADUATES
From left: KC Bradley, Clint Backhaus, John Bredemeyer, Scott Kinnaird,
Sharyl McGuire, Ronaldo Loyo, Jared Reinoehl, Scott Faith, Jorge Gil,
Christian Graham, Prem Neelakanta, Jeremy Reinoehl
Twelve Executive MBA candidates graduated in December after completing their 18-month program. Special honors went to
Prem Neelakanta (Eva Jon Sperling MVP Leadership Award); John
Bredemeyer (Executive MBA Distinguished Student Award); John
Bredemeyer, Sharyl McGuire and Prem Neelakanta (Beta Gamma
Sigma).
2010–11 YEAR IN REVIEW 37
January ~ February ~ March
YEAR IN BRIEF
GLENN FOSDICK:
MBA LEADERSHIP
SPEAKER
COLLEGE OF BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION
In 2001, Fosdick was named
president and CEO of the Nebraska Medical Center, a
687-licensed bed acute care
teaching hospital, comprised of
the former Bishop Clarkson Memorial Hospital and the former
University of Nebraska Medical
Center Hospital.
Fosdick is on the dean’s advisory council for the School of
Management at SUNY Buffalo,
is a member of the Clarkson
College board of directors, and
is senior associate dean for
UNMC’s College of Medicine.
DEAN'S AWARD
Andrew Taylor was selected from nominations made by
all CBA academic programs to
receive the prestigious Dean’s
Award at the honors and awards
ceremony this spring. Taylor was
the 2011 Outstanding Economics
College of Business Student.
“Andrew is an outstanding
student in the often difficult specialization of economics,” said
Dean Pol. “He has received sev-
eral scholarships and awards
through his academic career at
UNO.”
In addition to business, Taylor is also studying Japanese and
Korean. He volunteers as an unofficial international ambassador
for UNO by welcoming Asian
exchange students to campus
and helping them adjust to life in
Omaha. He achieved recognition
on the Dean’s List and Chancellor’s List from August 2008
through May 2010.
BETA GAMMA SIGMA TAPPING
38
2011
BETA GAMMA SIGMA WELCOMES
INITIATES
JUNIORS
Andrew Hunt, Guide Rock Capital Management
MAVERICK
INVESTMENT
CLUB SPEAKERS
Andrew Hunt spoke to students about his current portfolio
policies and how he established
his advisory service. Hunt
founded Guide Rock Capital
Management, Inc. after several years of leadership in the
financial services field with Gallup Federal Credit Union. He is
responsible for comprehensive
financial planning and investment advisory services. Hunt
holds a BSBA in accounting and
an MBA from the University of
Nebraska at Omaha.
Jason R. Henderson, vice
president and Omaha Branch executive with the Federal Reserve
Bank of Kansas City, discussed
the importance of the Federal
Reserve and the current economic environment. Henderson,
who serves as the Bank's regional economist, recruits and works
closely with the Branch's board
of directors, and is responsible
for briefing the Kansas City Fed's
president—a member of the
Federal Open Market Committee—on economic and business
activity in the state. He holds a
Ph.D. from Purdue University.
Front: Morgan Brazeal, Battsetseg Batjargal, Lindsy Hansen, Christine Koyama, Hui Ru Ng,
Cortney Pauley, Mika Yonamine; Back: Emily Ridder, Tyler Budke, Tom Bosco, Joseph Zeisler,
Brittany Knudtson, Paloma Nazaraghaie
SENIORS
Front: Maya Doghman, Molly Glennie, Chelsee Eck, Neena Reeve, Alexandria McIlnay;
Back: Aaron Goodenberger, Daniel Klosowski, Patricia Ryan, Blaine Remmick, Eric Short
MBAS AND FACULTY
Jason Henderson, Federal Reserve Bank of Kansas City
Front: Christa Divis, Christopher Toscano, Satyam Appadwedula, Emily Bannick Lacey,
Melanie Krings; Back: Andrew Halperin, Bennett Fogarty, Christopher Murrell, Timothy
Hemmer, Dr. Olivier Maisondieu Laforge, David Roth
2010–11 YEAR IN REVIEW 39
YEAR IN BRIEF
APRIL ~ May
COLLEGE OF BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION
PARTNERING
WITH THE GIRL
SCOUTS
HONORING
DISTINGUISHED
ALUMNI
On May 12, the Distinguished
Alumni Luncheon honored the
following CBA alums: Robert
C. Goedken, general manager,
Yamaha Electronics Corporation;
Daniel J. Jaksich, vice-president
and controller, Berkshire Hathaway Inc.; Rod Rhoden, owner,
Motors Management; and Paul
40
G. Smith, vice-chairman, Tenaska Energy Inc. and co-founder,
CEO and senior managing
director, Tenaska Capital Management, LLC. The event was
held in the Mammel Hall atrium.
To read more about the honorees, see pages 20–21.
This spring, Mammel Hall
hosted the Girls Scout’s Spirit
of Nebraska annual artVenture
event in Omaha. Girls displayed
artwork they created working
with regional artists in a variety of media including glass,
beadwork, sculpture, painting,
photography and collage. These
pieces along with donated professional artwork were auctioned
during the event.
SCULPTURES INSTALLED
In May 2011, CBA installed four sculptures from renowned
artist Fletcher Benton’s alphabet series, adding to a growing
collection of outdoor artwork at Mammel Hall. The jumbo-sized
steel letters (F, S, T, and Y) can be seen on the northeast and
southwest corners of the building.
2011
HOLLAND
RECEIVES
UNIVERSITY-WIDE
HONOR
SPRING GRADUATION
Jonna Holland, associate professor of marketing, received the
highest teaching award given
by the University of Nebraska.
She was selected from faculty
of the four NU campuses for her
outstanding work in the CBA internship program and dedication
to hands-on learning via her student projects with non-profits in
Omaha.
Dr. Holland accepted the University of Nebraska Outstanding
Teaching and Instructional Creativity Award from President J.B.
Milliken at a luncheon and formal program in Lincoln.
Emily Elizabeth Poeschl shows how her name will be
announced moments later during UNO's spring 2011 graduation ceremony, the last one to take place at the Omaha
Civic Center. She was one of more than 1,700 students graduating, the largest commencement in university history.
CBA welcomes investors
C
BA hosted the Eighth Annual Value Investor
Conference on April 28–29. The event was
organized by Robert Miles, author and Warren
Buffett expert, to provide insights into successful valueinvesting and opportunities for participants to network
with like-minded investors from around the world. The
conference attracted over 150 attendees from 20 countries
and five continents, many of whom attended the Berkshire
Hathaway annual shareholders’ meeting following the
conference.
The eight speakers were proven investment professionals,
bestselling authors, and leaders from Berkshire Hathawayowned subsidiaries, including Charles Brandes, founder and
chairman, Brandes Investment Partners; Bill Child, chairman,
R.C. Willey Home Furnishings; and Pat Dorsey, director of research, Sanibel Captiva Trust.
During the Distinguished Author Reception, writers who
have published works on Warren Buffett, Berkshire Hathaway
or investing talked to participants and signed their books. Everyone enjoyed complimentary Dilly Bars supplied by Dairy
Queen, a Berkshire Hathaway company.
Following the conference, Bob Miles presented “The Genius
of Warren Buffett: The Science of Investing and the Art of Managing,” a preview of the course CBA is offering fall, 2011 for
“lifelong learners” and students in the executive MBA program.
(Call 402-554-2418 for more information.)
Save the date for
next year’s conference. The Ninth
Annual Value Investor Conference will be
held May 3–4, 2012,
in Mammel Hall.
Robert Miles, author
2010–11 YEAR IN REVIEW 41
SATISFACTION IN
BALANCE
B
ack in 1993, nearing completion
of her bachelor’s degree in
accounting, Jennifer Blaskovich
couldn’t wait to be done with college.
“I wanted to get out of school,” she recalls, “not go back for more.”
Now, as assistant professor of accounting
at UNO’s College of Business Administration, Dr. Blaskovich looks forward to every
minute she can spend in the classroom.
“Five years from now or 25 years
from now,” she says, “I’d still like to be
teaching.”
Although accounting briefly led her away
from academia, it eventually drew her
back.
From 1994 until 2000, the Nebraska native and CPA worked as a senior auditor,
senior financial analyst and a controller for
financial services firms in Colorado and
Kansas. While she liked accounting, she
wasn’t happy.
“I enjoy life on a very even keel,” she
says. “With auditing, you’re giving it 200
percent from January to April, then doing
very little in the summer.”
With the support of her employer, she
began work on her MBA at the University of Missouri in Kansas City, hoping to
broaden her business track. “That’s when
I rediscovered I really loved school,” she
says.
Dr. Blaskovich received her MBA in 2000,
and went on to earn a Ph.D. in accounting
from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln
in 2005. She accepted a teaching position
at St. Louis University yet kept one eye on
Omaha, knowing how much she’d like to
return here to teach and be with family.
In 2007, she joined the faculty at CBA,
teaching managerial accounting and accounting information systems with a
genuine enthusiasm that is not wasted on
her students.
COLLEGE OF BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION
42
FACULTY PROFILE: JENNIFER BLASKOVICH
“Keeping students interested is a challenge, so I try to keep it light. I have fun
teaching and I do my best to let it show. I
use a lot of current cultural references in
class, like creating companies with contemporary names of artists or movies.
“I realize you can’t always make it fun
for someone who really hates the material,
but I do my best to give them the knowledge they need and make it interesting
along the way.”
Her work in the classroom earned her
the Dean’s Citation for Excellence in Teaching at UNO in 2010 and the MBA Professor
of the Year Award in 2009 and 2010.
Her research interests include behavioral
judgment and decision-making issues with
a focus on information systems. Her work
has been published in the Journal of Information Systems, Journal of Information
Technology, Strategic Finance, The Review
of Business Information Systems, and The
CPA Journal.
She examines how individuals use accounting information to make decisions
and how it affects judgments. “I also look
at how technology has changed the behavior of individuals when they make those
decisions.”
Her doctoral dissertation, for example,
explored how meeting face-to-face or virtually (by phone or Internet) affects the
decision making of groups involved in
managerial accounting. Her research indicated groups meeting face-to-face analyzed
factors evenly, while those in virtual meetings made decisions based on the first two
or three factors they were given.
“Without the personal social pressure
to stay engaged, those in the virtual meetings would become distracted, perform
other tasks then rejoin the conversation,”
she says.
She applies that knowledge when
teaching.
“In managerial accounting, particularly
at the graduate level, I try to emphasize the
importance of careful, thoughtful decisionmaking within a structured process,” she
says.
Dr. Blaskovich says that she and her
husband, Steve, a sales representative,
appreciate being back in Nebraska, especially at holidays. “We had 35 people at
the house for Christmas,” she says. “That’s
what I consider my immediate family.”
She enjoys reading, adding her own
touches to family recipes, and music—
with the Beatles firmly atop her playlist.
“I bought every album on vinyl, some on
8-track, then I bought them all on CDs,
then remastered CDs, then electronically.”
If the boys from Liverpool had written a
song for her, it’d likely be, “She Loves Accounting . . . Yeah, Yeah, Yeah.”
“WHEN BALANCE SHEETS
BALANCE, THAT’S THE MOST
EXCITING THING FOR ME.”
2010–11 YEAR IN REVIEW 43
FACULTY PROFILE: JONNA HOLLAND
SETTING NEW
COURSES
M
arketing today moves at the
speed of sight. From Web
trends, instant messaging and
tweets to Quick Response (QR) codes
read by cell phone cameras, if we see
it, we want it. The marketplace is wide
open to those with knowledge of the
tools available to place their message
before an audience. Teaching the latest
techniques puts the instructor in a race
with technology.
For Associate Professor of Marketing Jonna Holland, that’s all part of the fun.
“There are new marketing ideas, new
methods being introduced every day,” she
says. “As a teacher, you find ways to keep
up with it all. You can’t rely on textbooks.
By the time a new one comes out, it’s out
of date.”
If there isn’t
a course that incorporates the
latest marketing methods,
Dr. Holland will
introduce one.
She is responsible for several
new courses on
the department
of marketing and
management roster, including “New Media
Promotions,” an advanced advertising class
that explores the use of QR codes and other innovative marketing tools.
“Things change so quickly,” she says,
“every time I’ve taught that class it’s been
different.”
She gives her students the opportunity
to engage in real-world experiences, like a
challenge from Performance Auto Group
to develop a marketing campaign utilizing
Facebook and other media.
COLLEGE OF BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION
44
“We were competing against Creighton
University and Bellevue University,” she
says. “Our students won.”
A native of Iowa, Dr. Holland studied
French, Russian and International Affairs at
the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. That’s
where she met a young man named Tim
Holland.
“I was moving into the International
House (Piper Hall), and he wound up moving in there, too,” she recalls. “We worked
side-by-side organizing dances and dinners, and got to know each other.”
Tim Holland earned a bachelor’s degree
in architectural studies from UNL and a
master of architecture from Harvard University. It’s understandable if Dr. Holland is
proud when she hears others complimenting CBA’s impressive new home, Mammel
Hall. Her husband and his Omaha firm,
Holland Basham Architects, were the
architects.
Married 30 years, the Hollands have a
son, Nate, who earned a joint master’s
degree in architecture and an
MBA at UNL; and
a daughter, Jessica, a graduate
of the Edmund A.
Walsh School of
Foreign Service
at Georgetown
University.
Holland enjoys traveling the
world, visiting
exotic locales where she can sharpen her
language skills. “We’ve ridden elephants in
Thailand and been to the Bridge over the
River Kwai,” she says. “Seeing the pyramids in Egypt and Machu Picchu in Peru
would be nice.”
Prior to teaching, Dr. Holland worked
as an account executive for New England
Telephone (when Tim Holland was at Harvard), then as a sales and service manager
for Northwestern Bell/US West (now CenturyLink) after the couple moved to Omaha.
While studying for her Executive MBA
at UNO and working for US West (now
Qwest), Dr. Holland was recruited by CBA
Dean Louis Pol to serve as an adjunct professor. She decided to return to UNL to
earn her Ph.D., and in 1996 joined the College faculty full time.
In addition to teaching, Dr. Holland is the
CBA internship coordinator, working with
about 150 students each year.
“I love recognizing potential and matching it with opportunities,” she says. “A lot
of the students come in looking for internships with big corporations, but I also
suggest small- and medium-sized companies because often they get a much wider
breadth of experience there.”
Dr. Holland assures them it’s OK to be
uncertain about precise goals.
“I help them realize that if they’re truly dedicated to learning and advancing,
they’re going to be on a path of exploration forever,” she says. “Don’t know what
you want to be when you grow up? Never
grow up.”
While she finds great satisfaction
teaching at CBA, in her service learning
partnerships with local non-profit agencies,
and in her community service, there are
moments that really stand out.
“THE MOST REWARDING
OF ALL IS WHEN FORMER
STUDENTS COME BACK,
AND ASK ME TO SEND
THEM CANDIDATES FOR
INTERNSHIPS THEY HAVE TO
OFFER.”
2010–11 YEAR IN REVIEW 45
“I’M INTERESTED IN GIVING KIDS THE
TOOLS TO UNDERSTAND AND
APPRECIATE THE FREEDOM WE HAVE
IN OUR ECONOMIC SYSTEM."
COLLEGE OF BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION
46
FACULTY PROFILE: MARY LYNN REISER
INVESTING TIME
W
hen it comes to helping
young people understand
economics and the impact
financial decisions will have on their
lives, Mary Lynn Reiser puts a fresh spin
on Nike’s familiar theme and offers three
words of advice.
Just teach it.
“Whether you teach math or social studies or government, I will help you find a
way to include economics and guide you
toward the appropriate materials,” Reiser
says. “I’m here to help school districts and
teachers integrate economics into their required lessons.”
In 2010, Reiser became codirector with James Dick of
the UNO Center for Economic
Education. Jointly supported
by the College of Business Administration and the College of
Education, the Center strives to
improve economic literacy by
providing educational materials and training programs for
school districts and K-12 teachers in Nebraska and western
Iowa.
“It isn’t that difficult to work
economics into other subjects,”
she says. “For example, there
is a whole library of children’s
books that teach economics by way of the
characters making some sort of financial
decision. At the same time they’re improving their ability to read, subconsciously
they’re absorbing financial information.”
The Center also assists and encourages teachers in their efforts to teach the
economic concepts students will need to
become well-informed voters and smart
consumers.
“If you don’t understand what the Federal Reserve is, how can you decide if you
agree with a specific politician’s policies?”
she asks. “Young people have to be able to
cut through the rhetoric and not be swayed
by emotional appeals.
“I’m interested in giving kids the tools to
understand and appreciate the freedom we
have in our economic system. They need
to know they’re free to be successful as
well as make mistakes.”
Reiser earned a bachelor’s degree from
the University of Nebraska-Lincoln and a
master’s degree in teacher education from
UNO. She came to the Center in 1986 as
program coordinator and in 1993 became
associate director. She also is the facilitator
for the CBA Scholarship Committee.
Reiser has authored and co-authored
economics curriculum guides and student
workbooks. Active in several education-
al and civic organizations, she has served
as president of the National Association
of Economic Educators and is a founding
board member of the Nebraska Financial
Education Coalition.
She spends considerable time traveling
outside her office, visiting with school district administrators and teachers, helping to
structure district curriculums that include
economics and personal finance. “I educate the educators, giving them the tools to
be better teachers. They then turn around
and pass it on to 150 students a day.”
She also works to establish programs
that partner commercial banks with elementary and middle schools so students
can open savings accounts and learn the
importance of short- and long-term financial goals. “There are spenders and there
are savers. If they start the saving habit early, it catches on.”
In 2009, she received the Nebraska
Career Education Distinguished Partner
Award. The Omaha Public Schools (OPS)
Career Center nominated Reiser for her
advocacy of the district’s Career Center
programs and her service as chair of the
Academy of Finance (AOF) program’s advisory board.
Offered in several OPS high schools,
the AOF program prepares students for
careers in a variety of financial service areas by working
with local business partners
and using a nationally developed curriculum. She has been
instrumental in revising and
implementing courses within
the metro area, as well as helping OPS develop a required
economics course for students.
Reiser and her husband,
Richard, an attorney, have two
grown children. A member of
three book clubs, she also enjoys spending time with her
husband aboard their HarleyDavidson motorcycle.
“We ride through the Loess
Hills,” she says. “And we love to go to the
Black Hills, when Sturgis is over.”
Whether she’s passing economic advice
along to her five grandchildren or to several
thousand kids in a school district, Reiser
says the lessons are equally important.
“They won’t be afraid of making important financial decision for themselves,”
she says, “if they just understand how it all
works.”
Pictured above: Mary Lynn Reiser with student tellers from the in-school bank projects
2010–11 YEAR IN REVIEW 47
SCHOLARSHIPS
Tal Anderson Athletic
Scholarship
Zach Croonquist
Charles & Gloria
Billingsley Scholarship
Jessica Craft
Tyler Mueller
Kaylee Smith
James f. Beard &
Betty j. Brown Beard
Scholarship
Gerard Beal
Stephanie Vanicek
Robert Bernier NBDC
Scholarship
Aretha Prodjinotho
Beta Gamma Sigma
Scholarship
Katherine Knight
Ron & Shirley Burns
Leadership Scholarship
Kurtis Evon
Jennifer Janovich
Andrew Juricek
Dr. James Conway
Memorial Scholarship
Gregory Fonda
Alyson Howard
Megan Parks
Cassandra Phillips
Dean's Excellence
Noah Correa
Georgi Ivanov
Muzaffarjon Mahsudov
Allison Poock
Charles Williams
Lindsay Wyant
Delaine r. &
Dorothy m. Donohue
Scholarship
Samatha Holder
Lucille m. Gannon
Scholarship
John Dunn
R. Craig Hoenshell
Leadership Scholarship
Chelsea Liska
R. Craig Hoenshell
Initiative Scholarship
Robert Kreitner &
Margaret a. Sova
Textbook Award
Brooke Buda
Jennifer Janovich
Jessica Muhle
Zachary Zeisler
Trever Lee Memorial
Scholarship
Benjamin Gensichen
Sam & Dorie Leftwich
Scholarship
Chelsea Alt
Gregory Fonda
Megan Parks
Gerald Parriott
Jessica Radke
Danita Summers
Tara Stenslokken
Kyle Tautenhan
Mammel CBA Student
Scholarships
FRESHMAN
Monica Bosiljevac
Kara Weiler
SOPHOMORE
Tom Bosco
Matthew DeBolt
Colin Sorensen
JUNIOR
Nicholas Britton
Brittany Knudson
Michael Mills
Ian Starkel
Kristi Wiebelhaus
SENIOR
Danielle Bollich
Eric Hansen
Emily Kirkland
Frank l. Mansell
Memorial Scholarship
Program
Brandon Drahota
Mark Hennings
Wei Liu
Muzaffarjon Mahsudov
Nishtha Rajbhandari
Steven Ruzek
Liudmila Savvina
Kevin Schuster
Adam Versendaal
Craig Benson
Brandon Drahota
Keith Fix
Joshua Hick
Erin Kleymann
Amy Powell
Lindsay Wyant
Richard & Jeanne
Morrison Nuts and Bolts
Scholarship
R. Craig Hoenshell
Talent Scholarship
Amanda Ballweg
Mara Hood
Gracia Matoto Kwete
Bethany Ragan
Asiha Eona
McKenzie Fullford
Mark Hennings
Evan O’Keefe
Jessica Reilly
Kevin Schuster
Dean & Maria Jacobsen
Scholarship
Gary Penisten Talent
Scholarship
Andrew Jezewski
Brittney Nichols
Thomas Wrigley, Jr.
Kellogg USA Inc.
Scholarship
Alixandria Boham
Keith v. Kiernan
Scholarship
Daryl Kohlscheen
John West
Charles t. & Denise a.
Olson Scholarship
Tyler Budke
Kevin Carrol
David Raymond
Scholarship
Benjamin Gensichen
Natan & Hannah
Schwalb Scholarship
Jerrod Foster
Alisha Jenkins
Joshua Larsen
Gracia Matoto Kwete
Kaylee Dump
Travis Keiderling
Katherine Knight
Evan O’Keefe
Yaneli Sandoval
Robert Kreitner &
Margaret a. Sova Tuition
Scholarship
Securities America
Financial Inc. MBA
Scholarship
Ria Carpenter
Maya Doghman
Laura Kemp
Daniel Klosowski
Jacqueline Makarov
Devyn Musil
Patricia Ryan
Ellen Thommes
Kayla Uhing
Robert Stehr
Herbert Sklenar
Scholarship
Morgan Brazeal
Brett Castinado
Kurtis Evon
Kristine Hanus
Tyler Holland
Travis Keiderling
Brittany Knudtson
Micaela McGovern
Jessica Muhle
Cortney Pauley
Steven Warnock
Aaron Wrigley
Robert c. Stedman
Scholarship
Marcus Hall-Oliver
Alexandria McIlnay
Joshua Newton
Steven Nielsen
John a. & Phyllis s. Jeter
Accounting Scholarship
Spencer Cox
Ernest h. Kenyon
Scholarship in
Accounting
Nishtha Rajbhandari
Nebraska Society of
CPAs Scholarship
Kurtis Evon
Damien Foster
Wei Liu
Jake Olsen
Kevin Schuster
Richard e. Prince III
Memorial Scholarship
Damien Foster
Brian Sanders
Major Thomas a. Spencer
Business Scholarship
Beverly Grace (Ward)
Spencer Memorial
Accounting Scholarship
Union Pacific
Scholarship
Ora c. & Fred b. Vomacka
Memorial Scholarship
Ian Starkel
Lindsey Bryan
Ryan Dorcey
Jordan Dunn
McKenzie Fullford
Sahil Khullar
Jessica Muhle
Zachary Zeisler
Jing Zhao
Union Pacific Diversity
Scholarship
Christopher Knight
Union Pacific MBA
Scholarship
Divya Kaladhar Allu
Komal Nazir
Meenakshi Kumari
UNO/CBA/Urban League
of Nebraska Partnership
Scholarship
D’Antae Potter
Caleb Bealer
Mara Hood
The Woodmen of the
World Leadership
Scholarship
Maya Doghman
Chelsea Liska
Horace Wu & Kate
King Wu International
Scholarship
Jas Min Lai
Frankel Zacharia, llc
Scholarship/Fellowship
Hui Ru Ng
ACCOUNTING
Ronald j. Bauers
Memorial Scholarship
Brooke Buda
Scott Copple Memorial
Scholarship
Katie Nath
Megan Parks
Timothy j. Jensen
Accounting Scholarship
Chelsee Eck
Chelsee Eck
Jacob Bright
Brooke Buda
Gregory Fonda
McKenzie Fullford
Mark Hennings
Cara Horn
Alyson Howard
Nicholas Jasa
Brian Jeter
Jianping Liu
Terry Lundeen
Devyn Musil
Katie Nath
Brittney Nichols
Ross Olsen
Megan Parks
Cassandra Phillips
Bryan Sindelar
Rebecca Thomas
Stephanie Vanicek
Weihua Xue
Ya Zhang
Horace Wu & Kate King
Wu Scholarship
Wei Liu
Rebecca Thomas
Stephanie Vanicek
ECONOMICS AND REAL
ESTATE
Hollis & Helen Baright
Foundation Scholarship
Eric Olimb
Donnay Tuttle
Ed Belgrade Scholarship
Ryan Dorcey
M.C. Biggerstaff
Memorial Scholarship
Muzaffarjon Mahsudov
Building Owner’s and
Manager’s Association
(BOMA) Scholarship
Joseph Reitman
Rebecca Seaman
The Robert r. Campbell/
Campbell Realty
Scholarship
Jessica Waltz
James c. Horejs
Scholarship
MANAGEMENT AND
MARKETING
Christopher Fisher
Blaine Remmick
Cole Hartfiel
William Brown Memorial
Scholarship
International Facility
Management Association
(IFMA) Scholarship
C. Marsh Bull Honors
Scholarship in Marketing
Joseph Reitman
Rebecca Seaman
Landmark Group
Scholarship
Amy Powell
Bun Song Lee
Scholarship
Yavor Pamukov
C. Glenn Lewis
Scholarship
Kyle Ensign
Mid-Continent Chapter
Scholarship (CCIM)
Hannah Seitner
Barbara o. Miller
Memorial Scholarship
Graduate
Lesley Harvey
Senior
Justin Brewer
Junior
Christopher Fisher
Society of Industrial and
Office Realtors (SIOR)
Scholarship
Joshua Larsen
Robert Yourick
Omaha Area Board of
Realtors Scholarship
(OABR)
Kelli Goeser
Pasko Skarica
Union Pacific Econ
Scholarship
Zachary Zeisler
FINANCE BANKING AND
LAW
Robert Benecke
Outstanding Business
Finance Scholarship
Scott R. Long
Huy Tran
Lucille Gannon
Scholarship
John Dunn
Nebraska Bankers
Association Scholarship
Amanda Bockelman
Kurtis Evon
Tyler Holland
Travis Keiderling
Brittany Knudtson
Nathan Lyle
Micaela McGovern
Cortney Pauley
Scott Weaver
Thomas Wrigley, Jr.
Thomas Wrigley, Jr.
Dean John Lucas
Marketing Scholarship
Bill Larsen
FACULTY AND NATIONAL ADVISORY BOARD
ACCOUNTING
Susan Eldridge, Associate
Professor and Department
Chairperson, 2002. Union Pacific
Professorship. Ph.D. University of
North Carolina-Chapel Hill, 1997.
Jack Armitage, Associate Professor,
1983. Distinguished Alumni Professor.
Ph.D. University of Nebraska-Lincoln,
1987, CPA.
Richard File, Professor, 1991. Spencer
Professorship. Ph.D. University of
Texas 1981, CPA.
FINANCE, BANKING
AND LAW
Birud Sindhav, Associate Professor,
2000. Ph.D. University of Oklahoma,
2001.
DEAN’S NATIONAL
ADVISORY BOARD
Michael Maroney
Omaha Economic Development
Corp.
David Volkman, Associate
Professor and Department
Chairperson, 1989. Cloud
Professorship. Ph.D. University of
Nebraska at Lincoln, 1992.
Dale Eesley, Assistant Professr,
2008. Ph.D. University of WisconsinMadison, 2002
Mickey Anderson
Performance Auto Group
Fran Marshall
Girl Scouts-Spirit of Nebraska
Dennis D. Blackman
Blackman & Associates
Lloyd A. Meyer
Leo A Daly
John Bredemeyer
Realcorp, Inc.
Gary D. Penisten
Sterling Drug (retired)
Becki Drahota
Mills Financial Marketing
Mary Prefontaine
ICAN, Inc.
Ivan Gilreath
Boys and Girls Clubs of the Midlands
Cynthia Prestwood
Merrill Lynch
Dan Gomez
UMB Bank - Omaha
Ross Ridenoure
Parsons
Frances Grieb
Deloitte & Touche LLP (retired)
Rick Sampson
Valmont Industries
Michael O’Hara, Professor, 1981, J.D.
University of Nebraska-Lincoln, 1978.
Ph.D. University of Nebraska-Lincoln,
1983.
Patricia Meglich, Assistant Professor,
2007. Ph.D., Kent State University,
2006.
Greg Morin, Instructor. MA, University
of Nebraska at Omaha, 1999.
Weiyu Guo, Associate Professor, 1999.
Ph.D. University of Missouri-Columbia,
1999.
UNO CENTER FOR
ECONOMIC EDUCATION
Kathleen Henebry, Associate
Professor, 1992. Ph.D. University of
Illinois, Urbana-Champaign, 1992.
Mary Lynn Reiser, Co-Director. MS,
University of Nebraska at Omaha,
1993.
Darryll Lewis, Associate Professor,
1986. J.D. Creighton University, 1978.
James Dick, Co-Director, Professor,
Ed.D, Indiana University, 1974.
Olivier Maisondieu Laforge, Associate
Professor, 2004. Ph.D. University of
Cincinnati, 2004.
Mark Grieb
AAA Nebraska
Janet West, Center Associate
Professor, 1967. MA, Michigan State
University, 1964.
Jeffrey R. Schmid
Omaha Financial Holdings, Inc.
Tim Hart
First National Bank
Robert E. Synowicki, Jr.
Werner Enterprises, Inc.
Graham Mitenko, Associate Professor,
1987. DBA Memphis State University,
1987.
Kim Sosin, Center Associate, 1980.
Ph.D. University of Nebraska-Lincoln,
1970.
Jason Henderson
Federal Reserve Bank of Kansas City
Mark Theisen
Woodmen of the World
Rod Heng
KPMG LLP (retired)
Mike Walter
Mike Walter & Associates
Roopa Venkatesh, Assistant Professor,
2009. Ph.D. University of NebraskaLincoln, 2008.
Wei Wang Rowe, Associate
Professor, 1999. Nebraska Bankers
Professorship. Ph.D. Southern Illinois
University at Carbondale, 1999.
NEBRASKA BUSINESS
DEVELOPMENT CENTER
John Hoich
Hoich Enterprises
Thomas Warren, Sr.
Urban League of Nebraska
Tim Yoder, Assistant Professor, 2010.
Ph.D. Penn State University, 2006.
Laura Beal, Lecturer. MBA, University
of Nebraska-Lincoln, 1991.
Marjorie Miskec, Assistant State
Director, 2000. MPA, University of
Nebraska at Omaha, 1997.
Jack Koraleski
Union Pacific Railroad
Horace Wu
Attorney
MARKETING/
MANAGEMENT
Andrew Alexander, Manager,
Procurement Technical Assistance,
2006. MA, Central Michigan University,
1981.
Wikil Kwak, Professor, 1989.
Distinguished Alumni Professorship.
Ph.D. University of Nebraska-Lincoln,
1990.
Burch Kealey, Associate Professor,
2001. Hockett Professorship. Ph.D.
University of Oklahoma, 1996.
Jennifer Blaskovich, Assistant
Professor, 2007. Ph.D. University of
Nebraska-Lincoln, 2005.
Xiaoyan Cheng, Assistant Professor,
2009. Ph.D. University of NebraskaLincoln, 2009.
Laura Ilcisin, Lecturer. MBA, University
of Nebraska at Omaha, 1980.
ECONOMICS
Donald Baum, Associate
Professor and Department
Chairperson, 1987. Ph.D. Claremont
Graduate School, 1979.
Catherine Co, Professor, 2000.
Lindley Professorship. Ph.D. Rutgers
University, 1995.
Christopher Decker, Professor, 2001.
John Lucas Professorship. Ph.D.
Indiana University, 2000.
Arthur Diamond, Professor, 1986.
Ph.D. University of Chicago, 1978.
Shuanglin Lin, Professor, 1989.
Noddle Professorship. Ph.D. Purdue
University, 1989.
Steven Shultz, Professor, 2005. Baright
Professorship; Ph.D. University of
Arizona
Roger Sindt, Professor, 1979. Ph.D.
Texas A&M University, 1972.
Mark Wohar, Professor, 1988. CBA
Distinguished Professorship. Ph.D.
University of Illinois, 1985.
William Corcoran, Associate Professor,
1980. Ph.D. Rutgers University, 1979.
Jinlan Ni, Assistant Professor, 2006.
Ph.D., Purdue University, 2005.
Janet West, Assistant Professor, 1967.
MA, Michigan State University, 1964.
Phani Tej Adidam, Professor and
Department Chairperson, 1996.
Executive Management Education
Professorship. Ph.D Texas Tech
University, 1996.
David Ambrose, Professor, 1973. DBA
George Washington University, 1971.
Ziaul Huq, Professor, 1987. Ph.D.
University of Kentucky, 1990.
Tom Martin, Professor, 1989. Ph.D.
University of Iowa, 1977.
Rebecca Morris, Professor, 1988. Ph.D.
University of Nebraska-Lincoln, 1988.
John Anstey, Associate Professor,
1968. Ph.D. University of Arkansas,
1974.
Robert Briggs, Associate Professor,
2009. Ph.D. University of Arizona,
1994.
John E. Erickson Jr., Associate
Professor, 2003. Ph.D. University of
Nebraska-Lincoln, 2004.
John Hafer, Associate Professor, 1989.
Ph.D. University of Nebraska-Lincoln,
1979.
Martin Kostecki, Team Leader,
Manufacturing Extension Partnership,
2001. MS, Purdue University, 1972.
Jean Waters, Energy Initiative, 2001.
MS, Kansas State University, 1978.
Richard Yoder, Director, Pollution
Prevention Regional Information
Center, 1996. BS, Iowa State University,
1982.
Lisa Tedesco, SBIR/STTR, 2008. BS,
University of Nebraska at Omaha,
1994.
ADMINISTRATION
Louis Pol, Dean, Professor, 1984.
Ph.D., Florida State University, 1978.
Lynn Harland, Associate Dean,
Professor, 1989. Ph.D., University of
Iowa, 1991.
Robert Bernier, Assistant Dean, NBDC
State Director, 1979. Ph.D. University
of Nebraska at Omaha, 2000.
Alexandra M. Kaczmarek, Director,
MBA Program, 1990. MBA, University
of Nebraska at Omaha, 1989.
Jonna Holland, Associate Professor,
1996. Ph.D. University of NebraskaLincoln, 1996.
David Nielsen, Director, IT and Budget,
1990. MS, UnIversity of Nebraska at
Omaha, 1992.
James Jones, Associate Professor,
1998. Ph.D. University of NebraskaLincoln, 1998.
Bill Swanson, Director EMBA/
Professional Management Education;
MBA, UNO, 1991.
Robert Ottemann, Associate
Professor, 1973. Ph.D. University of
Nebraska-Lincoln, 1974. J.D. Creighton
University, 1984.
Amy Rodie, Associate Professor,
Marketing, 1994. Ph.D. Arizona State
University, 1995.
COLLEGE OF BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION
50
DEAN’S CITATIONS
Research—Shuanglin Lin
Teaching—Phani Tej Adidam
Service— Susan Eldridge, Kath Henebry
Nebraska Business Development Center—Lisa Tedesco
Overall Performance/Staff—David Nielsen, Sue Bollich
AWARDS
Jonna Holland—University of Nebraska Outstanding
Teaching and Instructional Creativity Award
Jennifer Blaskovich—Graduate Accounting Professor of the Year
Libby Davis—MBA Professor of the Year
Kath Henebry—UNO Alumni Association Teaching Award
Roger Sindt—Commerical Real Estate Workshop
Hall of Fame
Chris Decker—Full Professorship (pictured above)
A
2010 CBA COLLEGE FUND DONORS
Gail L. Allbery
Mary E. Benecke
Patti & John Benker
Thomas W. & Ann M. Berger
David & Sue Blair
Linda J. Bors
Jean Briardy
Campbell Management & Investment
Robert F. Chandler
John A. Cherica
Arnel Citurs
Lloyd A. Coates
Michael Cochrane
Nancy Barna Comer
Douglas P. Cramer
Kathy L. Divis
Patricia A. Dwornicki
Glenn Farris
Kevin J. Foral
Andrew S. Fox
Ronald N. Gass
Ann B. Gee
Ivan & Rita Gilreath
Gail & R. H. Goldstein
Jerry Gose
Debra L. Grotelueschen
Traci & Larry Guenther
Anthony & Mary Gum
Bill & Marnie Hahn
Russel & Debra Hallberg
John & Ibby Hancock
Peter F. Hanger
Rick & Debra Hansen
David Hawk
Suzanne H. Hickman
Tammy J. Hoffman
Timothy & Jonna Holland
Lt. Col. Leroy E. Holtz, Ret. USAF
Delbert C. Huddleston
Marilyn Hughes
Claudia Jean
Mark & Lennie Jefferson
Jefferson Financial Services Co.
Norman K. Jensen
R. William Johnston
Paul M. Jokela
Alexandra Kaczmarek
Charles & Richelle Kelley
Kathy Kennedy
Kathleen A. Kersey
Ann T. Kieffer
Kimberly & Ken Kingston
Sandra M. Kopietz
Daniel & Michelle Koraleski
Thomas A. Kozel
KPMG LLP Foundation
Verlyn Kroon
Richard J. Kutilek
Scott & Sue Kutschkau
James A. Lastovica
Patrick J. Lavelle
Sam & Toffee Leftwich
Wayne & Pat Malnack
Greg & Lori McMillan
Dennis J. McMillen
Joe McTaggart
Max C. Meier
Garry & Beverly Meyer
Lawrence & Maureen Militti
Carter Miller
Deena R. Murphy
Sufi & Margaret Nazem
Daniel Neff
Rick & Laurel Niday
Glenda & Joel Norby
William & Jean O'Connor
Bill Ojile
DeAnn & Carl Olsen
Terrence W. Olsen
Gregg & Kathleen Paulsen
Walter J. Pikul
Ray & Barb Pille
Richard Ramm
Rob, Mary Jo &
Samantha Jo Randels
Edwin Rasmussen
Dick & Mary Lynn Reiser
Nancy & Harrison Rider
Rodney Roenfeldt
Dr. Ronald & Lois Roskens
Lucas & Melissa Sahm
Steven T. Schmitz
Scott & Ruth Schneider
Michael Knebel &
Susan Shepard
Robert R. & Mary Ann Sklenar
Douglas J. Smith
Kim Sosin
Shirley Spieker
Adam & Christine Steffen
John A. Stirek
William E. Sturgeon
Maureen Svagera
Greg G. Swanson
Daniel Jaksich &
Jayne Timmerman
Milo & Mary A. Treska
Judy Trout
Debby Whitehill Bloom
Jack W. Williams
Joel M. Wilson
lthough you may have never
met them, more than 2,500
students in the College of
Business Administration benefit every
day from the generosity of alumni and
friends like you.
Thank you to the donors mentioned
on the left who gave $100 or more to
support the UNO CBA College Fund in
2010. The UNO CBA College fund is an
unrestricted fund that provides funding
for student scholarships, cutting-edge research facilities, global communications
software, and student travel opportunities. In addition, gifts to this fund allow
the college to take advantage of unexpected opportunities and to address
unanticipated needs. Your support of the
college has helped to provide the margin
of excellence that makes UNO’s College
of Business Administration a college in
which all of us can take pride.
If you have not done so already, I hope
you will consider making a gift to the
UNO College of Business Administration.
Whatever the size—wherever you designate—the accumulation of many gifts of
every size will make large achievements
possible
If you would like more information,
please contact Sue Kutschkau at 402502-4109 or via email skutschkau@
nufoundation.org.
2010–11 YEAR IN REVIEW 51
NON-PROFIT ORG
U.S. POSTAGE
PAID
OMAHA NE
PERMIT NO. 301
College of Business Administration
University of Nebraska at Omaha
Mammel Hall 300
6708 Pine Street
Omaha NE 68182-0048
402-554-2303
http://cba.unomaha.edu
YEAR IN REVIEW