Outstanding Speakers
Inspiring business leaders of tomorrow was the goal of Oklahoma Business Week and the foundation was established at the first-ever event on the East Central University campus, July 8-13. High school seniors, juniors and sophomores converged on the ECU campus to gain a firsthand experience in the world of business. Students got a chance to interact and learn from community business leaders as well as gain skills in leadership, communication, team-building, responsibility, money management, entrepreneurship, marketing and more. Students were also placed in a “company” where they worked together in various events and competitions with other “companies.” Volunteer mentors from the business community, serving as company advisors, each worked with a small group
Tom Cole U.S. Congressman
of 8-10 students and guided them throughout the week. The program was designed to engage teens in hands-on, experiential learning. Among the speakers for the event was keynote speaker Bill Anoatubby (‘72), governor of the Chickasaw Nation, along with Michael Prince (‘93), COO of Guess International; BI Bridgwater (‘78), retired director, president and COO for three multi-billion dollar information technology corporations; Craig Scheef (‘85), chairman, president and chief executive officer of Texas Security Bank; Brad Fenton (‘75), founder of Fenton Motors, Monica Neal (‘91), senior vice president of People’s Electric Cooperative; John Hargrave (‘77), president of ECU; Wendell Godwin (‘84), dean of the ECU School of Business and Stacy Bolin (‘00), Oklahoma Business Week camp director. All nine are
Rep. Lisa Johnson-Billy Okla. State Rep.
ECU graduates. One other speaker, State Senator Susan Paddack, received her Master of Education from ECU and served as an adjunct faculty member in ECU’s education department. Several ECU alums served as company advisors for the week including Alan Marcum, Karen Hudson, Frank Crawford and Cliff Agee. One of the other company advisors, Mick Cowan, is a former professor in the business department at ECU. “One student commented that it was the best camp she had ever been to and didn’t expect that learning about business was so much fun,” said Bolin. According to Bolin, plans are underway for a bigger OBW camp next summer with the opening of the new Harland C. Stonecipher School of Business and ECU Conference Center.
Susan Paddack (‘93) Okla. State Sen.
Bill Anoatubby (‘72) Governor of the Chickasaw Nation
Q. What ECU alumnus contacted Garth Brooks, put together and executed the marketing plan that catapulted 16 The Columns
