Seidman Update: Spring 2005

Seidman College of Business, Grand Rapids, Michigan

On theright

track…

SPRING2005

A t the close of this, my first,academic year at Seidman, Iam pleased to note that the

Seidman College of Business con-tinues on the right track — andmoving in the right direction! Weare deeply indebted to those of you who help keep us there andmoving. In this edition of the Seidman Update we share with yousnippets of our individual and collective accomplishmentsover the past year.

First, we are especially pleased to highlight some under-graduate and graduate student journeys through the Seidmanexperience. We continue to attract some of the best and brighteststudents in the country. Indeed, during this past year, 240 of ourmost recent freshman admits boasted a minimum high schoolG.P.A. of 3.5 and at least a 26 composite ACT. We expect thatnumber to increase for the upcoming year, as the quality of theoverall pool of candidates continues to rise. Also, in addition totheir outstanding academic credentials, our graduate studentsbring a wealth of practical experiences with them to theclassrooms, creating richer and more challenging learningenvironments for all. And all our students continue to excel, evenbeyond our expectations: in their studies, in their extracurricularactivities, in their leadership roles, and in their university andcommunity citizenship. Moreover, our overseas partnershipsprovide a multitude of international opportunities for facultyand students, as well as rich sources of quality students fromcountries all over the world!

At both the undergraduate and graduate levels Seidmancontinues to stress innovation and the integration and applicationof business and management knowledge, as evidenced by the newmodel for the “Fuzzy Front End.” As a result of this and otherinitiatives, student entrepreneurs from across the University arenow on the right track and moving in the direction of their dreams.

Our faculty colleagues continue to distinguish themselves, aswell. From earning the highest score in North America (and thesecond highest score in the World) on the Computer InformationSystems Audit (CISA) examination, to earning distinguishedteaching awards, to passing the Certified Financial Planner(CFP) examination, to providing distinguished leadership in thearea of gender and economics issues, to streamlining students’educational experiences, to promoting appreciation of diversityin business, to increasing total research productivity, theSeidman faculty soared to higher heights of accomplishmentduring the past year.

Seidman has also made significant progress in its businessoutreach activities over the past year. The College has taken stepsto enhance its services to family-owned businesses, both locallyand nationally. It has also developed a plan to continue andexpand the business outreach and student and faculty interactionsof the Business Ethics Center. The Michigan Small Business andTechnology Development Center continues to provide leadershipin Michigan’s efforts to develop and support entrepreneurshipand business development across the state. Seidman continues towork collaboratively with Grand Valley’s Michigan Alternativeand Renewable Energy Center (MAREC) and the West MichiganScience & Technology Initiative, in the interests of economicdevelopment and sustainability. Indeed, over the past year,Seidman has worked closely with the University’s College ofInterdisciplinary Studies to develop a Grand Valley StateUniversity Sustainability Initiative to promote sustainabilityefforts across businesses, universities, governments, and othernot-for-profit organizations.

Like a new “bullet train,” the Seidman College of Businesscontinues on a track of commitment to excellence and achieve-ment. We remain focused on the strategies calibrated to assure ourcontinued relevance and significance in business and managementeducation. I hope you enjoy this edition’s focus on how wecontinue on the right track — and moving in the right direction!

DEA

N’S

AD

VISO

RYB

OA

RD

— H. James WilliamsDean, Seidman College of Business

H. James WilliamsDean

L. William SeidmanHonorary Chair

Dwane Baumgardner Retired, Donnelly Corporation

Carole D. BosBos & Glazier, P.L.C.

John C. Canepa Crowe Chizek & Company

Edward J. ClarkAmerican Seating Company

Joseph A. DavioComerica Bank

John L. DeMariaQuoin, Inc.

Harvey N. GaineyGainey Corporation

Robert GrootersR.G. Companies

Doyle A. Hayes Pyper Products Corporation

Thomas W. Hiller BDO Seidman, LLP

David HoogendoornErnst & Young LLP

J. C. HuizengaWestwater Group

Dorothy A. Johnson Ahlburg Company

Jeffrey B. KaneBDO Seidman, LLP

Derek D. KaufmanKaufman Peters, LLC

Fred P. KellerCascade Engineering

Robert L. (Buzz) Kersman Lorin Industries

Christopher B. MontaguePlante & Moran, LLP

Mark P. OlesnavagePerrigo Company

Seymour K. PadnosLouis Padnos Iron & Metal Co.

Jon E. Pike Beene Garter LLP

Sharron J. ReynoldsHuntington National Bank

Nancy SkinnerVarnum Consulting

Stephen A. Van Andel Alticor Inc.

Charles C. Van LoanIndependent Bank Corporation

Curt WellsHuntington National Bank

From the Dean

www.gvsu.edu/business 3

Seidman Update is a bi-annual publicationof Grand Valley State University’s SeidmanCollege of Business, Grand Rapids, Michigan.

Seidman College offers the Bachelor ofBusiness Administration (BBA), Bachelorof Science (BS) or Bachelor of Arts (BA)in Economics, Master of BusinessAdministration (MBA), Master of Science inAccounting (MSA), and Master of Sciencein Taxation (MST) degrees. The college isfully accredited by AACSB International.

Project Coordinator: Vonnie Herrera

Editors: Vonnie Herrera, Claudia Bajema

Update Faculty Advisor: Paul Lane, Ph.D., E. Seidman Chair

Special Contributor: Diane Dykstra

Graphic Design & Production:Ruth Oldenburg/Rainstick Studio

In this issue …

4 Undergraduate and Graduate Students travel many tracks to obtain a degree

10 Faculty showcase writing experiences from a variety of perspectives

12 Traditional African American businesses seek opportunities for expansion

14 Kellogg executive shares how his company was able to return to the top

Table of Contents

Undergraduate Passengers4–5 Student Journeys

Graduate Passengers6–7 Meet Our Graduate Business Students

Faculty Engineers8–9 Streamlining Educational Experiences10 Faculty on the “Write” Track

Past Passengers11 Alumni Role Models

Function Junction12–13 Experiencing “Black Wall Street”14 Kellogg Executive Featured at Alumni Association Breakfast15 Grand Rapids Mayor Addresses Alumni15 Outsourcing Tracked at Breakfast Program16 2005 Outstanding Students16 Faculty Award of Recognition17 Beta Gamma Sigma Inductees17 2005 Alumni Award Recipients

Faculty Mile Markers18 Celebrating Faculty Achievement

Train Robbery19 IRS Fraud Conference

Innovation Station20–21 Innovation, Integration, Application of the Fuzzy Front End

Depot Connection22 Tracking its Progress…Michigan Small Business &

Technology Development Center

International Stop23 Grenoble, France Trip

Dean’s Office 616-331-7100

Graduate Business Programs616-331-7400

www.gvsu.edu/business

Undergraduate Student Services616-331-7500


Small Business & Technology Development Center

616-331-7370 www.misbtdc.org/region7

Center for Entrepreneurship616-331-7582


Center for Business Ethics616-331-7199


Family Owned Business Institute 616-331-7200

www.fobi.gvsu.edu

Van Andel Global Trade Center 616-331-6811

www.vagtradecenter.org

SEIDMAN DIRECTORY

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Twin brothers and junior students Jeffreyand Nathan Fujioka hail from LamphereHigh School in Madison Heights,Michigan. Both keep busy, and theiralmost identical schedules make the mostof their educational experience so theycan also give back to the community.Jeffrey and Nathan are members of theHonors College, and both carry a 4.0G.P.A. double majoring in economics andfinance. They are also distance runnerson the Grand Valley cross country andtrack teams. Still, they have found timefor significant community service oppor-tunities by participating in Habitat forHumanity, Lions Club, the InternationalStudent Organization, Circle K, andCancer Awareness and ResistanceEducation (C.A.R.E) Club. They hope tokeep up the pace over the summer byfinding internships that will complementtheir academic experience.

Susana Brooks is a non-traditionalstudent in her senior year at the SeidmanCollege of Business. Born in Lima, Peru,she came to the United States six yearsago after marrying. While Susana wasworking for a company in Peru and Mark

was acting as an importsupervisor for his companyin the U.S., they began arelationship that has lastedwell beyond that initial10-minute phone call overa product shipment. Aftercoming to Michigan andcompleting her first twoyears of college at GrandRapids Community College, Susanatransferred to GVSU to complete herdegree in international business andfinance. She finds that her classes atSeidman are challenging and that she isworking hard to maintain her 4.0 G.P.A.Susana appreciates that there is anabundance of resources available in thiscountry to support education. She hasstarted her own import business,Peruvian Arts and Crafts. She is alsomaking arrangements for a study abroadtrip and hopes to complement hereducation with an internship in China.

Laura Hancock is in the early part of hercollege career, having just finished herfreshman year. She has participated in theAsian Student Union activities andenjoyed the social aspects of her first year.Laura was invited to join the SeidmanCollege of Business as a freshman basedon her high school academic record, her

test scores, and her early interest inbusiness. Even though she is living onthe Allendale campus, her early admis-sion allows her to enroll in some of thebusiness courses on the Pew Campususually reserved for junior and seniorstudents. She looks forward to takingsome of the business core classes fallsemester. Motivated by her earlier experi-ences in travel abroad, she intends topursue a major in international business.

While Lisa Swartzenberger was still ahigh school senior in Dexter, Michigan,she came to Grand Valley State Universityto visit a friend on the Allendale campus.

Seidman Update • SPRING 20054

Undergraduate Passengers

Brothers Jeffrey and Nathan Fujioka

Left to right, Susana Brooks, Laura Hancock,and Lisa Swartzenberger

STUDENT JOURNEYS

It wasn’t long before both she and herparents were convinced that Grand Valleywas the right place for her. As she progressed to the business college in herjunior year, she was especially pleasedwith the faculty and their interaction withthe business students. She feels indebtedto Dr. John Taylor who mentored her andprovided support to her job search.

Lisa is proud that she completed herdegree in just four years with a 3.99 G.P.A.Moreover, she found time to get involvedin community service activities with theCircle K student organization and takespart in the American MarketingAssociation and the Association forOperations Management. She advisesother students who want to graduate ina timely fashion to be efficient in theirscheduling. She suggests that studentscarefully analyze the schedule and evenconsider taking summer classes. Inlooking forward five years, Lisa hopes tobe pursuing graduate studies and on herway up the ladder in a career in logistics.She is ready to see what the world has tooffer. As she prepared to depart GrandValley following her April graduation,she had a couple of interviews lined upand is very confident and optimisticabout her future.

Saly Sok has taken full advantage of thenetworking opportunities that are avail-able at Seidman. She graduated in April.“Based on my own experience,” said Saly,“I would recommend that accounting

majors join Beta Alpha Psi. Through thisfraternity, I was able to visit manyaccounting firms and to expand mynetwork of both accounting students andprofessionals.” Saly has been on thedean’s list for four years and received theRichard H. Giles Award in April.Recipients of this Award are nominatedby faculty for good scholarship, interper-sonal skills, and continued involvementin the business community. Saly cappedoff her bachelor degree program with aninternship at Plante & Moran. Her futuregoals include obtaining her CPA andworking for a public accounting firm.

Jack Dekker’s experience with the cognateand core classes of the business degree hasconfirmed for him that he is on the righttrack. As a result, he has gotten involvedin Seidman activities early in his under-graduate program. He is currently servingas treasurer for the Collegiate EntrepreneurOrganization and has been instrumental,along with Brad Haveman, in initiating theformation of the Real Estate Club. Jackhopes that the Club will be able to expandits activities in the next year and investigateopportunities in real estate investment.Jack is from the Zeeland area and has notfound transition to college life too difficult.After living on the Allendale campus hisfreshman year and just off campus in hissophomore year, he has now settled nearthe downtown campus as he prepares totackle the upper-level business courses.Because his interest is in finance, he plansto secure relevant employment during the

summer months in the banking industry.So far, he has relied heavily on theadvice of Undergraduate StudentServices Coordinator Leigh Brownley, inlaying the framework for his remainingtwo years.

Andrea Gardner’s older brother led theway to Grand Valley, and Andrea wasanxious to follow. Andrea was admitted tothe Seidman College of Business as afreshman. Since both of Andrea’s parentsare accountants and she was exposed to abusiness environment early on, she hasnever doubted that the business degreewould be a good fit for her. When askedif anyone has had a particular impact onher experience, she laughingly says,“Professor Nader, he’s been my rock!”But more seriously she says, “He isalways willing to meet with studentsand provide not only academic but lifeadvice. He’s been a great help to me.”Andrea has had a full schedule while atGrand Valley working as a tutor, partici-pating in mission work, and being partof the Campus Ministries leadershipteam. Andrea knows that college studiescan be difficult for some. Her experienceas a tutor prompts her to send amessage to other students. “Don’t getdown and don’t be afraid to ask forhelp.” She urges students to getinvolved in student organizations and tobegin networking with professors andother students.


Undergraduate Passengers

Left to right: Saly Sok, Jack Dekker, and Andrea Gardner


Meet our GraduateBusiness Students

I t was a dynamic residential real estatemarket in Phoenix that motivatedDerek Aten to apply his finance

degree to residential lending. Three yearslater, he returned to Grand Rapids armedwith experience in residential real estatelending to complement his financedegree. Currently a residential lender forMacatawa Bank, Derek is pursuing theMBA to broaden his knowledge. He hastaken advantage of electives in economicsto enhance his understanding of howfluctuations in the economy affect interestrates, borrowing, funds transfer pricing,etc. Derek expects that the MBA willprepare him for additional opportunitiesin banking and perhaps outside thebanking industry.

Joe Berlin is President and Owner of BLDI,Inc., a civil/environmental engineeringcompany. Having earned a bachelor’sdegree in civil engineering from MichiganState and a master’s degree in civil/

environmental engineering fromMontana State, Joe had the technicalexpertise needed to develop a successfulengineering company that assesses andupgrades property for environmentadequacy and conducts toxic clean-ups.It is the MBA, however, that Joe creditsfor providing him skills that haveenabled his company to survive andprosper in the tough market of the pastfew years. Joe completes his MBAsummer semester but will stay connected,as he is currently conducting researchfor a publication he will co-author witha Seidman faculty member.

Jeff Carter, a physical therapist bytraining, has been involved with healthcare for 24 years. He is currently a siteleader in charge of the Caledonia andHastings branches of RehabilitationProfessionals, the largest outpatientprovider of physical therapy in WestMichigan. Jeff joined the MBA program todevelop business skills that will enablehim to be more effective in the manage-ment realm of his career. He believes thatthe health care industry desperately needsadministrators who have both strong clin-ical and business backgrounds.

Franchising is a great way to learn aboutbusiness, according to MBA student DanHermen. At least in the beginning, a fran-chise requires that you perform just aboutevery business function, from accountingand marketing to delivering the product.As a product manager for a confectionarymanufacturing equipment company inChicago, Dan became acquainted withRocky Mountain Chocolate Factory andimmediately developed a taste for thesewonderful chocolates — and caramelapples of all varieties. As graduates ofCalvin College, Dan and his wife wereinterested in returning to Grand Rapids,and Dan was confident that Grand Rapidswould also have a taste for RockyMountain Chocolates. He was right!

Genevieve Ingram was recently admittedto the MSA program and plans to pursuea new career in public accounting.Currently a computer engineer atProductivity Point, Genevieve sees thetwo fields as similar with respect to themethodical and analytical nature of both.Yet, she feels that accounting builds onitself, whereas IT is prone to majorchanges that require constant attention ofprofessionals in the field. Genevieve

Graduate Passengers

Left to right: Derek Aten; Client Guy Bazzani and JoeBerlin; Jeff Carter with rehab patient

7

earned her undergraduate degree at theUniversity of Michigan and has worked inthe field of IT for seven years.

Max Quero-Florit came to the UnitedStates from Argentina for his undergrad-uate studies in engineering in 1996.While a student at Kettering University,he began working for Steelcase, Inc.where today he is an operations engineer.His field is process design, improvement,and implementation, and he establishesand maintains flow from “coil to carton.”His focus is on maximizing value-addedtasks and minimizing or eliminatingnon-value-added tasks. Max enjoys thetechnical dimension of his position butfinds his engineering background to belimiting. He expects that the MBA willbroaden his professional horizons.

As a full-time student for the past fewyears, Nick Reister has spent somesemesters at the Seidman College pur-suing his MBA degree and others atMichigan State University pursuing hisJD. An agreement between MSU Collegeof Law and GVSU will enable Nick to

transfer twelve credits from each programto the other. Nick earned a BA in Businessat Hope College and worked for theMichigan Department of Labor andEconomic Growth before returning tograduate school. He believes that the dualJD/MBA degree will make him a well-rounded attorney. He plans to practicelaw in some capacity when he graduatesin December, and he also plans to pursueother business opportunities in the future.

Rob Tennant acknowledges that his loveof both art and mathematics places him ina relatively small peer group, but hepoints out that he’s in good company withfolks like Leonardo da Vinci. He earned abachelor’s degree in fine arts with a mathminor and will complete a master’s degreein accounting this summer. Then he’s offto Michigan State University for a Ph.D.in accounting where he will receive theMarlys and Jack Gray Scholarship, givenby the Department of Accounting andInformation Systems to the top studentoffered admission in the accounting doc-toral program. The Gray Scholarship is aone-time award of $3,500 granted to the

student who has the best scholarly recordand promise of superior performance inthe program.

Rob is looking forward to utilizing hismath skills for serious research. In fact,he reads professional accounting journalsfor fun. Prior to joining Seidman, Robwas a stay-at-home dad with his twoyoung children, which he says is thevery best job.

Following completion of her AccountingBBA at the Seidman College, RachaelVanEnk accepted a position as a taxassociate with Deloitte & Touche. Twoyears later with her focus on tax con-sulting and compliance, Rachael beganworking toward an MST degree. Now asenior tax consultant with Deloitte,Rachael is the primary client contact for agroup of seven tax associates. Her role istraining and mentoring her staff anddeveloping client relationships for avariety of clients, including SCorporations, C Corporations, partner-ships, and individuals.

Left to right: Dan Herman, MaxQuero-Florit, and Nick Reister

Left to right:GenevieveIngram, RobTennant, andRachaelVanEnk



Faculty Engineers

SEIDMAN faculty members are recognized for many teaching styles and motiva-tional techniques. Tom Wolterink teaches Introduction to Business — a coursethat can serve as a catalyst for students’ continuing interest in business. Professor

Wolterink’s teaching assignment also includes the capstone course in the final leg of thestudents’ program. In both courses, he is a charismatic instructor who incorporates

diverse ways to encourage students. It may be his philosophy as much as hisinteractive teaching methods that has such an impact on students. Students

indicate that he adds humor to his lectures and makes them feel that theirideas are important. Theyreally enjoy themselves whilethey are learning.

Tom’s approach toteaching is similar to that of a

mentor’s role in business. Hebelieves in creating an environment

where an active and open exchange ofideas can take place. He also reveals avulnerability that encourages students toexamine and perhaps be more accepting oftheir own vulnerabilities. Finally, heenables his students and encourages themto take charge and implement an idea or aplan. With a significant background inbusiness and industry, he is able toincorporate examples from his ownexperiences to help students enrichtheir overall perspective on life insideand outside the classroom.

F aculty who enjoy what they’re doing are contagious. Paul Isely often has a line ofstudents outside his door — students who want to better understand the conceptsthat their professor is teaching in class. Isley’s “Business Cycles and Growth”

course turns the students into decision-makers as they consider economic strategies foran assigned country. The class is divided into countries, and individual team membersassume the role of a particular branch of the government and develop monetary andfiscal policy as their professor imposes a variety of obstacles that may alter their well-planned strategy. The obstacle might be an oil price shock or a drop in consumerconfidence. Students are challenged to adjust their strategies and create policy that willhave the most favorable impact on their country. They also have the opportunity to seehow the policies of one country impact the economic condition of other countries.While these activities are conducted via computer simulation in class, students arefurther challenged in their assignments as they diagram and analyze the day’s decisions.

Streamlining


Susan Edwards spent 15 years in the automotive industry working for GeneralMotors before pursuing a teaching career. It is her goal to make sure that studentsgo beyond learning the material and understand how to apply it. She checks and

rechecks their understanding until she is confident they have moved away frommemorization of formulas and understand the concept on which those formulas arebased. Edwards often uses case studies to turn the students into teachers. Not only dothey have to take charge of the information in the assignments, they also get practice inanalyzing and communicating financial data. She puts students to the test on spreadsheetskills and their ability to use web tools to make calculations and financial decisionsregarding the time value of money, loans, and mortgages. Professor Edwards modelscontinuous improvement by participating in activities with the Pew FacultyTeaching and Learning Center.

Many people can look back in their life and identify a person who was instrumentalin guiding or encouraging them to stay a particular course or pursue a specificgoal. For Professor Rita Grant, that person was an advisor at Michigan State

University when she was pursuing her graduate studies. Grant feels that the best thingshe can do to thank that advisor is to pass on that same kind of guidance to the manystudents who find their way to her office. Students find that Professor Grant goesbeyond advising about accounting classes. She takes into account the individual’s person-ality, interests, and skills while helping them find direction.

Grant’s guidance and advice extends to leading student groups in the study abroadprogram. She has found that living in a dorm environment with students reduces someof the barriers that typically exist between faculty and students and encourages an opendialogue. Grant, along with Professors Marinus DeBruine and Denise de la Rosa, hasalso implemented a feature in the accounting courses that requires students to write acareer-planning paper. This activity requires them to identify their goals five years downthe road along with an action plan. It includes developing a resume and identifying theclasses they need and the organizations they should join. Often this assignment leads tofurther inquiries and exploration which faculty members are able to support.

A few years ago, Professor Mike Cotter noticed that something was missing in themarketing curriculum and decided to do something about it. He developed hisMarketing Negotiations (MKT 353) course to help Seidman marketing students

develop their negotiation and interpersonal skills in situations that involve pricing,products, distribution, promotion, and packaging. Throughout the semester, studentsand professor examine specific negotiation strategies, tactics, and pitfalls. To enhancethe class, Cotter has developed a variety of negotiation scenarios in which students arepaired off and required to role play as either the buyer or the seller in a high-charged,often controversial exchange. Their objective is “to make the deal” based on giveninformation and within a specified period of time. The experience is often one of self-realization, requiring students to examine their own strengths, reactions, and skill-levelas they emerge from the negotiation. Cotter’s objective is to help each student, regardlessof initial skill level, walk out of the class at the end of the semester better prepared torecognize and handle the negotiation challenges of a real business situation.

Educational Experiences


G regg Dimkoff isnearing completionof a textbook tenta-

tively titled Modern Riskand Insurance. After manyyears of developing andproviding material to hisstudents to supplementtextbooks used in class, hedecided that it was time towrite one in his own style.

By incorporating hundreds of real-life examples and fascinatingand humorous stories throughout the book, insurance topicscome alive, enhancing both learning and understanding. Infurther contrast to other insurance textbooks, Dimkoff’s bookcontains considerably more student learning aids, such as a self-test, end-of-chapter, and Internet-use questions. He expects tocomplete the book by the end of this summer for potentialinstructor adoption in 2006.

Dimkoff is also developing a test bank, for which he hasstructured more than 1400 questions, and an instructor’smanual. Because authors seldom write these ancillaries, a majorattraction of the book will be the continuity between the book,test bank, and instructor’s manual. Dimkoff is no stranger to thetopic. He has a Ph.D. in finance and is a Chartered LifeUnderwriter and Certified Financial Planner. He has taughtinsurance for GVSU since 1976.

V isiting Faculty member,Gerald Mount hasrecently co-authored a

new book which will be pub-lished by Lawrence ErlbaumAssociates in 2005. The book,Linking Emotional Intelligenceand Performance at Work, willbe introduced at the AnnualSociety of IndustrialPsychologists Conference andwill be featured at the 2005Annual Academy of Management Conference. EmotionalIntelligence has been defined as the capacity for recognizing ourown feelings and those of others, for motivating ourselves, andfor managing emotions in ourselves and in our relationships.The publication, intended for researchers, “presents a strongcase for a link between Emotional Intelligence and effectivework performance with an emphasis on the value of examiningEI from multiple vantage points and perspectives,” accordingto Mount.

I n a departure from the usual academic writing format, Dr.Hari Singh has ventured into the growing genre of “academicfiction” by writing Framed! Investigating Clues for Smart

Choices. There is a distinct advantage, according to Dr. Singh, inpresenting educational concepts in a story format. If the contextis intriguing, continuous, and memorable, the application willstick in the reader’s mind. The author does not have to rebuild anew context for a different application. The genre makes a com-plicated topic more accessible to a broader audience. This type ofbook is generally a supplementto a more traditional textbook.

In Framed!, recent criticalinsights about decision-makingfrom the technical literature inpsychology, economics, andmanagement disciplines arewrapped into a murdermystery. The book focuses onthe strategy of framing choicesin an uncertain environment.The title “Framed!” has a dualmeaning and purpose.Learning how to “frame” orconceptualize an issue is a major focus of the book. As themystery unfolds, the murderer is eventually framed! The majorinnovation of the book is the integration of the decision-makingconcepts in the plot of the murder mystery. These conceptsbecome necessary ingredients to solve the crime. The bookblends useful education with intriguing entertainment.

Dr. Singh structured the plotaround seven major concepts in a waythat triggered minor “epiphanies.”The reader observes the fictionalinvestigators using the insights of themantras to solve the mystery.

“This project has been rewardingin a different way,” offers Singh. “Foran academic accustomed to cut anddried sentences, this type of writingoffers an interesting challenge to thecreative part of the brain.”

Faculty on the “Write” Track

The Taiwanese government invited100 Americans to observe theirrecent election, and Dixie

Anderson was honored to be among thatgroup. As Executive Director of theWorld Affairs Council of West Michigan,Dixie has served on the World AffairsCouncil National Board and regularlyspeaks to other councils about thesuccessful West Michigan Councilprograms, such as the Great Decisions

series. For its activities and innovation, the West Michigancouncil was recently recognized by the parent organization as theBest Small Council. Following a significant career in freelancepublic relations and copy writing, Dixie joined WACWM in 1991on a part-time basis, increased to full time in 1995, and hasquadrupled the membership in the last 10 years. Managing a 6-figure budget, she recalls when the Council operated out of pettycash. Dixie earned her MBA in 1978, one of the first women inthe Seidman MBA program.

Helping Hands of America is anelder care company that provides avariety of non-medical services forelderly people in North Carolina.Gavin Densmore left his position asan account executive with SAP topursue his interest in this nichemarket. The business accommodatesclients up to twenty-four hours a dayin areas such as companionship, transportation, personal care,and light housekeeping. Asked how the elder care industrycaptured the interest of a software distributor, Gavin notes that atthe end of the day, it makes a difference in peoples’ lives. As thepopulation ages, the business of elder care is also increasinglylucrative, and Gavin plans to franchise his business in 2006 inseveral southern states and eventually beyond. Helping Hands ofAmerican can be found at www.hhamerica.com.

Few alumni have such diverseprofessional backgrounds asCeasar Douglas, who wasrecently tenured and pro-moted to Associate Professorof Management at FloridaState University. Ceasar beganhis career in professional foot-ball where he played for bothEdmonton, Canada and the

San Francisco 49ers. After a brief stint with the Chicago Bearsand resultant knee injuries, Ceasar worked in production andplant management for several companies, including HermanMiller, Hexcel Chemical, Sun Chemical, and Clorox. He joinedthe MBA program at Seidman and graduated in 1991, going on toMississippi State University and earning a Ph.D. in1997. Seidmanwas pleased to have Ceasar return to his alma mater as assistantprofessor for four years, but the sunshine state enticed him awayin 2001 when he was offered a position with FSU.

Len VanPopering credits his classroomand extra-curricular experiences atSeidman and GVSU for preparing him forthe success he realized in the MBAprogram at the University of NorthCarolina and in his position with RussellCorp. He recalls his days as GVSUStudent Senate President as he reflects onhis current responsibilities as Director ofStrategic Planning for Russell Corp.where he helps design business models that accelerate profitablegrowth and reinforce brands. Len is responsible for integratingacquired businesses for long-range planning, and for growthstrategies for all divisions of Russell. This includes business-to-business, mass retail, sporting goods, athletic dealers, andprofessional and collegiate teams for 15 brands including RussellAthletic, Spalding, and Brooks. He is particularly proud that GV’sfootball team won two national championships in RussellAthletic uniforms.

When Randy Tomaszewski talks aboutthe high-tech medical supplies thatSkytron produces and sells around theworld, it sounds like Star Wars.Skytron provides packages of clinicaltools that meet comprehensivemedical/surgical needs. Operatingroom lighting products include lip-stick-sized cameras for distance trainingand consulting. Voice-activated tables

position patients appropriately, and touch-screens bring elec-tronic images to operating rooms directly from storage and fromanyplace in the world. Skytron even has a system for harnessingozone for sterilizing heat sensitive equipment without heat.With 9 years experience at Spectrum as a nurse, Randy has aunique clinical perspective as Vice President of Marketing. Hehas worked for the international medical supplies companysince completing his M.B.A in 1994.

Brownsville, Texas was home for theVillarreal family, and every harvestingseason brought Kenia Villarreal, herthree brothers, and parents to WestMichigan where they worked asmigrant farmers. Kenia spent her firstyear of college in Texas, but a schol-arship brought her to Grand Valley asa sophomore. Since graduating with adegree in finance and internationalbusiness in 2003, she has worked as acredit analyst at Standard Federal Bank. Kenia plans to build hercareer in banking and will begin working toward a graduatedegree soon. Kenia’s brother Dante is also a Seidman graduate. Heearned a BBA and MBA and works as a business advisor for theSmall Business and Technology Development Center at GVSU.


Past Passengers... Alumni Role Models

More than a century ago, strict segregation restricted blacks fromshopping and conducting business. This motivated some indus-trious black professionals to set up their own business districts.

These businesses became successful and formed a “Black Wall Street.”One Black Wall Street flourished for a time in Tulsa, Oklahoma until raceriots destroyed the district. Another enjoyed success in Durham, NorthCarolina. Two business leaders representing thriving businesses inDurham, North Carolina from the early 1900s joined the SeidmanCollege of Business to celebrate Black History Month.

James Speed, who heads the 106-year-old North Carolina Mutual LifeInsurance Company as President and CEO, reflected on the growth of thecompany which began with a $300 investment and now does $200 millionof business each year. While the company continues to be viable, Speedrecognizes that it needs to change its focus on “need” to a focus on“marketing opportunity.” Strategies will include differentiation, financial,branding, human resources, customer/market focus, and acquisitions.

Experiencing

“Black Wall Street”Function Junction


All will come into play as the company seeks to conduct businessin nearly every state in the country, a clear departure from its earlybusiness quest.

“If diversity is good enough for everyone else, it’s good enough for us,”offers Speed, reflecting his desire to further expand the market into non-African American communities.

Mechanics and Farmer’s Bank holds similar traditions, as was sharedwith students, faculty, and the business community by Harold Sellars,Senior Vice President. While the bank will continue to serve “those whohistorically have been underserved,” it has broadened its service area andcommitment to all. M&F’s Bank can boast that it has never had a losing yearin its 98-year history but realizes that it must become more mainstream-focused, building on brand awareness in all markets, in order to survive.

Both speakers provided faculty, students, and community membersinsights on running companies with rich histories that recognize the need toadapt to serve future markets.

Wall Street”



Function Junction

Kellogg Executive Featured at Alumni Association Breakfast

T ony the Tiger might have been amore colorful guest, but JeffreyMontie kept the attention of the

Seidman Alumni Association audience ashe outlined the four strategic principlesthat Kellogg Company employed toreverse course following five years ofdeclining market share. The ExecutiveVice President, Kellogg Company, andPresident, Kellogg North America sharedhow Kellogg responded when it lost itslong-held first-place position in thecereal market

Returning in 1999 from his corporateresponsibilities in Europe, Montie viewedthe five-year decline of the late ’90s as anopportunity. His goal was to get the rightpeople in key positions and to geteveryone believing once again in Kellogg’sability to regain its market position.Working with the great people at Kellogg,he put together a strong team and devel-oped the principles that guided Kellogg’sreturn to the top spot.

Tough advertising decisions resultedfrom the first strategic principle, priori-tizing to win. The focus changed to heavyadvertising of some brands rather thansome advertising of many brands. Next, adrive from volume to value shiftedspending to higher-return brands.Quality growth is the third principle,marked by emphasis on promotion andinnovation rather than discounting.Executional excellence rounds out theprinciples, highlighted by the develop-ment of Kellogg’s own sales force toreplace brokers.

The downward trend in sharereversed following 1999. Montie stressedthat the past five years have seen hard-wonconsecutive market share increases.Kellogg regained its first-place position in2002. As Tony says, Kellogg is grrrrrrreat!!

(Above) Speaker JeffMontie is greeted byPresident Mark Murray andBoard of Trustees member,Dorothy Johnson.

(Right) Dean H. JamesWilliams and Jeff Montie


Function Junction

G eorgeHeartwellhas long

been recognizedas a friend toboth business andthe poor, so hisgoal for GrandRapids to becomea sustainable

enterprise with focus on the triple bottomline of economic, social, and environ-mental well-being is no surprise. MayorHeartwell shared his vision for the city

with Seidman friends at an AlumniBreakfast program in February.

The Mayor applauded Seidman andGrand Valley for partnerships with thecity, noting that faculty engagement in thecommunity is important and significant.He also noted that, despite the entrepre-neurial spirit and work ethic in thecommunity, Grand Rapids is experiencingsevere economic woes resulting frompressure on income tax and stateshared revenues.

Heartwell is not letting the economyget him down, though. He is focusing on

sustainability, which he says is aboutmoving forward together and “acting as ifthe future matters.” He noted that whatholds some of us back holds all of us backand observes that a just and equitablesociety is a sustainable society. MayorHeartwell reiterated his zero tolerance forracism and promised a safe context foraddressing the issue, noting that talkingwith each other leads to changed heartsand equitable conditions.

Outlining various sustainabilityinitiatives, which the Mayor refers to asour contract with future generations, heconcluded by noting that Grand Rapidsis a remarkable place to live and workwhere a core set of values and competen-cies will see us through the presentchallenges and make us stronger. Futuregenerations will recall, he states, that wenever lost our passion for creating agood society, and that we left a citybetter than the one we inherited.

T he final alumni breakfast programof the 2004–05 series featuredDaniel Griswold, Director of the

Cato Institute’s Center for Trade PolicyStudies. Outsourcing was the topic, andGriswold’s comments were premised onthe position that trade is good: it is amatter of personal liberty to shop andspend money how we like; and tradebenefits the consumer in the form ofmore choice, lower prices, and higherquality. Griswold referred to trade as themarket’s antitrust policy.

Griswold noted that while individualsare hurt by outsourcing because of jobloss, in fact, for every job lost, there aremore jobs gained because of cheaper rawmaterials and machinery. Griswold alsopointed out that outsourcing is notrestricted to overseas. In fact, tradeaccounts for only about 3% of lost jobs.Outsourcing occurs within companies

when services are replaced by technology.Technology has a disruptive aspect butalso raises our productivity and quality oflife, and Griswold challenges the U.S. tofocus on retraining workers rather thanattempting to stop change.

Outsourcing also occurs close tohome when companies outsource suchservices as janitorial and legal to otherarea companies, and outsourcing manu-facturing to other states has occurredsignificantly in Michigan. Trade andprosperity are a package deal, Griswoldcontends; outsourcing results in cheaperraw materials for companies andincreases their productivity.

Finally, trade is about more than jobsand GDP, Griswold contended. It is aboutreshaping the world in a positive way. Ithas cut global poverty and raised livingstandards. Trade is a foreign policy tooland encourages human rights.

Outsourcing Tracked at Breakfast Program

Grand Rapids Mayor Addresses Alumni

15

Barry CastroThis Award acknowledgesProfessor Castro’sdedication to the causeof ethics, liberal studies,student writing andlearning, and communityservice including theestablishment of theCenter for BusinessEthics at Seidman.


2005 OUTSTANDING STUDENTS

SEIDMAN SERVICE AWARD

Undergraduate – Thomas M. HakimGraduate – Joe Berlin

DELTA SIGMA PI KEY

Jennifer L. Ouellette

WALL STREET JOURNAL AWARD

Aaron L. Dawkins

APICS SCHOLARSHIPS

Michael StewartNathan Grzybowski

David Johnson

STEELCASE DIVERSITY SCHOLARSHIP

David CurleyNatalie JosephAlisha Kelley

BOMA SCHOLARSHIP

Albert Joel Robison

OUTSTANDING STUDENTS

Accounting – Danielle BronkemaBusiness Economics – Meredith VanoverEconomics – Andrew J. VanBronkhorst

Finance – Thomas M. HakimGeneral Business – Matthew S. KallmanInternational Business – Ashley Emaus

Management – Brandon HirthMarketing – Emily Smith

MBA – Mark MichmerhuizenMSA – Liu Liu

MST – Joel Mitchell

FACULTY AWARD OF RECOGNITION

Function Junction

GLENN A. NIEMEYERGRADUATE STUDENTAWARD RECIPIENT

Mark Michmerhuizen

Glenn Niemeyer served as Provostof GVSU for many years and waswidely recognized for his characterand integrity, commitment toacademic excellence, and serviceto the GV and broader communities.Mark Michmerhuizen epitomizesthe characteristics for whichGlenn Niemeyer is remembered.Mark completed his MBA in April.Prior to his graduate businessstudies, he earned a B.S. inEngineering and an M.S. inElectrical Engineering from CalvinCollege and the University ofMichigan, respectively. He was amember of the Seidman Collegeinaugural Graduate StudentAdvisory Board, serves on theEngineering Advisory Board ofCalvin College, and is an activevolunteer in his church and community. A husband and thefather of three, Mark is employedwith JCI as Chief Engineer forRear Seat Entertainment andInformation Products.

First ClassPassengers


Function Junction

BETA GAMMA SIGMA INDUCTEES

JUNIORS

Julie Achterhof, Ryan Bryker, Alison Colburn, Michelle Meyer, Gary Micka, Stephanie Misner, Mackenzie O’Grady, Steve Osterink, Meghan Palmer, Beth Rye,

Ehren Schuttringer, Stacey Seaman, Brent M. Shirey, Travis Smith

SENIORS

Jennifer Anderson, Adam Bradley, Aaron Dawkins, Andrea Gardner, DariaGodetskaya, Linda Henders, Scott Hunt, Garrett Jonker-Slayton, Stacey Knevitt,

Jonathan Lohr, Nicole Mason, Thomas Ransome, Nicholas Risko, Melissa Skrobot,Emily Smith, Jamie VanDommelen, Sara VanEerden

GRADUATES

Leigh Brownley, Jody Diehl, Thomas Doman, Liu Liu, Dara Marshall

FACULTY

John Reifel

BETA GAMMA SIGMA STUDENT MEMBERS

Corey Bascom, Harvey Bauss, Christa Bonner, Cameo Castle, Kimberly Doane,Lindsey Frawley, Brittany Grooters, John Kose, Jodi Lamer, Kellen Lynch, Kristen

Noffke, Jennifer Ouellette, Erin Pedersen, Lorraine Pickett, Stephanie Secord,Sarah Van Elderen, Jacqueline Walker, Jenny Welmerink, Jared Wheat

2005 ALUMNI AWARD RECIPIENTS

James Gillette, B.S., 1969, M.B.A., 1982Graduated with MBA in 1982, “With Distinction”

Concentration in FinanceDelta Mu DeltaPhi Kappa Phi

H.B. Shane awardJames Gillette is the Director of Supplier Analysis, CSM Worldwide. He worksextensively with the financial community in advising roles and serves on areacorporate boards. He is a part-time adjunct faculty member for Seidman, teachingat both the undergraduate and graduate levels.

Victor Shepherd, Jr., B.B.A.,1980Victor Shepherd is Chairman and C.E.O. of the Iserv Company in Grand Rapids.Under his leadership since 2001, the company’s base has grown to include morethan 50,000 local and international customers. He has successfully completedeight competitive ISP acquisitions, exceeded profitability goals, and is investing inother technology-related companies through the newly formed Iserv TechnologyGroup. He has a strong record of turning around companies with flat and/ordeclining revenue growth, substantial operating losses, and a disproportionalreliance on hardware revenue. His efforts have enabled companies to re-establishtechnological and market leadership. Mr. Shepherd serves on the Grand ValleyState University Foundation Board of Trustees.


The Information Systems Audit andControl Association in Las Vegas isacknowledging Dr. David Cannon forextraordinary achievement. Cannon hasthe distinction of earning the highestscore on the 2004 CISA examination inNorth America, and the second highestin the world. Worldwide, more than14,000 candidates registered for the 2004CISA exam sponsored by ISACA, theglobal leader in information governance, security, and assurance.This examination is offered in 11 languages and at more than 200locations. Cannon also hosted the IRS Fraud Conference forStudents held at the downtown campus in March.

Dave Good, Professor of Marketing,received two prestigious awards at theGrand Valley Spring Awards Banquet.Dr. Good was awarded the Glenn A.Niemeyer Outstanding Faculty Award.He was nominated for this award basedon outstanding student evaluations, hisinnovative teaching methods in sales andmarketing, and his continuing involve-ment in curriculum development.Good was the driving force behind the

development of the new sales emphasis within the department’smarketing major.

Dr. Good also received the Pew Teaching Excellence Awardgiven by the Pew Faculty Teaching and Learning Center. Faculty,students, alumni, and academic units nominate individualswho have demonstrated qualities of an outstanding teacher.The Center establishes criteria for the award that includeinnovation, flexibility, and stimulation of intellectual curiosityin students. The Pew Center was founded to serve as aresource for faculty development.

Professor Gregg Dimkoff recentlypassed the Certified Financial Plannerexam. The ten-hour exam is giventhree times a year over a two-dayperiod by the Certified FinancialBoard of Standards. The exam,designed to test an individual’s abilityto integrate knowledge from all of theCFP Board’s specified topic areas, isstructured so that each individualquestion draws from several of these designated topics. Thisdistinction is especially noteworthy given recent pass ratesthat range between 55 and 63%.

Dimkoff, long recognized by local media as an expert in thearea of finance, has developed a Financial Planning CertificateProgram offered through the Seidman College of Business. Thisprogram has been designated as a CFP Board-registered educationprogram and serves as a preparation course for the exam. To beeligible for certification, an applicant must complete educationrequirements set by the Board, pass the exam, meet work experi-ence requirements, and pass board scrutiny regarding standardsfor ethics and professional responsibility.

Sonja Dalmia has been named the 2005recipient of the Barbara Jordan Award forher academic work and communityinvolvement in gender and economicissues. The award is given by theGrand Valley State University Women’sCommission. As a professor, Dalmiastrives to provide the connectionbetween theory, method, and empiricalobservation by involving students ingathering and analyzing research data ona designated gender issue. Students are encouraged to exploretheir own biases and assumptions and to develop their knowledge,skills, and strategies for participation in the real world. Dr.Dalmia has received national attention for her student-directed research.

Dalmia further shares her expertise in economics withparticipants of the Grand Rapids Organization for Women(GROW), as she teaches business owners how basic economicindicators are relevant to their business and how they can learnfrom the movement of these indicators. Dalmia is also an activeparticipant of the West Michigan Women’s Studies Council.

CelebratingFacultyAchievement

O ccasionally we need to rememberthat things are not always as theyappear. With this in mind, the

recent IRS Fraud Conference held on theGrand Valley downtown campus is a goodexample of why students need to do somein-depth research when laying the ground-work for their career.

What would you think of if you wereto consider a job with the Internal RevenueService? Most people would picturespending late hours delving into the taxcode and an abundance of tax formsscattered on a desk. Students found outthat a career with the IRS could offer anentirely different picture when theyattended the half-day conference focusedon forensic accounting and criminal inves-tigation. IRS Special Agent and PublicInformation Officer Steve Moore developedthe event as a recruiting tool offering somevery “real-world” exposure to the life of anIRS “cop.” The event, coordinated bySeidman faculty member Dr. DavidCannon was co-sponsored by the SeidmanCollege of Business Accounting andTaxation Department, Beta Alpha Psi, andthe Michigan Association of CertifiedPublic Accountants.

On the evening prior to the event,Agent Moore prepped the students as tohow the conference would play out. Each

student would have the opportunity tobecome an IRS Special Agent for the day.After being divided into groups, studentswould be presented with one of eighthypothetical investigations. Their objec-tive, under the guidance of an IRS coach,was to “follow the money” and exposethe fraud. These scenarios included abusiness owner skimming funds from hiscompany, another keeping two sets ofbooks, a multi-filer tax scheme, and evena drug trafficker.

On the day of the event, twentyspecial agents and supervisors descendedupon the downtown campus completewith surveillance equipment and props toset up the interactive scenarios. Agents andstudents got right to work going over thedetails of the designated criminal activityand mapping out their strategy for usingsurveillance, subpoena, and search war-rants to solve the case. It was up to thestudents to find evidence and use theirjudgment and analytical skills to determinewhether the role players were actuallytelling the truth or deliberately trying tomislead them during their investigation.

In one scenario, Professor Cannonhad the dubious honor of playing the roleof criminal when he was “busted” forselling an ounce of cocaine. Studentswere able to listen in the next room ontwo-way radios while a special agentwearing a wire made the buy, arrested Dr.Cannon, and led him away in handcuffs.Leading up to this event, under the guid-ance of their special agent coach, studentswere expected to uncover evidence thatwould support the arrest.

In another corner of the DeVosCenter, student Andrew Lieto was beingfitted with a wire as he and his student“wife,” prepared to go under cover. Theyposed as interested buyers of a local barand set up a meeting with the owner withthe intent of exposing a second set ofbooks. While surveillance cameras set upin the University Club “bar” captured thedetails of the conversation, other studentswere able to watch the events unfold liveon the big screen TV in the DeVos Centerstudent lounge.

The 35 accounting and criminaljustice majors who participated willreceive a free student membership in theMichigan Association of Certified PublicAccountants. According to Agent Moore,this program was developed in the Stateof Michigan. Because of its success inMichigan, it will be offered throughoutthe country in the next academic year.


Train RobberyIRSFraud Conference

Product Test


S treamlining innovation is competitive advantage. One area that is receivingglobal attention is the Fuzzy Front End, or, how to get creative ideas into theproduct development stream. The Fuzzy Front End begins with organizational

need or inspiration and ends with a feasible and useful product concept suitablefor the product development phases. The collaboration between Seidman Collegeof Business and the Padnos College of Engineering and Computing, along with thecontributions of practitioners at Herman Miller, has led to the development of anew model for this process. While this appoach has more stages than the traditionalmodel, the time-to-dollars is shorter and more defined.

The model is an innovation itself and was presented at the National CollegiateInnovators and Inventors Alliance Conference in San Diego. There was

excitement from many universities and organizations from around theworld. Developed in practice and in the business and engineering

interdisciplinary courses, the model offered hope to othersstruggling with the new product process. It is one more

example where the ability of GVSU to collaborate acrossthe campus and in the community can lead to

unique improvements for the greater community.

Innovation Station

Innovation

Traditional Model


New Model for the Fuzzy Front EndProduct Development for the 21st Century

Revised Model

Application

Inte

grat

ion


Tracking its Progress…Michigan SmallBusiness & Technology Development Center

The Michigan Small Business & Technology Development CenterSM (MI-SBTDCSM), a statewide networkproviding services for emerging and growing small businesses, has grown tremendously since its affiliationwith Grand Valley State University began nearly ten years ago. The MI-SBTDC is part of a national networkof Small Business Development Centers committed to the launch of new ventures and growth of existingsmall companies. The MI-SBTDC is a partner program of the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA),providing technical assistance, market research, and one-on-one counseling to small companies.

2003–2005

1991

1996

1997

1998

2001

In 1991, EXCEL (EXCELlence in Entrepreneurship), a non-profit program developed by the Office of Women Business Ownershipof the U.S. Small Business Administration, in partnership with the Alliance of Women Entrepreneurs, was launched to providetraining and counseling for women-owned small businesses. This program moved to Grand Valley State University at the end of1995. At that juncture, Wayne State University, the State Headquarters of the MI-SBDC, approached GVSU to “evolve” EXCELinto a Regional MI-SBDC office to serve Kent, Ottawa, and Muskegon Counties. GVSU was honored to assume this leadership.

Carol Lopucki was named director of the Region 7 SmallBusiness Development Center, serving Kent, Ottawa, andMuskegon Counties.

The Region 7 Small Business Development Centerwas honored as “Outstanding MI-SBDC” for theState of Michigan.

The Region 7 MI-SBDC collaborated with the Chamber ofCommerce, the Hispanic Center of West Michigan, andthe Urban League to create the Kent Area MicroBusinessLoan Service in partnership with the Federal DepositInsurance Corporation, the Federal Reserve, serviceorganizations, and local business representatives. Thismodel program was designed to extend financing to smallbusinesses that do not qualify for bank loans.

In 2001, Grand Valley State University’s Seidman School of Business, now College of Business, was named the newMichigan Small Development Center State Headquarters by the SBA. The move from Wayne State University marked thefirst time a federal program had placed its state headquarters in West Michigan. As host of the state headquarters, theSeidman School of Business at GVSU was charged with establishing, managing and overseeing the MI-SBDC network of 12regional offices and more than 30 satellite centers throughout Michigan, serving all 83 counties. The immediate focus was tostrengthen the regional center infrastructure, develop new partnerships, and achieve designation statewide as a Small Business& Technology Development Center. In 2001, a partnership with Compaq and Microsoft allowed the MI-SBDC to develop ten BizResource Centers, mirrors of the three existing Business Information Centers in Michigan. These 13 centers provide newly formedentrepreneurial companies with all of the business startup information needed for a successful launch. The MI-SBDC was alsosuccessful in the formation of a strong two-year partnership with the Michigan Economic Development Corporation tosupport the growth of technology-based companies.

In 2003, the MI-SBDC became the second state to earn accreditation as a Small Business & Technology Development Center(MI-SBTDC). In addition to serving Michigan’s “Main Street USA,” this translates to a major role in growing Michigan’s technologybusiness base. The Association of Small Business Development Centers (AMI-SBDC) re-accredited MI-SBDC’s operation inOctober 2002. As part of the accreditation process, the MI-SBDC earned the SBTDC designation, a title that until then had beenheld solely by North Carolina.

The MI-SBTDC offers services to benefit technology-based companies, including information technology, life sciences,advanced manufacturing and innovators. Those companies have access to technology business consultants, whose roleincludes serving the primary needs of technology-based businesses in the areas of intellectual property, company managementstructure, and access to sources of capital. One of the key goals of MI-SBTDC is to help small businesses develop andcommercialize pioneering technologies.

The MI-SBTDC continues to enhance its economic impact on an annual basis. In 2004 the MI-SBTDC served 10,274 businessesand provided 56,809 hours of one-to-one counsel. There are currently 20 Biz Resource Centers strategically positioned aroundthe state with an additional four slated to open in 2005. The partnerships continue to grow…the program continues to flourish.The MI-SBTDC is on the right track.

Depot Connection

International Stop

I nternational travel and study are often thehighlight of student experiences atSeidman. More often than not, exposure to

other cultures and academic and businessenvironments are life-changing. The “SeidmanTest-Drive” not-for-credit, one-week trip toGrenoble, France during spring break allowedstudents to get an international “jump-start.”Graduate students may also complete a 3-credit course in two weeks at theUniversity of Grenoble in May each year.

For more information on foreign study opportunities, contact:

Alexandra SchmidSpecial Programs CoordinatorSeidman College of BusinessGrand Valley State [email protected]

23

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For information on specific programs, contact: Claudia Bajema, Director,Graduate Business Programs616.331.7400 [email protected] www.grMBA.com

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Seidman Update: Spring 2005

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