Spring 2014
Volume 5, Issue 1
DoB Newsletter
Division of Business
Xavier University of Louisiana
Executives Speak on Leadership, Ethics and Social
Responsibility during Business Week
Inside this issue:
Student competitions
2
Honors in Business
2
Fashion show highlights
3
LPEA Award
3
LSBDC
3
Semester Highlights
4
William Balhoff (left) of Postlethwaite & Netterville and William Smith (right) of 3M address students on the
importance of ethics, leadership and social responsibility during spring 2014 Business Week activities
Spring 2014 Business Week featured two distinguished business executives, William E. Balhoff, Managing Director and
Chief Executive Officer of the accounting firm Postlethwaite & Netterville, APAC, and William Smith, Vice President and General
Manager of 3M’s Industrial Mineral Products Division. On Tuesday, April 1, Mr. Balhoff spoke on the topics of “Ethics, Professionalism, and Quality” to a large audience of students, faculty, members of the Business Advisory Council and alumni. Two
evenings later, Mr. Smith was the keynote speaker at the Awards Banquet of the Division of Business and his topic was “How
Leadership in Corporations Connects with Social Responsibility.”
Mr.Balhoff provided the audience with his perspective on the importance of adhering to the rules that are required to
be followed in the accounting profession. These rules, developed and mandated by the American Institute of Certified Public
Accountants, of which he is the current Chairman of the Board of Directors, provide a uniform standard of ethics for which professionalism and work quality are assessed. In turn, this protects the public interest and well as promotes the interests of Certified Public Accountants.
Mr. Balhoff stated that these standards can easily be applied to any profession. By making an internal assessment of
one’s own expectations, personal and professional deportment become linked since, how you represent yourself will determine
how you represent others. While recounting personal experiences over his 35 years at Postlethwaite & Netterville, Mr. Balhoff
stressed that accountability (how you act when no one is looking) is a crucial core value in developing a true sense of professionalism.
Mr. Smith explored the importance of students building their leadership skills as conduits to developing and eventually
making socially responsible contributions to the workplace and, eventually, to the community at large. According to Mr. Smith,
his 30 years in sales and marketing at 3M have led him to recognize three characteristics of leadership that business executives
seek in young employees as they foment their skills to become socially responsible. These characteristics are (1) having a strong
set of core beliefs, (2) using those beliefs to make thoughtful choices where one’s talents can make the greatest impact, and (3)
knowing the direction of one’s objectives and creating a plan to achieve the objectives. Towards doing the right thing, Mr. Smith
stated that not only 3M but also many other corporations hold social responsibility as a high priority since it enhances the company’s reputation and it is demanded by the corporation’s shareholders. Ultimately, continuing social responsibility rests in our
hands and will only be limited by our leadership.
http://www.xula.edu/business
Page 2
DoB Newsletter
Volume 5 Issue 1
Student Participate in National and Regional
Business Competitions
Xavier students represented the Division of Business in six competitions this semester. A team of 4 students (Kevin Joseph, Brittany Nicholas, Hakeem Frank, and Jonathan Menyon) presented the Agrowtopia business plan at the Opportunity Finance Company Venture Challenge. Judges were executives or corporations, including investors and
Mark Quinn, Jonathan Menyon, Hakeem
major corporations. Other participating universities were HBCUs from around the counFrank, Brittany Nicholas, Kevin Joseph and Dr.
Joe Ricks pose for a group photo at this year’s try and the West Indies.
An interdisciplinary group of students Victoria Thompson (Accounting), Amithyse
OFCVC competition. The group presented
AGROWTOPIA, a student operated urban
Moore (Speech Pathology) , Victoria Philips (Chemistry), and Yolanda Jackson (Sociology)
farm.
competed and advanced to the 2nd round in the 2014 Enactus USA National Expo in Cincinnati, OH. The Enactus USA National Expo brings together teams from various universities and corporate recruiters for the teams to report on their projects and the impacts
they have on their respective communities.
3M Company hired three Xavier students for their prestigious Frontline Internship program this summer, graduating senior sales and marketing majors Tayler Loyd and
Kaylin McLeod and sales and marketing minor Gregory Jones. 3M kicks off the Frontline
program each year with a conference for interns and Frontline partner faculty and a case
challenge for the students. “The Frontline program is a rare and valuable opportunity for
faculty to see students connect with their real-world employers first-hand,” said Xavier
Pictured (l) to (r) are Victoria Thompson,
sales and marketing professor Amanda Helm. This year the new Frontline interns develVictoria Philips, Yolanda Jackson and Amioped proposals to promote 3M’s famous Post-It and a new partnership with Evernote,
thyse Moore at the Enactus National Expo.
the mobile app version of a Post-It.
Business majors Rasaan Hollis and William Hanna and business minors Tonnesha
Foster and Ashley Bonhart participated in the Bayou Sales Challenge sales role play competition. Xavier has participated in this regional competition for several years, giving students the opportunity to interact closely with sponsoring businesses and get valuable
feedback on their sales technique. Graduating senior William Hanna also participated in
the Northwestern Mutual national sales competition as part of the annual International
Collegiate Conference of the American Marketing Association.
Early in the semester, Xavier headed north into the freezing winter at the invitation of the Kelley School of Business at Indiana University – Bloomington to participate in
its annual Diversity Case Competition. Xavier Business majors Erin Ancar, Chris Hayes,
Rasaan Hollis and Dana Thompson teamed up with a proposal for Target to market to
Hispanic shoppers. The Xavier team placed first in their category management workshop.
3M Frontline interns Tayler Loyd (l) and
Xavier was proud to be invited for the first time this year to join this small prestigious
Kaylin McLeod (r) chat with sales and marketing professor Amanda Helm (c)
group of invited schools such as Indiana University, Purdue, Duke and University of Pennsylvania.
Honors in Business, the Inaugural Class
The Division of Business is proud to highlight the first graduating class with Honors in
Business
Congratulations to the inaugural Honors in Business class. Nine business majors
and one minor qualified they were business majors Nadine Bizimana, Kara Everhart,
Shanequa Grayson, Kyle McClue, Kaylin McLeod, Javon Mead, De’Angela Smith, Cynthia
Watson, Amber Williams, and chemistry major Erika McClain.
In order to receive the honors designation students majoring or minoring in
business must have an overall 3.3 GPA. For majors, students must have a 3.5 in their
concentration courses, and for minors they must have a 3.5 in their minor course work.
http://www.xula.edu/business
Page 3
DoB Newsletter
Volume 5 Issue 1
The Business Week Fashion Show
During the spring 2014 Business Week, the student led Fashion Show showcased a variety of different styles of business dress
and evening wear. Donations from various organization and the students sense of style made the event a huge success.
To view an excerpt of the fashion show visit: http://youtu.be/GLsXKyQm0Ns
The Division Wins Louisiana Performance Excellence Award
The Division of Business has been awarded the Level II Louisiana Performance Excellence Award (LPEA) based on an
evaluation of its proven effectiveness, sustainability, innovation, integrated processes and tracked results. The LPEA is a
statewide award recognizing quality leadership in education, government, manufacturing, service industries, health care and
non-profit organizations.
The purpose of the Award program is to promote quality and performance excellence awareness and practices in Louisiana and recognize the quality achievements of Louisiana organizations. The award criteria are based on the Malcolm Baldridge
National Quality Award and the award is organized and administered by the Louisiana Quality Foundation (LQF). The division
was evaluated on its organizational profile and documentation related to its leadership, strategic planning, customer and market
focus, measurement, analysis, and knowledge management, human resource focus, and process management. According to Dr.
Joe Ricks, Chair of the Division of Business, “We always push our students to evaluate themselves and get better; this process
demonstrates we practice what we teach here in the Division.”
The Division will be honored at the annual Award Ceremony at the governor’s mansion June 24, 2014, along with the
other 2014 Level II recipients: the Jefferson Parish Career and Business Solutions Center and the Jefferson Parish Community
Action Programs.
LSBDC, Entrepreneurship and the Division of Business
Crescent City Pharmacy opened on Nov.22, 2013, with the assistance of a variety
of resources, many with close ties to Xavier and particularly to the Division of Business.
Founded by Lishunda Franklin, Pharm. D, a New Orleans native and graduate of
Xavier University’s College of Pharmacy, Crescent City Pharmacy is a full-service, retail
pharmacy in Central City. Dr. Franklin received assistance from the Louisiana Small Business Development Center (“LSBDC”). The LSBDC assisted with obtaining financing for the
venture, and Dr. Franklin attended LSBDC classes on Internet marketing, Google products,
website preparation, and various marketing tools to enhance her business skills.
LSBDC Greater New Orleans Region’s team received accolades as the nation’s leading center by the SBA in 2013. Erik Waters, Xavier’s business consultant at LSBDC, assists hundreds of clients in financing their projects and providing marketing and certification assistance via direct one-on-one counseling and training seminars on business development
topics. Erik is the center’s designated Google trainer and Certification expert.
Participation in the LSBDC is one of many entrepreneurship activities of the Division of Business. Through the Entrepreneurship Institute, the Division of Business operates the X-ncubator (a business incubator for student businesses), offers the Lunch With a
‘Trep series of speakers, coordinates student internships with Google and the LSBDC, and
works with students in entering entrepreneurial competitions with Enactus and the Thurgood Marshall Scholarship Fund.
Crescent City Pharmacy is located at 2240 Simon Bolivar Ave in New Orleans. We
congratulate Dr. Franklin on her successful opening and wish her much success.
http://www.xula.edu/business
Xavier Alumni, Crescent City Pharmacy
owner, Lishunda Franklin and Capital One’s
Mark Boucree, celebrate the Pharmacy’s
Grand Opening
Students and local entrepreneurs share visions and keys to success during this semesters Lunch with a ‘TREP series
This Year’s Teen Academy Business idea winners.
Teen Academy is sponsored by the
Entrepreneurship Institute
At a packed house, student eagerly listen in on a
lecture series on ethics, leadership and social
responsibility
Students, faculty, staff and alumni enjoy the Division of Business’ Annual Awards Banquet
(l) Dr. Joe Ricks awards Amber Williams with this year’s ACBSP student leadership award
Kim Price, president of the 3M foundation visits
the AGROWTOPIA site.
Xavier students volunteer to prepare the
AGROWTOPIA site.
For more information on the programs offered by the Division of Business, please email us at business@xula.edu or call us at
504-520-7505. Or visit us in building 40 (Xavier South) room 325.
For previous editions of our Newsletter, visit us at http://www.xula.edu/business/newsletters.html
To view Division activities visit out YouTube channel at: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCJcpXMXNeURw6-qeXE83ndg
http://www.xula.edu/business
Xavier University
Division of Business
1 Drexel Drive
New Orleans, LA 70125-1098