Week of June 2 – 7: Keeping you connected to COBA & CIT!

1. SOAR sessions

This week began the first of many summer SOAR sessions for incoming freshmen and their parents. I’d like to welcome all the parents who signed up to receive this weekly Update.

I think Georgia Southern University – the folks in our admissions office plus COBA and CIT faculty and staff – do a particularly good job with SOAR, which combines orientation, advising, registration, and a general introduction to college life for our newest Eagles. Below is a link to a very good article that describes SOAR:

http://www.thecoastalsource.com/news/local/19539054.html

But I also want to acknowledge the hard working folks in our Student Services Center (COBA) and Office of Student Services (CIT), students who serve as SOAR leaders, plus the faculty who devote hours to advising and working up class schedules. These dedicated folks put their heart and soul into each session to make it informative and fun. They practice, worry a bit, and then refine and re-do their presentations and materials in hopes of making each SOAR session a smashing success.

Here are the people who make it happen:

Bobbie Williams

Kim Robinson

Rashonda Bostic

Mallorie Williams

Abby Lynes

Caroline Levant

Shantrell Wilson

Noel Hollis

Susan Williams

Tom Case

Art Gowan

Jim Harris

Cindy Randall

Tim Cairney

Bob Jackson

Mark Yanochik

Diane Reed

Lisa Williams

Stephanie Williams

With all these people involved, I hope you understand what a huge undertaking SOAR is. Great work, ladies and gentlemen!!

2. Southern Conference Distinguished Service Award

Each year the Southern Conference presents Distinguished Service Awards to “…honor select individuals who have gone above and beyond the call to help Southern Conference institutions better achieve their goals,” according to Commissioner John Iamarino (as reported in Thursday’s Statesboro Herald – click on the link below to read the entire article).

http://www.statesboroherald.com/news/article/12446/

Georgia Southern’s honoree this year is Tim Durden, an ’84 alumnus in construction management. You might recognize that last name – same as our SBDC Director, Lori Durden. (Yes, they are related, and even better, Lori is a double COBA alumna – ’92 BBA and ’98 MBA!)

Congratulations, Tim and Lori. Both have made major contributions to this community in so many ways.

3. Thank you – First Southern National Bank!!

I’d like to thank Tommy David, CEO of First Southern National Bank, and his staff for their delightful hospitality this week as we held our COBA dean’s office retreat in their community room on the second floor. Well done!!

Thanks also to Carolyn Price for taking care of all the details and arrangements.

4. Savannah Business Report & Journal

This week Tracyann Henry contributed a review of a book titled “The Wal-Mart Revolution. How Big-Box Stores Benefit Consumers, Workers, and the Economy” by Richard Vedder and Wendell Cox. According to Tracyann:

“Richard Vedder and Wendell Cox …explain the dynamic retail industry and the impact Wal-Mart has on this industry.… Using demand-supply models, they present the argument that there is an overall gain to society with the introduction of big box stores such as Wal-Mart.”

Tracyann points out the criticisms of Wal-Mart – lower wages, job loss, and a negative impact on competitors and communities. “But, if we focus on Wal-Mart alone, would we say it is good or bad?,” she asks. To find out click on the link below and read her full review:

http://coba.georgiasouthern.edu/insights.htm

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5. Research roundup

Congratulations to Kathleen Gruben who learned recently that her article titled “ACRA Charrettes: The Ultimate Learning Experience” will be published in the next issue of Retail Education Today!

6. Eagle Executive Society

Here is the latest roster of charter member of EExS, COBA’s new membership society created to provide a margin of support for initiatives that go unfunded by state appropriations.

Robert Bailey

Mack Bryson, Jr.

Lori Durden

Michael English

Dr. James Hood

Charles Dickson, Jr.

Samantha Lee

Dr. Brit McKay

Cheryl Tatum

Valerie Thompson

This week I also want to spotlight the newest member of EExS who is most certainly the youngest (3 days old), smallest (18 3/4 inches) and lightest (6 lb 9 oz) member of the Eagle Executive Society!! Ladies and gentlemen … please welcome Madeline Anne Ruhland to the world, to her proud parents – Kristen and Joe Ruhland, and to her very proud grandparents – Maria and Ed Sibbald!!

Okay, if Ed can sign up his first grandchild (only 3 days old, mind you!) as a charter member of EExS, surely you want to be included in this exclusive society too, don’t you??!!! See the box at the bottom of the Update for details on how to join EExS.

7. Seen any purple frogs lately?

One of our COBA grads is literally trying to get his new venture – MetJet, Inc. – off the ground. Michael Heisman’s (’99 BBA in logistics) business idea is to offer air service to underserved markets, such as Athens, Georgia, Hickory, North Carolina, Lansing, Michigan, and other small- to medium-sized cities. For more information, click on the following link, which describes Michael’s fledgling business venture:

http://www.offerpad.com/index/OfferPad-MetJet Release.pdf

Oh yes, Michael intends to include a “purple frog” logo on the side of the chartered aircraft. Check it out!

8. Faculty honors

Let’s turn the spotlight on three faculty whose research efforts have attracted the attention of other scholars in their field and resulted in invitations to travel the world and present their research.

First, hearty congratulations to Morgan Miles who has been invited to present at Florida State University’s “Entrepreneurship Bootcamp for Veterans with Disabilities.” (Note: Here is a statement that describes the bootcamp:

“… the Entrepreneurship Bootcamp for Veterans with Disabilities (EBV) (is) an intensive training program offering cutting-edge, experiential training in entrepreneurship and small business management to post-9/11 soldiers, sailors, airmen, and marines disabled as a result of their service to our country. The intent of the EBV is to open the door to entrepreneurial opportunity and small business ownership to our veterans by developing their competencies in the many steps and activities associated with creating and sustaining an entrepreneurial venture, and by helping them coordinate their efforts with programs and services for veterans and others with disabilities. The EBV is offered entirely free to qualified, accepted veterans.”

Next, let’s congratulate Wen-Ran Zhang who has been invited to Shanghai, China for one week to give lectures and present his research.

Finally, kudos to William Amponsah who has been invited to Africa to preset a paper by the African Development Bank (AfDB) and the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (UNECA) during the African Economic Conference to be held in Tunis, Tunisia in November.

This is an excellent reflection on the quality of work produced by these professors. CIT, COBA, and Georgia Southern all benefit by their efforts. Thank you, gentlemen!

9. Making news

Speaking of William Amponsah, he was recently interviewed by WTOC-TV in Savannah about rising gasoline prices. Catch the complete story and his quotes at the link below. Good work, William!

http://www.wtoc.com/Global/story.asp?S=8419927

10. Welcome new subscribers

§ Kimberly (McClain) Allen (’00 BS in nutrition) and Waymond Allen (’98 BBA in marketing and ’02 MBA). Waymond is a manufacturing engineer for Gulfstream Aerospace in Savannah.

§ Jill Forehand (’99 BBA in finance), who is assistant director of donor relations for Georgia Southern University in Statesboro.

§ Paolo Ambrosini (’86 BBA in economics), who is national marketing manager for TV Cable Group in Guayaquil, Ecuador.

§ Kathy Daniel (’80 BBA in management), who is a fulltime missionary with the International Mission Board in West Africa.

§ Dana Benemon (’05 BBA in management with an emphasis in human resource management), who is caseworker II for the department of family and protective services in Odessa, TX.

Eagle Executive Society

If you haven’t done so already, please consider joining the Eagle Executive Society (EExS) as a charter member for $50 a year. Your contribution will support annual funding needs that are not being covered by state dollars.

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

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