College of Business Administration

Fall 2

015 Corners of

Calvin HallLeadership

& LegacyNew

Building Class Notes

CalvinToday

College of Business Administration Professional MBA Online

A flexible program that won’t have you tied up in knots.

• Jump into eight-week courses beginning in August, October, January, March and June.

• Take courses consecutively, or whenever they fit into your schedule.

• Learn online from the same qualified professors who teach graduate courses on campus.

• Take advantage of a personalized degree plan and advance in your career.

Learn more about the PMBA program at k-state.edu/onlinemba

K-State’s College of Business Administration is among the less than 5 percent of institutions worldwide to hold the prestigious AACSB accreditation.

Table of contents

In every issue

Corners of Calvin Hall 2

Leadership & Legacy 12

Class Notes 14

Alumni Profile 16

Dean’s Letter inside back cover

Features

Construction Continues 4 A wet spring can’t put a damper on

construction of the new College of Business

Administration building, which will offer many

modern amenities to enhance teaching and

learning while preserving a key part of the

campus landscape.

A Clear Path to Success 8 Kurt Roberts heads the newest addition to

the College of Business Administration’s

already robust Professional Advantage career

preparation program, giving the college’s

students a leg up on the competition.

Calvin Today Fall 2015

Calvin Today is produced and published twice a year by the Kansas State University College of Business Administration.

Editor Brent Fritzemeier

Design Guolin Zhao, Kansas State University Communications and Marketing

Photography Tommy Theis and Jeff Moore, Kansas State University Communications and Marketing

Interim Dean Kevin Gwinner

Dean’s staff Stacy Kovar, Ph.D., associate dean for academic administration Chwen Sheu, Ph.D., associate dean for academic programs Dawne Martin, Ph.D., assistant dean for diversity Bente Janda, assistant dean for student services Melanie Horton, assistant to the dean

Department heads Brett Wilkinson, Ph.D., accounting Eric Higgins, Ph.D., finance William Turnley, Ph.D., management (interim) Kevin Gwinner, Ph.D., marketing

College of Business Administration Kansas State University 110 Calvin Hall Manhattan, KS 66506

Comments? Kansas State University College of Business Administration 110 Calvin Hall Manhattan, KS 66506 Email: calvintoday@k-state.edu Phone: 785-532-2753 Fax: 785-532-7216

Visit us on the Web at cba.k-state.edu/calvintoday.

Views expressed herein do not necessarily reflect the opinions of the Kansas Board of Regents, the Kansas State University administration or College of Business Administration faculty. Correspondence related to Calvin Today should be directed to the editor, Brent Fritzemeier. Calvin Today is printed by Kansas State University printing.

Calvin Today online extras

Wait, there is more! Follow this sign on our website for additional information, expanded stories, video and photo galleries.

cba.k-state.edu/calvintoday

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Produced in cooperation with the Division of Communications and Marketing

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all Kevin Gwinner named interim dean of the College of Business Administration

Kevin Gwinner, professor and head of the department of marketing and Jon Wefald chair of business leadership, was named interim dean of the College of Business Administration effective June 15.

“Kevin has substantial support from the faculty, and has a long and successful tenure in the college,” said Kirk Schulz, university president. “He will do a superb job in his new post and will certainly help move Kansas State University forward to becoming a Top 50 public research university by 2025.”

“I am confident that Kevin Gwinner in his role as interim dean will keep the momentum built in the college going strongly and will strategically assist the college as it moves into its new physical home,” said April Mason, university provost and senior vice president. “I appreciate Dr. Gwinner’s willingness to take on this important position, at this critical time.”

Gwinner replaces Ali Malekzadeh, who became president of Roosevelt University on July 1.

Gwinner had served as head of the marketing department since July 2005. He joined the university in January 1999.

“I am very humbled to have been provided this opportunity and I look forward to working with the many talented staff and faculty in the College of Business Administration to accomplish our goals,” Gwinner said. “Continued fundraising, new building construction and transition, and enhancing the innovative programs in the college are all important challenges for us to substantially move forward in the next year.”

National Strategic Selling Institute again named one of the nation’s top sales programsFor the fourth consecutive year, the National Strategic Selling Institute has been named one of the top sales programs in the country by the Sales Education Foundation.

“We are so excited to be named one of the Top Universities in Sales for the fourth year in a row,” said Dawn Deeter, director of the National Strategic Selling Institute, also known as NSSI. “This achievement is a testament to our innovative sales curriculum and our outstanding K-State students.”

The institute features a curriculum focused on the application of selling skills through role playing and real sales experience. This spring semester, for example, students were able to prospect and make sales calls to sell tickets and find items for the institute’s benefit auction, an event to raise money for the NSSI Sales Cup Merit Awards for students as well as more than $5,000 for Manhattan Special Olympics.

The institute sponsors the college’s sales team, which has seen two students win national sales competitions in the past year, beating competitors from other top sales programs around the country. The institute also organizes K-State Sales Week, an annual event featuring workshops, competitions and networking sessions to develop students’ sales skills and expose them to careers in sales as well as other competitions throughout the year.

“I receive phone calls weekly from companies searching for great sales talent,” Deeter said. “Studies have shown that almost 50 percent of students will be doing some type of sales in their first job out of college, so a student who graduates from

our program really has a leg up on the competition.”

The sales certificate program is open to all majors at the university. It allows students to distinguish themselves by demonstrating professionalism and competency in selling skills.

Retired Bain Capital executive Michael F. Goss presents the college’s spring Distinguished Lecture Series

Michael F. Goss, former managing director and head of global investor relations for Bain Capital, presented his lecture on Feb. 26.

Goss spoke about his career experiences, including overseeing Bain Capital’s growth in managed assets from $10 billion to $70 billion.

The College of Business Administration’s Distinguished Lecture Series brings successful business professionals to campus. Lectures are given every semester and are sponsored by Commerce Bank and the William T. Kemper Foundation.

Watch Goss’s full lecture at cba.k-state.edu/about/goss-lecture.html.

Liquid Art Winery & Estate, Manhattan, was chosen as the grand prizewinner in the global food systems division, while Vigilias Telemedicine, Wichita, was named the grand prizewinner in the open division. Each company was awarded a $10,000 cash prize for its win.

The Launch Party was the culmination of the five-week LAB program, which was sponsored by KS State Bank and the College of Business Administration’s Center for the

Advancement of Entrepreneurship. The program provided the 14 selected startups with much-needed resources, including faculty-led courses, hands-on student research teams and access to the university’s world-class

alumni mentor network.

At the event, the entrepreneurs had the opportunity to pitch their businesses to the public. Each person attending could cast one vote for his or her favorite startup, which was combined with a judge’s panel vote to decide the overall winners.

“One of our university’s goals is to support economic development and growth in the state of Kansas,” said Chad Jackson, director of the Center for the Advancement of Entrepreneurship. “We developed K-State LAB as a way to reach out and support the entrepreneurs in the state. Our faculty, alumni mentors and students are incredible resources, and the LAB program allows us to share their expertise with the community.”

Liquid Art Winery & Estate will be one of the few wineries in the Midwest to primarily focus on growing European grape varieties such as Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Chardonnay. It will be coming to the Manhattan area in 2015.

“The program has been great — the connections we’ve made through the mentors and other businesses around the state have been invaluable,” said David Tegtmeier, who with his wife, Danielle, is the owner of Liquid Art Winery & Estate. “The LAB program really allowed us to step back from the day-to-day activities of our business and focus on the big-picture details that we don’t necessarily get to look at every day.”

Launch a Business program concludes with Liquid Art Winery & Estate and Vigilias Telemedicine taking grand prize honorsAfter a night that saw 14 entrepreneurs pitching their companies to the public at the Launch Party for the Kansas State University Launch a Business, or LAB, program, two companies walked away victorious as grand prizewinners for 2015.

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Vigilias Telemedicine plans to improve medical services and access to care in rural communities by making tertiary-level consultants and medical providers available through telemedicine.

“The LAB student research team was fantastic — they did marketing analysis and financial projections among many other things that will continue to be a huge help moving forward,” said Charles Coffey, owner of Vigilias Telemedicine. “The mentors also were a fantastic resource, and we all gained an invaluable amount of information and connections. It’s really great to see business people from around the state coming together to invest their time in startup companies.”

The grand prizewinners weren’t the only ones to walk away with honors following the Launch Party. Two companies were chosen for the Mentor’s Choice Award. Selected by a vote of the alumni mentors who participated throughout the program, the award comes with a $5,000 cash prize. The Mentor’s Choice for the open division was Acre Designs, Kansas City, while the global food systems division went to America’s Best Steaks, Hill City.

The public vote also allowed the companies to receive cash and in-kind prizes from a pool that totaled more than $90,000. The other startups who participated in the 2015 Launch a Business program were F3 Enterprises and Spray Mark, both from Colby; Harvest Homes, El

Dorado; Obermeyer Heritage Farms, Gypsum; Eck Fabrication, Kingman; Can-Coctions and Vapor Works, both from Manhattan; Kitchen4Hire, Salina; and AEGLE Palette and Alvoru Clothing, both from Shawnee.

More information on the Launch a Business program and the entrepreneurs is available at k-state.edu/lab.

The recipient of the Developing Scholar Research Award is assistant professor of management Myung Kyo Kim. Although still early in his academic career, Kim has shown great potential to produce high-quality research. He has publications in two of the leading journals in his discipline, four more papers under review in top journals, and three other papers ready for submission, with several other projects currently underway.

Ashley Croisant, academic advisor, received the Kansas State Bank Outstanding Advising Award. Croisant has developed a reputation as an excellent, caring and knowledgeable advisor. She is proactive in utilizing social media to communicate with students and worked with several university and college committees and programs, including new and transfer student orientation, the online GENBA 101 — Business Orientation class — and the All-University Career Fair. She also helps to coordinate the college’s study abroad program.

Beta Alpha Psi teams up with KPMG to provide books for Woodrow Wilson Elementary SchoolThe Kansas State University chapter of Beta Alpha Psi, an accounting honorary organization, partnered with accounting firm KPMG to provide more than $850 in books for students at Woodrow Wilson Elementary School in Manhattan on April 8.

Representatives from both Beta Alpha Psi and KPMG spent the morning at the school, reading books to different classes. After the reading time, students were allowed to pick out a book of their own to take home with them.

“It’s such a phenomenal gift to our students,” said Trish Ott, reading specialist at Woodrow Wilson Elementary School. “I can’t believe that Beta Alpha Psi and a company as large as KPMG would take the time and the money to think about children and giving back to the community.”

The donation was made possible through KPMG’s Family for Literacy program, which brings thousands of new books and the joy of reading to children in need. Beta Alpha Psi members and KPMG also came together the night before the event to make stuffed animals to donate to the school and to the Riley County Police Department, which will be given to children going through traumatic experiences.

“We were really excited to be able to provide this service to the community,” said Keaton Dugan, master’s student in accounting from Goddard and vice president of Beta Alpha Psi. “It’s just been a really great event for everyone involved.”

Corners of Calvin Hall

CBA announces spring faculty, staff awardsThis May, the College of Business Administration announced the 2015 recipients of the Ralph Reitz Outstanding Teaching Award, the Developing Scholar Research Award and the Kansas State Bank Outstanding Advising Award.

Satoris Culbertson, assistant professor of management, received the Ralph E. Reitz Outstanding Teaching Award. Culbertson teaches several very rigorous courses and maintains high student evaluations with very positive course reviews, quickly establishing a reputation for innovative and engaging teaching methods. She has one published textbook, along with having four pedagogical articles published in the last year, and she is currently working on her second textbook.

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Construction Continues

A rendering of the new College of Business Administration Building, now under construction and projected for completion in July 2016.

Among the features of the new College of Business Administration Building is a four-story atrium that will provide space to meet with people, relax, study and more.

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About a year has passed since the first heavy equipment began to work on the new home of the College of Business Administration. Despite a wet start to the spring that caused several delays in construction, the project remains on pace for its July 2016 completion date.

“The construction process has gone very well,” said Mike Mayo, president of The Ebert Mayo Design Group and lead architect on the project. “The contractor has been working hard to keep things on schedule and everything is looking very good. We are on time and on budget at this point in construction, and we are very pleased with the progress.”

The number of moving parts that must be organized in a project of this scope is truly staggering. The general contractor has started construction at the north end of the building and is working toward the south, which means

in May and June, we are on track to get that done. From my standpoint, it is going very well and everyone is working together in the best interest of the project.”

The building has a four-story atrium that will be a great space for meeting people, relaxation between classes and studying throughout the day.

“It opens out into an adjacent tree area to the east that is around 100 years old,” Mayo said. “We worked really hard to stay out of those trees and preserve them on the east side of the building, and that has worked out incredibly well. We have the construction fence very tight against the building, and haven’t been allowing workers to go into the tree area without specific permission — and then only for very short periods of time and not with heavy equipment. We are just very protective of the landscape around the building.”

things look further along depending on what part of the building at which you are looking.

“If we were to do one piece at a time, the project would take incredibly long to complete,” Mayo said.“ What we have to do is phase things and stagger things so that as soon as we have one area complete with the structural steel, we can bring concrete workers in, and then we have mechanical and electrical systems going in, and so on. It’s just a rolling process throughout the building.”

Mayo said the biggest issue is accommodating as many workers as possible on site to keep the project on schedule.

“I’m really proud of the contractor in that we had a target of being done with the structural steel by the end of October and being able to get the cranes off the site at that time,” he said. “Even with all of the weather issues we had

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New Building

There comes a time in every college student’s life when he or she must ask that age-old question: “What do I want to do for the rest of my life?”

Deciding the answer to that question is only the start, though. In order to end up with that dream career, students will need to plan what classes to take, what extracurricular activities to join and what internships to pursue — among dozens of other decisions that will impact their careers long after graduation.

At many schools, students get great guidance on what classes to take, but are left to make decisions about the other parts of their college

experience on their own. As a result, they may find themselves, while in the throes of interviewing in their senior year, not as prepared as they could be for their dream job. They may struggle to figure out what

jobs are right to apply for, how to apply for those jobs, how to meet and network with recruiters, and what to do during an interview — all at a time when these skills need to be well-polished.

With that reality in mind, the College of Business Administration has created a new Career Coach program, specifically designed to navigate those murky waters beginning from the time a student first steps foot on campus. Career Coach is the

A Clear Path to SuccessA new addition to the college’s already robust Professional Advantage career preparation program gives College of Business Administration students a leg up on the competitionby Brent Fritzemeier

“Our biggest priority in the College of Business Administration is for our students to have successful, fulfilling careers. Career coaches will help assure that every student can find an amazing career that is right for them, with personal guidance from professionals who have ‘been there,’ recruiting from the types of companies seeking to hire our graduates.”

— Stacy Kovar

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latest component of K-State Business Professional Advantage, which already includes the Executive Mentor program and the Professional Advantage Certification program. Together, these programs have been integrated into the business student experience at K-State, creating a clear path for student success that takes a lot of the guesswork out of career preparation.

Following a nationwide search, this summer the college hired Kurt Roberts as its first-ever lead career coach. A 1990 K-State graduate with a degree in accounting, he comes to the position with 25 years of experience in the corporate sector, most recently as the campus recruiting leader for KPMG in Kansas City. There he helped hundreds of students transition into their professional careers as interns and entry-level hires.

“I see an opportunity to leverage my recruiting experience in a more targeted way at K-State by helping students see what things look like on the employer side,” Roberts said. “Being on the other side of recruiting for so long, I have a unique

perspective in terms of helping students figure out how to do things the right way and to make sure K-State students stand out in comparison to their peers from other schools.”

The Career Coach program will provide a personal, industry-experienced component to career planning. Over the next few years, the college plans to expand the program with

In addition to one-on-one career planning, a major function of the career coach will be providing a stronger connection with employers — helping the college better understand critical success factors for students in their first jobs, strengthening existing corporate partnerships, and building additional relationships that will benefit students and the college as a whole.

“It’s important for us to be engaged with employers to understand what we need to do to help our students succeed,” Roberts said. “That holds true not only with those employers we already have great relationships with now, but also going beyond that to identify potential employers who might not have K-State as one of their priority recruiting schools, and figuring out how we can get those companies engaged with the college to create more opportunities for our students.”

The first component of K-State Business Professional Advantage, the Executive Mentor program, began in 2011 and pairs undergraduate and graduate students in the college with professionals from a wide range of industries for mentoring purposes.

“The outpouring of support from our alumni and community members for this program has been truly remarkable,” said Emily Brueseke, director of the Executive Mentor program. “In just four years, we have grown the program to 560 mentors who donate their time in support of our students.”

Executive mentors provide one-on-one career advice, assist students in soft skill development, and provide opportunities for networking with other professionals.

“My mentor was so valuable to me in terms of networking and connecting me with people in my industry,” said Michael Records, a May 2015 graduate with a degree in finance. “The program

has opened a lot of doors for me and other students, and it’s been great to be a part of it.”

The college expanded its efforts in 2012 to include Professional Advantage Certification, a program that enhances the undergraduate experience by giving students exposure to industry perspectives and training from some of the top companies in the country. More than 1,600 students attended Professional Advantage Certification activities in the 2014-15 academic year, learning skills and professionalism, such as how to interview, network and communicate in a corporate environment, from more than 50 different companies.

Students can earn Professional Advantage Certification points throughout their time in the college by attending required lectures, workshops and events that cover key career preparation skills identified by employers and faculty. Those who complete the 32 hours of required activities by

more coaches to provide more individualized and industry-specific advice based on careful assessment of the students’ strengths and goals.

“Someone with Kurt’s experience is exactly what we were looking for when we envisioned this position,” said Stacy Kovar, associate dean for academic administration. “He is the perfect person to build this program from the ground up into something that is a real competitive advantage for our students.

“Our biggest priority in the College of Business Administration is for our students to have successful, fulfilling careers,” she said. “Career coaches will help assure that every student can find an amazing career that is right for them, with personal guidance from professionals who have ‘been there,’ recruiting from the types of companies seeking to hire our graduates.”

“The things that we are doing with these programs — building strong relationships with companies, personal coaching, professional development and mentoring — are the kinds of things that the top MBA programs do. We are pushing that philosophy down to our undergraduate students, to give them one of the best career preparation programs in the country.”

— Stacy Kovar

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“There are a lot of opportunities for our students once they graduate,” DelRosso said. “We have companies knocking on our door wanting to teach Professional Advantage training sessions and network with our students. There is a consistent waiting list for companies, and not enough times available for everyone who wants to be involved - which is a great problem to have. It speaks to the quality of students that the program is putting out.”

The career development programing provided by these programs starts the moment students walk on campus. This really makes a difference in changing student’s career mindsets because they now have an end-to-end mentality that cuts across all four years of their collegiate careers. Students set a precedent for lifelong learning, while instilling the importance of professional skills and networking throughout their careers.

“The things that we are doing with these programs — building strong relationships with companies, personal coaching, professional development and mentoring — are the kinds of things that the top MBA programs do,” Kovar said. “We are pushing that philosophy down to our undergraduate students, to give them one of the best career preparation programs in the country.”

graduation are recognized on their transcripts, resumes and at graduation as Professional Advantage Certified.

“Our students already receive excellent training in the classroom from our faculty and through the various academic programs,” said Olivia Law-DelRosso, director of Professional Advantage. “Professional Advantage Certification enhances this education by providing students soft skill training that will help them succeed in their job search. Students learn these skills directly from our industry partners, who in turn hire a large number of our students. It’s a great networking opportunity for everyone involved.”

According to Law-DelRosso, the college’s corporate partners are excited about the amount of professionalism instilled in the students who go through the program. Recruiters talk about how valuable it is for them to connect with students early on in their collegiate careers. It gives employers a chance to get in front of K-State students and talk to them about their industries and the opportunities that exist within them. Professional Advantage allows both the students and the companies early exposure to each other, so they can determine where there might be a good fit in the future.

The Career Coach program is made possible with the support of Paul and Sandra Edgerley, Brookline, Massachusetts, who have made a challenge matching gift of $5 million to the College of Business Administration, matching donations to the program from other donors at 50 percent.

“The success of the university should be measured in whether we graduate students who have the skills and character to build a happy and productive life,” Paul Edgerley said. “Sandy and I believe an enhanced career planning and coaching effort in the college is critical to support students in matching their strengths, interests and lifestyle preferences to selecting and preparing for the right career path and connecting them with the right first employer.”

Julie and Roger Davis, Chicago, Illinois, are the first to accept the Edgerleys’ challenge, giving $500,000 to the new Career Coach program. Those interested in contributing to the program may contact the Kansas State University Foundation at 785-532-6266.

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Brittany Gleason, sophomore in accounting, Kinsley

Brett Carmichael, junior in marketing, Garden City

Sarah Cauffield, junior in marketing, Overland Park

Connor Soukup, junior in business, Olathe

I was very happy with the Making the Most of Your Internship presentation from BKD. I am naturally nervous when I begin a new job or join an organization for that matter. They helped me realize that it is OK to ask questions. I loved how they said that they would rather you ask questions than have to redo something.

I thought the Leading to Succeed event that was presented by Koch Industries had some very useful tips for developing a good work-life balance when just starting out in your career. It really makes you think about what you want to look for when considering future employers.

I found Grant Thornton’s Effective Networking event very useful. Before going, I did not know very much about networking because I had never attended a career fair before. By going to this event and hearing the speakers tell personal stories, it gave me more confidence about attending career fairs. They made me realize that everyone is nervous for them. With the information they gave about preparing for the fairs, I feel more ready about my preparation before attending. Although I will still be nervous for career fairs, I will feel better about going because of the advice I was given.

I thought the Transitioning from College to Career event by ConocoPhillips was very informative and it helped me understand what to expect after I get out of college. It made me think about my habits I have now and consider if they will work in my transition to a career.

K-State Business Professional Advantage has had a huge impact on the college’s students as they prepare to enter the workforce. We asked these students: What Professional Advantage trainings and events have benefited you?

&Leadership Legacy

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Leadership & Legacy

Hallie Beck, junior in marketing, Prairie Village

Kathryn Littell, sophomore in management, Salina

Melissa Asper, junior in finance, Geuda Springs

Michael Bailie, sophomore in business, Lenexa

Marisa Taylor, sophomore in business, Olathe

I went to an Effective Interviewing workshop that was put together by Target. It was extremely helpful to know what type of questions would be asked in an interview and how to respond. It makes me a bit less nervous to start the interview process.

I attended LinkedIn and Managing Your Social Media Presence that was presented by K•Coe Isom. It was an extremely helpful workshop. I knew nothing about LinkedIn before the workshop, and they presented great beginner information that was exactly what I needed. I truly enjoyed the presentation. The speakers had wonderful energy and did a great job keeping the whole audience involved.

I am very thankful that K-State has given me this opportunity (Interview Preparation and A Day in the Life presented by Hormel). It is important for students to know what it is like to be in the real world, and events like this give us a basis for that. I will also be extending my thanks to Hormel and our presenter for giving me such valuable information.

The information given at Phillips 66’s Communication Etiquette and Professionalism event was very helpful for me not only when communicating professionally with others, but it also encouraged me to have confidence when introducing myself for internships or job opportunities.

GTM Sportswear’s Presentation Pro workshop was a really good event for me to attend. I had a final presentation in one of my classes that week, and it was really useful to learn some tips about giving a good presentation that I could put into practice.

I believe the information given at KPMG’s Navigating the Recruiting Process is something everyone needs to know, inside and outside of the College of Business Administration. The scariest part to me is networking, going to career fairs and interviewing. The tips have helped me a lot in those areas. Michelle Harper,

junior in management, Topeka

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2013Qianqi Sun (MGMT) started her own business in Changchun, China.

2003Kent Corser (FIN) is celebrating his sixth year as the director of IT technical and client operations at Ottawa University.

2002Michael Raine (MIS) was promoted to director of information technology projects and services for Kansas State University’s College of Business Administration.

1993Sharon Hanke is a middle school business teacher at Southern Door School District in Wisconsin.

1993Rich Laing has joined the team at Lawing Financial Inc. in Overland Park, Kansas.

1991Wes Gaston (FIN & MGMT) was recently promoted to senior project manager of NBH Bank N.A. in Overland Park, Kansas. He also attained professional certification as a project manager professional.

1989Julie Graber is now vice president of commercial lending at Southwest National Bank in Wichita, Kansas.

1939Elnita Jezek, Holyrood, Kansas, died at the age of 95. A lifelong supporter of the university, her estate has provided a $1.67 million gift to Kansas State University through her trust. The funds will support the Elnita Ehler Jezek Scholarship for students in the College of Business Administration, where Jezek earned her bachelor’s degree in 1939.

The scholarship is endowed, which means it will provide a continuous source of support for the purpose specified by Jezek. The principal of the fund is maintained and invested in perpetuity, and awards are made from earnings.

Jezek was a member of Zeta Tau Alpha sorority and the American Association of University Women. She also was a member for more than 50 years of the Order of the Eastern Star, including service as matron of Holyrood O.E.S. 420, worthy grand matron of Kansas, grand treasurer of Kansas O.E.S. and committee member of General Grand Chapter O.E.S. She was active in her church, St. Paul’s United Church of Christ, including past service as president of St. Paul’s UCC Guild.

Jezek was a member of the Kansas State University Foundation’s President’s Club, a philanthropic leadership organization for friends and alumni of the university, and the Land Grant Legacy Society, an organization for those who have included the university in their estate plans. She also served as a KSU Foundation trustee for 12 years.

“She was successful in her church, the Eastern Star, and she thought a lot of K-State. Those were her three main priorities in life and she lived them out,” said Jezek’s cousin and caretaker, Raymond Hanken. “She was a very intelligent person, a very good conversationalist and entertainer, a very good reputation everywhere she went. She was just a good person.”

“Elnita Jezek’s lifelong love for K-State and the College of Business Administration was evident through her consistent financial support over many years,” said Kevin Gwinner, interim dean of the College of Business Administration. “She knew the value of a K-State business degree and helped generations of students achieve their dreams. Now, her final gift leaves a tremendous legacy that will help business students pursue excellence in their education.”

1988Hisham Tabsh (MBA) is the CFO of Saccal Holding S.A.L, a large industrial group composed of five companies and 260 employees. His duties include overseeing the finance, accounting, IT and HR departments.

1985James K. Lehman authored the book Maneuvering Your Career: 20 Strategies to Prepare You For

Voluntary (or Involuntary) Career Transition.

1980Victor H. Method joined Fall Line Capital, an agriculture land and technology investment company, as a principal.

1980Audrey Mross (MKTG) was named one of the “Best Lawyers in Dallas” for the second straight year by D Magazine. She was also selected as both a Texas Super Lawyer and National Super Lawyer — Business Edition for the sixth year in a row.

1979Tim Ruffin (FIN) is an executive vice president for Colliers International in Reno, Nevada. He was named Office Broker of the Decade after winning Office Broker of the Year for eight out of the last 10 years.

1978Julie Davis was recognized over the summer as the recipient of the Alumni Achievement

Award from the Mortar Board National Council. The award honors an alumni member of the organization who has demonstrated outstanding and long-lasting achievement in her/his profession and is an inspiration to other members.

1969Larry C. Carlson recently retired from his role as executive vice president of CoreFirst Bank & Trust in Topeka, following 45 years of service.

In Memoriam

Joseph F. Bunk died Feb. 28, 2015. He was the founder of Joseph F. Bunk CPAs & Management Consultants

and had been a part of the College

of Business Administration Advisory Council since 1998.

James Townsend, who was named a professor emeritus of management at Kansas State University in

1997, died May 17, 2015, at the age of 90. A retired U.S. Air Force colonel and World War II veteran, he was instrumental in shaping the management department and its programs as a professor and administrator.

Lincoln Deihl passed away on September 6, 2015. After several years of teaching abroad, he joined the faculty at Kansas State in 1979, where he worked on developing the MBA program. He retired in 2006 as an emeritus professor of management.

Stan Elsea passed away on September 24, 2015. A former Lieutenant Colonel in the United States Air Force, he served in the

College of Business Administration for 17 years. Elsea retired in 2002 as associate dean in the college.

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Dreiling founded GTM Sportswear in 1989 and has outfitted 1.1 million teams in the United States and abroad with customized sportswear. As GTM grew, Dreiling

branched out into the restaurant business. He currently owns 11 Freddy’s Frozen Custard franchises across the U.S. as well as several local restaurants in Manhattan, Kansas.

GTM has appeared six times on Inc. Magazine’s list of the fastest growing, privately owned companies in the U.S. — the only company in Kansas to have achieved this honor. In 2008, he initiated the entrepreneurship program at K-State, which recently was recognized as the top emerging entrepreneurship program in the U.S. He continues to teach and inspire students in the entrepreneurship program every semester, and was named the college’s 2015 Alumni Fellow.

Calvin Today: What made you decide to go into business for yourself right out of college?Dave Dreiling: In the beginning of my senior year, I bought a limousine and started a limo service that took a lot of my time. Back then, I don’t even think entrepreneur was a word that people used, but looking back on it I was pretty hard wired as an entrepreneur from a young age.

There was a guy that stopped by my fraternity house that I met. He traveled around to what was then the Big 8 Conference schools, taking orders and selling party favors to Greek houses and campus groups. He had some ideas on how to scale it, and he offered me a partnership. I didn’t have any money, but I was able to sell my limousine business then and take the money that I made off of that to give to Dave to start that partnership. At the time, I had a job offer to go to work for Dillard’s, and I remember it kind of being a tough decision: Do I take the security of a job, or go try this It’s Greek to Me idea? In the end, I just felt like it was such a great idea and that it was the right time to go for it. My parents told me they thought it was a bad idea — my dad said he didn’t think it would work — but I just decided that I should try it anyway.

CT: Was there an important moment in the early years of your company that led to your success? A turning point in your career?DD: There wasn’t one particular turning point, other than on the very first day of sales. I didn’t

do a full-blown business plan, but I had done cocktail napkin math enough to figure out that we needed to average $350 of sales per fraternity or sorority in order for me to make $21,600 at the end of the year, which was my starting offer from Dillard’s. The very first house that we were at was at K-State, and when we walked out we had done about $1,200 worth of sales. By the end of that day, we had gone to five or six more houses and had made $1,200-$1,500 in sales at each. At that point I knew that the idea would work.

CT: If you could travel back in time to the first few weeks of GTM and have 15 minutes with your former self to communicate any things you’ve learned, what would you most want to tell yourself?DD: I would tell myself to enjoy the ride more. I was so young that I didn’t realize how special that time of starting the business was, when we were just making up the rules as we went along. At the time I was just so scared because everything that I had was in on this. Looking back on it, there were really some special moments during the early years at GTM that I don’t think I enjoyed at the time because I was still too worried about the future.

CT: You’ve branched out into several additional restaurants and franchising. With so many different things on your plate, what does a typical day look like? How do you manage your time?DD: I don’t know that I have a typical day. The average day would maybe involve three to six meetings. I have to bounce around and shift my focus a lot. I try to spend as much time as I can cultivating my people because we have grown beyond the point of me being able to be at the forefront of making every decision and making sure everything happens. We’re just too big at this point for any one person to do that. I have to ensure that I have the right people and leadership in place, and that we have a culture established that helps people to grow as fast as what we are trying to grow the company at 20-30 percent annually, which at this point is a tall order.

CT: You are heavily involved in the Center for the Advancement of Entrepreneurship and the Business Advisory Council. Why do you make this a part of your life?DD: First off, I love K-State and it’s fun to give back. For the entrepreneurship program especially, I see it more as just helping students start jobs. When you look at the state of Kansas, long-term we are in population decline. Western and central rural Kansas are really hurting right now, and that’s not going to get fixed by just luring in big companies

with lots of jobs. It’s going to be through people starting companies and jobs within the state. The state of Kansas does a really good job of educating our youth, but we aren’t keeping them here because we don’t have a plethora of great jobs. I think Manhattan is a great place to start a business, so for me it is important to put together a chest of tools that we can give to the students who cycle through Manhattan and give them everything they need to go from concept to the first sale. That’s both challenging and exciting, and ultimately I think it will reap a lot of benefits for Manhattan, K-State and the state of Kansas as a whole.

CT: You have been involved with the Business Executive Mentor Program. How has that experience been for you? Did you have mentors throughout your career?DD: When I started my business, there was no real formal mentorship program, but I realized early on that I didn’t really know what I was doing. So I reached out and latched on to people who have mentored me through the years — and still continue to mentor me. I believe strongly that we can all learn from other people, so I have always had a strong network of people who have helped me along the way. Some of them I will have lunch with, either quarterly or monthly, to pick their brain on ideas or thoughts that I’ve had. For me personally, mentorship has been a huge part of my life for the past 25 years. The mentorship program at K-State I think is spot-on. It’s one of a handful of great ideas that Dean Malekzadeh brought here. We already had a small mentorship program in place with the entrepreneurship program, but it was just so refreshing to have him put the vision and resources and be the catalyst for expanding it throughout the entire college.

CT: If you could give one piece of advice to current CBA students as they prepare to enter the workforce, what would it be?DD: Pay attention to and spend time learning more about yourself. Self-awareness is huge in your early 20s. Pay attention to what you are naturally gifted at, and things that you really struggle with, and consciously and purposefully navigate your life and career into roles that harness your natural strengths.

Dave Dreiling (MKTG ‘89)

Owner, GTM Sportswearby Brent Fritzemeier

You can read more from this interview at cba.k-state.edu/calvintoday.

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Dear CBA Alumni:

I am honored and excited to be serving the college as interim dean. I have been a member of the CBA Department of Marketing faculty since 1999, and became the head of the marketing department in July 2005. For the record, my wife, Sherri, and I have three children who have grown up in Manhattan, with our oldest son just starting his K-State career as a freshman this fall. We are proud to call Manhattan and K-State home.

As interim dean, I want to assure the K-State business college family that I am not bringing a “temporary” attitude into this position. Indeed, I am throwing myself into this role 100 percent. I believe that Every Student Can Succeed in the CBA; therefore, the college will continue to strive to give every student a well-rounded business education that includes outstanding academics, excellent professional development skills and positive leadership experiences.

First and foremost, the CBA has exceptional faculty and staff who are committed to the success of our students. Among the components making up the academic experiences of students, the most important is the individualized care and concern these faculty and staff members have for students. These professionals are the heart and soul of the college and an inspiration to our students.

An exciting change is on the horizon for the college. In fall 2016, the college will move into a new building, a state-of-the-art learning environment equipped with innovative spaces and cutting-edge technologies. This facility will be home to the many programs and activities that allow students to explore their interests and develop skills that will help them understand what it is to be a business professional.

Among the new programs we are introducing this year is Career Coaching to further assist our graduates and corporate partners in developing sustainable links that provide high-quality industry jobs for graduates that meet the evolving needs of our business partners. Please read more about this student opportunity on Page 8.

Let me take this opportunity to thank you, our alumni, for the incredible investments you make in our students, programs and facilities. Your support infuses the college with energy, momentum and the drive to achieve. We are only able to advance because of your generous support and encouragement and we are grateful.

I encourage you to read this semester’s Calvin Today and learn more about the CBA, its programs, and the academic and professional development advantages the college provides

business students. I believe you will learn that the K-State College of Business Administration is a great place to learn and grow with programs purposefully designed to ensure that every student can succeed and compete among the best business school graduates in the nation.

Best regards,

Kevin Gwinner

Interim Dean and Jon Wefald Chair in Business Leadership

Letter from the Dean

— ESTHER SWILLEYAssociate Professor of Marketing,

College of Business Administration

To support CBA faculty, contact Darin Russell at 785-532-7525 or darinr@found.ksu.edu, or Galen Bunning

at 785-532-7515 or galenb@found.ksu.edu.

I enjoy assisting students in developing their research interests. The LL McANINCH PROFESSORSHIP

supports the travel for students to present their projects.

“

”

Endowed faculty positions enhance research and teaching, benefiting the college, faculty and students alike.

— ESTHER SWILLEYAssociate Professor of Marketing,

College of Business Administration

To support CBA faculty, contact Darin Russell at 785-532-7525 or darinr@found.ksu.edu, or Galen Bunning

at 785-532-7515 or galenb@found.ksu.edu.

I enjoy assisting students in developing their research interests. The LL McANINCH PROFESSORSHIP

supports the travel for students to present their projects.

“

”

Endowed faculty positions enhance research and teaching, benefiting the college, faculty and students alike.

110 Calvin Hall802 Mid-Campus Drive SouthManhattan, KS 66506-0501

College of Business Administration

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