This article first appeared in the UConn Business magazine, Volume 2, Issue 1 (Fall 2010)

SOCIOLOGICAL ISSUES OF TELECOMMUTING

Congratulations on the inaugural publication of UConn Business. I consider it a valuable asset and excellent learning tool for senior alumni like myself. As a retired IBMer who started in the Electric Typewriter Division and concluded my career with the IBM Personal Computer, I found the article on telecommuting most interesting.

From a retired manager perspective, I want to offer my thoughts, hopefully of interest to the debate on the sociological issues of telecommuting.

First, let’s examine some of the prime motives for companies permitting or encouraging telecommuting. Office space costs money. I was told my office expense in my final years cost IBM $17,000 per year. This can be a powerful motive for encouraging telecommuting. There are also other motives such as lack of space or lost productivity due to commuting delays.

My concern is the sociological impact of telecommuting on employees who work at home with little or no social interaction with peers and little or no supervision. From my experiences in over 30 years of sales at IBM, I firmly believe that sales people get maximum value out of learning from peers who are successful rather than from routine sales training courses. By keeping employees separated and alone in their homes, many
of the day-to-day opportunities to learn from peers are lost. Many new employees can be
overwhelmed by being alone with little or no peer assistance available. This can be detrimental and cause serious morale issues for new hires.

Then there is the normal interaction at breaks and meals. The ability to sit in on group
discussions can be very powerful for sales personnel. Good sales people form positive bonds with administrators, system engineers, and service personnel. They become
a team that supports each other resulting in superior service to customers and clients. Telecommuting stymies much of the team building that can occur in an office or branch.

Lastly, there is the issue of supervision. As a sales manager I can attest that  telecommuting can be a severe productivity drain. How does the manager know the telecommuter is working rather than babysitting, or watching TV, or playing golf? Sure, some of these hazards exist in an office where most sales and support people are in the field; however, I contend the telecommuter is far more exposed to productivity issues by simply being at home, rather than by working out of an office.

I firmly believe that the costs of housing employees in an office are worth the expense. It is  the age-old question of revenue versus expense. My experiences told me that the productivity gains of bonding your team by having them work side-by-side, far outweighed the expense of the office.

It would be interesting to compare a sales productivity and morale index of similar  companies that have telecommuters versus in-house employees.

Robert K. Blair ’61
Marketing

 THE GENEROSITY OF THE SEARFOSS FAMILY

Thank you for the article “Investing in the Future” (UConn Business, vol. 1, issue 1) that featured the Searfoss family.

The article gave a very nice overview of the Searfoss family’s commitment to the business
school. Their commitment is also being carried on by the family’s younger children (Erol
Searfoss, who is a Design Engineer, and Rana Searfoss, who recently graduated from Yale University).

The entire family, Selma, Cengiz, Erol, Rana and their cousin, Shebna Olsen, are to be
applauded for their foresight by establishing an important legacy supporting business students for generations to come.

As the University continues its commitment to educating the best and the brightest students, the generous support of the Searfoss family has greatly enhanced the experience for these students at the School of Business.

Diana L. Timlin, CFRE
Director of Development
UConn School of Business

* The opinions and perspectives expressed in published Letters to the Editor do not necessarily represent the views of the UConn School of Business.

This article first appeared in the UConn Business magazine, Volume 2, Issue 1 (Fall 2010)

Raymond A. Palmer
BUSINESS CAREER CENTER, ASSISTANT DEAN & DIRECTOR

Ray Palmer, former long-time director of the School of Business Career Center, died on  November 24, 2009 of injuries and disabilities resulting from a car accident in 2006.

He was born August 21, 1947 in Pawtucket, RI, and graduated from Classical High School in  Providence, RI. Ray subsequently earned a Bachelor in Mathematics at the University of  Vermont and a Master in Education from the University of Connecticut.

Ray began his career at UConn in Residential Life, then became Associate Director of  Career Services at the University. He later rose to Assistant Dean and Director of the  Business Career Center of the School of Business. He led the placement program at the School of Business for nearly fifteen years and was a sought after counselor
and friend to thousands of UConn business students.

Known and respected for his mild manner, sound advice and countless business contacts, Ray spent his entire professional career at UConn, helping to boost the School  and its rankings through numerous administrations.

His primary concern was always for the students, and he was known for his kind, patient demeanor with all who sought his guidance. His style was one of quiet reserve overlaid  with a bright intellect and a dry sense of humor. He was a member of numerous  professional organizations, routinely presenting at professional conferences and was  widely published in his field.

His very strong support for the School and UConn as a whole has been missed since his  retirement. Among Ray’s other interests were model trains, UConn women’s basketball,  reading and traveling with a particular fondness for the Maine Coast. Ray is survived by his wife of 35 years, Linda.

Alumni In Memoriam

Charles Adams ’49
Richard A. Anderson ’52
Ronald S. Ashworth ’61
Joanne D. Austin ’47
Charles J. Bernard ’59
Arthur F. Blum ’49
Albert E. Boulanger ’58
Ronald Briggs ’55. ’56
Mary L. Cacchillo ’48
Robert E. Canfield ’54
Bruce E. Carusillo ’77
Joseph N. Celello ’49
Ralph P. Centola ’68
Dennis A. Cloutier ’79
Gregory F. Conron ’80
Ralph E. Cortese ’92
Joseph W. Costello ’66
Robert E. Darling, Jr. ’58
William J. De Patie ’49
Robert A. Dias ’54
Howard R. Dyer ’97
Otto K. Elser, Jr. ’82
C. Roger Ferguson ’59,’70,’72
Zachary Fortunato ’49
June O. Frangione ’80, ’82
Robert A. Gardner ’52
George E. Genlot ’50
Fred B. Gifford ’58, ’58
Seymour H. Gottlieb ’49
Clifford Grodd ’48
Robert M. Guinessey ’56
Anita Gulati ’80
Robert J. Haggerty ’50, ’63
Robert H. Haines III ’63
David M. Hatheway ’42
C. Norman Holmberg ’48
William V. Huling ’72
Lucian J. Jachimowicz ’50, ’79
Chad A. Jacobs ’92
Lawrence C. James, Jr. ’53
James J. Jordan, Sr. ’50
Stewart R. Joslin ’62
Barbara H. Kalas ’75
Bryant R. Kitching ’60
John Koziell ’75
Gerald I. Krupnikoff ’64
Marc A. Lagasse ’76
Carolyn I. Lincoln ’53
Philip J. Loiacona ’57
Ruth F. Lux ’78
Harriet R. Lyman ’62
James D. MacGovern ’50
Virginia A. Manzi ’50
Paul J. Marrkand ’47
Ben L. Matthesen ’49
James R. Maxson, Jr. ’48
Everett E. Meek ’72
John A. Messina ’64
Raymond E. Miko ’68
Raymond A. Milutis ’52
Alan S. Miner ’49
Edward W. Morgan, Jr. ’55
John N. Mushovic ’72
Harry J. Mustakos ’50
Roger Noone ’70
Leonard H. Olson ’50
Joseph W. Pepin ’57
William C. Polini ’66, ’75
Robert D. Powers ’49
Robert P. Quinn ’48
George H. Roberts ’65
Robert D. Rouleau ’65
Robert Roy ’55
Stanton Savell ’52
Francis P. Schierberl ’64
Victor I. Senger, Jr. ’53
Edward J. Senk ’54
David Shields ’76
Michael P. Sikora ’56
Warren J. Smith ’50
Mark J. Smith ’88
Robert W. Sopher, Jr. ’79
David D. Squires ’51
Ansley M. Starr ’94
Rosemary T. Strekel ’77
Samuel J. Swirsky
Alfred R. Vaill ’52
Roland D. Van Kavelaar, Sr. ’50
Robert W. Voight ’48
Frank E. Waldie, Jr. ’79
John Wazer ’52
Alan Weinstein ’53
Richard West ’62
Leighton B. Wilklow ’68
Frederic W. Williams III ’63
Cornelius J. York ’50

This article first appeared in the UConn Business magazine, Volume 2, Issue 1 (Fall 2010)

Announce your good news and find updates on your classmates’ careers, accomplishments, and families. Log on to theBusiness Alumni Network to submit your Class Notes.

1950

Edward Satell ’57 was honored as the “2009 Humanitarian of the Year” by Caron Treatment Centers. One of Mr. Satell’s most recent efforts was to provide the initial funding for a Children’s Education Program at Caron to aid children ages 7 to 15 who have been  affected by a parent or sibling’s addiction. Mr. Satell is the founder and CEO of the Satell  Center for Executive Education as well as the founder of Progressive Business Publications (PBP), a diversified information company with multiple divisions.

1960

William Dick ’64 has published his book, “Santa Meets God’s Ukrainian Children” and it is available on www.buybooksontheweb.com and on www.amazon.com. 70% of the royalties and 100% of all other donations will benefit Ukrainian children.

Nicholas DeRoma ’68 was appointed to a position at Alcoa Inc. located in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania as executive vice president, chief legal and compliance officer.

Roger A. Nelsen ’69 has been appointed as a member of the Board of Directors at UV Flu Technologies, Inc. located in Centerville, Massachusetts. Mr. Nelsen brings over 36 years of experience in the medical equipment and health care sector. Mr. Nelsen has been Senior Vice President at Eco-Rx, Inc. since 1996 and has also served as the principle of Nelsen & Associates, an independent health care sales and consulting organization.

1970

Bruce E. Berlet ’70 was inducted into the Connecticut Golf Hall of Fame by the Connecticut State Golf Association at their 110th annual meeting. As a retired Hartford Courant sports writer, Mr. Berlet covered numerous golfing events including U.S. Opens, PGA Tours, Ryder Cups and several CSGA and Connecticut Section PGA tournaments.

Kevin E. Flaherty ’75 (CLAS), ’77 MBA has joined Webster Bank as senior vice president. Mr. Flaherty will head up new business development for mid-size commercial borrowers in northern Connecticut and western Massachusetts. Mr. Flaherty, with over thirty years of experience, worked with Sovereign Bank as their market president for Connecticut and
western Massachusetts.

Mark Geist ’75 was appointed to the Board of Directors at AdEx Media, Inc., located in Alamo, California. Mr. Geist brings a distinguished business career to AdEx and has held positions with Rogers, Casey & Barksdale, Inc. as a pension fund consultant as well as an executive with St. Regis Paper Company. Mr. Geist was also the co-founder of Montgomery Asset Management.

Mark J. Blum ’76, ’84 MBA has taken the position as senior vice president and chief financial officer at Thomaston Savings Bank. Mr. Blum, with over 33 years of financial experience, previously held his position as president and director for Valley Bank.

William L. Trubeck ’76 MBA has been appointed to the board of directors at WellCare Health Plans, Inc. Mr. Trubeck was the executive vice president and chief financial officer of H&R Block, Inc., and held a number of senior management positions at Waste Management, Inc. and also served as senior vice president, finance and chief financial  officer of International Multifoods, Inc.

Miriam Katz ’77 was promoted to the new chief knowledge officer at Vcorp Services LLC., located In Monsey, New York. Katz has also served as the assistant vice president and compliance administrator of National Financial Partners Corp. (NFP), and has held positions with Salomon Smith Barney and CIBC World Markets (formerly Oppenheimer & Co., Inc.). Vcorp offers an extensive suite of services including entity formations, formation services, supplemental filings, document retrieval, tax- exempt filings, UCC filings and searches, trademark applications, and more.

Raymond J. Martino ’77 (CLAS), ’81 MBA has been elected to the Board of Directors at Worker’s Credit Union of Fitchburg. Currently Mr. Martino is president and CEO of Simonds Internation of Fitchburg.

Charles Scoville, Jr. ’77 is joining dat-Avail Corporation as managing director of sales. Mr. Scoville, with twenty-nine years of experience, comes from Marketsphere Consulting and will lead the Southern region sales team for datAvail. datAvail Corporation provides remote database management services for companies with Oracle, Oracle E-Business, MySQL, and SQL Server databases.

Clarence J. Silvia ’77 (CLAS), ’79 MBA has been promoted to president and chief executive officer of The Hospital of Central Connecticut and president of the Central Connecticut Health Alliance. Most recently Mr. Silvia was senior vice president and chief  operating officer of CCHA and the hospital. Prior to that, he was president and chief  executive officer of Bradley Memorial Hospital.

Ellen M. Rizzo ’78, ’84 MBA has joined Hanover Insurance Group as chief financial officer, property and casualty companies. In her new role, Ms. Rizzo will be responsible for financial oversight of The Hanover’s personal lines, commercial lines and claims organizations. Most recently Ms. Rizzo was the senior vice president and chief financial officer at Travelers Companies.

Erwin Vahlsing, Jr. ’78 was appointed as chief financial officer at Sungro Minerals Inc., located in Surrey, British Columbia, Canada. Mr. Vahlsing is an executive with extensive operational experience; including both domestic and international background in leading and managing finance departments in the manufacturing, service, and construction industries for various public companies. With over ten years SEC reporting experience both as CFO and as a consultant, Mr. Vahlsing has dealt with all aspects of compliance
and reporting, as well as being the interface with external auditors, legal counsel, and shareholders.

1980

Michael L. Alberts ’80 (CLAS), ’87 MBA is the new vice president and commercial relationship manager at Simsbury Bank. Mr. Alberts has held positions such as senior vice president, senior commercial loan officer, vice president, and principal with companies such as Putnam Bank, Savings Institute Bank & Trust Co.,Woodstock Financial Group, and Fleet Bank.

Thomas Shimko ’80 has joined Direct Marketing Association as senior vice president and chief marketing officer. Mr. Shimko has over 25 years of global marketing experience in business management, marketing, and strategy. Most recently Mr. Shimko was vice president of strategies marketing for GE Capital’s equipment financial services business as well as chief marketing officer for Danbury Health Systems.

Frank J. Minerva ’81 MBA was promoted to chief operating officer at UBS in their ultra-high-net worth business in the United States. Most recently, Mr. Minerva, a 21-year UBS veteran, led the New York office of Private Wealth Management at UBS.

Deborah Fuhr ’82 is now the global head of ETF research and implementation strategy at Barclays Global Investors. Ms. Fuhr left Morgan Stanley after eleven years when the bank closed down her team in the summer of 2008, and then her new employer was put up for sale by its parent, Barclays PLC. Through it all, Ms. Fuhr has remained the No. 1 authority
on the exchange-traded fund landscape, an area into which banks and asset managers are keen to expand as investors seek liquid products with greater transparency. Ms. Fuhr is based in London but works with clients across Europe, the U.S. and emerging markets.

Kenneth Murphy ’82 has accepted a position at Connecticut College located in New London, Connecticut, as the men’s soccer head coach. Mr. Murphy comes to Connecticut College from Brown University as the assistant soccer coach. Previously Mr. Murphy spent sixteen years on Wall Street as a successful commodities broker.

Nicholas P. Randazzo ’82 has been promoted to vice president of sales at PHT  Corporation, the leading provider of electronic patient reported outcome solutions. Mr. Randazzo has been employed at PHT since 2000 and was the company’s leading account executive for several years. In 2005, Mr. Randazzo took on a leadership role with the PHT sales organization where he managed the entire global sales team.

Michael T. Sheahan, Jr. ’82 has been appointed to vice president and mortgage & consumer loan department head at Simsbury Bank in Simsbury, Connecticut. Mr. Sheahan will lead the bank’s mortgage and consumer lending sales and service including and origination, underwriting and processing and compliance. Most recently, Mr. Sheahan was employed at Webster Financial as mortgage lending division head and prior to that had a long career in mortgage and consumer financial services and online services with
Shawmut Bank, Meca Software, and Centerbank Mortgage.

Mickey S. Goldwasser ’83 was appointed to senior vice president of marketing, communication and public relations activities for Continuity Engine located in New Haven, Connecticut. Mr. Goldwasser was most recently the vice president of product marketing at Eclipsys Corporation. Mr. Goldwasser is also a member of the UConn School of Business Marketing Advisory Board.

Robert D. O’Connor ’83 MBA was appointed to president and chief executive officer at  Loftware, Inc. located in Portsmouth, New Hampshire. Mr. O’Connor joins Loftware from Softrax Corporation where he served as president and chief executive officer.

Deborah M. Murphy ’84 was promoted to a newly created role at Zebra Technologies Corporation as vice president of market channel development, specialty printing solutions. Ms. Murphy has been with Zebra Technologies for 14 years and has held many marketing roles within Specialty Printing Solutions, including the formation and development of Zebra’s burgeoning global healthcare business.

Michael P. Palermo ’84 has been elected to a 10-year term on the Board of Directors at Millbury Savings Bank in Millbury, Massachusetts. Mr. Palermo previously served as vice president, director of sales, for The Boston Company Asset Management LLC.

James P. Hammel ’85 was selected as the UConn School of Business Finance Alum of the Year and was recognized at the Finance Department’s award ceremony on April 12th. Mr. Hammel has demonstrated outstanding leadership during his tenure as a member of the School’s Financial Accelerator Advisory Board and has provided very strong support of
special events organized by the board.

Ronald Brault ’86 MBA has joined Financial Strategies Investment Advisor Services, LLP in Bethel, Connecticut, as a partner. Mr. Brault brings more than twenty years of experience in portfolio management, investment consulting and client service to the firm and will concentrate on financial planning and investment consulting for the firm’s clients. Prior to joining Financial Strategies Investment Advisor Services, Mr. Brault has worked at companies such as Alliance Bernstein, Dreyfus Management, and Morgan Stanley in positions including senior vice president, senior portfolio manager, and vice president.

David Brigham ’86 has been promoted to CEO at the Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts, which has been named a new leader in major arts-and-cultural organizations. Mr. Brigham joined the Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts in October of 2007. Prior to that he was a director of collections and exhibitions as well as curator of American art at the Worcester Art Museum in Massachusetts and helped to transform the Allentown art Museum in Pennsylvania.

Regina Foley ’86 was appointed to chief compliance officer, chief financial officer, treasurer, and secretary of the Taiwan Greater China Fund. Ms. Foley has over twenty years of experience in accounting and finance industries and has worked for both financial services and reinsurance companies. Ms. Foley also has extensive experience in creating and administering internal controls in accounting processes and operations.

Daniel D. Toscano ’87 has joined Morgan Stanley as co-head of global leveraged and acquisition finance. In his previous employment, Mr. Toscano was the cohead of leveraged and acquisition finance in the Americas at HSBC Holdings PLC and also has worked in leveraged finance at Deutsche Bank AG and Bankers Trust Co. for almost 16 years.

Dominick A. Musilli Jr. ’89, ’94 MBA has been named the executive vice president and principal of RHYS Commercial, a real estate advisory firm located in Stamford, Connecticut. Mr. Musilli will serve on the company’s senior management team as well. With 18 years of industry experience, Mr. Musilli has held positions as executive managing director and partner at FirstService Real Estate Advisors.

1990

Claude (Tate) George ’90, president and CEO of George Group, LLC, took part in a NAACP Economic Summit as the keynote speaker. This summit discussed topics such as how to bring black-owned banks, hotels, developers and other major enterprises to the New Haven area as well as a multiyear plan for recovery in the area.

Steven J. Peeters ’90 has joined the Main Street America Group as vice president, commercial lines product. Mr. Peeters will be a member of Main Street America’s senior management team and will be responsible for all product development, underwriting standards, pricing processes and compliance for the company. Mr. Peeters previously held the title of president and chief operating officer of Zurich Insurance service in Jacksonville, Florida.

James P. O’Meara ’92, ’00 MBA has been named as the vice president, commercial banking chief of staff at Webster Bank based out of Hartford. Mr. O’Meara also held a leadership role in Webster’s expansion into Boston in December of 2009.

Evelyn A. Graham ’93 has been appointed to the Board of Directors at CalciMedica
located in La Jolla, California. CalciMedica is a biotechnology company focused on developing innovative therapeutics for the treatment of autoimmune and inflammatory diseases.

Stephen C. Swett ’93 MBA accepted a position at Morgan Keegan located in New York City as senior equity analyst. Morgan Keegan & Company Inc., one of the nation’s largest regional full-service brokerage and investment banking firms, is the securities brokerage arm of Regions Financial Corporation. Mr. Swett was formerly the senior vice president at
Keefe, Bruyette & Woods Inc. in New York City.

Christopher L. Ayers ’96 MBA was named as executive vice president and chief operating officer for Alcoa Inc.’s Global Primary Products business. Prior to joining Aloca, Mr. Ayers was the president of the forgings division of Precision Castparts Corporation and also held
positions with United Technologies Corporation and later joined PCC Airfoils, Inc. where he was the vice president and general manager of facilities.

Jamelle Elliott ’96, ’98 (ED) was appointed to a position at the University of Cincinnati as the Women’s Basketball Coach. Ms. Elliot is a former UConn assistant coach as well as a player.

Huasong S. Shen ’97 MBA has been appointed as the vice president of finance at Sino Green Land Corporation in China. Sino Green Land Corporation is a leading distributor of high-end fruits and vegetables in China. Ms. Shen has had extensive experience at many financial institutions including, Deloitte & Touch LLP, UBS Warburg, and JPMorgan Chase.

Steven Williams ’97 MBA accepted a position at American Realty Capital Trust Inc. located in New York, New York as senior vice president and sales manager for the western division. Mr. Williams has over 18 years of experience and has previously worked at KBS Capital Markets Group as regional vice president.

Vincent Calabrese, Jr. ’98 MBA was promoted to chief financial officer of F.N.B.  Corporation located in Hermitage, Pennsylvania. Mr. Calabrese brings over twenty-one years of experience in the financial industry and was previously senior vice president, corporate controller and principal accounting officer at F.N.B. Corporation. F.N.B. Corporation is a financial service company and a leading provider of commercial and retail banking, leasing, wealth management, insurance, merchant banking and consumer
finance services.

Jonathan Zupnik ’98 accepted a position at On Corp US, Inc. located in San Diego, CA as vice president of sales and merchandising. Previous to this position, Jonathan was employed at Sears Holding Corporation as Divisional Merchandise Manager TV/Audio/Video.

Rodney A. Butler ’99 was named the new chairman of the Mashantucket Pequot Tribal Council. Mr. Butler was elected into the tribe as the treasurer before becoming chairman and prior to that worked as a financial analyst at Foxwoods. Mr. Butler is also a trustee of
the Sea Research Foundation, the Mystic Aquarium and Institute for Exploration’s nonprofit parent.

Paul Giardina ’99 MBA has been named as the chief executive officer at Protegrity Corporation in Stamford, Connecticut. Mr. Giardina joined Protegrity in 2004 serving as senior vice president overseeing marketing, product management, research and development. Protegrity Corporation is a leading provider of Data SecurityManagement Solutions.

Rino C. Nori, Jr. ’99 has joined Alvarez & Marsal’s Equity Services Transaction Advisory Group as a senior director in New York. Mr. Nori has over nine years of transaction experience and has provided financial due diligence services to private equity and corporate clients on over 150 merger/acquisition transactions. Prior to joining Alvarez & Marsal , Mr. Nori was with the Transaction Services unit of PricewaterhouseCoopers in New York.

John F. Reilly ’99 MBA has been appointed to vice president of corporate finance and treasurer at The Hanover Insurance Group Inc. located in Worcester, Massachusetts. The Hanover Insurance Group, Inc. is ranked among the top 40 property and casualty insurers in the United States and offers a wide range of property and casualty products. Prior to
joining Hanover Insurance Group Inc., Mr. Reilly was employed at The Hartford Financial Services group where he served in senior-level positions in investor relations, finance and business development.

John R. Riley ’99 MBA accepted a position with First Republic Bank in Boston, Massachusetts as managing director of foreign exchange. Mr. Riley has over twenty years of banking and currency risk advisory experience and will help manage the foreign exchange needs of clients in New England and New York.

Jayme Staron ‘99 and Angela (Talcik) Staron ‘96 (CLAS), ‘00 (ED), welcomed twins Nathaniel Jude and Adam Michael on March 16, 2009. The family lives in Shelton, Connecticut.

2000

Nykesha Sales, ’00, a former University of Connecticut women’s basketball standout, was selected as Philanthropist of the Year at The Hartford Golf Club. Sales, known for her moves on the court, was cited for her selfless efforts on behalf of women and girls by being involved in myriad programs and activities, including Read To Achieve and for her Nykesha Sales Celebrity Golf Tournament, which benefits the Aurora Club.

John Tarantino ’00, ’05 MBA participated in the 114th Boston Marathon on April 19th, 2010. He ran as part of the Dana-Farber Marathon Challenge (DFMC) Team. The DFMC raises funds for the Claudia Adams Barr Program in Innovative Basic Cancer Research at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute. Christopher Jarvis ’01 MBA is the vice president of the Autism Society of New Hampshire. Mr. Jarvis plays on the Merrimack Dodgers, a team in the Granite State Baseball League.

Robin L. Knowles ’01, ’10 Ph.D. has successfully defended her dissertation titled, “Defined Benefit Pension Sponsors & Market Prices: Early evidence from Pension Accounting Reform”. Dr. Knowles has accepted a faculty position at Texas State University in San Marcos.

Adrienne D. Cerulo ’03, ’04 MSA, ’06 MBA has begun a position at Longroad Asset Management, LLC as a controller. Ms. Cerulo has held positions such as corporate accountant at Weston Capital Management as well as positions with Sageview Capital and UBS.

Frank Carmon IV ’06 MBA accepted the Small Business Administration’s 2009 Jeffrey Butland Family-Owned Business of the Year award for Connecticut in honor of his 63-year-old family-owned company that manages nine funeral homes and a crematory, Carmon Community Funeral Homes. This award honors a family-owned and operated business which has been passed from one generation to another, demonstrating long-term business success and increased employment for family and non family members.

Nicholas Roy ’06 created a financial planning company geared toward the needs of individual investors, Somnio Financial Group in Glastonbury, Connecticut. Somnio Financial Group provides tailored financial planning and ongoing advice to their clients to help them meet their wealth goals. Previously, Mr. Roy was employed at Ameriprise Financial as a financial advisor.

Bill Coolahan ’07 MSA received his CPA license. Mr. Coolahan passed all four parts of the CPA Exam in a six month period earlier in 2009. He works at Sikorsky Aircraft in Stratford, Connecticut, pricing and negotiating proposals with the U.S. Government.

Julie Peck ’07 launched Peck Place Consulting located in Danbury, Connecticut. After 20 years of working in Fortune 500 companies, Julie has taken the entrepreneurial plunge and opened her own marketing and business strategy consulting firm serving the B2B community.

Khash Sarrafi ’07 MBA is the managing partner at Castle Rock innovations, LLC in Ellington, Connecticut. His company has been recognized in INC500 as one of the fastest growing private companies. Brett W. Eagleson ’08 has joined O, R, & L Commercial in their brokerage division as a commercial real estate broker. Mr. Eagleson joined O, R, & L in June of 2008 after his graduation in the finance department as an assistant controller.

Morris K. George ’08 Ph.D. was awarded the 2010 Davidson Award for best article in the Journal of Retailing 2008 for the article, titled, “Cross-buying in Retailing: Drivers and Consequences”. The William R. Davidson Award is given annually to authors of the leading articles in the field of retail marketing that are published in the Journal of Retailing. Dr. George is currently a marketing professor in Baylor University’s Hankamer School of Business.

Merim (Djumalieva) Crossley ’09 MBA has joined Covidien Surgical in the Soft Tissue Implants franchise as a global marketing analyst.

Ciaran B. Heavey ’09 successfully defended his dissertation titled “A Dynamic Managerial Capabilities Model of Organizational Ambidexterity”. Dr. Heavey is currently a lecturer at Smurfit Graduate Business School at University College Dublin in Dublin, Ireland.

Tricia A. Hyacinth ’09 MBA has taken a position with Hands On Hartford, located in Hartford, Connecticut as an engagement project manager on the community engagement team. Hands On Hartford is a Hartford-based volunteer action center and social services agency. Prior to Hands On Hartford, Ms. Hyacinth was co-founder and manager of sales  and marketing at LinuxGenius, LLC.

Linda Kolbasovsky ’09 Ph.D. successfully defended her dissertation titled, “The Trade-off between Risk Management and Earnings Volatility: Evidence from Restatements”. Dr. Kolbasovsky will become faculty at the University of North Carolina, Greensborough.

Rajeev Kumar ’09 Ph.D. defended his dissertation titled, “Hiding in Plain Sight: Anonymity and Privacy Preserving Mechanisms for Data Collection and Collaboration”. Dr. Kumar is now an Assistant Professor at Kutztown University in Pennsylvania.

Favien S. Feshazion ’10 and Barbara F. Williams ’10 won 1st place in the National Black MBA Association – West Chester/Greater Connecticut Chapter’s Business Case Competition.

Ioannis Kareklas ’10 Ph.D. successfully defended his dissertation titled, “A Quantitative
Review and Extension of Racial Similarity Effects in Advertising”. Dr. Kareklas will join the faculty at Washington State University as an assistant professor of marketing.

For more Alumni Class Notes, please visit alumni.business.uconn.edu.

This article first appeared in the UConn Business magazine, Volume 2, Issue 1 (Fall 2010)

The UConn School of Business would like to gratefully acknowledge the following alumni  and friends who made gifts to the School of Business during the fiscal year July 1, 2009 through June 30, 2010. We value every gift and extend our heartfelt thanks to all who gave  so generously of their time and support to aid in the enhancement our the academic  programs.

$50,000+
Ms. Selma Cagatay-Searfoss ’94
Mr. and Mrs. Anthony J. Esposito ’65
Mr. and Mrs. Keith R. Fox ’80
Henry T. Mazon Revocable Living Trust
The Travelers Companies Inc.
Ms. Wendy Reeves Watkins ’74

$25,000 – $49,999
Mr. and Mrs. David I. Barton ’61
Mrs. Barabara E. ’61 and Mr. Myron ’61 Dickstein
Linda A. Ellis, Ph.D.
Mr. and Mrs. Drew A. Figdor ’83
Mrs. Patricia H. ’80 and Mr. Timothy K. ’80, ’83 Friar
Ms. Mary F. McVay and Mr. Theodore R. Rosenberg ’55
Mr. and Mrs. Daniel D. Toscano ’87

$10,000 – $24,999
Altria Group, Inc.
Mr. Christopher J. Balfe
Mrs. Pamela J. ’82 and Mr. Mark A. ’82 Beaudoin
CATIC Foundation
Mrs. Larissa K. ’93, ’95 and Mr. Christopher A. ’95 Chapin
Mr. and Mrs. Gerald D. DesRoches ’82
Mrs. Marilyn P. ’77 and Mr. Craig A. ’77 Douglas
Mr. and Mrs. Mark E. Freitas ’81
Mrs. Karen A. ’77 and Mr. Clinton G. ’77 Gartin
Mrs. Marjory C. ’66 and Mr. Roger A. ’65 Gelfenbien
Mrs. Barbara D. ’93 and Mr. Robert C. ’92 Hughes
Liberty Mutual
Mrs. Renae S. ’89, ’95 and Mr. Eugene F. ’87, ’89 Martin III
Mr. and Mrs. Michael E. McPhee ’81, ’94
Dr. and Mrs. Suresh K. Nair
The People’s United Community Foundation
People’s United Bank
Ms. Deborah M. Reif ’95
Mr. Sean R. Riegler
Mr. Douglas R. Seymour ’79
SimplexGrinnell LP
The Honorable and Mrs. Paul W. Speltz ’69, ’70, ’72

$5,000 – $9,999
Alfiero Family Charitable Foundation
Bank of America Corporation
Bank of America Foundation, Inc.
Mr. and Mrs. Jonathan E. Beyman ’76
Mr. Frank W. Carmon IV ’06
Mr. Guy F. Caruso ’64, ’66
CCR LLP
The Community Foundation Serving
Richmond and Central Virginia
The Connecticut Society of Certified Public Accountants
Mr. Timothy J. Curt ’84
Dymax Corporation
Ernst & Young Foundation
Fidelity Foundation
Fidelity Investments Charitable Gift Fund
Mr. David B. Greenfield ’84
Mr. Matthew J. Halprin
Mrs. Janet M. ’87 and Mr. Leo B. ’81 Hansen
Mr. and Mrs. Peter C. Larson ’63
Mr. and Mrs. Leonard P. LaSalandra ’78
Ms. Elva E. McCann
Mrs. Lorraine E. ’84 and Mr. Brian P. ’78 McKeon
Mr. and Mrs. Ronald J. Meoni ’55
Northeast Utilities Service Company
TopCoder, Inc.
Towers Watson
Unilever United States, Inc.
United Technologies Corporation
United Way of Central and Northeastern Connecticut
United Way of Greater New Haven, Inc.

$1,000 – $4,999
Dr. Rogaia M. Abusharaf ’88, ’94 and Dr. Mohamed E. Hussein
Aetna Inc.
Mr. Bruce C. Angevine
Babson Capital Management, LLC
Mr. John P. Barniak ’75
Mr. Prashant A. Bhatia ’92
Blum Shapiro Foundation, Inc.
Mrs. Deborah U. ’86 Mr. John S. ’85 Bohling
Mr. and Mrs. Robert A. Canyock, Jr. ’80, ’86
Mr. Mark A. Caplan ’84
Mr. and Mrs. David A. Carlson ’75
Ms. Carrie Casciani
Mrs. Sherri S. ’90 and Mr. Christopher J. ’89 Cesare
Mr. Edward J. Chanda
Mr. Ari F. Cohen ’94
Mr. William E. Congdon ’75
Connecticut Association of Realtors, Inc.
Mr. and Mrs. Thomas M. Curtin ’86, ’91
Mr. and Mrs. John A. Cutler ’66
Deloitte Foundation
Deloitte, LLP
Mrs. Pamela J. ’85 and Mr. Douglas G. ’83 Denyer
Mr. and Mrs. Robert A. DiMella ’89
Mr. and Mrs. Dominic D. DiNeno, Jr. ’61
Mr. Lawrence S. Doyle ’65
Mrs. Arlene O. ’67 and Mr. Nicholas ’66 DuBiago
Dr. Amy E. Dunbar and Dr. John D. Phillips
Fiondella Milone & LaSaracina LLP
Mr. Gordon J. Flynn ’56
Mr. Gary W. French ’70
Mrs. Lesley A. ’91, ’98 and Mr. Jason A. ’97 Fronio
Gail Barley Interior Design, LLC
Ms. Terry L. Gellin and Mr. Samuel L. Schrager
Mr. and Mrs. William P. Gendron ’83
Dr. and Mrs. Lawrence J. Gramling
Mr. Charles A. Griebell
Mr. and Mrs. Joseph A. Guay ’91
Mr. and Mrs. Paul T. Quistberg ’84
Mr. and Mrs. Peter P. Gwiazdowski III
Mrs. Sharon ’68 and Mr. Lawrence D. ’67 Handler
Mr. Gregory P. Hughes ’88
International Council of Shopping Centers Foundations
Ms. Susan D. Jackson
Dr. and Mrs. Harry M. Johnson
Mr. and Mrs. Warren E. Klein ’78
Dr. and Mrs. Richard F. Kochanek
Mrs. Ilene D. Kohlun ’94
Kostin, Ruffkess & Co., LLC
Ms. Margaret M. Landrey ’79, ’83 and Mr. David Acampora ’79
Mr. and Mrs. Raymond L. Lewis, Jr. ’83
Mrs. Mary Dean Lindsay
Ms. Martha D. MacMillin and Mr. George A. Plesko
Mr. S. John Malinowski ’54, ’61
Mr. James E. Masur ’82
Ms. Anne E. McAloon ’74, ’80
Mr. and Mrs. Denis M. McCarthy ’64, ’65
Mrs. Monique A. ’90 and Mr. John P. ’83 McCarthy, Jr.
McKesson Corporation
Mr. Keith Moody ’89
Dr. Elaine Mosakowski and Dr. P. Christopher Earley
Mrs. Catherine S. ’85 and Mr. Jay S. ’82 Nickse
Mr. David M. Nolf ’86
Nordstrom, Inc.
Norwalk Hospital Foundation
Thomas J. O’Brien, Ph.D.
Mr. and Mrs. David J. Papandria
Ms. Charlotte Pier ’74 and Mr. George S. Harrison
Pullman & Comley, LLC
Purdue Pharma L. P.
Mr. and Mrs. Michael R. Redemske
Ms. Mary Ann Reichlen ’81
Mr. Edwin G. Reif ’75
Mr. and Mrs. Robert Rodin ’77
RSM McGladrey, Inc.
Mrs. Sara J. ’79 and Mr. Douglas K. ’79 Russell
Mrs. Susan S. ’82 and Mr. Sheldon D. ’59 Schneider
Ms. Debra A. Hess ’86 and Mr. Paul R. Senecal
Mrs. Carol A. ’66 and Mr. Matthew D. ’66 Shedd
Ms. Eve S. ’86 Sopko and Mr. John T. Schorum ’86
Mr. and Mrs. Richard J. Tavolieri, Jr. ’89
UHY LLP
United Health Care
Ms. Lynn Waibel ’80
Mr. and Mrs. John W. Welch ’80
Mr. Frank C. Wuest ’82

$500 – $999
Ms. Cynthia L. Anderson
Mr. and Mrs. Gary G. Apanaschik ’82
Mrs. Mona H. Baird ’89
Brothers Oil Company
Mr. John P. Calcutt, Jr.
Mrs. Mary E. Capaldi ’89 and Mr. Robert E. Capaldi
Mr. and Mrs. Lawrence J. Carboni, Jr. ’86
Mr. and Mrs. Stephen T. Clayton ’83
Mr. and Mrs. George M. Demko
Mr. Michael D. Della Fera ’80
Mr. and Mrs. Brian J. Downey
Mr. and Mrs. Peter I. Elinsky ’65
Mr. Joseph D. Filomeno ’51
Mr. William J. Flynn ’01
Mr. Andrew P. Giangrave ’92
Mr. and Mrs. Michael P. Golden ’84
Mr. and Mrs. Frank G. Hauser ’86
Mrs. Rene M. ’95 and Mr. Paul ’95 Holle
Mr. and Mrs. Robert L. Howard, Jr. ’93
Mr. Atul Jain ’01
Mr. and Mrs. Ravi Jain
J. H. Cohn LLP
Mr. Thomas P. ’77 and Mrs. Deborah S. ’78 Kelley
Mr. Michael P. Krol ’74, ’87
Mr. and Mrs. Dennis C. LaGanza ’81
Liberty Bank
Mrs. Nicole M. Lindsay ’96 and Mr. Josiah Lindsay
Marien and Company, LLC.
Mrs. Laura ’06 and Mr. Ashley R. ’01 Martella
Mr. Charles K. Molander ’63
Mr. James J. Moravecek ’01
Mr. Thomas R. Pajolek ’80
Mrs. Roberta E. ’82 and Mr. Stephen M. ’80 Peet
Mr. Brian Pierne ’86
Mr. Jay J. Rasmus
Mr. and Mrs. Marc A. Reich ’83
Mr. and Mrs. David A. Rogan ’80
Mr. and Mrs. Coleman D. Ross
Mrs. Barbara R. ’59 and Mr. Raymond A. Serra
Mr. Kenneth M. Shuskus ’88, ’01
Mr. Paul M. Sterczala ’77
Mr. and Mrs. Scott A. Trenholm ’82
Mr. and Mrs. Alex Urquhart ’88
Mr. Allan J. Vartelas ’80
Mr. Robert J. Wade ’68
Mrs. Rose M. Wyman

$250 – $499
Mr. John Allis III ’75
Mr. and Mrs. Rodney W. Ambrosie
Mrs. Elizabeth J. ’75, ’99 and Mr. Raymond E. ’68 Archambault
Mr. Christopher L. Bell ’88, ’95
Mr. and Mrs. Timothy P. Block ’83
Lt. Col. Robert L. Brandt ’65
Ronald F. Brien, Esq. ’56
Ms. Marilyn T. Bronzi ’71
Ms. Elizabeth C. Brown ’82
Ms. Susan A. Buffum ’80
Ronald E. Burt, MD
Mr. David J. Casey ’74
Mr. Michael P. Cassidy ’02 and Ms. Diane S. Dagostino
Mr. and Mrs. Ralph P. Castellon ’52
Mrs. Alison B. Chapman ’84
Mr. William B. Clemens III ’89, ’98
Mr. Michael B. Cohen ’81
Mr. and Mrs. Melvin Cooper ’58
Mr. Mark J. Cowan ’91, ’04
Mr. Patrick J. Coyne ’84
Mr. Thomas R. Cox ’67
Mrs. Sheila R. ’65 and Mr. Howard F. ’65 Crossman, Jr.
Mr. and Mrs. David J. Curran ’64
Mr. Richard L. Evans ’77
Mr. and Mrs. William H. Farley ’63
Fred C. Kile & Associates
Mr. Kenneth R. Fredette ’08
Mrs. Jacqueline R. Gattoni ’85
Mr. and Mrs. William B. Geary, Jr. ’57
Glen Gate Company
Mr. and Mrs. H. Kent Goetjen
Dr. Laura M. Graves ’81, ’82 and Dr. Gary N. Powell
Mrs. Donna M. ’86 and Mr. Thomas C. ’83 Harmon
Mr. and Mrs. Harvey Hennes ’69
Ms. Caroline Horner ’06
Mrs. Margaret B. ’70 and Mr. Lawrence D. ’66 Hutchins
Mrs. Jacqueline T. Jamsheed ’00
Mr. Peter E. Keene ’79
Mrs. Phyllis A. ’84 and Mr. Edmund S. ’81 Kindelan
Mrs. Aurelia N. Knox
Mr. Christopher R. Kunz ’02
Ms. Catherine K. Kurtz ’82
Mr. and Mrs. Paul D. Lantz ’77
Mr. Kevin M. Magee ’81
Mrs. Debra O. Marsteller ’80 and Mr. Franklin D. Marsteller
Mrs. Patricia L. McCarthy
Ms. Patricia E. McGowan ’89
Mr. Daniel P. Menzer ’86
Mr. and Mrs. Jamie B. Meyers ’84, ’93
Mr. and Mrs. Emmett J. Murtha ’60
Mr. Douglas M. Nelson ’82
Dr. and Mrs. John M. Oblak ’74
The Orange County Community Foundation
Mr. and Mrs. Arnold J. Price ’53
Mr. Richard T. Roth ’82
Mr. and Mrs. Arnold M. Robin ’63
Ms. Brenda H. Rouse ’82
Mr. and Mrs. Edward V. Sands ’77
Mr. William E. Schmidt ’59
Mr. Timothy J. Smith ’96
Smith Whiley & Company
Dr. Susan Spiggle ’70, ’80, ’81
Mr. and Mrs. William K. Stahl ’76
Mr. Keith P. Suchy ’88
Ms. Sheila R. Sullivan and Mr. Richard A. Schondelmeier
Mr. and Mrs. Karl Svendsen ’69
Ms. Aricia Symes-Elmer ’94 and Mr. Michael W. Elmer
Ms. Audrey Tierney ’55 and Mr. Richard J. Marsh
Mr. Mark A. Tschiegg ’06
Mrs. Jennifer W. Vanderwall ’94, ’00
Mr. Thomas D. Walker ’95
Wellspeak Dugas & Kane
Mr. and Mrs. Andrew Wiacek ’85
Mr. John A. Wolff ’86
Mr. Dean H. Zirolli ’87

This article first appeared in the UConn Business magazine, Volume 2, Issue 1 (Fall 2010)

The School’s Hall of Fame was established in 1993 to recognize the outstanding business  and community achievements of its alumni and students. Since then, over 100  alumni have been inducted. Alumni with outstanding achievements in business were  inducted into the 17th Annual Hall of Fame Celebration. This year’s alumni inductees are Michael G. Koppel ’78 and Joseph E. Parsons ’79. Fifteen School of Business students  were honored as Hall of Fame Fellows. The Travelers Companies, Inc. received the Outstanding Strategic Partner Award.

The Travelers Companies, Inc.

The University of Connecticut is committed to addressing the state’s needs through education, research and outreach. To fulfill this mission, partnerships with leading Connecticut businesses are vitally important. The enduring support of The Travelers Companies, Inc., a much valued collaborative partner, has significantly strengthened UConn and, in so doing, benefitted the people of Connecticut.

Because the company has a major presence in Connecticut, Travelers and UConn share a commitment to developing a well-educated workforce and improving the quality of life for the state’s residents. Travelers has employed more than 700 University of Connecticut alumni employees and continues to actively recruit UConn graduates.

From 1982 to 2009, Travelers’ philanthropic gifts to UConn exceeded $6 million. Of that amount, more than $1.2 million was directed to the School of Business for scholarships and a variety of programs, most notably a college access initiative targeting  underrepresented youth that has awarded scholarships totaling $534,000 since 2007.  Travelers EDGE: Empowering Dreams for Graduation and Employment is designed
to increase access to higher education and provide students with the opportunity to excel.

Joseph E. Parsons ’79
Management Committee Member
Bridgewater Associates, LP

Joseph E. Parsons joined Bridgewater Associates as a member of its Management Committee in 2010. Prior to joining Bridgewater, Joe was a vice president of General Electric Company and president & CEO of the GE Real Estate’s Global Investment Management division. Before taking on these responsibilities, Joe was president of GE Real Estate’s North America Equity division, where he led a group of real estate businesses stretching throughout the U.S., Canada, and Mexico with more than $25 billion invested in real estate assets Prior to leading North America Equity, he was president and
CEO of GE Equity, where he managed a $5 billion portfolio. Joe earned an MBA from the University of Arkansas and a BS in Finance from the University of Connecticut.

Michael G. Koppel ’78
Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer
Nordstrom, Inc.

Michael G. Koppel is executive vice president and chief financial officer of Nordstrom, Inc., one of the nation’s leading fashion specialty retailers. Mike has more than 25 years of retail
industry experience in finance, strategy and planning and operations. After joining Nordstrom in 1999 as corporate controller and principal accounting officer, Mike was appointed CFO in April 2001.

Additionally, Mike supports and serves as a member of the board of Nordstrom fsb, a wholly owned subsidiary of Nordstrom, Inc. and federally chartered savings bank. In 2009, Mike was recognized by for the third time in Institutional Investor magazine as one of “America’s Best CFOs.”

Student Fellows

Gregory M. Autuori ’10
Undergraduate Program

Ethan C. Beschler ’10
Undergraduate Program

Bryan W. Bystricky ’10
Part-Time MBA, Hartford

Sophia K. Cerreta ’10
Undergraduate Program

Russell A. Gagain ’10
Executive MBA, Hartford

Jennifer K. Gorman ’10
Full-Time MBA Program, Storrs

Simone T. Hill ’10
Undergraduate Program

Nicholas C. Misenti ’09
MS in Accounting

Ezra J. Okon ’10
Undergraduate Program

Andrew O. Oladipo ’09
Part-Time MBA, Stamford

Camron Rafiee ’10
Undergraduate Program

Tawney Schwarz ’10
Part-Time MBA, Waterbury

Harpreet Singh ’10
Ph.D. Program

Yevgeniy Teplitsky ’10
Undergraduate Program

Sana Zuhaad ’10
Undergraduate Program

This article first appeared in the UConn Business magazine, Volume 2, Issue 1 (Fall 2010)

Keith Fox ’80 offers advice to undergraduates at commencement

Keith Fox, who graduated from the University of Connecticut in 1980 with a major in  marketing, was Keynote Speaker for the 2010 Undergraduate Commencement  Ceremonies at the School of Business. Addressing more than 700 graduating students along with families, friends, and faculty, Fox wished the audience a Happy Mother’s Day,  and then spoke of the dedication and determination required to finally reach this important  milestone:

“You got to this wonderful day through incredible sacrifice and hard work — not all of it your  undertaking. You were under your parents’ wings the first half. Then you were given the opportunity to step out and earn some personal freedoms — your High School years. You passed that test, and it brought you here to UConn. You have done well, and your  presence here at graduation portends that you are ready to solo.”

Fox also recalled his four years at UConn, the classes, sports and dorm life, and of his own indecision following graduation:

“Now to be honest, I had the same range of emotions you are probably feeling today. I didn’t know what I wanted to do when I graduated. I wanted a job and to make enough money to be on my own. I started working at a small computer store in Norwalk Connecticut, in sales and marketing. I did well enough to be noticed and hired by a little company at the time called Apple Computer.”

Tracing the arc of his fifteen-year management career at Apple, and then at Cisco Systems where he was Vice-President of Worldwide Corporate Marketing, Fox offered a  challenge to the graduates:

“I tell you this because you will have many life experiences. You will continue to discover yourself. You will grow. You will have more than one job in your career. You will work for more than one company. You will most likely have a family… and you, like your parents, will invest in others.

Think big… have a plan… work hard… and have fun along the way. Compete hard… and play fair. If you aren’t in a good career place, change it. It’s your journey…it’s your life. UConn has prepared you well. Be confident that you can compete with professionals from all over the world… Continue to make yourself, your family, and your friends proud.”

Keith Fox

Fox is currently the CEO of the Keith and Pamela Fox Family Foundation focused on  children’s health and education. His philanthropic work also includes a board seat at Lucille Packard Children’s Hospital, a board seat at the University of Connecticut  Foundation, a board seat on the Leadership Cabinet for the Dean of the UConn School of  Business, and an executive cabinet position for the President of California Polytechnic  State University.

This article first appeared in the UConn Business magazine, Volume 2, Issue 1 (Fall 2010)

A Conversation with Clinton Gartin ’77

Clinton G. Gartin is Vice Chairman of Morgan Stanley’s Investment Banking Division and oversees the firm’s health care franchise. He graduated from UConn in 1977 with a BS in  accounting and later earned an MBA from Harvard Business School. He joined Morgan  Stanley in 1981 and has held a variety of positions with the firm since that time, including  co-head of Global Industries, Head of Health Care and Chief Administrative Officer of the  investment banking division. Mr. Gartin has extensive experience in both mergers and  acquisitions and capital raising. He has served as advisor to over $500 billion of M&A  transactions. He lives with his wife and four children in Darien, Connecticut.

You’ve pledged a substantial gift to the University of Connecticut School of Business over the next five years. What do you hope this gift will accomplish?

From my perspective, the UConn School of Business has made great progress over the last decade. National prominence is within reach and I hope my support and the support of others will help the School of Business reach that goal. This all ties into the difficult  economic times we’re currently experiencing. This is a time for alumni to step up with the financial support that will allow the University to continue its mission.

This is not your first gift to the school – can you tell us a little about your philanthropy and what has prompted it?

I had a great experience at the school. I had excellent professors and the courses I took were well designed; but despite that experience I had lost touch with UConn until about 15 years ago when I ran into Tom Gutteridge (former Dean of the School of Business) and got to talking about the school. He persuaded me to join the school’s board of advisors, and frankly, I became very enthused about what they were doing. It seemed like a good thing to give a little back to the school that had given me such a good grounding.

The other thing I’d say about general philanthropy is that I think education is the one great investment you can make as a donor that has a guaranteed return. You know that every dollar you invest helps the future. I think there’s a very clear payback. When you educate people and prepare them to do things for the rest of their lives, you get paid back forever.

Can you tell us a little bit more about your encounter with Dean Gutteridge?

Sure. I ran into him at a homecoming weekend celebration. My wife, who was a cheerleader at UConn, was marching in the parade and it was raining. I ducked into the School of Business to stay dry and there he was. So we got to talking.

Your wife also attended UConn?

Yes, I met my wife the second weekend of our freshman year.

The university has just initiated a major Capitol Campaign. What can you share with other School of Business alumni to prompt their participation in giving back to their alma mater?

I guess I’d say that for anyone who went to the UConn School of Business, at least some portion of their success can be attributed to the education they received there. We all had the good fortune of graduating during good economic times, which enabled us to leave school and embark on successful careers. Giving back to the school would enable others to enjoy the same benefits we have enjoyed, especially during these trying economic
times.

You mentioned the poor economy. What is your perspective on the current financial crisis?

I think it’s fair to say we’ve been through one of the most difficult economic times in any of our memories, and we’ve taken a number of steps that have been very positive to reverse that. I think we’re in the beginning of a recovery, but I don’t think anyone should underestimate the amount of work that we have left to do. It’s going to take an attitude
toward financial risk that is much more conservative than we’ve had for the last decade.

How did the education you received at the School of Business prepare you for your success in business?

I think the most important thing is that it created a very solid base level of business knowledge. All of the key tools in finance and accounting were extremely well taught at UConn. I walked out of UConn well prepared for a career in business.

Did you know your own career path from a young age?

I knew I wanted to be in business and I had a notion I might major in accounting. When I got to UConn and took my first accounting class, I liked it a lot and I decided that Accounting would be a great major. Interestingly, I’m one of the few people who turned down Duke to go to UConn — and I did that because if you go to Duke, you can’t take the CPA exam. They don’t have a very good basketball team either.

Are you a Connecticut native?

No, my father worked for GE so I grew up around the country. I lived my senior year of high school in Fairfield, Connecticut, so I decided to stay in-state for college.

Do you have any special memories of the school that you’d like to share?

Yes, there was one professor, a gentleman by the name of Dick Kochanek (currently Emeritus Professor of Accounting) who was my intermediate accounting professor. He was an exceptional educator and individual and he created a level of enthusiasm around a subject that does not always generate a great deal of enthusiasm. I came away from his classes excited about the field of business. One of the things that was distinctive
about him is he knew every student by name and called on them by name. The other thing that was distinctive about him was how excited he was about what he was teaching. He was interesting; he was funny; and he really captured your attention. He is still one of the most popular professors on campus.

Tell us what you did after college. How did you embark on the career you have now?

After I graduated in 1977 I went to work for one of the Big Eight accounting firms, Arthur Young & Company in Hartford. I left there in 1979 to go to Harvard Business School, where I graduated in 1981 and joined Morgan Stanley later that year. I started at Morgan Stanley as an associate in corporate finance. Over the years, I have done a variety of things,
but I now principally do mergers and acquisitions and capital raising. Last year, my colleagues and I represented Wyeth in its sale to Pfizer, for $68 billion dollars, the largest deal in the world last year. I also worked on the sale of Schering-Plough to Merck, which was $46 billion.Working at Morgan Stanley has been exciting and fun. I still enjoy it after all of these years.

What advice can you give to upcoming graduates?

I think the most important thing is to do something that you really enjoy because you’ll do the very best at those things you are most enthusiastic about. If work can be fun, you’ll do  well. If you wake up every morning saying, “I get to go to work” instead of, “I have to go to work,” you’ll be successful.

The only thing I might add is that nothing comes to people by accident. Success comes to people who work hard and who are focused and determined. Those who are self-reliant and have a goal can achieve a lot. I think that getting an  education at a school like UConn is a great base from which to achieve those types of goals. Students also need to understand that academic performance really matters. No one wants to hire someone who is average because they don’t think their business is average. They want to hire someone who is exceptional. College should be a wonderful time; it certainly was for me. But it needs to also be a time when you have objectives and goals. I’ve always told my kids that the eight most important years of your life are high school and college because they set the stage for everything that you accomplish thereafter.

This article first appeared in the UConn Business magazine, Volume 2, Issue 1 (Fall 2010)

Jean M. LaVecchia ’81 MBA rewrites the rules to the triple bottom line

For Jean M. LaVecchia, Vice President of Human Resources at Northeast Utilities,life can be mysterious – and hopeful. From math to human resources, man-hole covers to energy grids, Millstone to ethics reform – LaVecchia has led the charge – bringing about changes in industry and education that affect not only how we live and learn, but how we interact with each other and the environment. Speaking to a group of over 200 MBA students and
alumni, LaVecchia retraced her career and the challenges that she has faced.

Graduating in 1973 summa cum laude from Connecticut College with a degree in  mathematics, she began her career in the Bell Telephone system as an economic  engineer for Southern New England Telephone. Luckily, her managers stressed the importance of education – providing opportunities for internal and external development.  So, when she had the opportunity to enroll in UConn’s Full-Time MBA Program in 1980, she jumped at the chance.

“I would drive from New Haven to Hartford each day to attend classes – and it has provided me with opportunities I never would have had… Earning an MBA degree demonstrates your own commitment to learning and investment in your own career,” notes LaVecchia who graduated from the UConn Program in 1981 and resumed her career at SNET.

Notwithstanding the recession of the early 1980’s, LaVecchia was able to advance within SNET – becoming Assistant Treasurer in charge of 401(k) plans, financial planning and analysis and soon thereafter, being appointed Vice President for Retail Marketing. Yet, through a series of “quirks and wonderful opportunities,” she found herself transitioning from finance to human resources. It began in the late 1980’s – a challenging time for SNET as labor strikes over benefits threatened to halt service. With an agreement reached, the organization underwent internal changes at the executive management level – creating more opportunities in Human Resources that would bring the focus back on talent development. For LaVecchia, it was an opportunity to blend her analytical and strategic capabilities with people – and she was a shoo-in for the role of Senior Vice President of Organizational Development. Leveraging her ability to analyze issues, she realized that the jump from finance to human resources wasn’t as vast as she originally believed.

And she was off. During deregulation of the telecom industry, LaVecchia led the restructuring of SNET into wholesale and retail operations and developed a multi-year strategic change management process focusing on leadership and organizational adaptability. She later left her 24-year career at SNET to accept an opportunity at People’s  Bank in 1998 – becoming Executive Vice President of Corporate Services directing the bank’s strategic planning and overseeing its human resources functions. But, while the
corporate environment was undergoing dramatic changes brought on by the dotcom era and a hyper-competitive global market, LaVecchia was undergoing a change management process herself – and took on quite possibly her most challenging (and gratifying) career  move.

LaVecchia left People’s Bank in 1999 to join Northeast Utilities – reeling after the Millstone Nuclear Power Plant crisis. Memorialized on the cover of TIME magazine – the media castigated Northeast Utilities, challenging them to upgrade their safety initiatives and punish those managers who chose retaliation against employees for reporting safety violations. By chronicling the plight of whistleblowers who went outside the company to tell their story because senior managers wouldn’t listen, Northeast Utilities found itself in an ethical quandary. “We learned the hard way; and many companies and leaders are still learning the hard way…”offers LaVecchia who now serves as Vice President of Human Resources and the organization’s Chief Ethics Officer. “Ethics and leadership build the heart of the company – and human resources fills a necessary role in informing and educating employees. But it takes great leaders to ensure a pervasive culture of ethics – and great leaders are role models who always do the right thing.

Ethics is now a top priority for the company and our leaders course-correct when  necessary, even if they need to eat humble pie. My mother always told me that ‘if it’s too good to be true, it is’, so when you see something wrong, you’ve got to be proactive,  courageous, speak up, and not just go along with the crowd. Could-a, should-a, would-a  never helped anyone.” Motivated by the spirit of service, LaVecchia has been the chief promoter of doing the right thing – and promoting “doing the right thing” as a core corporate value. “We need to know  that when we move, we’re moving in the right direction; and it benefits everybody,” offers  LaVecchia who now evaluates opportunities on the basis of their economic, environmental and social impacts.

Of course, infusing a culture with innovation can be a bit “like turning the Queen Mary” admits LaVecchia. “These days are much more exciting as this industry is on the leading edge of change; but we’ve met the innovation challenge head on. We found that we had
to infuse new talent into the organization and hire those who have more strategic planning skills and know how to react quickly. We need people who have experienced the pace of change. There are tremendous opportunities advancing through the stimulus package to upgrade our network – to automate it so that it is self-diagnosing and self-healing.”

LaVecchia also praised the expertise of UConn students. “UConn is our premier school.  We recruit heavily at the undergraduate and graduate levels. In fact, over 400 NU employees are UConn graduates and this past summer, we hosted 120 interns.” UConn’s graduate and undergraduate degrees boast a robust curriculum that incorporates  experiential learning, so students now have the advantage of working in cross-curriculum-based teams. “To the extent you can work in teams, learn from each other and faculty, test assumptions and models, probe for better information, better understand the  interdependent role of regulation and government, network, and build your team and communication skills – it will be very helpful to you in your careers,” she noted.

In offering advice to students, LaVecchia added “Consider, more broadly, what you want to do – and as you go through your program, explore other fields… As one of my  management professors told me, do not seek a career or positions because you want to be it – seek it because you want to do it. ‘Being’ is one thing, but finding your passion is  ever more important.”

Jean M. LaVecchia

Jean M. LaVecchia is vice president – Human Resources and Ethics Officer for the Northeast Utilities system (NU). She is a member of the Senior Management Committee responsible for all aspects of human resources, including workforce planning and  development, ethics and safety.

A native of Connecticut, LaVecchia joined NU in November of 1999. She has more than 25 years in the telecommunications and banking industries at People’s Bank and Southern  New England Telecom Corporation (SNET, now AT&T) where she has played integral management roles in strategic planning, human resources and organization development,  communications, marketing and auditing.

LaVecchia is a member of the Board of Governors for Higher Education and a member of the board of advisors of the University of Connecticut’s School of Business. LaVecchia graduated from Connecticut College summa cum laude in 1973 with a Bachelor’s degree
in Mathematics. She received her MBA degree in Finance from the University of Connecticut in 1980. She is a member of Phi Beta Kappa and Beta Gamma Sigma Honor Societies.