Week of June 1 – 6   Keeping you connected to COBA & CIT!

1.      Dinner with the Dean – Augusta

I would like to extend a big “thank you” to Vicki and Tommy Jones who hosted a “Dinner with the Dean” event Tuesday evening in Augusta at their house.

It was a lovely evening as we – Barbara and I and Linda Wilke – were introduced to some great folks.  Alumnus Pat Blanchard was there, although his wife, Gwen, had a conflict and could not attend.  Pat is a familiar friend to COBA and has recently retired as CEO of his bank.

We also met Pat and Maggie Douglas, both alums.  Pat was a defensive back on the ’85 and ’86 national championship teams under Coach Russell.  Maggie earned her degree in nursing.

Lee and Rhonda Banks were there as well.  Lee grew up in Statesboro and earned his marketing degree from Georgia Southern.  Rhonda earned an MBA from COBA and was recently named one of Augusta’s “Forty Under 40.”

In addition we met Brian and Juliana Lewis whose daughter, Brianna, recently completed her freshman year at Georgia Southern.

We had a great time and Vicki and Tommy have a beautiful home.  I appreciate the opportunity to spread the word about the neat things going on in COBA and CIT with alums and friends in the Augusta area.  Thank you, Vicki and Tommy!

2.        Third Annual Fraud and Forensic Accounting Education Conference (Don Berecz reporting)

“The 3rd Annual Fraud and Forensic Accounting Education Conference concluded last week in Atlanta at the J.W. Marriott in Buckhead.  Thirty practitioners and professors addressed over 130 participants on the best practices in fraud examination and forensic accounting.  We even had three international attendees!

Tom Buckhoff, as well as advisory board members  Ron Lundstrom and Phil Robertson, presented.

It was Chuck Harter who consummated the partnership a year ago with Phil Moore (Georgia Southern COBA graduate) and the accounting firm of Porter Keadle Moore (PKM).  This partnership produced synergetic benefits for both PKM and the Center for Forensic Studies in Accounting and Business.

Kudos back to those who made the first two annual conferences successful including Tom Buckhoff and Leslee Higgins.  They provided the initiative, insight, effort, and direction which gave me the spring board for working with PKM Marketing Director Laura Snyder during the last year to make this conference successful.

The forensic accounting steering committee of Tom Noland, Cheryl Metrejean, and Stephanie Sipe also contributed over the past year, meeting twice a month to implement the plan for the conference.

Also, thanks to Charlie Cox, Zandra Brasington, Cynthia Parrish, Abbie Gail Parham, and Leslie Fletcher who traveled to Atlanta and supported the logistics of the conference.  Their level of professionalism and interaction with the conference participants was outstanding.”

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Thank you all for this wonderful effort!

 3.        SOAR

Our hardworking folks in the CIT and the COBA Student Services Centers – Kim Robinson, Bobbie Williams, Rashonda Bostic, Abby Lynes, Heather Worley, Shantrell Wilson, Diane Reed, and Caroline Brewton – are back on the summer SOAR sessions.

SOAR stands for Student Orientation And Registration and is designed to facilitate the transition of entering freshmen and transfer students to Georgia Southern.  There are over 15 SOAR sessions scheduled each summer and our team turns out for each and every one.

There were two SOAR sessions this week and we welcome the following parents to the weekly Update as subscribers:

Jody Riddle                      Becky Smalley             Gary Baskerville

Joni Myslinski                  Marcus Latham            Ray and Susan Sokolowsky

Sherri Gamble                  Ken Sutphin                 Yvette and Frederick Taylor

Lisa Benevente                 Staci Langley               Robert Dattilo

Dawn Hobby Still             Anne Hackling             Jeff and Cindi Burden

Bobby Tripp                     Brad Langmo               Donette and John Treadway

Jill Carter                          Kevin Lindberg            Penny and Rob Ballard

David Sims                       Riny Schartman           Martha and Joseph Olive

Heidi Rosenweig              Jim and Joni Marino    Bernard & Cherise Burke

Eileen Helgeland              Timothy Mclendon      Doug and Lynne Pritchett

Jonathan Cantrell              David Kenney             Dennis and Staci Vicken

Rick McNealy                  Candace Norcini          Paul and Kellie Kuntz

Chris Stubbs                     Steve Allen                  Gary and Tricia White

Sheryl Veazey-Rudy

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Rob D.: thanks for your feedback about our SOAR sessions!

 4.        Interview on NPR (thanks to Betsy Nolan for sharing this)

Those of you who listen to NPR might have heard Georgia Southern mentioned recently.  Economist Greg Brock recently earned a grant to serve as a Fulbright Scholar in Mexico.  He was scheduled to travel to Veracruz, Mexico to teach college professors and public school teachers how to educate students of all ages about money and the economy.  However, the recent swine flu crisis has forced him to postpone the trip.

Nevertheless, he was interviewed by Orlando Montoya recently on Georgia Public Radio and the recording was then aired on NPR.

Good show, Greg!

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 5.        StAR Award winner for May

Congratulations to Lisa Williams who was named the Staff Appreciation and Recognition (StAR) Award winner for May!  Her nominator expressed these thoughts about Lisa:

“The amount of time and effort that goes into planning an event (COBA Golf Tournament) of this size – 200+ golfers – is huge and difficult to fathom unless you have directly participated in the planning process…. Lisa’s attention to detail, level of organization, enthusiasm, attitude creativity, responsiveness, and overall work performance with respect to not only this event, but to her work in general, are outstanding.”

Well done, Lisa!

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The StAR Award program is meant to recognize extraordinary efforts by COBA staff who often work behind-the-scenes on events or projects that contribute to the success of the college.  The award winner receives a check for $100, a certificate of achievement, and a trophy for their desk (until the next award winner is selected).

 6.        Research roundup

Congratulations to Timur Mirzoev (IT)!  He recently published two articles: (1) “Synchronous replication of remote storage” in the Journal of Communications and Computer, and (2) “Disaster recovery using virtual machines” in the Kabardino-Balkarian State University Journal (Вестник).  The latter is a Russian journal (in case you didn’t recognize the word in parentheses).

 7.        Feedback from former student

Jan Grimes is the lucky recipient this week of a nice note from one of her former students:

“I hope you remember me.…  In Spring 08' I emailed you requesting to be added to your class and you accepted me.  I was the young man … who always somehow found a way to arrive late to class.  Well I just wanted to thank you for your patience with me ….  I found myself struggling that semester traveling back and forward to Atlanta to work to pay my mortgage here in Atlanta as well as my rent in Statesboro every weekend.…  Well I just wanted to let you know that your efforts … paid off.  I'm currently the (alum’s job title and company name were deliberately omitted) and life is great.  I've also started my own computer service company … which has taken off in the right direction.  You did a great job.  I'm truly grateful.  You can add me to the rest of your success stories.  I hope it helps to inspire your next successful graduates. Thanks again.”

Nice work, Jan!

8.         Welcome new subscribers

§  Chris Braddy (’03 BBA in management), who works in loan administration with People Bank in Lyons.

§  Allison McIntyre (’06 BBA in marketing), who is business account executive for AT&T Mobility in Atlanta.

§  David A. Erley ('90 BBA in accounting) who is senior director of finance (and a CPA!) working for SAP America in Pennsylvania.

§  Jared Orlando ('98 BBA in information Systems) who is a practice principal consultant with SAP America in Atlanta.

Eagle Executive Society

Please consider joining – or renewing your membership in – COBA’s Eagle Executive Society.  For only $50 a year your contribution will support our annual funding needs that are not being covered by state dollars.  Corporate memberships are $250 per year.

Click on the following link now and sign up online!  Thank you.

http://coba.georgiasouthern.edu/eagleexecutive/eexsmembership.htm