Terry College of Business - Fall 2008 - (Page 62) alumni connections Young alumni board links recent graduates to terry Jill Walton (BSA ’99, MPA ’03), Director of Alumni Relations Every year, the Terry College proudly sends its graduates out to excel in the business world. But at the same time our alumni are leaving UGa, we’re also working to develop new and better ways for them to stay connected with their roots here at the terry college. With that in mind, we’ve launched the young alumni Board, a 56-member committee representing each of the last 12 graduating classes that meets twice a year. their mission is to re-engage their peers with the college, support terry undergrads, help us raise money, and expand our leadership and networking opportunities. “younger alums may have had outlets to stay in touch with their college cliques, but there wasn’t a formal outlet for them to stay connected to the college,” says yaB chair jay O’meara. “We see this as an opportunity for the masses to stay involved and get engaged.” yaB hosted an august gathering at the Piedmont Driving club in atlanta, where Sonny Seiler (BBA ’56, JD ’57) treated an overflow crowd to personal reflections on the death of Uga vi and the impending debut of Uga vii (see photo below). yaB is also in the process of piloting regional alumni networks in new york city and charlotte. yaB surpassed its $25,000 fundraising goal for last spring’s alumni awards and Gala, and board members posted a perfect 100 percent participation rate in terry’s annual fund campaign. to spread the spirit of giving back, yaB members will be conducting peer-to-peer solicitations for gifts to the college. these hard-working young alumni have also been working closely with the college’s existing alumni group, which has since dubbed itself the Senior alumni Board. “many yaB members are just starting out,” says atlanta attorney and senior board member alisa Pittman cleek (BBA ’93), “so it’s nice for them to get career advice on things that senior board members have already learned. it also provides networking opportunities.” Other yaB initiatives include the terry Student ambassador Program, wherein a dozen current students serve as liaisons to terry alumni groups. the board also hopes to get young alumni more involved in the classroom — speaking to students, working with professors, and providing first-hand accounts of marketplace changes. “We have a lot of work to do to raise awareness of this new board,” says yaB member Davis knox (BBA ’98). “We need to connect the gap between older alumni and those coming out of UGa today.” For a list of yaB members, go to: www.terry.uga.edu/alumni/board.html ■ for Renaissance Benefit Solutions with Renaissance Life & Health Insurance Company of America. Bud has 25 years experience in risk management and sales and previously served as regional vice president of sales for DirectComp RX. Prior to that, he managed a $50 million insurance program for Gambro Healthcare/Davita, Inc. Lynn Skinner (BBA ’81) of Newnan was hired as a content specialist in math and science by Coweta County School System. Eddy D. Ariail (MBA ’82) of Clarkesville was promoted to executive vice president of Habersham Bancorp. With the company since 1984, he was previously president, corporate secretary, and a member of the board of directors. Jack D. Williams (BBA ’ 82) of LaGrange earned his securities sales supervisor license. Jack is vice president of investments with Stifel, Nicolaus & Co. Robert W. “Buzz” Law (BBA ’83) of Alpharetta is president of Creative Financial Group Ltd., one of Atlanta’s top financial planning firms, according to the Atlanta Business Chronicle. John Harper (MBA ’84) of Roswell was named as the marketing lead for Vendormate, Inc. John’s career includes Fortune 500 and small business experience as well as B2B and consumer marketing. Most recently, he served as a principal at PathCut Partners, a B2B marketing and sales effectiveness consultancy. His experience includes stints at J.C. Penney and Belden Associates, a media marketing research consultancy. 1985-89 Elizabeth Brannen Chandler (BBA ’85, JD ’88) of Atlanta was appointed city attorney for Atlanta. She is responsible for handling all civil legal matters and overseeing the city’s legal compliance program. Linda Farbolin Van Rees (BBA ’85) of Atlanta is chairman of the board of directors for The Original Honey Baked Ham Company of Georgia Inc., one of Atlanta’s top 25 womenowned firms, according to the Atlanta Business Chronicle. Jim J. Sonny Seiler (BBA ’56, JD ’57) spoke at a young alumni reception at the Piedmont Driving Club in August, and the overflow crowd got the inside scoop from Sonny on Uga VII before the new mascot’s debut at Sanford Stadium. “If you’re expecting a pup, forget it,” said Sonny. “This dog is full grown!” Chrisman (PhD ’86) of Starkville, Miss., was a featured speaker at the “Management Succession in Family Firms” seminar at Arkansas State University. Chrisman is a professor at Mississippi State, he holds an appointment at the University of Alberta, and he is editor of Entrepreneurship Theory & Practice. John DeHaven (AB ’86, BS ’91) of Charleston, S.C., and his wife Melanie joined Century 21 Properties Plus as Team DeHaven. Joey Etheridge (AB ’86) of LaGrange gave advice for renovating a kitchen in an article, “Kitchen update boosts home’s value,” that appeared in the LaGrange Daily News. Joey is the founder of Etheridge Enterprises, a remodeling company. Dana R. Hermanson (BBA ’86) of Marietta and three co-authors recently received the 2008 Deloitte/ American Accounting Association Wildman Medal, which recognizes research judged to have made or be likely to make the most significant contribution to the advancement of the public practice of accountancy. The award was given for their June 2006 Accounting Horizons article on auditor risk assessment. David Lilliston (AB ’86) of Watkinsville joined Morgan Keegan & Co. Inc. as a financial advisor and vice president in the firm’s Athens branch. Jim Showfety (BBA ’87, MEd ’96) of Alpharetta is the new head football coach at Northview High School. In 2007, the Georgia Sports Writers Association named Showfety AAA Coach of the Year. Colette Whiting (BBA ’87) of Alpharetta became a vice president for SunTrust Corporate Real Estate as a facilities manager overseeing all of the SunTrust retail banking centers in the metro Atlanta area. Prior to SunTrust Bank, she was employed by Highwoods Properties as a property manager for their Class ‘A’ office building portfolio in Atlanta. Colette and husband Tom have a 6-year old daughter, Brooke. Jackie Carson Blakley (BBA ’88) of Anderson, S.C., is the new dean of the business and public services division at Tri-County Technical College. karen Williams Townley Terry College oF SPecial 62 • Fall 2008 Business http://www.terry.uga.edu/alumni/board.html
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