Spring 2011 BGSIE

SPRING 2011

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what’s inside 2

A Message from the BGS President

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2011 Beta Gamma Sigma Award Recipients

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EBL in Action: Global Strategies and Cultural Differences

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Food is...Everywhere

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From Field to Plate

BGS Corporate Contributors and Affiliates 2011 Beta Gamma Sigma thanks those organizations that generously support the Society’s programs and services

Beta Level Sponsors ($50,000+) Bloomberg Businessweek Fortune

10 The Next New Thing

Gamma Level Sponsors

12 Coming to a Parking Space Near You...Lunch

($25,000-49,999) Bank of America

18 The Rise of Organic

GEICO

24 BGS Alumni Network: Cleveland Area Alumni Chapter Technology and Innovation Conference

Graduate Management Admission Council (GMAC) KPMG and the KPMG Foundation

25 BGS Alumni Network: Recent Alumni Chapter Activities

Others

26 We are Beta Gamma Sigma: Denis G. Kelly

1-800-Baskets.com 1-800-Flowers.com AACSB International

28 Gifts from Friends

AACSB Accredited Business Programs Apple Store AVIS Rent A Car System, Inc. Becker Professional Review BGS Cell Phone Discounts Carperks Corporantes, Inc. DiversityInc Enterprise

BGS International Exchange Beta Gamma Sigma 125 Weldon Parkway Maryland Heights, MO 63043-3101

SPRING 2011 Volume 10, No. 1 Circulation: 105,091

Herff Jones Hotels.com Kaplan Test Prep and Kaplan Schweser LIFE, Inc. LTC Financial Partners McGraw-Hill Professional Pet Assure

email: bgshonors@betagammasigma.org phone: 314-432-5650 website: www.betagammasigma.org

The PhD Project Princeton Review SIRVA – BGS Home Benefits Supportrix

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Beta Gamma Sigma is a not-for-profit, 501(c)(3) organization.

The Wall Street Journal The Week A list of the many benefits available to BGS members can be found online at: betagammasigma.org/benefits.htm

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A Message from the BGS President

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hope wherever you are in the world as you read this, you enjoy peace, prosperity and a sense of security that allows day-to-day life to continue unimpeded. If not, I sincerely hope the suffering of your families, neighbors and friends will be brief and minimized, and my thoughts are with you. “Normal life” can be a wonderful thing, especially when the alternative can be so devastating.

Recent world events have caused many of us to stop and consider the importance of our life missions.

Petty problems and inconveniences, while disrupting our daily routines, pale in comparison to the myriad examples of chaos we witness on our TV screens daily.

From the unimaginable devastation and consequent suffering of the people of Japan following the earthquake and tsunami; to the destruction and loss of life in Christchurch, New Zealand; to the popular protests and violent government backlashes affecting individuals across the Middle East and North Africa; and to the many other places around the world where individuals and groups face uncertain futures and immense suffering – our thoughts are with you all.

As a member of the Beta Gamma Sigma LinkedIn Group, I received an update, which was a request from a couple BGS members (one in Japan, the other in Los Angeles) to help by giving to the relief efforts in Japan. It got me thinking – as a truly global organization, how can Beta Gamma Sigma act as a better global citizen? What can our role be when it comes to the suffering of those in all corners of the globe? These are heady ideas, but I believe they deserve the attention of our entire membership.

It has been expressed often in this space by me and my predecessors that the intelligence and talents of Beta Gamma Sigma members are the organization’s greatest strengths. As individuals we usually can’t do much when facing the enormity of the world’s biggest crises. We naturally feel powerless that our seemingly small capacity to help just doesn’t accomplish much.

However, I think it’s important to remember why you were chosen as a lifetime member of this organization, and that as a member of the organization you promised to use your talents to better the world around you. You promised to live by the Society’s ideals of Honor, Wisdom and Earnestness, and to act with integrity throughout your personal and professional life. You were chosen because you were the very best among your peers, and you’re now part of a network of worldwide leaders who collectively can accomplish much more than any one of us could alone.

I don’t believe it’s appropriate for Beta Gamma Sigma as an organization to say you should give to one relief organization over another (or to any at all).

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It’s a personal choice how you spend your treasure, just as it’s a personal choice how you spend your talents. In other words, I would never suggest that you should make a trip to Haiti to help rebuild in that stricken land, or that your dollars should go toward a certain group helping with recovery in Japan.

But as president of Beta Gamma Sigma, I encourage each and every one of us to consider how we might make a small difference somewhere. I encourage us to think about how, as a group, we might make the world a better place tomorrow. It might be in our own backyards, where our schools could use the help of “the best in business” as they struggle in many areas to improve with fewer dollars available. It might be in some remote corner of the world, where our fellow global citizens need our talent and treasure if they are to rebuild and prosper. Wherever you choose to help, you can make a significant difference to someone’s life. That may seem like small progress, but not when you consider that you’re one of 650,000 members of Beta Gamma Sigma all around the world.

One of Beta Gamma Sigma’s signature efforts is the BGS Center for Ethical Business Leadership.

As an organization we believe that we can make a difference in the world of business if the collective power of our membership tackles the challenge of ethical leadership. But in these tough times, I urge you to consider the importance of leading ethically when you’re not seated behind your desk in the office.

The challenges before the world are great, but we can’t shrink from our responsibility to do something about them. I look forward to hearing stories about Beta Gamma Sigma members that stepped up and made a great difference in the lives of others.

Robert D. Reid James Madison University President of Beta Gamma Sigma

2011 Beta Gamma Sigma Award Recipients Beta Gamma Sigma is proud to announce the recipients of the Society’s 2011 International Honoree, Medallions for Entrepreneurship and Business Achievement Awards. Each award recipient has been a model of ethical business leadership in his or her career and has exemplified the highest honor and integrity consistent with the ideals of Beta Gamma Sigma.

2011 BGS International Honoree Joseph J. Plumeri Chairman and CEO, Willis Group Holdings

As Chairman and CEO of Willis Group Holdings, Joseph J. Plumeri has been a leader in the insurance industry in an era of unprecedented scrutiny and change. During this time, he has pressed for greater transparency, client service and innovation at the Willis Group and throughout the industry. In 2004, the company became the first – and only – insurance broker to abolish the practice of accepting contingent commissions for retail clients and the first to establish a Client Bill of Rights. In recognition of his efforts to drive positive change, St. John’s University School of Risk Management named him 2006 Insurance Leader of the Year.

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Under Plumeri’s leadership, the Willis Group has strengthened its position as one of the world’s leading insurance brokers through sector-leading organic growth and operating margins, strategic expansion, and a dedication to transparency and passionate client service. Prior to joining Willis, Plumeri enjoyed a 32-year career at Citigroup and its predecessor companies. As CEO of Citibank North America, he led the integration of the consumer businesses at Citicorp and Travelers Group. Plumeri also served as Chairman and CEO of Travelers Primerica Financial Services, Vice Chairman of the Travelers Group, and President and Managing Partner of Shearson Lehman Brothers.

An active and committed community leader, Plumeri has been honored by numerous civic and philanthropic organizations, including the Insurance Industry Charitable Foundation in 2009 for his personal philanthropy and positive impact on the reputation of the insurance industry, and by the Jackie Robinson Foundation in 2010 for his motivational leadership style and pursuit of excellence. Plumeri was also a 2010 recipient of the Beta Gamma Sigma Business Achievement Award.

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2011 Business Achievement Award Recipients The Business Achievement Award honors individuals for significant achievement in business through the traditional corporate route. The achievement may be demonstrated over a career or by a singular achievement that has advanced the field of business and contributed to a community and to humankind.

Willie A. Deese Executive Vice President, Merck; President, Merck Manufacturing Nominated by: North Carolina A&T State University As president of Merck Manufacturing, Willie A. Deese oversees 92 manufacturing sites spanning 30 countries, an operating budget of $7.5 billion, a capital budget of $2 billion, multiple new product introductions and implementation of lean manufacturing across the division.

Under his leadership, Merck Manufacturing has seen a reduction in the operating budget and capital spending, while improving gross margins and product costs.

Deese joined Merck Manufacturing in 2004 as senior vice president, global procurement. He held the same position with GlaxoSmithKline from 2001-04.

Dov Lautman Founder, Lautman Fund Nominated by: Tel-Aviv University In 2008, Dov Lautman established the Lautman Fund for the purpose of promoting equality between Jewish and Arab residents of Israel through education. Co-founded by son Noam Lautman, the Fund is a cornerstone of family commitment to the enhancement of Israeli society and the promise of a better future for all of its citizens.

Along with his work with the Lautman Fund, Lautman serves as president of three educational funds that operate in distressed neighborhoods throughout Israel.

Lautman has received numerous prominent honors in his lifetime, including the prestigious Israel Prize in 2007, and was given an Order of the British Empire by the Queen of England.

Award Recipients Continued on Page 23 bgs international exchange SPRING 2011 www.betagammasigma.org 3

Global Strategies and Cultural Differences The globalization of business has led to the interdependence of economies and companies, but in doing so there can be a conflict of cultures based on very different values, beliefs and traditions. Ethical companies are well aware of these conflicts and resolve them by stating clearly that they will abide by their company’s ethical compass. It is not that they are imposing U.S. or western values on other societies, but rather the company’s chosen policies are being upheld, and they are willing to walk away from business rather than compromise these policies.

These cultural conflicts are a recurring topic in the discussions that the Society has conducted with corporate leaders as part of the BGS Center for Ethical Business Leadership. The following interview exceprts provide a brief insight into how many companies confront these kinds of issues.

William V. Hickey President and CEO, Sealed Air Corporation Perhaps one of my proudest moments was having a management meeting at a restaurant where the table had members of the management group from three countries in Asia, four countries in Europe, two in North America and Latin America.

And although we all spoke English with a variety of different accents, one of the people in the restaurant said, “I can’t believe I heard all of you around the table, and except for the difference in accents, you’re all saying the same thing.”

I took that as an extreme compliment. And it’s true how we think. I like to think that colleagues of mine – when they’re running a business in Thailand, Poland or Argentina – are using the same references, the same benchmarks, the same approach to people in the business that I do here, because we’ve gotten used to the model.

Chung Po-yang (Po Chung) Co-founder and Chairman Emeritus, DHL International Ltd. DHL was able to expand quickly, within a very short period of a time. We are the most global of all global companies.

On management decisions we push decisions to the lowest level possible. Actually, our courier has full control on how he wants to run his beat. By doing that, we force him to learn his job and learn how to keep his job. By pushing that to the lowest level, a lot of time the ethics or the values of the position come into challenge.

Strategic thinking is teachable and must be taught to all levels of management, down to the supervisor. We have operational strategy and marketing strategy, but we also have ethical strategy.

We make sure we mold that person’s profile. Giving people the ability to make decisions is like giving them a gun. Showing them what the strategy is, is like showing them what the target looks like.

Otherwise they keep shooting themselves in the foot.

Corporate culture is an extension of the family culture. Not nepotism, but it’s a tribal culture. Ethics becomes part of the family behavior and then the strategy and also the decision part of your everyday decision.

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Timothy P. Flynn Chairman, KPMG International When you have a global organization, you have to be very respectful of the vast cultural differences around the world. Within KPMG, we do have some global standards. We have a global code of conduct.

Now the words might change a little bit in different parts of the world, but the meaning from the global code of conduct is all the same.

We have our shared global values.

Again, we might change a word or two here and there, but the substance and values are clearly laid out in the local culture and local language; they correspond very consistently with what we have across the globe.

What I believe is most important is engaging the entire organization. Everybody has responsibilities to be part of the ethical fabric of an organization, and to live its values.

If you can create that sense of urgency and that sense of responsibility across the entire organization, that’s a great start.

Jonathan S. Hoak Vice President and Chief Ethics and Compliance Officer, HP We’re obviously a U.S. based company, but we’re a global company. We operate in more than 170 countries and more than half of our employees are outside of the U.S., and almost two-thirds of our revenue. So, we have to confront those kinds of issues on a daily basis.

We’re very clear that we’re one company, one set of values, one code of conduct – our standards of business conduct – and we expect people to comply with that on a global basis.

Sometimes that does create tension, but our view is if we can’t win business applying our own company ethics and values, then we will walk away from the business.

The ultimate test of any ethical culture is, “Will you walk away from business rather than do something inappropriate?”

I certainly think that the great majority of the time we do that. There will always be issues and problems, and we deal with those when they come up.

Anne M. Mulcahy Former Chairman and CEO, Xerox

Herve Gloaguen Head of Group Audit, Allianz

We’re on the ground in 160 We strive to comply with local laws and regulations of countries, and you recognize that your course. That’s basic. No matter what we may do at a group risk is extraordinary when you’re that level, we cannot lose site of the fact that whether we operate in global, that distributed in terms of Asia, Bulgaria, Argentina or the U.S., we have to comply with the way you conduct business. But it local laws and regulations. actually comes back to the basics. And Having said that, over the last six years particularly, we it’s process and it’s people, and I begin have been making important progress into aligning all business with people. processes so that we speak the same language. The way we As you think about integrating all describe a given line of business or a given process is the same of the good principles for conducting now across the group. Most of the originations, if not all, are business through all of the business falling into the target operating model. processes, the most important element That helps tremendously to enhance a particular behavior as well. Because then is the right leadership, and making there is no possibility to misunderstand what the expectations of the group is when it sure you have the right people on the comes to that particular demand. ground.

We launched, a couple years ago, a quite comprehensive anti-fraud program.

As much as the senior leadership One of the key exercises of the program is to define what fraud is. It was leading to team needs to set the tone at the top, important and clarifying discussions on should we consider only internal or external the reality is that the leader in Egypt fraud? Are we talking about employee fraud or insurance fraud? So we have clarified really represents the brand and that that. you have to make sure that your Then we have rolled out blueprints on both the design and the possible controls leadership really emulates the kind that we may have. We have provided training to the employees. We have designated of value system that the company champions in all of the local organizations to make sure this is being lived. expects.

We take one topic like fraud, and each time we make sure that everyone has the In a company that certainly cares same understanding of what the process being involved. Hopefully that helps to about performance, you have to put circumvent possible flows into the cultural differences. an equal – if not more – attention on the quality and the caliber of the leadership. And then you do have Robert Corcoran to make sure that it permeates, that Vice President of Corporate Citizenship, General the messages and the approach permeates Electric everything you do.

If they are words sitting in a file drawer, We don’t view it as this is an clearly they will not be meaningful. They will American code of conduct; this is a not be what people turn to. It has to be real. It GE code of conduct. More than half has to be integrated into the business process. of our employees are outside the U.S. It has to be on that checklist about how people and more than half of our revenue has get promoted and how we reward people and come from outside the U.S. It’s truly a it has to be consistent. global footprint.

I’ve learned that the one thing worse than There are some areas where the not having a really strong code of conduct practices that are common in the and value system is to have one and not act country or common in the industry are consistently with it. Because, then people truly dismiss it as not having not acceptable and are not compliant integrity and not being meaningful in the environment. with the way we work. We tend to know that through all sorts of data. We have operated around the world for a long time.

Whether it’s a cultural norm or a country legal Additional interview excerpts are available for perspective, there are certain practices in some parts of the viewing at the Beta Gamma Sigma Center for world that are more common and less palatable to us. In Ethical Business Leadership. those areas we have clear specific training and instruction.

This may have been acceptable when you worked for someone in this industry in another company, but it’s not acceptable here.

The training, the communications, the leaders we put in place reinforce that. When we find problems we address them. When they’re innocent mistakes, we look at all the facts and make reasoned judgments. When they’re not innocent mistakes, when clearly the individuals knew it was wrong – they knew they shouldn’t be doing it, they knew the company didn’t support this yet they did it anyway – those are the situations where you have to treat them directly and clearly. And that sends a message to others to say, “I guess they’re serious about that.”

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Food is...EVERYWHERE

By: Josh McCarty, BGS Communications Associate

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y the time you finish reading this article, everyone you know will have made at least two food-based decisions.

According to a study at the Cornell University Food and Brand Lab, the average person makes around 250 decisions about food every day. These decisions not only include what to eat or drink, but when, how much and how often.

If you consider that over the span of 16 waking hours, people experience a food dilemma more than once every four minutes.

While most of these decisions cannot be explained, what can be concluded is food plays a very important role in our everyday lives. Regardless of where we are or what we’re doing, a food-based thought is never that far away.

To conduct the study, Dr. Bryan Wansink, Ph.D., director of the Cornell Food and Brand Lab and author of the book “Mindless Eating: Why We Eat More Than We Think,” gave a test group of 139 individuals clickers to carry around with them for a day. Every time they thought about food or made a foodrelated decision, they used the clicker to help tally their daily total.

The study found that people drastically underestimated the amount of thought they give to eating. On average, the test subjects

guessed they made a food-related decision 14.4 times a day. This of course was a fraction of the true number.

But it’s hard to blame anyone in society for thinking about eating on such a regular basis. Everywhere we go, everywhere we look, food is an integral part of what we’re doing and seeing. Whether we’re attending a sporting event, going to the movie theatre or doing something as simple as getting together with family, food seems to be at the forefront of our daily activities.

Take something as simple as the Super Bowl. Friends and family gather for parties all over the world to watch the National Football League’s biggest game. And on this single day, 8 million pounds of guacamole is consumed, along with 14,500 tons of potato chips, according to USA Today.

Informal get togethers aren’t alone when it comes to food domination. According to theweddingreport.com, the average wedding in the U.S. costs $29,000. More than 27.5 percent of that cost is a direct result of food and beverages.

So why is all of this money and effort being invested into what ends up being one meal?

“If you provide food, more people come,” said Jean Bigaouette, a registered dietician and nutritionist in Albany, N.Y. “And the more food you provide, the happier people are. It makes us feel good if we’re snacking on chips, nachos and pizza or drinking alcoholic beverages.”

The overabundance of food is not just reserved for entertainment ventures. A simple trip to the gas station can result in an unexpected food encounter.

And from the gas station owner’s perspective, food sales are among their most profitable commodity. According to MSNBC, for a typical gas station, 70 percent of their total revenue is attributed to gas sales, but those same sales only account for 30 percent of the station’s profit. The remainder comes primarily from in-store items like food and beverages. You could say that the bread and butter of convenience store profits is, in fact, bread and butter.

“Companies are in business to sell products and make money,” Bigaouette said. “They don’t put these items out because they think the customer is hungry. They do so because foods that are high in sugar and salt are more pleasing, and thus more tempting to buy on an impulse.”

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“If you provide food, more people come.

And the more food you provide, the happier people are. It makes us feel good if we’re snacking on chips, nachos and pizza or drinking alcoholic beverages.”

Jean Bigaouette Registered Dietician and Nutritionist

Walking up to the check-out counter, consumers are drawn by delicious snacks like candy bars, potato chips and soft drinks. And the food choices seem to grow by the year. Donuts, bagels, sandwiches, fruit and a wide range of cappuccinos are now considered fairly standard gas station fare And as long as consumers continue to spend extra money on edible items they had no intention of buying, these impulse items, conveniently located near the check-out counter, will continue to be waiting for us.

“Some people are more sensitized by the appearance of food than others,” Bigaouette continued. “Buyer beware.”

Skeptics could look at the availability of food as having a direct correlation to obesity rates, which are at an all time high, with the U.S. leading the way at 30 percent of the adult population. Mexico, the U.K, Slovakia and Greece trail closely, all coming in at well more than 20 percent, according to nutritionmaster.com.

While waistlines continue to expand, so does the ever-growing food industry.

Take the organic food business. What once was a little known specialty food has now evolved into a $50 billion dollar enterprise, taking up shelf space in grocery stores and farmland all over the world.

Food marketing continues to evolve with the use of social media as a driving force.

Food companies and restaurants now have Facebook pages to advertise their specials and send coupons via e-mail. Restaurants and specialty markets also participate in fastgrowing discount buying sites, such as GroupOn, LivingSocial and BuyWithMe. Food trucks that used to offer fast-food standards such as hot dogs and sandwiches are becoming a burgeoning business – increasingly offering gourmet fare from Korean tacos to freshmade buttermilk pancakes – and tempting consumers with tasty alternatives to their regular food options.

There’s even The Food Network, a television option dedicated specifically to eating. According to the Food Network web site, the network draws an average of 44 million viewers each month to primetime television.

The Food Network’s success has now carried over to the print industry, with the launching of Food Network Magazine in 2009.

As a doctor who spends his days trying to help patients cut back on unnecessary eating you might think Wansink would be against this growing visibility. But, you would be wrong.

“Whenever I analyze whether a situation is good or bad, I always wonder what would the converse of this be,” he says. “Would I really want fewer places to buy foods and less interest in food? No.” Fewer anything when it comes to food availability and visibility doesn’t seem to be on the horizon. Just keep your eyes open, because at any moment you’re going to be faced with a food decision. If you make the wrong choice, you’ll have to live with it for the next three to four minutes before the next one comes.

From Field toPlate A

t the end of a long day, few things are more rewarding than the taste of a delicious meal. Whether it’s coming from the comfort of your kitchen or a restaurant, dinner time for many is the moment to relax and catch up with loved ones.

If the feast lives up to its hype, it’s common practice to pay compliments to the chef for the final product.

While this is an act of courtesy and respect, it also represents a significant oversight. The time and effort spent in the kitchen was just the final chapter of the story of this meal. Months of business decisions and transactions – to satisfy the financial needs of everyone involved – have led to this moment.

Down on the Farm Long before the sizzling steak on your plate was cooked, planning and preparation were put into place to make sure it reached the marketplace. Farming, like any other industry, is a business. Colin Johnson has been a farmer in Iowa for the last three years, but has grown up around farming his entire life. On his farm, he is responsible for corn production as well as raising cattle. But many people might be surprised by how much of the farming profession is done behind a desk.

“Half of the job is making all the numbers work,” Johnson said. “The piece you see with us working outdoors is very important, but if you’re not planning properly, or you’re losing money out there,

By: Josh McCarty, BGS Communications Associate

then it’s not going to work out.”

And just like any other business, the dollars brought in need to exceed costs to turn a profit. This simple business concept can become complicated due to the fluctuating value of product.

“The input costs on grains are very fluid, but recently, it has gone up almost 50 percent due to costs of production and fertilizer,” said Ross Garwood, president of the Nebraska Farm Bureau and a farmer for his adult life. “But if you watch grains on the market, they have more than doubled in price. A good agriculturalist knows what the costs are and has them protected one way or another.”

One aspect of farming that is unique compared to other businesses is the seller is not the one responsible for setting the price. ”We’re price takers,” Johnson said. “We can choose whether or not to take the price from the processors, but any number that is offered is offered by them.”

While farmers do not set the price, they do have several alternatives to choose from when it comes to selling their product, each of which comes with both risk and reward.

Some farms sell product up to three years in advance, based on projected market trends for that time.

“There are some times when I think it is appropriate to sell ahead,” Garwood said. “I knew a guy who sold two years’ worth of crops, and in that time the prices really fell, so it was amazingly lucrative for him to do that.”

Garwood, like most farmers, relies on the Chicago Mercantile Exchange, the largest futures exchange in the U.S. for projections on the future value of his product.

“You’re dealing with a board of trade,” Garwood said. “You’re betting on price, maybe a year or two out.”

Just like any bet, sometimes farmers who wager on prices lose. Farmers who don’t like betting on the futures market elect to sell at harvest, which is the option Johnson primarily chooses. In the case of cattle, this means participating in a cattle auction and competing with other sellers for the purchasers’ dollars.

Unlike cattle, grains are not auctioned. Instead, they’re sold in grain elevators, priced according to what the Chicago Board of Trade determines the commodity is worth that day.

Regardless of when farmers sell, who they sell to or how much they sell for, the final numbers are always reflective of the consumer demand in the marketplace.

“If they’re buying it, we’re going to sell it at all levels,” Garwood said. “The other day I was at the grocery store, and all of the meats were selling high. I don’t know if it’s worldwide inflation or what, but until there is pushback from consumers, the prices will continue to be high.”

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Despite all of the research and labor, farmers only see a fraction of the final sale total on any product they sell.

“We only get about 19 cents of every dollar spent on food,” Johnson said. “The remaining goes to processing, distribution, advertising and labor.”

Where did my food come from?

Consumers continue to gain knowledge on all areas of the food industry. As awareness grows, so does the demand for food certification.

“Consumers today have more questions about where their food comes from and how it was produced, and that obviously traces back to the farms and ranches,” said Scott Exo, executive director of Food Alliance. “With Food Alliance certification, we provide those answers.”

Food Alliance – which in 1998 started certifying farmers who meet specified standards for labor practices, pest and disease management, and soil and water conservation – is currently responsible for certifying more than 320 farms and ranches in Canada, Mexico and the United States.

The benefits of using a third-party certification through an organization like Food Alliance, is the relationship they have with not only the farmers, but with processors, distributors and the marketplace, to help their members have a better understanding of the food industry at every level.

“We cultivate interest in issues in the food industry,” Exo said. “We’re constantly talking to retailers and food services to satisfy any questions they might have. Food Alliance does not offer assistance to farmers in terms of setting prices, but they do provide valuable information that can add to the overall profit.”

Upon leaving the farm, food still has several stages to go through before it makes it to the marketplace. Once it’s in the hand of the distributors, they

As a global organization, Beta Gamma Sigma members can be found nearly everywhere. With the recent crises in Japan, New Zealand, the Middle East and many other places, the world needs our help.

BGS calls upon its lifetime members to consider how they might assist their fellow global citizens. The Society hopes that you, as part of “the Best in Business,” will consider helping in a variety of ways.

If you choose to make a monetary gift, you may consider checking with the Better Business Bureau’s Wise Giving Alliance. For Japan relief the Wise Giving Alliance recommends: • American Red Cross

• GlobalGiving

• AmeriCares

• International Rescue Committee

• CARE USA

• Oxfam America

• Catholic Relief Services

• Save the Children

• Church World Service

• World Vision

• Direct Relief International

Source: http://www.bbb.org/us/Wise-Giving bgs international exchange SPRING 2011 www.betagammasigma.org 9

From Field to Plate (continued from page 9)

take over the role of salesmen, trying to market to as many restaurants and grocery stores as possible.

“The distributors are very aggressive, and they find the restaurants and stores,” said Don Benjamin, director of membership for the New York Restaurant Association. “It turns into a bidding war of sorts. The larger restaurants buy from more than one distributor.”

“You want a full truck coming in to deliver,” Benjamin said. “If a restaurant buys a lot of stuff, the prices tend to drop due to gas prices and delivery fees.”

On the Market Once food makes it to the marketplace and is ready to be sold to the consumer, pricing becomes the key ingredient to the entire operation.

According to Benjamin, the general rule of thumb for restaurants is to price food at 300 percent of what it cost to bring in from the distributor. While that sounds like the makings of an easy profit, the pricing of food is anything but simple.

“They have to take everything into account when pricing,” Benjamin said.

“Different areas have different payroll costs. In New York, for example, labor costs are higher in New York City than any other location in the state. Food costs, occupancy costs and whether you’re renting or own the property can all factor in.”

Failure to come up with a sufficient price that not only keeps consumers coming back for your product but also allows for a profit to be turned can mean the difference between a successful operation and a failed business venture.

“The National Restaurant Association recently published that if a restaurant does less than $2 million a year in total food sales, the national average for profit is 2 percent,” Benjamin said. “If it’s over $2 million, it gets up to 4 percent. The difference is astounding.“ Unlike a lot of other industries, food will always be around. So it would seem that a business professional’s decision to go into the food business would be a wise choice. But, as with many other business ventures, there is significant risk. Benjamin has seen many restaurants and grocery stores start and fail, and the majority of the time for the same reason.

“If you’re not careful, it’s easy to get lost,” Benjamin said. “I’ve seen so many people who don’t understand all of the hidden costs. Food, labor, occupancy rates, electricity, water, sewer and advertising are things that are easy to forget about if you’re not careful, and they will absolutely destroy your profit if you don’t adequately account for them when you set your prices.”

Benjamin attributes these mistakes to an overall lack of familiarity with the industry.

“If I could give any person looking to start their own food business some

The Next New Thing By: Seth Treptow, BGS Communications Director

Just a few years ago ciabatta, chipotle, acai, hummus, pomegranate and edamame were probably just funny sounding words to the typical consumer. Today these international ingredients have become commonplace, popping up on the shelves of grocery stores large and small and on restaurant menus ranging from the finest of dining to the quickest of drivethrus.

So where did they come from and why do I suddenly have a craving for them?

Quite frankly they come from all over the world, and in many cases are ingredients as old as time. They aren’t anything new to the world; they are just new to the mass market of consumerism, thanks in large part to globalization and increased international exposure through the media.

“We have become a nation obsessed with food and all the varieties of food. That includes more international exposure and we are getting our exposure in some very new ways,” explained Nancy Childs, professor of food marketing at the Erivan K. Haub School of Business at Saint Joseph’s University.

“A lot of television reality shows, The Amazing Race for instance, are providing Americans with vicarious international 10 bgs international exchange SPRING 2011 www.betagammasigma.org

advice, it would be to get as much experience as you can ahead of time,” he said. “You need to be in the environment, whether it’s in a management position or lower, just to have a feeling for the daily challenges that present themselves in this industry.”

The New York State Restaurant Association takes part in the National Restaurant Association’s efforts to educate prospective food professionals through industry-driven curriculum that offers mentoring, management skills and nationally certified exams. All of these require students to gain valuable work experience within the industry.

While getting started in the food business may be challenging, the reward can be plentiful. At a time when various business ventures continue to fail, food remains a necessity.

“The human population continues to grow at a much faster rate than the number of food manufacturers do,” Garwood said. “Regardless of what the future holds, we know people will need food, and there will always be plenty of mouths to feed.”

So, compliments to the chef, but compliments also to the numerous members of this industry – from farmer to distributor to grocers and restaurant owners – who all work together and rely on each other to make sure that comforting dinner is there for you after a long day’s work.

exposure that they would never have otherwise,” she said. “We have also become foodies through the Food Network and a lot of people are getting exposure to flavors and ingredients they wouldn’t have before.

“It’s an easy opportunity to gain exposure, and the more people who get exposed the more you want to be current and informed.”

Childs also attributes much of the increased exposure to the recent innovations and proliferation of social media.

“It breaks down barriers and familiarity breeds acceptance.

Don’t underestimate all the exposure through blogs and social media. If I’m wondering, ‘What the heck is chipotle?’ I can look it up, learn what it is, read a blog about it and you can go to YouTube to watch a video and learn how to cook with it.”

With all the informational sources and outlets available to consumers, the food service industry has been quick to respond, providing many more options for shoppers and diners.

“Grocery stores have made access to international foods much easier than it was even five years ago,” Childs said. “Big stores will have four or five varieties of hummus, 10 varieties of olives and there are a lot more packaged, convenient ways to get these foods. These more obscure produce, like edamame, are now available. People have a chance to do a bit of experimentation and get intrigued.”

Also capitalizing on these developing food trends have been restaurants, who have been very open to bringing in new flavors

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and opportunities to their menus.

“If you think of a Chili’s or a T.G.I. Friday’s, one of what we call traditional casual restaurants, you will have some comfortable choices but you will also have a couple exotic flavors and entrees,” Childs explained.

“Restaurants give us a lot of opportunity to experiment, but mostly all these venues are seeking access to something new and fresh to put on their menus. All the standbys are still there, but you can bring in these new flavors, new excitement, and keep your restaurant fresh and interesting.”

While grocers and restaurants are eager to capitalize on the next new trend, Childs explained that these dietary innovations are fueled by consumer demand.

“In a mass market you’re not going to introduce a chipotle concept if there isn’t a market for it, and your research hasn’t validated that. A grocery store is not going to dedicate SKUs or square footage on the floor to items that aren’t turning.”

Celebrity chefs have become powerful influences on the consumer palate. They are intently interested in the unknown and “are great advocates for ingredients. What they think is hot and exciting can garner a pretty broad exposure,” Childs explained.

Another aspect of the power wielded by these celebrities is their ability to tell what Childs described as an ingredient’s story.

“Sometimes an ingredient’s story is that it’s healthy, even when there isn’t any scientific basis to support that. Other times the story is that a food is from a tropical or exotic location,” she said. “When you think about spices and teas, we get very into where it comes from. We have ways to express a food’s sophistication, and that just helps bring an ingredient to the forefront. These stories give legs to these

ingredients.”

That ability to tell a food’s story, along with the variety of media access points for consumers to learn about ingredients, means that at any time the general populace may be introduced and exposed to the next big funny sounding word that will hit the shelves and end up on the dinner plate.

“There are just so many more places to be exposed to the information and it can take off pretty quickly,” Childs said.

“Some of these things can flash and disappear and it’s the new health ingredient of the year. Some just cycle through.

Consumers seek variety. Consciously or not, consumers love variety.”

bgs international exchange SPRING 2011 www.betagammasigma.org 11

“They told the competitors to show up about an hour before the competition. I show up an hour and a half early and the line is over a mile long, five people wide. That wasn’t the competitors, that was the people waiting to get By: Seth Treptow, BGS Communications Director in,” Danhi said. “I realized then what a huge, fanatical grilled cheese following there is out there. I t’s lunchtime on a typical Tuesday didn’t win the competition but as I’m leaving I see one of these specialty gourmet food and you and your fellow co-workers trucks out front taking advantage of this captive audience in line. decide to step out of the office for a “The ironic thing was that the truck was serving healthy organic wraps. I thought quick nosh. You could pop on down to this is kind of ill placed. You have gluttony on one side of the line and an organic freethe local diner for a bite, or hit the driverange chicken burrito on the other. And that’s when a little light went off in my head. thru around the corner. Been there, done What about a grilled cheese truck? I went home, did a little research and I couldn’t find that. You bust out your smartphone one in the world.” and check your Twitter account. Lo and The light in Danhi’s head would be illuminated even more brightly a week later behold, the new food truck you’ve been during a fishing trip with other top Los Angeles area chefs. dying to try is going to be near your office “The day before they asked all the chefs to bring a bit of food for everyone to share. today. Bingo. Problem solved. Better go Still having grilled now if you want to beat the line. cheese in my head “People are captive at their work, I asked if I could they have an hour to eat, and they have use the griddle the same restaurants around them all on the boat. They the time,” explained Dave Danhi, owner, said absolutely, operator and self-described “Big Cheese” so I made my of the Los Angeles based Grilled Cheese chessy mac and rib Truck. “When the food trucks come sandwiches and in, there may be eight different ethnic I blew them all cuisines outside their door that weren’t away,” he said. there yesterday and tomorrow they’ll be “As I was different. That creates a demand.” walking by the The concept of food from a truck is editor who not a new one. For almost as long as there organized the have been trucks, there have been people whole trip, she The sandwich that launched serving food from them. But the trucks in looked at me The Grilled Ch Dave Danhi’s eese Truck this new wave of mobile eateries have set wide-eyed and Cheesy Mac an d Rib sandwich . themselves apart from their predecessors said, ‘This is with unique menus, creative marketing amazing.’ I and utilization of social media to drive asked her if she their businesses. could imagine a grilled cheese truck and she was just beside herself.

The trucks themselves are part That was that,” Danhi recalled. “Four days later, back on land, I get a call from her rolling kitchen, part rolling billboard. The saying that she had four people who were very interested in talking to me about my operators within are as varied as their idea. That sat with me and I realized that maybe I should actually think about this.” cuisines, representing a variety of cultural Another proprietor who opted to parlay her previous restaurant experience into a tastes and culinary styles. They are career in the mobile food industry is SuAn Chow, owner and operator of Chow Haute vanguards and entrepreneurs, navigating Asian Cuisine on the Go. Chow was the first food truck operator to hit the scene in Salt their way through a myriad of legal Lake City, and for that matter, all of Utah. issues, not to mention opposition from “I saw the trend of this concept, and I wasn’t interested in starting another fullexisting eateries. And they are coming to on brick and mortar business,” Chow said. “I have done that in the past, and I a parking lot or street corner near you. was interested in re-entering into the food industry in a different manner.

For many food truck operators, fine I had researched the food truck industry and saw how well it had dining is in their background. Such is been received in other parts of the country and realized that the case with Danhi. After 20 years of it would probably hit Salt Lake City at some point, so I working as chef at many high-end fine figured I would rather be the first than the last.” dining restaurants, Danhi’s inspiration to “In other countries foods from trucks open his truck came while competing in are nothing like what’s been the the Grilled Cheese Invitational, an annual history of truck food here cooking contest in which competitors vie in the United States. to make the best – you guessed it – grilled Here it’s been cheese sandwich. processed

I

12 bgs international exchange SPRING 2011 www.betagammasigma.org

“For so many years, the franchise fast food concept has predominantly been the same, and very repetitive. There haven’t been a lot of alternatives and there hasn’t been a lot of quality. We are able to offer a quality product, using fresh local ingredients, that is delicious and affordable at a grab-and-go price point.”

SuAn Chow and pre-packaged. In other countries, food from trucks is some of Owner and Operator, Chow Haute Asian Cuisine on the Go the best you can get. As people have become savvier about traveling to other countries and experiencing the cultures, they have realized that the concept of street food does not have to be a negative.” by the chance to interact directly with Chow says offerings made available by trucks like hers are great customers, an opportunity not available alternatives to the existing fast food and grab-and-go options. to chefs in most restaurants.

“For so many years, the franchise fast food concept has predominantly been the “My husband gets to cook for same, and very repetitive. There haven’t been a lot of alternatives and there hasn’t been them, hand them their food, and a a lot of quality. We are able to offer a quality product, using fresh local ingredients, that lot of times get instant reactions from is delicious and affordable at a grab-and-go price point.” people. We have some followers who A relative newcomer to the gourmet food truck industry is Sabor’a Street, owned have literally followed us around to the and operated by the husband-wife team of experienced chef Jorge Pimentel and different locations. It’s just fun to see attorney Christine Sarapu. Hitting the streets of Washington, DC in February 2011, the the enthusiasm that people have for the truck has already gained attention for its Latin inspired street food. truck.”

“We had a great response on a local food blog that we are tapping into this great According to Sarapu, it took tradition of Latin food that is just not available to the masses. Right now we have approximately a year-and-a-half for arepas on our menu and that’s something you don’t find much on the east coast,” Sabor’a Street to go from said Sarapu. “I know of a great little restaurant in San Francisco that sells them, concept to fruition. Besides but they are pretty hard to find out here.” the purchase of the truck Sarapu says that she and her husband saw the food truck industry as a fresh, and the installation cutting edge way to get their food into the marketplace. They were also attracted

bgs international exchange SPRING 2011 www.betagammasigma.org 13

Coming to a Parking Space Near You...Lunch (continued from page 13)

of the kitchen, one of the biggest hurdles – and most time consuming processes – to overcome was the paperwork.

“We had to go through quite a bit of paperwork with different agencies – Department of Health, Department of Consumer and Regulatory Affairs, the Fire Marshal – and get our licensing completed,” she explained. “When you are doing this for the first time, everything is so new, so it is really easy to underestimate how long things are going to take to do. We definitely did that at first. We originally thought we would be able to open at the end of December or the beginning of January. Paperwork, though, took longer than what we expected.”

Paperwork and red-tape aside, one big advantage that has attracted many proprietors to go the food truck route is the amount of start-up capital it takes to get the ball rolling.

“To open a small restaurant in Los Angeles will cost you no less than $250,000 to $300,000 and you can get into a truck comfortably for ($60,000),” explained Danhi. “The problem is that many people who are getting into it are

going in very under-capitalized and with no industry background and they are losing their money because they fail to realize that this is very hard work with a lot of moving parts. It’s a lot harder than a restaurant to maintain.

“I often get asked, ‘What’s harder running a truck or a restaurant?’ I used to say neither. They are both hard, just different. Now though, after doing this for a year and a half, I would say that opening a truck and running a truck is much harder than a restaurant.“ Just like any business, food trucks present their own set of pros and cons that can make life complicated for owners and operators.

“A restaurant, on a slow day, can’t go to where the business is. They are stuck there. That’s a huge plus for us as we can customize our demographic just by where we schedule ourselves. But with that pro comes a big con in that the regulations are really coming down and we operate to the letter of the law,” said Danhi. “We’re not just this rogue truck who sees a parking space and pulls over and sets up shop.”

Further complicating things for truck proprietors is that the laws regulating their operation can vary greatly from stop to stop, even within a very short distance.

“In Los Angeles there are 88 sub-cities. If a city has a city hall, we need to have a business license to operate there,” Danhi explained. “You really have to make sure you know what each city’s laws are because they are all different.”

The legal variations that exist from city to city are not issues isolated to the Orange County area. Gourmet food truck proprietors across the country have been battling the Continued on Page 16

“I often get asked, ‘What’s harder running a truck or a restaurant?’ I used to say neither. They are both hard, just different. Now though, after doing this for a year and a half, I would say that opening a truck and running a truck is much harder than a restaurant.”

Dave Danhi

Owner and Operator, Grilled Cheese Truck

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“People will know we are coming, so they will not only flag us down, but they’ll save us parking spots.

Christine Sarapu Co-owner, Sabor’a Street

Coming to a Parking Space Near You...Lunch (continued from page 14)

Sabor’a Street’s Ar

epas

still in a location and that the line is going down. Inevitably the line starts same kinds of issues. up again.”

“You have to take into consideration Sabor’a Street is by no means the only food truck to harness the power of social the ordinances of the municipalities in media as a marketing tool. In fact, the recent growth in the gourmet food truck industry which the truck is located. Every area has very much gone hand in hand with the continued proliferation of Twitter and can change and be different. Whether I Facebook. am in the city, the county or some other By utilizing the “smart mob” potential of social networks, truck operators have area, they all have their own regulations,” been able to keep followers up to date with where the trucks will be on any given day, Chow said. and even build a following before opening their windows for the first time.

As a lawyer, Saparu is trained to “I got real nervous because I didn’t want to be the second grilled cheese truck in understand the legalese of the regulations the city so I jumped on Twitter. Before that I had no tweets – never had I even thought Sabor’a Street has to navigate. And while of it being a verb in my vocabulary,” Danhi said. “I just put out a few simple tweets to she says her legal background has been three local blogs saying, ‘Did you hear the Grilled Cheese Truck is coming?’ I shut my advantageous, she too admitted being computer down, went to dinner, came back and we already had 70 followers. In just frustrated by the regulations. two hours there were 70 followers for something that didn’t even exist yet. The next “The vending regulations for night we had 200, the following night 350, the night after that 500. I realized then that Washington, DC were set up for ice cream social networking was going to create the personality of the truck; this is going to be trucks and sidewalk vendors who have what the truck is. to get permits for a particular spot. The “Flash-forward to the day we got our keys, we ended up having 2,500 followers regulations, as they are written, state that who were very hungry for grilled cheese,” Danhi continued. “I didn’t want the buzz to we are not allowed to stop at a particular disappear so we did a pre-melt at a friend’s restaurant. We got the website ready to take location unless we are flagged down – reservations and put an announcement out on Twitter that the first 250 people to sign like an ice cream truck would be,” she up could try the sandwiches before the truck was out for free. It took a little less than 20 explained. minutes to fill up the 250 and within an hour we had another 750 on the waiting list.”

Saparu said they have been able to Needless to say, Danhi has been very impressed by the power available to him utilize social media to help alleviate some through social media. of these issues.

“The social media aspect of it blows my mind. We had a special melt last week, a “People will know we are coming, fried chicken and waffle melt, and I posted a picture of it when I was literally waiting at so they will not only flag us down, but a bar. Eight minutes later, over 500 people had already viewed it. Over the next couple they’ll save us parking spots. The rules days, 6,000 people viewed that picture. It became a top-20 on Twitter. It is the true also say that once you stop, if there is definition of viral.” no longer a line you have to close your window and leave. We can’t sit and While social media has proved to be a very useful tool for food truck operators on wait five or ten minutes. We have to go. the marketing and promotional front, it hasn’t helped operators overcome another key Tweeting during service is also handy, challenge – opposition from the existing restaurant industry. Owners and proprietors of because we can let people know we are many brick and mortar restaurants have met the trucks with a great deal of negativity – feeling threatened that trucks are taking away their business.

One food truck owner who takes issue with that allegation is Chow.

While she admits to struggling with the concerns expressed by restaurant owners, she ultimately feels that the experience offered by food trucks differs entirely from that by restaurants, and that her customers are looking for something outside of what restaurants provide.

“I don’t have tables. I don’t have anywhere for someone to sit. They have to stand in front of the truck, eat in their car, or take it back to work or home,” she said. “People who go to a restaurant for a sit-down dinner are looking for that dining experience. It’s extremely rare that people wanting that experience will change their minds and decide Chow Haute Asian on the Go’s Pork Cutlet Slider and Spring Quesidillia to stand in front of the truck or eat in the car.”

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Chow also argues that competition is just part of business.

“I could also open a restaurant next to an existing restaurant,” she said. “There will always be competition with other restaurants and competition with other trucks.”

While many restaurateurs are choosing to do battle with the food trucks, others are getting in on the action, using the trucks as a marketing tool, taking their cuisine directly to the masses.

One such example is Pi Pizzeria in St. Louis, Mo. Opened in 2008, the upscale pizzeria received a huge boost following a ringing endorsement from U.S. President Barack Obama. A subsequent invitation to cook for the president’s family and staff at the White House didn’t hurt business either. Following the April 2009 trip to 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue, Pi’s business increased a reported 80 percent, and since that time the company has opened three additional locations in St. Louis, and one in Washington, DC. Pi was one of the first to jump into the food truck arena in St. Louis.

The company’s Pi on the Spot truck makes regular rounds around the city, setting up shop for lunch in various locations throughout the metropolitan area.

“We do generate some new customers from the truck, but greater than 50 percent of our sales are to existing brick and mortar customers, so we go where they live and work. We bring the product to them, rather than them needing to drive to us,” explained Chris Sommers, owner of Pi. “We saw it as an extension of our business, a way to get our product to people who couldn’t make it into our brick and mortars, a means to build a catering business, and a means by which to test a new market for a potential brick and mortar restaurant.”

Since launching the Pi on the Spot truck, business at Pi’s brick and mortar locations has been on the rise, so as far as Sommers is concerned, entry into the mobile food arena has been a worthwhile investment – particularly on the public relations and promotional fronts.

“The press that it generates allowed the truck to pay for itself before it even began selling,” he said. “The truck is a roaming billboard for us, constantly reminding guests and potential guests of our existence.”

Continued on Next Page

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The Rise of Organic By: Josh McCarty, BGS Communications Associate

I

magine if I told you that I had a plan to bring back the 1969 Sony Trinitron 13-inch television, absent all of the high definition, three-dimensional, cable/satellite ready qualities that exist in today’s televisions, and I was going to market it against every modern model in stores today?

Obviously the chance of this business venture succeeding would be pretty remote (an ironic choice of wording considering the Trinitron didn’t even include a remote).

As difficult as it is to imagine any product succeeding in the 21st century without the same advancements and technologies of the direct competition, you don’t have to look too far to find an example of one that’s not only experiencing success, but thriving.

The business of organic food has evolved into a $50 billion a year industry while ignoring most agricultural manufacturing enhancements that have been invented since World War II. So what is it about this growing industry that allows it to keep multiplying in consumers, product exposure and value?

What is Organic?

To accurately understand the organic food industry, you must first understand what qualifies a product as organic.

“The term refers to the way agricultural products are grown and processed,” said Christine Bushway, the executive director and CEO of the Organic Trade Association (OTA). “It includes a system of production, processing, distribution and sales that assures consumers that the products maintain the organic

Coming to a Parking Space Near You...Lunch (continued from page 17)

Despite the marketing power offered by these roaming billboards, there are many logistical issues that truck operators have to take into consideration that traditional restaurateurs may not.

Location Selection “We look for density, density, density. People need to be able to walk to the truck,” explained Sommers. “We turn down most locations in suburban settings, because people would still need to get in their car to find us, and that defeats the purpose in our minds.”

“It’s confusing. You just have to work the best you can around all the different areas,” said Chow. “Right now I only have one truck, and scheduling the one truck requires a lot of time. In the past year we have tried different locations and events. Some have worked, some haven’t. It’s just like the development of any new business, you learn as you go. It’s always a juggle to keep it all straight, but you do what you have to do.”

Weather “It’s raining here today, just horrible, and we had to close. If the weather is really bad, and it’s raining really hard or we have a severe storm we’ll close” said Saparu. “As for the winter, all of us in DC know and understand that our busy time is going to be between April through October.

“It will certainly slow down in the winter, but on days of severe weather we will have to close. Unfortunately this isn’t Los Angeles. The trucks seem to still do pretty good business in the winter months though. It’s really amazing the temperatures that people will endure to stand in line.”

Space Constraints “The problem with a truck is that you have a very finite amount of space so you can only serve so much. With a restaurant you have as much storage as you can handle,” commented Danhi. “We can only sell so much, which is a pain in 18 bgs international exchange SPRING 2011 www.betagammasigma.org

the neck. Plus there is the whole organizational side of it. If you get out to a stop and you forgot your spatulas, you don’t have spatulas.”

Health and Safety Inspections “We have to go through inspections once every six months and we also have random health inspections when we are out during service,” explained Sarapu. “We are inspected twice a year, whereas brick and mortars are not inspected as often.

“For the most part people in this area understand that we are very clean and held to very high standards by the health department. There is also some transparency, because people can look right into the kitchen from the window. That’s very reassuring for the customers to see how clean our kitchen actually is.”

Another issue for food truck operators, particularly those just getting into the field, is market saturation. While gourmet mobile dining may be new to many metro areas, in cities where the business model has been well established it has become increasingly difficult for start-ups to find success.

“We got in early. When we first started working on the truck there were ten trucks,” recalled Danhi. “By the time we got on the road, six weeks later, we were number 36. We were in fairly early, because a year or so later, there are more than 200 of these specialty trucks in Los Angeles alone.”

“I have a half dozen people coming to me every week saying that they want to open a truck. The first thing out of my mouth, and it has nothing to do with competition, is ‘Don’t do it in Los Angeles,’” Danhi continued. “I want the industry to thrive, and I will do anything I can to help someone to get into the industry but LA is over-saturated. Every concept under the sun has been done and new trucks are just going to fall by the wayside as another truck.”

Outside of the crowded major markets, Danhi sees a lot of potential for further growth of the gourmet food truck trend.

“The United States is one of the few countries in the world

integrity that begins on the farm.”

In a nutshell, organic means crops are grown without the use of conventional pesticides, artificial fertilizers, human waste or sewage sludge. For animals, it means they were reared without the use of antibiotics and growth hormones.

Industry Growth In this age of high technology and time savers, consumers consider cell phones to be inadequate if they’re unable to answer e-mails, watch television, record video and listen to music all from one little handheld device.

It may be hard to believe in a time when consumers want more for less that an industry can continue to grow annually while using less technology, but the organic industry has done just that.

According to the Organic Industry Survey conducted by the OTA, the global annual sales of organic food and beverages have risen to more than $50 billion, a number that more than doubles the $25 billion total from 2003.

In the U.S. alone, annual sales of organic food and beverages are up from $1 billion in 2000 to more than $25 billion in 2010.

In total, there are more than 3.5 billion acres being organically farmed by almost 1.4 million producers in 154 countries worldwide, according to data from The World of Organic Agriculture 2010.

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War paint for today’s business world.

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that doesn’t have an established street food culture that is a part of everyday life. If you go to Europe, Asia or Latin America you’ll find that street food is part of business.

It’s part of everything,” Danhi explained. “Here, we are such a regulated country it just never was able to happen.

Now enter the food truck, and the state and the county can regulate it, they can make some money on it, and it can be done correctly. That’s really helped food trucks boom around the country.”

And thanks to that boom, along with an ever-growing and increasingly fanatical following, these trucks have very quickly become more than just a quick spot to get a bite to eat on a Tuesday afternoon. They have managed to carve out their own niche in business and in popular culture.

“I never thought it would turn into this little slice of pop-culture,” said Danhi.

“Last Halloween I know of at least three people who dressed up as the Grilled Cheese Truck. That was the point that I just shook my head, and realized that we have impacted a lot of people.

I wouldn’t say we are changing the world, but we are definitely making people smile. It’ll be exciting to see where this thing goes next.”

Dr. Bill Christiansen, Finance Department Chair and Bank of America Professor of Finance

bgs international exchange SPRING 2011 www.betagammasigma.org 19

“It used to be that when you went to shop for organic products, you had to go to a natural foods store that wasn’t the easiest to find. Now you find organic food everywhere. The offerings are going to continue to grow and they expand well beyond industry.”

Christine Bushway Executive Director and CEO, Organic Trade Association

The Rise of Organic (continued from page 19)

But why has this industry continued to flourish?

“People are much better educated today, so they understand that ultimately they have some responsibility for the longevity and quality of life,” Bushway said. “They’ve really started to look at how they eat and what they eat, and how it can contribute to their life and their longevity.”

The organic consumer today enjoys a wide variety of choices.

“It used to be that when you went to shop for organic products, you had to go to a natural foods store that wasn’t the easiest to find,” Bushway said. “Now you find organic food everywhere. The offerings are going to continue to grow and they expand well beyond industry.

Personal care items, toothpaste, soap, lotions, hair and shampoos are just some examples. Organic cotton also is huge.”

According to the OTA, mass markets like Walmart and Target account for 54 percent of organic food sales. Natural

retailers like Whole Foods and Trader Joe’s are next, accounting for 38 percent of total organic food sales. Whole Foods Market, the world’s largest retailer of natural foods, has grown from one store in 1980 to more than 300 stores spread around North America and the U.K., with more than 54,000 employees.

Other sales avenues are export, the Internet, farmers’ markets, community supported agriculture, mail order, and boutique and specialty stores.

Consumer Appeal Of upmost importance to the organic consumer is that the food products they buy, as well as the ingredients used in those products, are organic. While some studies have shown an organic diet to be more nutritious than conventional, most researchers agree there is not a significant nutritional benefit to eating organic food. That said, the primary draw to the organic industry is the limited exposure to environmental chemicals.

Environmental and health benefits aside, for most consumers, the first question asked when comparing one product to another is, “how much does it cost?” In the case of organic food, the answer is generally not a favorable one.

According to Mother Nature Network, organic products cost a few cents to several dollars more than their conventional counterpart, depending on the food type. Organic foods such as eggs, poultry and rice can costs anywhere from 150 to 200 percent more than those conventionally produced.

But what is it about this industry that makes the products more expensive than traditional foods?

Ross Garwood, the president of the Nebraska Farm Bureau, has been around farming all of his life and said organic prices must continue to be higher to compensate

How much more does it cost?

Below are examples of some of the price differences between conventionally farmed produce and organically farmed produce.

Conventional Cost

Organic Cost

Conventional Cost

Organic Cost

Salad Mix

$3.85

$8.14

Carrots

$1.59

$2.21

Eggs

$1.35

$3.99

Poultry

$.80

$2.37

Milk

$2.83

$4.43

Spinach

$4.45

$8.59

Strawberries

$3.23

$5.14

Broccoli

$.96

$2.22

Source: Mother Nature Network

20 bgs international exchange SPRING 2011 www.betagammasigma.org

for the higher cost of organic farming.

“Organic farming is expensive because they don’t allow themselves the tools like pesticides or herbicides, so yields are low,” Garwood said. “They also have higher transportation costs because organic product is going to have to go to select marketplaces further away, and they’re delivering a smaller quantity of food.”

Organic Certification Farmers, manufacturers, food handlers and the marketplace are subject to organic certification regulations. Food certified as organic has been grown according to strict uniform standards that are verified by independent state or private organizations.

This certification requires inspections of processing facilities, strict record keeping, and periodic testing of soil and water to ensure that growers and handlers are meeting required specifications.

Different levels of organic certification are applied in different countries.

In the U.S., for example, the United States Department of Agriculture has established three levels of organic food labeling, which can vary depending on the level of organic ingredients used in manufacturing the product but mean a world of difference to the interested consumer.

To obtain the 100 percent organic label and use of the USDA organic seal, only products that contain all certified organic ingredients qualify.

The next level is certified organic, which means at least 95 percent of the ingredients, with the exception of added water or salt, must be produced organically.

The third level requires at least 70 percent of the ingredients to be organic, and while the label can say made with organic, there is no USDA label accompanying it.

Imported foods that have been manufactured outside the U.S. and have met the organic certification standards of the originating country still must meet the USDA organic certification standards to qualify as organic in the U.S. Genetic Concerns The organic industry, while on a continual rise, is not without concerns going forward. Recently the USDA approved Genetically Modified (GMO) alfalfa, which is a crop primarily used as hay for cattle.

The problem for organic farmers, according to the OTA, is that alfalfa pollen is known for being easily transported by the wind, which means that GMO alfalfa can easily spread to non-GMO fields.

And since genetically modified crops are not allowed in organic products, if GMO alfalfa ends up feeding cows bred to produce organic milk or beef, the organic label no longer would apply.

Amy Todisco is the owner and founder of Green Living Now, an organic and natural online store. Along with running the store, she has kept her finger on the pulse of the organic industry for 18 years as a green consultant, green coach, author and radio host. In her opinion, there is no room for compromise when it comes to GMOs and organic fields.

“When the USDA got into the game as far as certifying, there was a certain amount of skepticism, wondering if USDA certification meant as much as it once did with the issues involving GMOs,” Todisco said. “It’s something we have to look at, because fans of the organic industry are very particular about their products, and want to make sure they are what they’re advertised to be.”

With organic consumers willing to Continued on Next Page

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bgs international exchange SPRING 2011 www.betagammasigma.org 21

“There is a big debate among organic farms whether or not having an organic McDonalds, for example, is a good thing.

Feeding people healthier foods is always a wise alternative, but once big businesses get involved, are you watering down the organic standards in an attempt to make a larger profit?”

Amy Todisco Owner and Founder, Green Living Now

The Rise of Organic (continued from page 19)

pay more for their product, they’re doing so because, in part, they’re purchasing with the assumption that there are no GMO’s in their foods. And anything less than 100 percent GMO free products is unacceptable to many organic consumers.

“We don’t advocate for anything that weakens the standards,” Bushway says. “We work hard to support the tough principles that our consumers have come to expect.”

Going Forward It’s easy to look back on any industry and marvel at how far it has come. With organic food sales at an all-time high, the questions is, “how far can it go?”

Currently organic-only restaurants exist in all 50 states in the U.S. as well as in numerous other countries around the world. As popularity continues to grow, it could only be a matter of time before global food chains develop organic-only alternatives.

While the potential of having more recognizable restaurants trending toward organic food would seem to be a victory for the industry, some organic advocates argue the integrity of the product could become weakened.

“There is a big debate among organic farms whether or not

having an organic McDonalds, for example, is a good thing,” Todisco said. “Feeding people healthier foods is always a wise alternative, but once big businesses get involved, are you watering down the organic standards in an attempt to make a larger profit?”

The OTA does not share the same concerns Todisco does when it comes to a potential weakening of organic value.

“People see the profit and the growth, and they want to jump on the bandwagon,” Bushway said. “There would be changes that potentially could water down the standards, but I really don’t see that happening. We work hard to support the tough standards.”

And it’s those same tough standards that have consumers consistently willing to pay more for the products. Despite the old-fashioned methods, there is nothing out-dated about this booming industry.

What did you think about this issue of the International Exchange?

Share your thoughts with the editor: exchange@betagammasigma.org

The BGS Store From our Business Professional items to t-shirts, sweatshirts, caps, certificate frames, lapel pins, coffee mugs and much, much more, the BGS Store has something for every member.

Show your pride in your BGS membership.

Wear and display official Beta Gamma Sigma apparel and merchandise.

www.bgsstore.org 22 bgs international exchange SPRING 2011 www.betagammasigma.org

2011 Business Achievement Award Recipients (continued from page 3) Martin Tuchman Chairman and CEO, Interpool, Inc. Nominated by: Seton Hall University

Ralph de la Vega President and CEO, AT&T Mobility and Consumer Markets Nominated by: Northern Illinois University

Martin Tuchman is chairman and CEO of Interpool, Inc., a leasing company listed on the New York Stock Exchange. With offices located throughout the world, it’s one of the top three international leasing companies in terms of net worth.

Tuchman is a member of the United Nations Business Council, comprised of international executives organized to promote understanding and cooperation between business and government.

Tuchman serves on the Board of Directors of the Parkinson’s Disease Foundation of Columbia Presbyterian Hospital in New York. He also serves as chairman of The Tuchman Foundation and The Parkinson Alliance.

As president and CEO of AT&T Mobility and Consumer Markets, Ralph de la Vega heads up all consumer marketing, sales, content and converged services, customer care and operations for both wireless and wired communications. His list of accomplishments includes leading the company through their launch of the cutting-edge Apple iPhone.

De la Vega also has authored the book “Obstacles Welcome: How to Turn Adversity into Advantage in Business and Life.” In it, de la Vega shares his personal and professional obstacles, which ultimately led to the successful merger of Cingular Wireless and At&T Wireless.

2011 Medallion for Entrepreneurship Recipients The Entrepreneurship Medallion is awarded to outstanding individuals who combine innovative business achievement with service to humanity. The individuals’ accomplishments may have taken place anywhere in the world, but must be consistent with the ideals of Beta Gamma Sigma. The BGS Medallion for Entrepreneurship was established to provide appropriate recognition to those individuals and firms that contribute significantly to the vitality and strength of the economy, combining innovative business achievement with service to humanity.

Gerianne Tringali DiPiano Founder, President, CEO and Chairman, FemmePharma Global Healthcare, Inc. Nominated by: Saint Joseph’s University A nationally renowned women’s health expert, Gerianne Tringali DiPiano serves as president and CEO of FemmePharma Global Healthcare, Inc. and is chairman of its Board of Directors. DiPiano founded the company in 1996 in response to the industry’s narrow focus on women’s health needs.

With more than 30 years’ experience in the healthcare industry, DiPiano’s background spans many facets of the pharmaceutical industry including sales, marketing, market and systems planning, medical affairs, new product development, licensing and business development at several multinational companies.

DiPiano has been a finalist in the Ernst and Young Entrepreneur of the Year for the Greater Philadelphia Region in 2002, 2003 and 2004 and has been recognized in “People to Watch in 2004” by Philadelphia Magazine.

Blake Mycoskie Founder and Chief Shoe Giver, TOMS Shoes, Inc. Nominated by: University of Hartford Under Blake Mycoskie’s leadership, the TOMS Shoes One for One movement has given over 1,000,000 pairs of new shoes to children in need through giving partners around the world.

In 2007, only a year after its founding, TOMS Shoes was honored with the prestigious People’s Design Award from the Cooper-Hewitt National Design Museum, Smithsonian Institution. Two years later, Mycoskie was honored with the Secretary of State’s 2009 Award for Corporate Excellence. The award celebrates companies’ commitment to corporate social responsibility, innovation, exemplary practices, and democratic values worldwide.

Mycoskie is a sought-after speaker at campuses and conferences. He is passionate about inspiring young people to help make tomorrow better, encouraging them to include giving in everything they do, from business practices to day-today decisions.

Rex Sinquefield Co-founder, Dimensional Fund Advisors Inc. Nominated by: Saint Louis University One of the world’s leading financial gurus, Rex Sinquefield now spends most of his time and resources dedicated to philanthropic causes.

Sinquefield developed some of the nation’s first index funds, which trust rather than “outsmart” the market. In 1981 Sinquefield co-founded Dimensional Fund Advisors, which today oversees $100 billion in global assets.

Since retiring in 2005, Sinquefield co-founded the Show-Me Institute, a not-for-profit free-market think tank.

In 2007, Sinquefield provided the seed capital for the creation of The Chess Club and Scholastic Center of Saint Louis, a destination for both new and seasoned chess players in St. Louis.

Sinquefield is a life trustee of DePaul University and serves on the boards of the Missouri Botanical Garden, Missouri History Museum, Opera Theatre of Saint Louis, Saint Louis Art Museum, St. Louis Symphony and Saint Louis University. He also serves as a director of the St. Vincent Home for Children. bgs international exchange SPRING 2011 www.betagammasigma.org 23

On Jan. 15, 2011, the Cleveland Area Alumni Chapter hosted its first Technology and Innovation Conference, a daylong event held at The Idea Center at Playhouse Square in downtown Cleveland. More than 100 BGS members came out to take part in the event, which featured a variety of presentations on maintaining a culture of innovation from speakers including Ray Lugo, executive director of the NASA Glenn Research Center; Dean Ilijasic, director of consumer innovation and senior vice president at Key Bank; and Marc Byrnes, chairman and CEO of The Oswald Companies.

The event also featured a case study competition in which teams of BGS members from throughout eastern Ohio presented their case for Google’s re-entry into the web browser market in China, and was capped off with an evening of open networking.

To find out more about the BGS Cleveland Area Alumni Chapter, please go to www.bgscleveland.org.

Here are a few excerpts from the conference:

Ray Lugo Executive Director, NASA Glenn Research Center As you all well know, we went to the moon in the ‘70s and we haven’t returned in almost 50 years.

Innovation is a big part of NASA’s history, and it is obviously going to be a big part of our future. Sometimes when you hear the word innovation, it stirs up different thoughts in people’s minds as to what that means. I think at times we make the term innovation a bit harder than it needs to be.

Human beings have innovated since the dark ages when we invented the wheel. It changed the landscape of humanity. That was a hard thing, but I think we would have invented the wheel irrespective of whether it was easy or hard because there are so many things that occur in nature that are like this.

History should be our guide. We have led the world’s economy largely because of innovation. Today, many emergent economies are growing at a rate that is faster than the growth of the United States. There is a higher degree of global competition.

NASA’s mission today is to lead scientific and technological advancements in aeronautics and space for a nation on the frontier of discovery. The United States got into the space program driven out of a cold war situation. Part of our strategy to protect the U.S. was to have a strong and vibrant space program, predominantly for the defense of the country, but also for national stature.

President John F. Kennedy established a goal to put a man on the moon and return him to earth safely. That was the challenge of the ‘60s. To ensure the quality of life that we have become used to, we are going to have to go back to our roots of innovation.

24 bgs international exchange SPRING 2011 www.betagammasigma.org

Dean Ilijasic Director of Consumer Innovation and Senior Vice President, Key Bank The last thing we need in this country are more innovative bankers. If you think back, we were the guys who took a simple thing like a variable rate mortgage, made the payments really low, made it available to sub-prime clients with little or no credit, often times for a hundred percent more value than what the house was worth. I would have loved to have been in on the brainstorming session where they came up with that idea. In a strange way though, that is exactly why banks need to innovate.

Banks have forgotten to put clients at the center of the equation. Often times what we do is start with the product instead of taking into consideration what the client needs.

When we don’t do that, that’s when we get into trouble.

Right now, the main factor in how someone chooses their bank is whether it’s close to their house. That’s a pretty low bar. People put more thought and effort into which brand of bottled water they buy than which bank they choose. Banks have not developed a unique value proposition, understanding what’s important in your life and defining what they can do to meet those needs.

There are a lot of ethnographic sciences and behavioral sciences finally being applied to the research banks are doing, which is fantastic. So while product people are sitting in the back of the room wondering what they can do with a rate or a fee, you actually have people following consumers and clients around, seeing how they live, how they operate, how they make ends meet. What are the games they play to make sure they have enough money at the end of the week. That’s where you can find the inspiration to find new products and services. That’s finally beginning to happen on a more regular basis.

If banks don’t really innovate, and innovate around their client, they are going to be in some serious trouble. Not just banks. A lot of industries are in the same situation.

RIGHT: Technology and Innovation Conference Case Study Competition Winners Monica Kraszewski, Sumeng Qu and Vance Stewart

Recent Alumni Chapter Activities

South Florida Area Alumni Chapter

With 26 chapters around the globe, the BGS Alumni Network always has a great deal going on.

Some events provide attendees the opportunity to learn about a key business topic from someone in the know. Others give the chance for attendees to meet, mingle and network. Still others offer a well-deserved chance to kick back and have a good time.

January 19, 2011 Networking Social, Pablo Davidov, Ph.D., MBA, “Leadership Lessons from The Godfather”

Regardless of the type of event being held, one thing is certain: BGS Alumni Network events provide a great opportunity to connect with your fellow “Best in Business.”

To give a better idea of some of the activities taking place at the alumni chapter level, here’s a list of recent events.

Atlanta Area Alumni Chapter

Cleveland Area Alumni Chapter

New Zealand Alumni Chapter

January 25, 2011 Sandy Weaver Carman, “Make Your ‘Web Presence’ More Effective & Profitable”

January 15, 2011 First Annual Case Study Competition

March 31, 2011 Prof. Greg Whittred, Dean of The University of Auckland Business School, Matthew Haigh, Head of Innovation at Deloitte New Zealand and Mike Peffers, General Manager of Rocklabs, “Vision Studies: Conversations about Our Future”

February 22, 2011 Gavin S. Appleby, Employment Law Attorney, “Social Networking Disasters (and Benefits) and How to Deal with Them” March 12, 2011 BGS Night with the Hawks with pre-game speaker March 15, 2011 Jim Spruell, Executive VP/CCD TG Madison Advertising, “Endless Ideas in Advertising” Charlotte Area Alumni Chapter January 19, 2011 New Year Social February 16, 2011 BGS Anniversary Celebration and Trivia Contest March 16, 2011 Networking Social Chicagoland Alumni Chapter January 20, 2011 Jim Brasher, “Life in Public Accounting” February 22, 2011 Winter Networking Event, “Welcome New Inductees!”

March 1, 2011 Sanjay Khosla, President Developing Markets, Kraft Foods, “Winning through Focus”

February 5, 2011 BGS Night with the Cleveland Cavaliers March 22, 2011 Networking and Elections Denver Area Alumni Chapter December 16, 2010 Speaker Event, Michael Lenzini, “Achieving Your Ideal Lifestyle Doing What You Love: Creating your Life’s Work in Four Phases”

Philadelphia Area Alumni Chapter

February 7, 2011 Event with U of Miami School of Business, Professor Stuart Diamond, “Getting More, How You Can Negotiate to Succeed in Work and Life” March 16, 2011 Networking Social, Harold Diamond, “How to Stand Out in the Competitive Employment Market” St. Louis Area Alumni Chapter December 2, 2010 Dr. Robyn Berkley, Consultant and Life Coach, “Building Trust, Ethics, and Employee Relations: Challenges of the 21st Century Workplace” Switzerland Alumni

February 23, 2011 Networking Happy Hour

February 17, 2011 Romandie Event in Lausanne

March 11, 2011 BGS Night at the Colorado Avalanche

San Diego Area Alumni Chapter

Hong Kong Alumni Chapter

February 24, 2011 James Thorn, “Art is Big Busine$$”

Washington, D.C. Area Alumni Chapter

January 26, 2011 Starbucks – Coffee Seminar February 23, 2011 Karaoke Dinner to celebrate the Year of the Rabbit and BGS Founders’ Week

March 21, 2011 Networking and Speaker Event: Online Brand Management Experts Panel Seattle Area Alumni Chapter January 26, 2011 Networking Social, Meet the New Officers

Los Angeles Area Alumni Chapter January 9, 2011 NBA Basketball at Staples Center February 3, 2011 Speaking Event, “The Economy, Real Estate, and Investments – From Uncertainty to Opportunity”

March 29, 2011 Fred DeKay, Assoc.

Prof. of Economics at Seattle University, “Washington State Economic Forecast”

January 6, 2011 Educational Event, World Bank Site Visit January 20, 2011 Networking Event January 31, 2011 Professor Grzegorz W. Kolodko, former Minister of Finance-Poland, “Truth, Errors and Lies: The Politics and Economics in a Volatile World” February 17, 2011 Networking Event March 2, 2011 Speaker Series Event, Tim Ryan, The International Finance Corporation and Emerging Markets Investing

March 7, 2011 Wine Tasting Dinner Featuring Cornerstone Cellars March 11, 2011 Beach Cities Chapter of the Institute of Internal Auditors Annual Professional Seminar

The BGS Alumni Network just got bigger....

Beta Gamma Sigma is proud to announce the launch of the Society’s two newest alumni chapters in Northern Germany and Spain. If you live in these areas, and would like to learn more about how to connect with your fellow “Best in Business” check out the Alumni Chapter page on the BGS website, www.betagammasigma.org/alumni.htm bgs international exchange SPRING 2011 www.betagammasigma.org 25

Profiling the Best in Business Denis G. Kelly - BGS 1996, Marquette University

D

on’t be alarmed, you have more than likely already been a victim of identity theft. The cold truth is everyone’s identity has been stolen.

This frightening claim is the focus of Beta Gamma Sigma member Denis G. Kelly’s (BGS 1996, Marquette University) book, “The Official Identity Theft Prevention Handbook: Everyone’s Identity Has Already Been Stolen, Learn What You Can Do About It,” which hit the shelves in December 2010.

But is it really possible that everyone has been a victim of this crime?

“Through a lot of research and data analysis, this was the conclusion I came to,” Kelly said. “Since 2005, Privacy Right Clearing House reports there have been more than 500 million document data breaches, and those are the only ones of record.

Companies don’t like to admit they have been breached. There are many more.”

Throughout the book, Kelly explains that while everyone has had their identity stolen, most victims have yet to feel the consequences of the theft.

“I describe identity theft like this: If you have your credit card stolen, it’s a crime. Even if there haven’t been any purchases made, you’re still a victim of a crime. It’s the same with identity theft. Once your information is in the wrong hands, you are a victim.”

Before someone can adequately protect themselves from identity theft, they must understand what is making them vulnerable to this crime.

Kelly says the biggest problem is the use of people’s Social Security numbers as “America’s identifier” through many different organizations. In his opinion, these same companies are ill-equipped to protect that information from getting into the wrong hands.

“The government forced society into a national identification system with the Social Security number as its foundation,” he said. “The Bank Records and Foreign Transactions Act required all banks to obtain Social Security numbers on all of their customers. Now, if you wanted to work, drive, hold a bank account, file taxes, purchase a home, go to school or be a member of the military, a Social Security number was required; it became Americans’ national identifier.”

“The Social Security number is highly 26 bgs international exchange SPRING 2011 www.betagammasigma.org

predictable,” he continued. “It does not contain biometric identifiers, cards are not tamper proof and it does not have proper legislation to safeguard it as a national identifier. In essence, we created this thing of enormous value as it represents your identity, and we provided minimum protection.”

With the rising problem of identity theft, Kelly’s book certainly isn’t the first one published on the topic. What separates “The Official Identity Theft Prevention Handbook” from the rest are the answers provided on how to protect yourself.

“I didn’t want to be on a soapbox talking about how dangerous identity theft is,” he said. “I wanted to focus on the solution. This book provides actionable takeaways for the reader to protect him or herself, which corporate America and the government has proven they do not care to do or don’t have the ability to do. This is the first book that calls major corporations and organizations to the carpet for needlessly placing your identity at risk.”

Kelly had very little writing experience prior to authoring the book. After graduating from Marquette University in 1997 with a degree in business economics, he spent the majority of his professional career working in banking.

So how does someone with little to no writing experience end up being the author of a published book?

“I never set out to write one. As I was interviewing with various banks, I realized a lot of products and services were putting people’s identities at risk. I came up with the idea to write a training program for identity theft prevention, and it evolved into a book.“ Many experienced authors write books that never make it to the shelves. For Kelly, coming in with no writing experience, a majority of the battle was learning about the process on the fly.

“It was a big undertaking,” he said. “Especially if you’re not a writer, how do you decide how much length you want or what kind of message you want to relay? If you sit down with a blank piece of paper and try to write a book, you’re going to struggle. I was able to figure out a winning format of the different topics I wanted to talk about.”

Kelly started writing the book in April 2009, and it only took him a month to finish. Upon completion, the challenge went from how to write a book with no experience to how to get a book published.

“No matter what you write about or how well it is written, it’s hard for a first time writer to get attention,” he said.

Most authors send query letters to

“If you’re not a writer, how do you decide how much length you want or what kind of message you want to relay? If you sit down with a blank piece of paper and try to write a book, you’re going to struggle.”

Denis G. Kelly (BGS 1996, Marquette University) Author, “The Official Identity Theft Prevention Handbook: Everyone’s Identity Has Already Been Stolen, Learn What You Can Do About It”

literary agents and smaller publishing companies in an effort to get their book noticed. But after Kelly failed to garner attention from literary agents, he sent a letter directly to Sterling and Ross Publishers, and that’s all it took to pass through the system and get his book published.

While this moment is a highlight for any prospective author, Kelly said we was determined to not let the book’s publishing determine his feeling of accomplishment.

“If I were advising anyone on writing I would say to do it for yourself,” he said. ”Don’t let whether you’re published or not be the definition of your success. The reality is very few are published. I feel like I got lucky.” “Wow! I passed all 4 parts the first I could not have done it without The book has been available time. since Dec. 7, 2010. Since that Becker. The materials are great and

time, Kelly has done a national media tour, including being featured on the Fox News Channel as well as in Readers Digest.

“There has been a very good response,” he said.” This is a longer term book though. It’s not something that it comes out the first day and is a best seller.”

As far as the future goes, the wheels are already in motion for a second edition of “The Official Identity Theft Handbook.”

While focusing on the same topic, the second book will be geared more to professionals. No target date has been set for conclusion.

For more information on Denis Kelly and The Official Identity Theft Handbook, please visit www.sterlingandross.com/Identity.html.

the national instructors are amazing.

Thanks so much to everyone at Becker for helping me pass.”

- CPA Candidate and Becker Alum

Let Beta Gamma Sigma help you take the next prepared for step in your career.

You’ve got this test covered. Becker Professional Education has helped accounting professionals pass the CPA exam with confidence for more than 50 years. With Becker you can:

· Pass at double the rate of non-Becker candidates* Beta Gamma Sigma strives to provide a lifetime of benefits for Join over 400,000 successful candidates who prepared Societywith members.

Whether you are new to the career front, or Becker have been inprogram thetoworkplace forlifeyears, BGS is pleased to offer a Tailor our the demands of your busy with live, online and self-study formats variety of benefits that may help you take that next important step. ·

·

Log on to becker.com/cpa and prepare to succeed.

* Becker Professional Education students pass at twice the rate of all CPA exam candidates who did not take a review course from Becker, based on averages of AICPA-published pass rates. Data verified by an independent, third-party firm. ©2010 DeVry/Becker Educational Development Corporation.

All rights reserved.

®

View the complete list of the many benefits available at:

www.betagammasigma.org/benefits.htm bgs international exchange SPRING 2011 www.betagammasigma.org 27

Gifts from Friends Beta Gamma Sigma gratefully acknowledges the support of the following individuals, as well as the organizations listed on page one. Without this assistance, the Society would be unable to continue adding value to the lifetime membership.

Chairman’s Board $2,000-$4,999 Business Achievement Award Joseph W. Moeller University of California at Berkeley Eric F.C. Li The University of Georgia Ogden O. Allsbrook James Madison University Robert D. Reid Marquette University Theodore C. Rogers New York University Graduate School of Business Robert Kaufman Ohio Northern University James W. Fenton, Jr. University of Rhode Island James A. Viehland Texas Christian University Gordon R. England Director’s Table $1,000-$1,999 Arizona State University William Weise University of Arkansas John M. Norwood Baruch College-The City University of New York William E. Oakley University of Buffalo, State University of New York Paul F. Eckel California State University-San Bernardino Anh M. Nhieu Fordham University Bert W.M. Twaalfhoven Georgia Southern University Dan T. Cathy Jacksonville State University Carl W. Gooding Kent State University George E. Stevens Loyola Marymount University John T. Wholihan Miami University Robert J. Kamerschen Michigan State University Bruce D. Bottomley Midwestern State University Kay R. Dillard University of MissouriColumbia Carl S. Quinn The University of North Carolina at Greensboro James K. Weeks North Carolina A&T State University Bernard J. Milano Northern Michigan University Scott L. Holman Northwestern University Ernest C. Styberg University of Pennsylvania John C. Hanson Purdue University Jerry S. Rawls Rutgers-The State University of New Jersey Newark Gerald H. Lipkin Saint Joseph’s University James J. Maguire Valdosta State University Kenneth L. Stanley Villanova University Debra A. Arvanites Western Carolina University James A. Valkenaar , Jr. Western Illinois University Vicki C. Klutts Marsh & McLennan Companies, Inc. President’s Cabinet $500-$999 Aston University Tim Watts University of California at Berkeley Jerome L. Dodson University of California, Irvine David H. Blake California State University, Chico Henry W. Wright California State University, East Bay Atul Dhablania Clark Atlanta University Janice D. Dubose University of Connecticut Dolores J. Katzenberger East Tennessee State University Allan D. Spritzer University of Hawaii Arlene Cabalce Indiana University Christopher T. Winkler University of Kansas W.C. Hartley University of Maryland Russell F. Smith The University of Michigan Sanford R. Robertson Michigan State University Philip E. Lippincott

Missouri State University William H. Darr New York University Richard A. Leibner The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Paul H. Broyhill North Carolina A&T State University Bowman K. Burton John J. Fernandes Northwestern University Ronald N. Paul Ohio University Albert J. Weatherhead III University of Pittsburgh Tadeu Carneiro Purdue University Dennis J. Weidenaar Seattle University Gary P. Brinson University of Southern California Matt Lyons Southern Methodist University Cher E. Thomas Jacobs Stephen F. Austin State University Joe M. Green Brian K. McAlpine The University of Texas at Arlington Daniel K.C. Wu The University of Texas at Dallas Patrick M. Murray Texas State University-San Marcos Denise T. Smart Thunderbird School of Global Management Barbara McConnell Barrett Tulane University Lance B. Young Valdosta State University Jerry J. Jennett Wayne State University Paul A. Glantz University of WisconsinOshkosh Lawrence C. Bittner Dean’s Club $250-499 The University of Akron Henry S. Belden University of Alabama at Birmingham M. Gene Newport The University of Arizona James W. Grantman David P. McElvain Margaret J. Rice University of Arkansas Thomas F. McLarty Aston University Adrian Cadbury Auburn University at Montgomery Kath M. Carter University of Baltimore Barry A. Benz Baruch College-The City University of New York Murray H. Neidorf Baylor University Tim D. Brewer Boston College Mary G. Desimone Bennett S. Yee Boston University Harvey A. Creem Thomas A. Greenquist Gregory E. Hudson University of Bridgeport Michael S. Jelormine University of California, Los Angeles C. William Winkler, Jr. California State University, Fullerton Andrea M. Evans University of Cincinnati Hugh H. Hoffman The Claremont Graduate University John W. Bachmann Clark University Dawn Murphy Colorado State University Anne L. Binkley Columbia University Richard M. Cryan Barratt H. Jaruzelski University of Dayton Anthony J. Ballmann DePaul University Tucker Tyler Drake University Anne E.D. Hilton Drexel University Kathleen M. Kiernan Duquesne University Steven R. Berlin James M. Zillian East Carolina University Allan K. Shores Kimberly J. Shores Fairleigh Dickinson University William C. Kulkens

University of Florida William T. Huntley Louis F. Morr Florida International University Joyce Elam Fordham University Philip M. Halpern Vincent R. Reinhart The George Washington University John M. Cibinic Hofstra University Michael T. Borgia Indiana University Martha Alsen Atherton Shirley Spiegel Deutsch Allen E. Rosenberg Indiana University Southeast Norman E. Pfau, Jr. Jacksonville State University James L. Coxwell, Sr. John Carroll University Jack J. Kahl, Jr. Kansas State University Robert C. Salem, Jr. Kennesaw State University Jack Dinos University of Kentucky Richard L. Hooker Lehigh University Paul Caster University of Louisiana at Monroe William H. Krutzer III Loyola University Chicago Maria Tabrizi Loyola Marymount University Jerry N. Katz Vaughn A. Wendelstadt University of Maryland Curtis L. Scribner University of Massachusetts Dartmouth Susan West Engelkemeyer The University of Memphis Connie M. Luzwick University of Miami Marianela J. Hernandez Marlies R. Ledford-Kraemer Scott A. Voorhees Miami University Keith L. Bremer Scott D. Schweinfurth The University of Michigan John C. Morley Michigan State University James T. Morton University of Minnesota James B. Dagnon Duane R. Kullberg Gerald M. Mitchell Mississippi State University Fred O. Cornett, Jr. University of Missouri-Kansas City Karen D. Stelling Patricia A. Yakimo University of Missouri-St. Louis John E. Jacob Missouri State University John E. Wanamaker University of Nebraska-Lincoln Elif N. Akcayli New York University Ronald E. Blaylock Nicholls State University Richard Barker North Carolina A&T State University Quiester Craig James Smith University of North Dakota Dennis J. Elbert Northwestern University John R. Hannah University of Notre Dame Thomas S. Taylor Jeffrey W. Yingling The Ohio State University Norman S. Crystal Oregon State University Ken Austin Joan Austin University of Pennsylvania Stephen A. Bansak Dwight R. Fearins Hugh J. Zimmer University of Rochester Ramachandra Bhagavatula St. John’s University Iris Altilio St. Mary’s University Cynthia H. Munch San Diego State University Debra A. Ernst University of San Francisco George W. Parkerson Linda M. Rigas San Francisco State University Wesley R. Petit Santa Clara University Robert J. Emmons Shippensburg University Robert J. Lieblein University of South Florida Loretta S. Loftus Anonymous

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University of Southern California Doreen L. Gee Southern Illinois University Edwardsville Deborah L. Johnston Dana C. Walker Syracuse University George D. Coupounas Syracuse University Walter W. Hemming Temple University Stephen H. Morris The University of Tennessee at Knoxville Kenneth W. Patton The University of Texas at Arlington Susan M. Williams The University of Texas at Austin Jason H. Downie Earl C. Huse The University of Texas at Tyler Billy G. Hartley Texas A&M University Karen W. Currie Texas Tech University Barbara A. Frankhouser Virginia Polytechnic Institute & State University James A. Hixon James E. Pearman, Jr. Washington University John P. Wareham University of Washington Bradley M. Feldman University of WisconsinMadison Thomas G. Ragatz Wright State University Scott A. Hewitt Frank James Xavier University Alexander Weber, Jr. Century Club $100-$249 The University of Akron Michael J. Berthelot Joseph Keblesh Trevor A. Koenig David Leshner The University of Alabama Thomas W. Armstrong Herbert A. Barr Jeffrey S. DeMond Ulysses V. Goodwyn George W. Jeter Barbara Dubis Merino Paul J. Raisig George R. Rea, Jr. Susan D. Rheney Rance M. Sanders University of Alabama at Birmingham John L. Bakane Jeffrey I. Stone The University of Alabama in Huntsville Wallace E. Kirkpatrick University of Alaska Anchorage Donna M. Conrad University of Albany, State University of New York Edward J. Wehle The American University Francis D. Tuggle The University of Arizona Bruce C. McAlister Thomas J. Nichols Arizona State University Heidi Choy Bette E. Dickey Janet R. Getz Donald R. Morriston University of Arkansas James L. Ashmore Richard M. Bushkuhl Gene Cogbill Robert R. Estes Kenneth P. Hankins Walter P. Henry John W. Ingraham Greg W. Lee David R. Malone Ward N. Marianos Donald F. McNiel Harry Shipley Bryan A. Speed Robert P. Taylor Albert G. Vasser Robert E. Wahlman Arkansas State University Graham J. O’Neal Augusta State University Paul S. Simon Babson College Tirthankar Chatterjee Ball State University Kara Y. Hoover Lenox Philip H. Sprowl

Baruch College-The City University of New York Jon S. Adler Swee L. Chia William Copulsky Irwin Ettinger Lee A. Feldman Seymour Gartenberg Charlie Cheh Hwang Edwin B. Morris Dr. and Mrs. Samuel G. Ryan, Jr. Walter J. Salmon Jerome A. Seidman Abraham L. Seiman Saul H. Wadowski Joseph D. Weisberg George T. Wendler Shing Wah Wong Baylor University Robert A. Fitz Bentley University David P. Demarco James F. Parslow Matthew R. Wizeman Boise State University Sharon Evans Nielsen Pieter M. Ytsma Boston College Philip A. Bertolo Thomas F. Faherty Michael G. Faucher James R. Kearnan Henry K. Kelly Boston University Arthur C. Anton Saul D. Behr Theodore R. Fick Robert C. Gorin Annabelle C. Kellogg Terryl G. King Gitta M. Kurlat James J. Lemahieu Donald F. Morrison Alan J. Rosenblum Richard A. Scheid Bowling Green State University Richard L. Foran Michael W. Hoffman Gloria A. Lefevre Henry J. Merce, Jr. University of Bridgeport Rita A. Galgano Bryant University Kwame O. Dapaah-Afriyie University of Buffalo, State University of New York Kenneth P. Ferris Richard A. Shick George H. St. George Kenneth I. Tuchman Business Achievement Award Martin Mintz University of California at Berkeley Leonard A. Aplet Christy P. Armstrong James A. Craft Jennifer L. Eccles Arthur E. Johnson Harold E. Kren Leland E. Leisz Bernice M. Strube Howard R. Toole Ira K. Vantress, Jr. University of California, Irvine James F. Elliott Walter A. Meares Lyman W. Porter University of California, Los Angeles Sydell M. Bubman Derrick K. Doi Irwin S. Field Al A. Finci Bernard D. Fischer Irwin D. Goldring Albert Lilienfeld Gerald Lippey Jesse D. Miller Ross E. Roeder Carol L. Rowen Arnold Rudin J. Graham Wallace, Jr. California State University, Bakersfield David F. Glossbrenner Donna J. Goins California State University, Chico William A. Spooner California State University, Fresno Eric G. Juline California State University, Fullerton Cecile L. McKee Michael A. Siino California State University, Long Beach Smita Yogendra Katbamna Rosa N. McDonald Susan V. Parsons James A. Pearson Russell E. Walker

GENEROUS DONORS SUPPORTING BETA GAMMA SIGMA March 1, 2010 through February 28, 2011 California State University, Los Angeles Beverly A. Hood Suzette D. Nelson Olympia S. Salmas George J. Walendowski California State University, Northridge Jo Ann Costa Christopher J. Curry William R. Hollinger California State University, Sacramento Thomas J. Miller David W. Moen California State University-San Bernardino Kimberly J. Hales Canisius College Michael R. Monin Gerald C. Saxe Nicholas F. Urbanski Jeffrey G. Wagner University of Central Florida Monica Simms Forbes Jacqueline E. Keith University of Chicago Thomas G. Baker Wallace W. Booth Catherine A. Daniels Thomas W. Davis Jeffrey C. Nichols Richard J. Weiland Kuno A. Wyler Christopher Newport University Margaret A. Bevelacqua University of Cincinnati Robert E. Dobbs Clark Atlanta University Hubert D. Glover Clarkson University Mark J. Stevens Clayton State University Victoria L. Williams Clemson University Van G.H. Clouse John P. Harman Marvin J. Pinson, Jr. Cleveland State University Marilyn L. Hatfield Nancy J. Irle Linda H. Rogalski Coastal Carolina University G. Henry Jobe University of Colorado at Boulder Paul E. Bartlett Karin D. Doughty Makoto Fletcher Robert S. Graham Katherine L.M. Hart Jeffrey D. Lovell Edward C. Mitchell Pamela J. Timmerman University of Colorado at Colorado Springs Monica E. Tucker University of Colorado Denver Joanne R. Casper Colorado State University Richard L. Robinson Steven J. Vander Wal Columbia University Steven N. Brody Oscar B. Garfein Cyril H. Hermele David P. Jones John E. Meyer Paul P. Morimanno John T. Quinn Robert J. Ruben Diana M. Sattelberger Washington Sycip Bartholomew J. Tortella H. Ronald Weissman Concordia University Gary Germeil University of Connecticut Robert C. Burrill Lindley M. Franklin John R. Harvey H. Douglas Porter George G. Roller Carl S. Smith Creighton University Bryan K. Brown Delaware State University John Ridgeway University of Denver Mark H. Alldredge Lowell A. Hare Marcia C. Newhart Brett D. Wilhelm DePaul University David Bouvier Ellen Miller Arthur Perrone Gary S. Richman James T. Schaefer University of Detroit Mercy Kathleen Dul Aznavorian Mark R. Carver Lynn Ellyn Jaime F. Encinas Frederick Z. Herr Jacob Rehmann Patricia A. Tourney Francis Westmeyer Drake University Bruce G. Kelley Daniel B. Peterson Daniel E. Prall Steven J. Roy

Duquesne University William H. White East Carolina University Bonnie L. Brown Max R. Joyner August F. Malson William H. Powell Joseph M. Tomkiewicz Eastern Illinois University Janet Treichel Eastern Michigan University Charles F. Hoitash Michael W. Krell Eastern Washington University Clifford D. Davis Emory University Katherine Buckman Gibson James E. Herring Solon P. Patterson Homer E. Smith Robert P. Stalder William L. Westbrook Fairleigh Dickinson University Norman Sohn University of Florida John C. Appel Frederick E. Fisher Robert A. Miller Robert C. Norris John J. Slaboch Walter J. Smith John C. Sollee Gus A. Stavros Florida Atlantic University Carlene R. Walker The Florida State University Mark R. Arrigo Lowrie W. Brown Kee Juen Eng James S. Howell, Jr. John A. Lemine Grady H. Williams, Jr. Fordham University Joseph T. Casey Robert J. Cummins Doris R.F. Duignan Gene F. Lee Gregory C. Papalexis Diane Turner Francis Marion University Frank H. Avent George Mason University Maria A. Cunningham Carol Shapiro The George Washington University Edward F. Dube Mary M. Lewis Allan I. Nappen Philip D. Reiff Georgetown University Gregg J. Felton Jeffrey P. Travers The University of Georgia Billy B. Beazley John W. Chapman Johnnie L. Clark Mary Hollis Clark Ako Doffou John J. Ossick Georgia Southern University Ralph M. Andrews Chenzira Qiana Bohannon Mary Frances Hazeldine Lewis M. Stewart Georgia State University Jay A. Bernath Helen M. Blanchette Dale N. Davis Walter R. Henderson Charles D. Hudson Larry F. Miller Richard S. Novack Louise Osborne Gary B. Roberts David Zell University of Hawaii William G. Hall Hammond S.K. Hu Wallace Sung Tim Kam Joseph J. Meyer Roger A. Peterson Barry Taniguchi Hofstra University Janet R. Cordano Eric H. Kagan Gregg A. Luckman Suzanne M. Sideris The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology Tak Lok Cheng University of Houston Emma S. Baez Dan Jolly Anne Thatcher Parrish Kenneth Y. Rosenzweig University of Illinois Clifford R. Buys Ronald J. Domanico Michael E. Fox Thomas W. Hough Thomas B. Sleeman Henry D. Strunk John M. Tucker University of Illinois at Chicago Mary Smoley Blust Anne Marie Drougas Carl M. Go

Indiana University Mary E. Bonhomme Rhett W. Burgess Terri L. Clark Donald C. Danielson Clarence H. Doninger Thomas L. Dusthimer William D. Fischer John D. Grant E. Jan Hartmann Jeffrey A. Hatch Jolaine L. Hill William C. Hurst Douglas A. Jentilet Winson Jones Howard Kahlenbeck, Jr. James A. Kayler James M. Krueger Edwin P. Lecroy, Jr. Blair W. MacDermid Gail E. Mullin Robert G. Nettles Henry T. Noell David B. Pearson Michael Pierce Patricia M. Taylor Mervyn R. Thede John V. Thomas Thomas F. Veldman Richard F. Weaver Indiana University-Purdue University Fort Wayne Jonathan B. Dutton Indiana State University James M. Gutting The University of Iowa Jeffrey B. Warner Gerald W. Whitnable Victor W. Wilson IQS-Institut Quimic de Sarria María José Esteban Ferrer James Madison University Joyce Woodson Guthrie University of Kansas Edward C. Burns Mary McCann Phyllis Wales Kansas State University Patrick R. Robinson Kent State University Robert L. Domer Joseph L. Huffman Dallas P. Lutz Dale T. Morsefield Clifford D. Shields Robert A. Slater Kenneth E. Wertz University of Kentucky Paul W. Chellgren John C. Talbott, Jr. Allison A. Willoughby La Salle University William J. Andreoni Lehigh University Maria Lourdes Kattan Chrin Joan B. Cole Aimee P. Jalazo Wendy M. Stevens University of Louisiana at Monroe Sam Davidson Saul A. Mintz Louisiana State University Virginia J. Kahnt Bruce W. Berry Loyola University Chicago Deborah J. Bowen Nelia D. Castillo Vivian Guang-ying Chiu Gerard A. Swick Loyola University New Orleans Brandt J. Dufrene, Jr. Loyola University Maryland Michael B. Adams Ronald R. Howell David D. Wolf Loyola Marymount University Gregory J. Martin David E. Schmidt University of Maine David J. Breau Marquette University Steven J. Borkenhagen Keith O. Hanson David J. Hushek Paul M. Neylon Richard A. Romano Robert A. Schneider Lois A. Smith David A. Straz, Jr. Craig I. Zirbel University of Maryland Robert H. Carmack Colleen R. Goodman Morton H. Offit Donald J. Patti University of Massachusetts John B. Bayley Paul D. Bodin Patrick N. Keyes Robert M. Rovella Patricia A. Van Blarcom University of MassachusettsLowell Suzanne M. Lamoureux McNeese State University Joe T. Miller, Sr. The University of Memphis Christopher W. Bear Patricia M. Dick University of Miami Monika Nerger Miami University Laura J. Rockenberger The University of Michigan Arthur P. Bartholomew, Jr. John P. Byrne Gail Ayn Levin Richmond Richard C. Slayton Richard C. Viinikainen

Michigan State University Richard W. Bergson Dennis W. Duquette John S. Flintosh Steven J. Frisbie Edward E. Hagenlocker Douglas M. Klein Richard J. Lewis Alexander C. McKeen Ronald J. Patten Andrew G. Sall Ronald A. Smith Terrence A. Tollefson Midwestern State University Carol Carlson Gunn University of Minnesota Hugh A. Barker Charles H. Clay Fred R. Friswold Martin N. Kellogg James W. Rustad Thomas R. Sedlack Ronald R. Tidd University of Mississippi Margaret A.M. Jones Gary W. Patterson Lee W. Randall Mississippi State University Ronnie G. Michaels University of MissouriColumbia Osmond Conrad Howard G. Sholl, Jr. University of Missouri-Kansas City Joan L. Hartung Richard S. Loraine University of Missouri-St. Louis Jennifer R. Cole Montclair State University Molly F. Lee Frank X. Nelson Betty R. Nolan David C. Zimmerman University of Nebraska-Lincoln Alan D. Chunka William S. Eastwood Walter Figel Alice L. Franks David N. McCammon Aloysius P. Rieman Gary Schwendiman University of Nebraska at Omaha Patricia L. Davis University of Nevada, Reno Michael E. Langton James L. Mercer Gene R. Sheldon The University of New Mexico Kimberly S. Hallatt University of New Orleans Lisa Maria Buchert John J. DiMaggio David J. Mumfrey Charles E. Price Brenda Ann P. Sterling Ann E. Vockroth New York University Joseph E. Adiletta Gregory J. Altman Mara E. Baror Mario P. Borini Alice R. Buedden John J. Creedon Kirk Cypel Paul Farber Stuart S. Flamberg Alan P. Gallo Gerald A. Leboff Lester A. Leight David M. Levine Joseph P. Martori Jonathan T. Miller Sanford J. Moster Richard J. Obetz David K. Owens Herbert A. Posner New York University Graduate School of Business Virginia Carson Ashcraft Everitt Calvin R. Carver, Jr. Anne Manbeck Chamberlain Matthew T. Feldman Susan C. Fink Donald E. Foley Lucy Kramer Geoffrey M. Parkinson, Jr. Martyn R. Redgrave Elizabeth Ann M. Sherman Niagara University James W. Ingham Nicholls State University Emma A. Brunet Marguerite Knight-Erwin Norfolk State University Santosh K. Choudhury The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Lacy G. Baynes Alan B. Flaschner Rajib Ghosh Lisa J.S. Hendel Nannette E. McNally William K. Rollins John D. Whitworth The University of North Carolina at Greensboro Sue W. Cole Tiffany F. Hallenbeck Charlotte Roberts The University of North Carolina at Wilmington Jennifer A. Maiorany North Carolina A&T State University Barbara Jean Fulmore-Singleton University of North Dakota Lyle C. Kasprick University of North Florida Maria K. Davis Preston H. Haskell Alvin L. Sack Michele A. Stanley

University of North Texas Stephen K. Brewer Northeastern University James M. Fowler William F. Krock Gary H. Stein Selena Paolai Tan Northern Arizona University James O. Carnes Daniel F. Stortz Northern Illinois University Denis M. Desmond Harman J. Ziev Northwestern University Rudolf Carl Charles R. Enever Rudolph E. Farber Kurt L. Janavitz Lawrence R. Kosinski Jerome Lamet Don H. Reuben Gordon G. Rockafellow Kenneth C. Sanders Charles K. Stewart John S. Thode University of Notre Dame Dennis C. McInerney Leo V. Ryan Robert M. Tobben Oakland University C.S. Bud Kulesza The Ohio State University Richard J. Beebe Richard W. Borel John R. Ervin Dale J. Hasson Stephen J. Hopkins Stephen E. Houck Bonnie Lee Kaser Charles R. Kinskey Charles J. Lano Eugene A. McClintock Marilyn Myers William B. Patrick William L. Roberts Press C. Southworth The University of Oklahoma Nancy L. Gray Cheek Carole S. Crenshaw Homer H. Hulme Robert W. Lewis Sally Kygar Peden Lucille Ann Poniatowski Sandy Harland Singleton Cynthia Bingman Smith Elizabeth K. Willard Oklahoma State University Brian F. Walker Cathy J. Wilton University of Oregon James C. Lynch Greg L. Mettler Kevin W. O’Neill Oregon State University Lea Ann Hart-Chambers Pace University Eric P. Szekrenyessy University of Pennsylvania William R. Asher Michael R. Barry Michael S. Blechman Peter C. Brockett Anthony J. Deleon Edward R. Koch James A. Maritz Thomas L. Markl Frederick D. Watkins The Pennsylvania State University Chih-yang Chiu John T. Fogarty Terri Hunt Fortuna James B. Miller Alan F. Woolslare The Pennsylvania State University at Erie, The Behrend College Albert L. Maxson The Pennsylvania State University Great Valley Grete B. Greenacre Tai-Seng Yeoh Pepperdine University Thomas Dudley University of Pittsburgh John R. Davies Jens T. Jung John C. Lauchnor James A. Maochi Joanne M. Shore University of Portland Robert B. Pamplin Purdue University Sigmund L. Cornelius Kenneth J. Wilson University of Rhode Island Sean P. McKenna Ann Marie Vessella University of Richmond Hector Alonso Littleton M. Maxwell Franklin C. Tiller Robert S. Ukrop Rider University Robert Schimek University of Rochester Stefan Heinrich Enno Bodenstab Karen E. Jaskolka Gary P. Johnson Paul R. Ratoff Nicholas D. Trbovich Bruce H. Watkins Rochester Institute of Technology Herbert W. Jarvis Rollins College David M. Currie Roosevelt University Jacqueline J. Goldberg Daniel R. Kulik James F. O’Bert Robert A. Sperl Rowan University Anthony J. Galvin

Rutgers-The State University of New Jersey Camden John Marino-Deabler Rutgers-The State University of New Jersey Newark Gary F. Dornbush Frank L. Stifelman Frederick D. Vanduyne Sandra L. Wepprecht St. John’s University Anthony M. Deluise James F. Giordano Gary J. Glueckert Nicholas J. Prokos Brian T. Shea Saint Joseph’s University Donald A. Buccelli Saint Louis University Ellen Harshman Sam Houston State University Charles E. Amato San Diego State University George G. Callaway Victoria E.J. Condos George T. Hornby Katherine R. Janes Carla M. Kuhns Charles M. Medvitz Edmond J. Petrelli Barry J. Shillito University of San Francisco Richard L. Bechelli San Francisco State University Nancy Happel Hopkins San Jose State University Dave L. Coles Kam S. Lam Santa Clara University David W. Gervais Molly E. Harmon Anthony J. McKeon Mary D. Niemiller Mugdha Pendse Jose Torres-Fentances Savannah State University Michelle Compton Seattle University Bruce E. Eliasen Michael R. Harper Terrence C. Kabanuck Seton Hall University Elizabeth A. Gelb James Malgieri Michael J. Swantic Shippensburg University Lee Fortenberry Sonoma State University Wallace M. Lowry University of South Alabama Sheryl Breaux Daniel University of South Carolina James S. Harrison, Jr. Travis A. Heneveld Dae Hyun Lim Ruth A. Moyer University of South Dakota Amy L. Caffrey Bruns Charles A. Jacob Kenneth Kurz University of South Florida Susan L. Clark Joanne M. Freeman Tiphaine J. Louradour Helene L. Ross Lois A. Sorensen Jane K. Whitney University of Southern California John G. Acker Arnold G. Anisgarten John M. Bonino Robert S. Brezovec Robert R. Dockson Jay H. Grodin Penny Whitcomb Halgren Kenneth D. Hill Terrence O. Hughes James D. Leewong James Muller John S. Patton Shuhui Peng Richard Phegley Jason White William R. Woodward

Southern Illinois University Carbondale Roy A. Causey Southern Illinois University Edwardsville Paul I. Miller Southern Methodist University Jonathan E. Bennett Robert W. Calloway Robert E. Henderson Christopher C. Loy William O. Morriss Stephen A. Titcomb Howard M. Whitehead University of Southern Mississippi Darlene A. Bilbo Cecilia C. Hickman Stephen F. Austin State University Cadence R. Morris Shannon E. Dunbar Oliver Gerald W. Schlief Craig G. Townsend Michael J. Treece Suffolk University Susan O. Olivier Susquehanna University Sidney Apfelbaum James App Raymond C. Lauver Syracuse University Morton Berger Gustav J. Braun Richard A. Frank, Jr. Amy-Ruth Hallett Charles E. Kunkel Frederick H. Weeks Temple University Daniel R. Bradford Daniel R. Burkus Eric A. Girardi Arnold Glaberson George Goldstone Richard J. McAlonan Gary Mozenter John W. Wilchek The University of Tennessee at Knoxville Edgar J. Bostick R. Gale Manley The University of Texas at Arlington Mark C. Hensel, Jr. Cindy L. Rasmussen Walter R. Samples The University of Texas at Austin Orville A. Armstrong Donald R. Broadland Donald G. Calhoun Donelson M. Houseman Vicki G. Keiser Allen R. Pierce Carol A. Shepherd The University of Texas at San Antonio Deborah A. Pool Cynthia A. Schweers The University of Texas at Tyler Joseph Z. Ornelas Texas A&M University Jim M. Plummer Randall C. Present David J. Watlington Texas Tech University Coburn A. Buxton Patrick J. Killman University of Toledo Richard R. Beck Robert E. Hansen William S. Keesor Borge R. Reimer Truman State University Brendan L. Duede Tulane University Warren W. Walhaug Rhett L. Weiss University of Tulsa Jackie D. Loertcher Nancy B. Quigg-Young University of Utah Terry R. Collins Francis A. Madsen, Jr. John G. Pickard

Vanderbilt University A. J. Kazimi Villanova University Richard P. Caporaso Jeffrey P. Evans Harry R. Halloran, Jr. University of Virginia Stephen C. Adams Robert P. Black George P. Buckey Gregory F. Hagood David E. Houseman Brian S. Roberts Anne L. Stone Thomas H. Wilson Virginia Commonwealth University Vernon A. Querstein Virginia Polytechnic Institute & State University Hermann Burger Lee P. Martin Edward M. Mazze John G. Rocovich, Jr. John E. Wilson Washington University John F. Danahy B.C. Downs Sam Fox & The Fox Family Foundation Diane E. Harrison Jill Ackerman Jones Howard E. Lovely Robert E. Markland Rowland Ricketts, Jr. Maria W.G. Schweizer Joe E. Strawn, Jr. John K. Wallace University of Washington Philip R. Bogue Robert E. Hallowell Philip B. Hartley Lorin H. Wilson Washington and Lee University Reid T. Campbell Glenn O. Thornhill, Jr. Washington State University Elizabeth H. Jones Wayne State University Debra L. Bernstein John A. McFeely Mark D. Schmidt The University of West Florida Stephen J. Basel University of West Georgia J. Mark Miller West Virginia University George G. Bauernfeind E. Eugene Byrd, Jr. Richard M. Gardner Russell L. Isaacs Thomas J. Krzys Bruce L. Sites Western Kentucky University Doug Polk Western Michigan University Jeffrey S. Fecko Sandra M. Gores Robert J. Trainor, Jr. Quenten T. Wilber Western Washington University Wenderly J. Porterfield Wichita State University Melvin L. Bird Arthur A. Winquist Douglas L. Yoder College of William & Mary Susan T. Mollura Hays T. Watkins Winthrop University Brian D. Seymour

University of WisconsinMadison Bruce R. Ellig James Fetek David Geraldson Daniel L. Goelzer Richard J. Howell Kimberly K. Peterson Barbara J. Pope Robert Roemer James Schommer Anton T. Vanek University of WisconsinMilwaukee Lea E. O’Day Carlen Ann Schenk University of WisconsinOshkosh Sharon F. Alferi Daniel A. Bollom Larry R. Koeppen University of WisconsinRiver Falls Janice M. Jensen University of Wyoming Anita M. Hoppal Randall W. Ludden Margaret H. Williamson Matching Contributions Aetna Foundation Joseph T. Doyle AIG Graceann Laforgia Assurant Health Kurt Janavitz AT&T Foundation James P. Foran Thomas W. Lindsey AXA Foundation Jay Johnston Anton T. Vanek Black & Decker Brad P. McMullen Chevron Humankind Robert W. Mitchell Kenneth Zee Clarkson-Potomac Group Inc. Marie McDonald Duke Engegy Stephen P. Schultz GE Foundation David Bottles James Nuttall Walter Peters Laura Salma Deborah Wight Google Rhett Weiss Houghton Mifflin Diane McGinn Intuit Foundation William B. Hollis JP Morgan Chase Foundation Iris Altilio John Brkljacic Brennan Clark David Maslekoff McKesson Corporation Clay G. Foster Microsoft Karen Jaskola Monsanto Fund James Morrell Pfizer Foundation E. Thomas Thurber Denise Wakim Verizon Foundation Stanley Kuen Wells Fargo Sophia Prountzos

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Participants of the Winter 2011 Beta Gamma Sigma Student Leadership Forum, held Feb. 3-6, 2011 in Tampa, Fla.