The College of Management at UW-Stout • Spring 2013
Dual duties
Students who serve in the military rely on
ambition, resourcefulness, and program flexibility to earn degrees. Page 3
Entrepreneurial spirit
Alumni own companies in the worlds of wine,
sweets, and commercial upholstery repair.
Page 4
From the top
Businesses and students gain an edge with
alumni’s knowledge and leadership. Page 6
Building tool
A major donation is funding development of
the Weidner Center for Residential Property
Management and scholarships for students.
Page 9
Soap shipments
Recycling a hotel hygiene product saves
lives in vulnerable populations around the
world. Page 11
Traveling classroom
Leadership takes on new meaning for
UW-Stout students learning in Costa Rica.
Page 12
Studying overseas
Factory tours and the Governor’s Trade
Mission dinner broaden global business
knowledge of students learning in China.
Page 13
COLLEGE OF MANAGEMENT
Inspiring Innovation • Learn more at www.uwstout.edu/com
www.uwstout.edu.com | 1
DEAN’S MESSAGE
Leadership and entrepreneurship
are hallmarks of College
Leadership and entrepreneurship have
been the cornerstone of the College
of Management (COM) teaching and
learning since its inception in 2009. Our
alumni’s accomplishments attest to our
faculty members’ dedication to doing
what we do best: producing future leaders. The story of the 22-year-old alumna
who built a cupcake enterprise from the
ground up in Madison, Wis.; the president of a major American retail store
utilizing the knowledge she acquired from
our retail, merchandising and management program; and the brave men and
women who represent us in the U.S.
armed forces are a few of the many success stories told in this newsletter, showcasing how COM prepares its students
for the real world.
Producing good leaders and entrepreneurs requires a team of unmatched
faculty and leaders. The tremendous
industry connection of Dr. Lalia Rach,
associate dean and chair of the School
of Hospitality Leadership, and the recent
“Kohl’s Faculty Fellow” awarded to faculty
member Dr. Nancy Murray is an indication of the good foundation that COM has
laid and continues to perfect.
COM is committed
to providing the best
education, industry
makes that possible
by providing the
resources. Recently
Weidner Apartment
Homes of Kirkland,
Washington just did
that. Dean Weidner,
founder and owner
Abel Adekola
of Weidner Apartment Homes, gave
COM a generous gift of $1 million dollars
in support of expanding the School of
Hospitality Leadership’s residential property management program. This gift is
above and beyond the internship opportunities that the company provides to our
students annually.
As you read through this newsletter and
many more to come, you will agree that
investing in COM education, whether as a
stakeholder or student, is an investment
worthy making. We train leaders and
entrepreneurs who are not just suited
for the domestic market, but also for the
global market.
Enjoy COM Connection!
We recognize the industry’s role in helping COM achieve its goals. Great achievements do not come by chance, but by the
right resources and undeterred willingness of all stakeholders. Therefore, while
Abel Adekola
Dean, College of Management
Our Mission and Values
Mission: The College of Management promotes excellence in teaching, research, scholarship,
and service through an approach to learning that combines theory, practice and experimentation to discover, disseminate and extend knowledge. Every student is afforded the opportunity to collaborate with faculty and industry
to understand and apply innovative solutions to real-world problems. The college matriculates ethical leaders who
are lifelong learners and contribute to the advancement of their professions.
Values:» Our students’ preparation for a challenging and dynamic place in society
» The inclusion of diverse ideas
» Teaching that is stimulating, current and engaging
» Service and scholarly activities that advance and apply expertise in our disciplines
2 | The College of Management at UW-Stout
Published by UW-Stout’s College of Management
Pam Braun, Writer
Editorial Board, Joy Evenson, Ed Harris, David Johnson,
Bernie Mullen, Nancy Murray
collegeofmanagement@uwstout.edu
Find this publication and provide
feedback or story ideas online at
www.uwstout.edu/admin/colleges/com/connection.
We welcome your inquires and comments.
UNDERGRADUATE PROGRAMS
Business Administration
Golf Enterprise Management
Hotel, Restaurant and Tourism Management
Management
Real Estate Property Management
Retail Merchandising and Management
Supply Chain Management
Sustainable Management
GRADUATE PROGRAMS
Operations and Supply Management
Risk Control
Training and Human Resource Development
Sustainable Management
SPECIALIZATIONS
Golf Enterprise Management
Training and Human Resource Development
PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT
CERTIFICATES
Entrepreneurship and Innovation
Event and Meeting Management
Gaming Management
Human Resource Management
Quality Management
Supply Chain Management
Sustainable Management Finance
College of Management
280E Technology Wing – Jarvis Hall
University of Wisconsin-Stout
Menomonie, Wisconsin 54751
Phone: 715-232-1111
Online: www.uwstout.edu/com/
GRADUATE FOCUS
Graduates balance military service with studies
Jasmine Pilacinski wrestled with the decision to pursue a bachelor’s in business
administration.
She considered the potential impact on
her four children, her husband, and her
U.S. Coast Guard service commitment.
But despite 10 years of experience as
an administrative professional for the
Coast Guard, she had missed out on a
desired civilian job.
“The individual who received the position
had a degree. This alone made me realize what I needed to do to better myself
and my family,” Pilacinski said.
Jasmine Pilacinski
Greg Hungiville
She had a strong role model: her mom.
understand that students can have
significant responsibilities outside of the
learning environment,” Fenton said.
“My mother graduated from college with
four children, then continued her education, and finally received her doctorate.
If she could achieve all her dreams, I
knew that mine were also attainable,”
she said.
Pilacinski aims to land a civilian administrative professional position and advance to chief petty officer in the Coast
Guard.
When he received notice of his deployment to Iraq in 2009, he wondered how it
would affect his studies. He was already
attending UW-Stout part time while working as a college enrollment counselor.
It was arranged for him to take one
course a semester during that year of
service. Assistant professor Jeanette
Kersten also worked with him to submit
for approval an independent study plan
stating his expected timeline for completing program requirements. He was later
deployed in 2011 to Kuwait for a year.
•
She was right. In May 2013 she earned a An empty cardboard box proved to be
useful in helping Army National Guard
Bachelor of Science in Business AdminMaj. Greg Hungiville work on a master’s
istration from UW-Stout. Not only did she
degree assignment in Iraq’s desert.
juggle studying, parenting four children,
“They were very flexible,” he said of UWand Coast Guard duties, she graduated
“I had no Internet access, but I had my
Stout instructors.
with honors and advanced to first class
thought process and I had some down
petty officer in the Coast Guard.
time for a couple of hours,” Hungiville
Many reading materials were online,
though he had to be patient with spotty
“Without a doubt, she is a natural leader,” recounted. “As I sat there, I grabbed a
cardboard box from an MRE (meal ready
Internet service among military bases.
said Mark Fenton, associate professor
to eat) and ripped one of the sides off. I
His girlfriend mailed him other books.
and business administration program
started jotting down thoughts so I could
director.
create my paper later on.”
“The biggest challenge for me, because
of my leadership role as an officer, was
While she didn’t want special treatment,
Back at the Internet-equipped U.S. milithe ability to be able to balance military
she found UW-Stout faculty to be flexible
tary base that evening, he dug out his
workload with my school assignments.”
when her commitments conflicted.“My
notes. “I jumped on my laptop, started
professors have been wonderful about
piecing together my paper, and submitHis achievement is still sinking in after
acknowledging my dedication to service
ted it within the required timeline.”
four years of balancing schoolwork, a ciby allowing me to complete my active
vilian job, and military service. “I’m still
duty requirements without my assignHungiville’s completion of a Master of
amazed. I’m still in shock,” he said.
ments or grades suffering.”
Science in Training and Development in
His degree will help him advance to
They also understood if she had to leave December 2012 required resourcefulness, determination, and planning, along lieutenant colonel in the military and
class a bit early.
with UW-Stout faculty’s flexibility in meet- reach his civilian-life goal to become a
“Faculty in the College of Management
ing program requirements.
corporate trainer.
www.uwstout.edu.com | 3
ENTREPRENEURIAL ALUMNI
Alumni follow paths to business ownership
Though Avon Liquor is nestled at the
bottom of a Colorado mountain, the specialty liquor store towers at the top of the
wine world. At the helm of the business
is UW-Stout graduate Nick Noesen.
Dozens of flavors of delectable goodies
fill display cases in Madison Sweets,
which young entrepreneur Katie Olson
opened just over three years ago at age
22 while she was studying for her master’s. The long workdays that come with
business ownership began right away.
Located at the base of Beaver Creek
Mountain and a world-class ski resort 10
miles west of Vail, Colorado, Avon Liquor
attracts vacationers from all over the
world who clamor for a favored wine or
spirit that can be hard to find back home.
Local residents, well-versed on where
to find their favorite liquors, shop there
regularly.
“A majority of our customers are on vacation, and the full-time residents live in a
wonderful setting,” said Noesen, a 1994
UW-Stout hospitality and tourism graduate. “We offer unique products and have
a higher standard of customer service
because of the surroundings. This makes
it enjoyable and challenging to work in
the environment.”
Seven years ago, Nick Noesen and Brian
Kruse took over Avon Liquor, which offers
more than 1,300 wines, 750 spirits, 450
beers, and a walk-in humidor housing
90 kinds of cigars. Recent annual sales
have totaled $3 million. The boutique
store caters to a mix of local professionals, second-home owners, and tourists
in the Vail Valley. It has been rated one
of the top liquor stores in Colorado and
featured in Market Watch, an industry
magazine.
Some of the hardest-to-find wines of
the world and high-end wines sit on the
shelves of the 4,000-square-foot store,
made possible through relationships with
suppliers, explained Noesen, who even
has toured vineyards in Italy to meet
families who produce the wines and see
the process.
“As I run the business, I remember several things from my UW-Stout education:
Becoming part of a community; one-onone involvement with professors; educa4 | The College of Management at UW-Stout
“During my first year of business, I’d go
into work at 6:30 or 7 a.m., leave just for
classes, and spend the rest of the day at
work, usually until 8 p.m.” Olson remembered.
Nick Noesen
Avon Liquor
tors who have worked in the business
environment; and real-world business
engagements,” Noesen said.
While at UW-Stout, Noesen was a teaching assistant for Quantity Foods Production, was vice president of the Investment Club, and completed cooperative
education experiences at Hyatt Regency
in Milwaukee and Hyatt Beaver Creek
resort and spa in Avon, Colo.
Her boyfriend, then her only employee,
covered the shop when she was gone.
Her venture into business ownership was
unplanned, prompted by a moment of opportunity. “My father told me that there
was a small storefront store open in
downtown Madison that would be perfect
for a ‘starter’ store,” Olson said.
She decided to start a sweets shop,
starting out with popcorn, cupcakes,
and chocolates when the doors opened
in early 2010. Offerings have grown to
include more than 40 rotating cupcake
varieties, 14 cookie flavors, 22 macaroon
choices, 24 popcorn flavors, and a multitude of chocolates and candies.
After graduation, he was promoted to purchasing manager at Hyatt Beaver Creek.
He went on to become Red Bull’s event
Cupcakes, macaroons, and popcorn are
marketing manager and an on-premise
bestsellers. Except for the chocolates,
manager. After becoming a certified wine
everything is made right at the store.
sommelier, he and Kruse bought Avon
“We’ve been doing phenomenal,” Olson
Liquor in 2006.
said, especially since the start of this
year.
Based on his experience, Noesen offers
these tips to students aspiring to own
Her dad is among five other staff mema business: “Believe in yourself. Be
bers who help her run the shop, which is
creative. Listen to others. It is all right to
open daily.
fail. Most of all, understand your customers. They tell you what is working and
Her success comes as little surprise,
what isn’t.”
considering her accomplishments when
•
she attended UW-Stout. In May of 2009
In a simple shop on Madison’s infamous
she graduated with honors in three years,
State Street, customers’ decisions of
even with working on campus as a resiwhich tantalizing cupcakes, cookies,
dent assistant, tutor, and an instructor’s
macaroons, and other sweets to savor
assistant and after switching majors.
are far from simple.
She began her studies in UW-Stout’s
it,” She said.” You just do the work. Then
you realize the fruits of your labor, and
that’s when it’s all worth it.”
“I honestly believe you will get out of a
business, career, or really anything in life
what you put into it.”
•
Hagen Gunderson’s innovative, entrepreneurial spirit has driven him to perform
in a rock band, repair upholstered seats
in commercial vehicles, build tractors,
and keep an eye out for new business
prospects.
Katie Olson
Madision Sweets
hotel, restaurant and tourism program
and later became enamored with accounting. She graduated with a Bachelor
of Science in Business Administration
and went on to UW-Madison for her Master of Science in Accounting, which she
earned in May of 2011.
Among the five schools she has attended in her life, UW-Stout stands out.
“My education at UW-Stout really provided me with the foundations of how to
manage my time and money and helped
develop my work ethic,” Olson said. “I
believe that the opportunity to be closely
involved with the business program
helped develop my leadership, confidence, and initiative.”
Owning a business helps her stay in
touch with the community. “I have a lot
of regular customers who come in and
visit, and I really like having that connection to the community,” she said.
When business booms like it has lately,
Olson puts in about 70 hours a week
baking picture-perfect goodies, ordering
ingredients, overseeing deliveries, and
managing her staff and shop.
“Day to day you don’t really think about
“My education at UW-Stout has helped
me to recognize opportunity and has
provided the skills and knowledge necessary to pursue those opportunities,”
said Gunderson, who earned his Master
of Science in Training and Development
in May 2012.
At CNH’s (Case) IH plant in Fargo, N.D.,
Gunderson completes the fast-paced,
strenuous, and technical job of linking
the front and back halves of giant farm
tractors that are produced for domestic
and world markets.
On weekends he works with the band
that he started in 1987. Back then his
UW-Stout education was put on hold as
he pursued his dream of becoming a
professional musician, touring the U.S.
and Canada with the band for 15 years.
In 2008, while talking with his son about
the importance of higher education, he
decided to return to UW-Stout to finish
his own degree. He graduated in 2010
with a bachelor of science in Career,
Technical Education and Training, adding to his previous associate degree in
automotive technology. “I found school
so fulfilling that I immediately began
work on a Master of Science degree in
Training and Development,” he said.
Aside from his CNH job and band work,
he owns a sideline upholstery service
business specializing in commercial
Hagen Gunderson
CNH (Case) IH
truck and equipment seat repair, tapping
upholstery trade knowledge he gained
while living in Canada for about five
years before moving to Fargo.
UW-Stout prepared him for opportunities
wherever they arise.
“Specifically, I am better equipped to take
on innovative initiatives and problemsolving through improved analytical
thinking, communication, research techniques, management skills, and systems
approaches,” Gunderson said.
What’s next? One of his latest ideas is
developing a video recording process
that could be used to record manufacturing workers’ job functions through
camera-fitted safety glasses. He is
researching need and feasibility.
“In tractor building, for example, processes are often complex and performed in
confined spaces where it is difficult for
task analysts to observe,” he explained.
“The video would provide detailed documentation of task steps in real time.”
Like his first dream of being a musician,
his idea could lead to another success.
www.uwstout.edu.com | 5
EXECUTIVE ALUMNI
Alumni steer companies, and students to success
Steve Tyink sees a building through a
whole different lens than casual passersby. He views each one as a tool to
increase a company’s profits, enhance
its community reputation, and provide
an efficient employee environment that
attracts and retains talent.
“A building not only houses people or
manufacturers something … it’s a strategic weapon of differentiation,” Tyink
explained.
Buildings tell a company’s story, one that
gives it an edge over its competitors, he
continued.
After 30 years of experience, he easily
rattles off how leading companies like
Apple, Southwest Airlines, Panera Bread,
Mayo Clinic, and Whole Foods surpass
their competitors by leaps and bounds,
even during a struggling economy. How?
“They literally understand how you’re going to feel about the interaction with that
brand or culture before it happens.”
As vice president of business innovation
for Miron Construction, based in Neenah,
Wis., he brings ideas from leading companies to business customers who hire
Miron to design and construct new buildings, helping them identify how they can
create their own edge.
how critical that was to my long-term success and how the model of collaboration
was paramount to getting things done.
“Better outcomes and better relationships and more market share and more
efficiency – all are driven through human
interaction.”
His career began at Bergstrom Corporation, where he was vice president of
human resources and quality and then
vice president of Saturn operations
and leadership development. He then
launched an experience design company
called Attach, which took off. He was the
keynote speaker at more than 70 national conferences and wrote more than
45 articles and book chapters on leadership strategies and company attachment
practices with customers.
The bestselling book he co-authored,
Monkey Business: Seven Laws of the
Jungle for Becoming the Best of the
Bunch, was translated into seven languages.
After 19 months of running Attach, he
tired of living out of a suitcase and accepted his current job at Miron, one of
the largest commercial contractors in the
Midwest.
His connection to UW-Stout has never
waned. He stays in touch with faculty and
staff, who after all these years are still
interested in his life.
Construction is the sixth industry in
which he has worked since his 1982
graduation from UW-Stout with a hotel
and restaurant management degree,
“To this day, I have that same feeling
concentrating in business and marketing.
when I go back to campus -- of people
He credits his success to the internships
genuinely caring about your outcomes
and classroom experiences UW-Stout
and your success,” Tyink said.
provided that taught him how to connect
and work with people.
That personal connection along with
exposure to various aspects of the busi“The common thread through all of those
ness world made his education invaluindustries, regardless if you’re building
able. “UW-Stout really gives you all the
Lambeau Field or if you’re running a hotel,
tools you need to be successful so when
is people and the human interaction side
you hit the real world you can start runof the business. UW-Stout, more than
ning, versus trying to learn your way.”
anything else, helped me understand
•
6 | The College of Management at UW-Stout
Steve Tyink
Miron Construction
Jill Soltau, a 1989 UW-Stout graduate,
has been named president and chief
merchandising officer of Shopko, the
Ashwaubenon-based retail chain.
Soltau joined Shopko in 2007 as senior
vice president and general merchandise
manager and two years later was named
executive vice president and chief merchandising officer.
In her new job Soltau will oversee marketing, e-commerce and inventory and
supply chain, along with managing product development and merchandising.
The company recently has opened Shopko Hometown stores in smaller markets.
Shopko merged in 2012 with Pamida
Stores, which reopened as Shopko
Hometown stores. Soltau has played a
major role in helping develop the Hometown store concept. Shopko has more
than 325 stores in 21 states and more
than 20,000 employees.
In 2011 Soltau returned to UW-Stout to
“We attempt to give interns hands-on
experience with instructional design, facilitating and evaluating learning opportunities, and project management responsibilities,” Stuckert explained.
This summer will be Thomson Reuters’
second of providing an internship, which
will be expanded to include experience
with the Six Sigma quality management
process and lean manufacturing, a production process that increases efficiency
with less work while preserving value.
Stuckert earned his Master of Science in
Training and Development from UW-Stout
in 2000. Since then he has worked in
full-time training and development roles
in university, government and manufacturing settings, including Viracon in Owatonna, Minn., and most recently at Thomson
Reuters in Eagan, Minn.
Jill Soltau
Shopko
Don Stuckert
Thompson Reuters
meet with administrators in the College
of Management and speak to the Stout
Retail Association. She graduated with
a degree in merchandising with a minor
in business. UW-Stout’s retail degree
now is called retail merchandising and
management, with four concentrations
including store operations management.
As manager of manufacturing learning
and performance for Thomson Reuters,
Stuckert travels 70 miles from his office
in Eagan, Minn., to UW-Stout to share his “UW-Stout gives you the core knowledge
that you need in order to come out and
experience in training with the Master of
Science Training and Human Resource
design effective and efficient training,”
Development program’s advisory board,
he said. “It’s a very limited skill in the
of which he is a member.
business world.”
Soltau was vice president and general
merchandising manager at Sears Holding from 2004 to 2006. She also worked
for Kohl’s Department Stores, where she
held numerous management positions in
the planning, private brand and merchandising areas. She began her retail career
with the Carson Pirie Scott division of
Saks, where she held a variety of roles in
stores and merchandising.
Like all other UW-Stout programs, the
board draws from the knowledge of
industry experts to make sure the
program’s curriculum stays current with
industry practices and trends.
•
Alumnus Don Stuckert makes it his
business to ensure UW-Stout students
receive an up-to-date education that will
prepare them to successfully design and
implement workplace training programs.
The depth and expertise of UW-Stout’s
training and development program prepared him to help strengthen a challenging facet of business.
In addition to the internship, Stuckert
arranges for UW-Stout students to tackle
actual projects at Thomson Reuters to
complete research for their thesis.
Helping students is fulfilling.
Stuckert works in Thomson Reuters’
legal-book manufacturing division. He
“I enjoy giving students an opportunity
manages the Manufacturing Learning
to apply their classroom knowledge in
Center and is in charge of training design a business setting,” he said. “I think
and development, leadership developstudents benefit from working through
ment, and continuous improvement.
related work challenges of time, multiple
Knowing internships are an invaluable
priorities and multiple personalities. Our
way for students to learn industry trends, company is able to deliver instructionally
he developed a paid summer internship
sound learning opportunities and still
at the center.
meet customer needs.”
www.uwstout.edu.com | 7
HOSPITALITY LEADERSHIP
Students land engaging TV bridal show internships
Karli Courrier and Lindsay Frank said “yes” to the internships,
and they couldn’t be happier.
The UW-Stout students had a Cooperative Education program
experience that seemed almost too good to be true: They traveled the country in spring 2013 getting real-world experience in
their major and working alongside a cable television celebrity,
Randy Fenoli.
Fenoli is the star of the TLC hit reality show “Say Yes to the
Dress.” The high-energy, bridal gown guru helps brides-to-be
and their entourages select wedding dresses in New York.
Fenoli also has a spinoff show, “Randy to the Rescue,” which is
in production for its second season and is scheduled to air this
spring and summer. In “Randy to the Rescue” Fenoli leaves
New York and hits the road, criss-crossing the U.S. to help the
betrothed.
Courrier and Frank, as production assistants, were on the road
to 10 cities with Fenoli in March and April during “Randy to
the Rescue” filming. The trips included Chicago, Los Angeles,
Miami, Oklahoma City, Savannah, Ga., and Washington, D.C.
Working behind the scenes for “Randy to the Rescue” has
been a honeymoonlike but also highly educational experience
for Courrier and Frank, who are majoring in Hotel, Restaurant
and Tourism Management with an emphasis on event planning.
“Randy to the Rescue” weekends are highly organized events,
starting when the show’s semitrailer loaded with dresses rolls
up. “You can hear people screaming like crazy when the truck
shows up,” Frank said.
In each city four brides-to-be are chosen to meet with Fenoli for
dress consultation and filming. They are chosen from a pool of
up to 200 women looking for that special dress in an elaborate
salon set up at a hotel or convention center.
“From one city to the next, you never know what’s going to happen, so be prepared for anything,” Courrier said.
Courrier, a senior from St. Cloud, Minn., helped set up dress
displays, change sets and dress extras for filming. Frank, a
sophomore from Ellendale, Minn., coordinated appointments
for brides-to-be and assists the TLC camera crew.
Courrier and Frank were hired by the Wedding Guys, a Twin Cities company that holds major bridal shows around the country.
The Wedding Guys provides the bridal show infrastructure for
“Randy to the Rescue” and TLC.
8 | The College of Management at UW-Stout
UW-Stout students Karli Courrier, left, and Lindsay Frank talk with
Randy Fenoli, star of the TLC cable TV shows “Randy to the Rescue”
and “Say Yes to the Dress.” Courrier and Frank were interns this
spring with “Randy to the Rescue.”
“I’m getting to see the side of events
I want to experience, such as setting up
larger events for weddings or corporate.”
Karli Courrier
Courrier and Frank were paid and received academic credit,
which Frank called “icing on the cake.” They enjoyed the excitement of being with a national show, learned lessons about how
to balance their studies with the job’s time commitment and
likely will appear on TV as extras and in the show’s credits.
“I’m getting to see the side of events I want to experience, such
as setting up larger events for weddings or corporate,” Courrier
said.
Frank said she hopes to work in the hotel industry and may use
this experience to someday start a wedding planning business.
HOSPITALITY LEADERSHIP
Donation builds property management program
UW-Stout’s undergraduate property
management program is being expanded
thanks to a $1 million donation from the
owner of a major property management
company.
The donation from Dean Weidner, founder
and owner of Weidner Apartment Homes
of Kirkland, Wash., to the Stout University Foundation is being used to establish the Weidner Center for Residential
Property Management within the UWStout College of Management’s School of
Hospitality Leadership.
Weidner’s gift will be used to purchase
equipment and technology for the hightech interactive learning center, which will
be located in 419 Heritage Hall, and to
fund scholarships for qualifying students
majoring in property management.
The first recipients of Weidner Center
scholarships, totaling $10,000 for the
2013-14 year, were recently announced:
Katherine Anderson, Ely, Minn.
Daniel Holperin, Eagle River
† Benjamin Krautkramer, Marathon
† Joshua Pax, Elmwood
† Zachary Vierling, Coon Rapids, Minn.
† Jill Webb, Somerset
† Rick Wolski, Williams Bay
†
†
Marie Virgilio, director of recruiting for
Weidner Apartment Homes, attended the
scholarship announcement.
“It’s very exciting to see such outstanding
students receive the first Weidner Center
scholarships, and I look forward to helping the property management program
continue to develop the future leaders of
our industry,” Virgilio said.
In the center, donated property management software from Rentmanager will
give students hands-on experience with
software used in the industry. Research
will also be conducted there. Communication technology will allow interactive
property tours, meetings, and real and
Six of the seven students who received the first Weidner Center scholarships are, from left to right,
Daniel Holperin, Katherine Anderson, Jill Webb, Joshua Pax, Zachary Vierling and Rick Wolski.
mock interviews for students seeking
employment or internships.
Classes and events will begin in the
room in fall 2013, and space will be
shared with other programs until Harvey
Hall is remodeled. The room will gradually be developed into a fully equipped
center, with a targeted complete conversion by fall 2015. Round-format seating,
interactive white boards, and other hightech media tools will fill the center.
System Board of Regents in 2009 to
become a Bachelor of Science degree.
The major was established in response
to a nationwide industry need for property management graduates, explained
Doug Kennedy, founding director of the
program.
UW-Stout is among only four colleges
nationwide that offer a Bachelor of Science degree in property management,
according to the Institute of Real Estate
Management. The program will be renamed real estate property management
effective June 1.
Weidner’s interest in funding UW-Stout’s
program expansion came after his
company hired UW-Stout graduates with
strong industry knowledge, work ethics,
“The donation will be a tremendous boost
and core values. Weidner owns rental
for our property management program,”
properties in Alaska, Arizona, Colorado,
said Chancellor Charles W. Sorensen.
Texas, Washington and Canada. He has
been impressed with UW-Stout’s program. Mark Parsons, UW-Stout vice chancellor
for University Advancement and Market“We felt that making such a contribution
ing, said the donation also will fund facto the program would enable it to be
ulty and student development, program
developed further,” he said.
marketing and discretionary spending,
“all of which are intended by the donor to
“People are the most important ingredient grow and develop” the property managein our business,” Weidner said. “With
ment program “and enhance its regional
apartment communities becoming larger
and national reputation.”
and more sophisticated, the skills and
responsibilities necessary to operate
The gift will create a substantial endowthem require a solid education, maturity
ment at the Stout University Foundation
and judgment.”
to provide perpetual support for the
property management program and the
The program began as a minor in the
Weidner Center Scholarships.
1980s and gained approval from the UW
www.uwstout.edu.com | 9
HOSPITALITY LEADERSHIP
Rach: Industry links keep education current
After UW-Stout’s new director of the
four years but throughout the beginning
School of Hospitality Leadership settled
of their career.”
into her office in Heritage Hall this past
winter, she started doing research for her “We have to ensure that our curriculum
main assignment: Create a formidable
is truly steeped in business,” Rach said.
education program for the future.
“To me that is what will set us apart.”
Since then Lalia Rach, Ed.D, has been
learning about UW-Stout’s students, faculty, and industry connections in preparation for developing a vision for the school.
A current higher education program provides an understanding of how many factors affect an industry. For instance, how
economics affects the travel business.
Rach, also an associate dean of the Col- “With the growing reality that more and
lege of Management, knows the school’s
more countries’ level of economic wellprogram is “incredible.” It has grown
being is rising, you then get a population
considerably since the two years she had that is more educated, that has greater
taught at UW-Stout in the 1980s in what
discretionary income,” Rach explained.
was then the hospitality and tourism de- “They begin to have more time, and they
partment. Since then she has lead higher have an interest in learning about places
education programs at other well-known
that they’ve never been to. That has proinstitutions for 25 years.
pelled the concept of travel well beyond
what it was just a quarter of a century
Staying abreast of the rapidly evolving
ago.”
hospitality industry will require extensive
discussions with industry and a global
Yet industry is driven by more than conunderstanding of factors that affect it.
sumers.
“Faculty and educators have to partner
“It’s not just from the consumer or dewith industry and help them address
mand element that we have focus on in
their interests and concerns,” Rach said. order to be formidable,” she said. “We
“I want us to be very engaged with our
have to focus on the supply element,
industries because then we can take this the technological aspects. We have to
back into the classroom. Then our faculty make sure that our classes include the
know that they are on the cutting edge.”
economical and sociological trends and
realities.”
Social media is an example of changes
in society to which education must
Rach maintains her connection to the
respond.
industry through board memberships of
numerous corporations and associations.
“Inherent in that is the need to teach
She also is a founder and partner of
differently, to make certain that our
Rach Enterprises, a consulting firm that
learning objectives are reflective of that
provides strategic guidance to hospitality
change, to look at the skills and knowlbusinesses and public sector agencies
edge base that we are trying to transfer
and through which she gives keynote
to make sure that the needs are not only speeches.
of someone who’s graduating in the next
10 | The College of Management at UW-Stout
Lalia Rach
Associate Dean, College of Management
Director, School of Hospitality Leadership
“I want us to be very
engaged with our industries
because then we can take
this back into the classroom.
Then our faculty know that
they are on the cutting edge.”
Lalia Rach
HOSPITALITY LEADERSHIP
Peterson rounds up hotel bar soap to save lives
For three years UW-Stout alumnus Garth
Peterson has helped hotels save lives
worldwide by collecting a plentiful item
that is often discarded in U.S. landfills:
used bars of soap.
“It struck a chord with me
as something so obvious
and very achievable.”
Through the Global Soap Project, of which
Peterson is a board member, hotels can
send their used soap bars to Atlanta, Ga.,
to be reprocessed into new bars and
shipped to vulnerable populations around
the globe. The project works to reduce
the estimated 2.4 million annual deaths
of children from hygiene and sanitationrelated illnesses simply by providing
soap and hygiene education.
“This is amazing!” he thought when he
first read of the initiative in an online
hospitality industry publication in December of 2009, during the project’s
early days. “It struck a chord with me as
something so obvious and very achievable.”
Garth Peterson
wife and I drove that truck in December
2010 to Atlanta,” he recalled. “They were
absolutely blown away by the gesture and
the work that we had done in Minnesota.”
Garth Peterson
Global Soap Project board member
“It’s a powerful value on both ends of the
chain,” he said of the process.
Back then he was president of the Minnesota Chapter of Hospitality Sales &
Marketing Association International. He
went to that board and said, “We have to
do something.” HSMAI board members
agreed.
“I’ve always felt a strong connection to
what I call a dual-value proposition,” he
further explained. “The act of capturing
that used soap from a hotel here in our
community is reducing landfill waste.
There is a green conscientious recycling
component that resonates with hoteliers
and the public. The recipient of the soap,
at the other end of the cycle, receives a
valuable lifesaving commodity: The ability to wash your hands and your face is
proven to reduce the death rate.”
Peterson then contacted Global Soap
Project co-founder Derreck Kayongo
about his fervent wish to use his hotel
connections to help get it going in Minnesota. Peterson has built his career in the
hospitality industry since his 1996 graduation in hotel and tourism management.
Over the next year, Peterson contacted
hotels about the project and offered to
pick up their used soap and store it in
donated warehouse space. Then a sendoff event was held in partnership with
Penske, which donated a moving truck.
Students from UW-Stout’s HSMAI collegiate chapter were among volunteers
who helped load the soap.
“We loaded all 7,000 pounds of soap into
the back of that moving truck, and my
He accepted an invitation to join the
board of directors in January 2011 and
has continued collecting soap and recruiting new Minnesota hotels to participate. In 2011, two truckloads totaling
15,000 pounds were shipped, followed
by 12,000 pounds in 2012.
The Global Soap Project recycles soap
from more than 1,100 U.S. hotels
and sends it to partners in 29 countries. Partners distribute the soap and
provide hygiene education to vulnerable populations that include disaster
victims, refugees, the homeless, and
mothers and children living in extreme
poverty.
His involvement in such a lifesaving project has been personally rewarding.
“It’s an opportunity for me to give back,”
said Peterson, director of sales for IDeaS
Revenue Solutions. “I’m still working
within my industry and my field of expertise, but I’m doing something not for
profit or for pay.”
For more information: www.globalsoap.org
www.uwstout.edu.com | 11
OPERATIONS AND MANAGEMENT
Studying in Costa Rica redefines ‘leadership’
On January 4, 2012, nine UW-Stout students disembarked from
a plane in Costa Rica, ready to apply theories of leadership
they had studied in preparation for this part of an organization
leadership course.
Two weeks later, after being immersed in a simpler culture,
breathtaking surroundings, and studying amid students from
around the world at University for Peace in San Jose, Costa
Rica, they would arrive home with a new understanding of themselves and what leadership really means.
The itinerary was packed with lectures from UW-Stout professor
Kat Lui and Peace faculty and excursions to the nonprofit Costa
Rican Humanitarian Foundation; the Costa Rican Entomological Supply company, the first commercial butterfly farm in Latin
America; and Café Britt, a leading employer.
Class members pose for a photo in downtown San Jose, Costa Rica.
The lectures opened students’ eyes to many facets of leadership.
“Oftentimes many people think of leaders as well-known individuals who have made some drastic change or invention that
has helped develop society,” applied science major Kymberly
Ludwig said. “What I learned in Costa Rica, though, is how to
influence individuals in a positive manner on a small scale.”
having to navigate to get from one place to another,” she said.
“The educational excursions provided a window into a world very
different from the one they are accustomed to. Through all of
these experiences, students learned about leading people and
companies through the eyes of another.”
Learning with Peace students from around the globe who had
come together there to study, research, and make a difference
in the world helped her see it from another angle. “I learned
that true leadership is having empathy for all individuals and
respecting different perspectives.”
Students grow in personal ways too, which Lee well knows after
studying abroad three times.
The course taught retail merchandising and management major
Katherine Lee more about herself as a leader.
“It was a developing course, and in that I mean you learn to
develop yourself,” she explained. “I’ve really learned about how
much of leadership really comes from within, reaching your
highest potential.
Although those same concepts can be taught in the U.S., learning them in another country carried new meaning.
“Prior to this trip, I had never traveled outside the U.S., so my
eyes were opened to diversity, leadership, and the struggles a
different country faces,” Ludwig said.
It was the first time the course was offered at Peace. Having
taken students abroad for other courses, professor Kat Lui
knows the value of studying amid other cultures.
“They are exposed to a culture of a developing country and all
that goes along with that – a different language, different food,
12 | The College of Management at UW-Stout
“Every time I participate in one of these programs, I learn a little
bit more about myself and who I am.”
“In Costa Rica, we visited organizations that were all about giving back because the kids aren’t provided with a strong education system and families aren’t stable enough to provide for
their children,” she continued. “The kids held our hands and
walked barefoot with us by the river. We didn’t say a single word
to each other because we knew none to very little Spanish, but
we said hello and goodbye. We all became very emotional. This
is the kind of exposure that we don’t necessarily see every day
in Menomonie.”
A faculty member’s presentation about innovation in a rapidly
changing world stuck with Ludwig.
“The knowledge I have gained from this trip will stick with me
for years to come. I have no doubt that my experience has
developed me into a better leader,” Ludwig said.
The course will be offered abroad again in January 2014 as
part of the College’s and UW-Stout’s continuing plans to build
connections with and strengthen students’ understanding of
the world.
BUSINESS
Experiences in China boost industry knowledge
Sarah Thomas, junior, watches while Megan Dwyer, sophomore, tries
using a tool that tests steadfastness of snaps on a toddler garment at
Macy’s Hong Kong office.
Student Alyse Hucke of Sheboygan talks with Wisconsin Gov. Scott
Walker at the Governor’s Trade Mission dinner reception in Shanghai
along with UW-Eau Claire Interim Chancellor Gilles Bousquet.
While Gov. Scott Walker was in China this spring to build stronger ties between Wisconsin businesses and China, UW-Stout
students were also there broadening their understanding of
global industry through immersion in the country’s culture and
tours of factories, markets, and other businesses.
finishing, ticketing and packaging; sheet, comforter, and garment production; and quality control processes.
Eighteen students, 14 from UW-Stout, studied in Hangzhou,
China, this spring through Experience China, a living-learning
program run by UW-River Falls and open to students throughout
the UW System.
“The idea behind the program is to provide a well-supported,
affordable, and enriching education abroad opportunity to students,” said Kelsey McLean, program coordinator. “There is an
increased focus on getting U.S. students to study in China, yet
it remains a daunting prospect for many students who perceive
many barriers (real or imagined) to studying in China.”
Seven UW-Stout students and professor Nancy Murray attended
the Governor’s Trade Mission dinner reception in Shanghai on
Thursday, April 18, along with 280 U.S. and China businesspeople and government officials. The reception celebrated the
new Wisconsin Center China, an office to support trade and
investment with China.
While in China, students also toured three factories – Hongliu,
ShinSun, and Artwell – to observe textile printing and dyeing;
color shading; fabric cutting; fiber spinning and product sewing,
Kohl’s Department Stores, headquartered in Menomonee Falls,
Wis., helped fund and arrange the tours in partnership with
China-based Li & Fung. Murray taught three retail merchandising
and management courses during the program and arranged for
UW-Stout students to visit additional businesses and markets
such as:
† True Innovations, which develops and produces office
chairs for all major U.S. retailers under various brand
names.
† Macy’s Sourcing and Product Development office in Hong
Kong to learn about sourcing and product development for
Macy’s private brands.
† The 4 million-square-meter International Commodities
Trade Mart, where 100,000 suppliers exhibit 400,000
kinds of products from about 40 industries. It is an information, innovation, exhibition and distribution center for
consumer goods.
† Beijing Silk Market, where students bargained with product
sellers to hone their negotiation skills.
Students’ semester-long studies also included two required Chinese culture courses, an optional course in Mandarin Chinese,
a host buddy program, a host family program, and cultural field
trips throughout China and Hong Kong.
www.uwstout.edu.com | 13
BUSINESS + HOSPITALITY LEADERSHIP
Career fairs link students to potential employers
Students pursuing hospitality degrees
and retail merchandising and management degrees had the opportunity to
meet prospective employers during
career events that professional student
groups hosted this year at UW-Stout.
More than 50 companies nationwide converged in the Memorial Student Center’s
Great Hall for the seventh annual Hospitality Career Conference on February 19,
2013. Industries represented included
tourism and club, lodging, restaurant,
event planning, resort, property, gaming,
and golf enterprise management.
UW-Stout’s Club Managers Association
of America (CMAA) organized and hosted
the event. Faculty member Phil McGuirk
advises the organization. All attendees
were posted online so students could
prepare for making connections with
potential employers.
The Stout Retail Association (SRA) held
its first Career Social on February 11,
2013, at Memorial Student Center’s
Great Hall. Nine retail companies sent
a total of 25 representatives, including
12 UW-Stout retail merchandising and
management alumni, to the event.
An evening dinner for employers and
SRA members followed the networking
opportunities.
Professor Nancy Murray made a presentation in memory of former UW-Stout
professor Tony Badenoch, who made a
lasting impact on numerous students in
14 | The College of Management at UW-Stout
Lianne Zettel, junior, and Kendall Messer, sophomore, Retail Merchandising and Management
students, talk with Shopko representatives about career opportunities at their corporate offices.
his classes from 1988 to 2003. Through
employer table fees, SRA raised $1,650
for the Tony Badenoch Memorial Scholarship through the Stout Foundation.
they want in a comfortable way. That
evening in her address, she highlighted
parts of their research and encouraged
women to develop their negotiation skills.
Sara Lashever, renowned co-author of
“Women Don’t Ask,” the Ask For It action
plan and the web site www.askforit.org,
was the keynote speaker. The book she
co-authored with Linda Babcock discusses the differences in negotiation between
men and women – namely, that men are
more likely to negotiate. Ask For It is a
plan that teaches women to ask for what
Kohl’s department store helps fund the
SRA’s Professional Development Series,
through which SRA students’ dinners and
Lashever’s presentation were funded.
Employers also conducted formal interviews while on campus for these events.
MILITARY SCIENCE
Traditional Military Ball honors cadets and veterans
More than 200 cadets and their guests
entered the Northwoods ROTC Battalion’s Seventh Annual Military Ball through
an arch of sabers, eagerly anticipating an
evening of honoring graduating seniors,
veterans, and military traditions.
Cadets stood out in their military best,
with pressed uniforms emblazoned with
stripes and ribbons. Their dates wore
beautiful floor-length or semi-formal
gowns. Adorned with regal candles, the
tables in UW-Stout’s Memorial Student
Center were beautifully decorated in
silver, blue, and red.
The February 16, 2013, ball was held
to honor seniors graduating from the
program in commissioning ceremonies
this May, August, and December and
recognize those earning awards for their
accomplishments.
The evening began with playing the “Call
to Mess,” the National Anthem, Cadet
Jeffrey Hilgendorf reciting the “Soldier’s
Creed,” and Cadet Ryan Sajdera giving
the invocation. Cadre presented toasts
that ranged from honoring the president
of the United States to the ladies attending the festivities. After each toast, the
crowd echoed back a requisite response
such as “To the commander in chief!”
“The event is a learning opportunity for
the various military customs and courtesies that are present on the formal side
of the Army,” said cadet John Mans, a
senior majoring in engineering technology
– mechanical design.
Guest speaker Col. David Church’s presentation resonated with Mans.
“Col. Church gave a very inspirational presentation about how a positive attitude
and outlook can turn a unit or leader into
a force multiplier,” Mans said. “Using
his son and other injured veterans as an
example of what can be accomplished
with a positive attitude even after suf-
Northwoods Battalion ROTC Cadets present the National Colors to Lieutenant Colonel Brian
Stout and guests prior to posting the flags for the Military Ball.
fering through life altering traumas was
excellent.”
Church serves as a branch chief in the
75th Training Division headquartered in
Houston, Texas.
Military traditions and symbolism of
honor and respect carried throughout
the ball. At the front of the room a small
table symbolized prisoners of war and
those missing in action. It was draped in
a white tablecloth to indicate the purity
of their actions to serve their country, a
single red rose that signified their bloodshed, lemon to remind all of their bitter
fate, salt symbolic of families’ tears, and
a candle reminiscent of the light of hope
that they will come home.
As graduating senior cadets walked
under a saber arch, a brief biography
of their accomplishments was read. A
ceremony recognized cadets who earned
awards through their grade point aver-
ages, physical training scores, and/or
leadership skills. Former Northwoods
Battalion alumni and all veterans were
honored.
During the formal dinner, cadets practiced proper etiquette they had learned.
After the program, guests were treated to
ice cream sundaes before dancing and
fun began.
The annual Military Ball continues a
time-honored tradition that began in the
1800s at outposts in the Old West.
“The military ball is important for cadets
and cadre of ROTC programs because it
allows them to interact in a different kind
of setting,” said Mans, an award recipient and assistant special projects officer
of the ball. “It allows us as cadets to
have a great time together and socialize
outside of class and leadership labs and
across the three different schools, UWStout, UW-River Falls, and UW-Eau Claire.
www.uwstout.edu.com | 15
COLLEGE OF MANAGEMENT
280E Technology Wing-Jarvis Hall
University of Wisconsin-Stout
Menomonie, WI 54751
NON-PROFIT
ORGANIZATION
U.S. POSTAGE
PAID
PERMIT NO. 3
MENOMONIE, WI 54751
NoteWorthy
Professor named Kohl’s Faculty Fellow
Professor Nancy Murray has been awarded
the Kohl’s Faculty Fellowship for her extensive work in preparing students for the retail
industry in and outside of the classroom in
UW-Stout’s retail merchandising and management program.
Through the partnership, students are able
to visit Kohl’s facilities such as its distribution center, corporate offices, department
stores, and merchandise planning lab;
shadow Kohl’s employees at the MAGIC
tradeshow; and tour factories while studying
in China. Kohl’s also provides classroom
presentations on requested topics.
“These diverse experiences benefit students
in their professional development and give
them a deeper understanding of the retail
16 | The College of Management at UW-Stout
industry,” Murray said.
Upon request, Murray
can meet with Kohl’s
executives to learn
about company procedures. She brings that
knowledge back to
the classroom.
Other companies
wishing to establish
faculty fellowships
Nancy Murray
can contact Associate Dean Lalia Rach,
715-232-1329, for the School of Hospitality
Leadership, or Associate Dean Kat Lui, 715232-5634, for business or management.
Two alumni from the College of Management are currently
serving in Afghanistan. Capt. Christopher Rose (left) was
commissioned on May 16, 2009, and branched Aviation. First
Lt. H Howey (right) was commissioned on May 15, 2010, and
branched with the Corps of Engineers. They are posing in front
of Capt. Rose’s AH-64 Apache helicopter.