December 2005

From all of us at Atkinson – we wish you happy holidays and a wonderful new year!

ADMINISTRATIVE NEWS
MESSAGE FROM THE DEAN

Thanks to you!
In case you haven't yet heard, we have had tremendous success in recruiting our first Professional MBA class. We will have more than our target of 20 for this cohort, with classes beginning January 9. Congratulations to Tina and Carla with the PMBA program as well as to all of you who helped make this a success.

As the semester (and the year) draws to a close, we realize there is much for which to be thankful. The fall semester once again proved the dedication of our faculty and the diligence of our students. Thanks for all of your hard work in continuing to make the Atkinson School successful.

Our successful kickoff of the Campaign for Willamette on December 2 raised over $300,000 in student scholarships for the university, including Atkinson. Our AGSM campaign message has been honed and you will be hearing more about it soon. We are receiving more funds for scholarships and other needs and will be sharing an update in an upcoming issue.

Thanks to Peter Kremer for his recent talk to our faculty and students on Real Estate Investment. Thanks to all other members on the Atkinson Committee of the Willamette Trustees for their support of our vision. Thanks to our AGSM Advisory Board for their counsel, and ideas for our programs. Thanks to our mentors and their willingness to help our full time MBA students. Thanks to our donors for investment in the future.

And for certain, thanks to all alumni for your support throughout the year in so many different ways. Your efforts will help raise awareness about the Atkinson Graduate School, enhance the value of your degree, and help ensure a great MBA education for future generations here at Willamette University

Jim Goodrich

New Opportunities Under Katrina Legislation
In response to the devastation caused by Hurricane Katrina, Congress recently passed new tax incentives to encourage additional giving to all public charities during the remainder of 2005.

For cash contributions made to public charities – including Willamette University – through December 31, 2005, the usual limitation on charitable deductions has been suspended. For the remainder of the year, donors may deduct charitable gifts in amounts up to 100% of their adjusted gross income. The law applies only to outright gifts of cash that are made directly to charities.

The new law also provides a unique opportunity for people older than 59-1/2 to make donations from an IRA, 401(k), or other retirement account. Under the new law, most people over 59-1/2 can withdraw unlimited amounts from IRAs and other retirement plans with minimal tax consequences if they contribute the amount withdrawn to Willamette or other charities before January 1, 2006.

To take advantage of these temporary changes in tax laws, gifts must be completed by December 31, 2005. Note that the tax benefits of the new law may not apply to everyone. Please consult your tax advisor or call Willamette’s Office of Gift Planning (toll free at 866-204-8102) before making any withdrawals from retirement accounts and before making any large charitable contributions from any source of funds.

If you are interested in making a charitable contribution before December 31 to take advantage of tax deductions, please contact Denise Crawford at dcrawfor@willamette.edu or by cell phone at 503.871.4471. Gifts can also be made securely on-line at www.willamette.edu/support.

Although the University will be officially closed December 23-January 2, Denise will be regularly checking her e-mail and voice mail and all gifts received before December 31, 2005 will be posted accordingly for this tax year.

NUPTIALS
BOONCHOO LAOHATHANASARN MBA’99 was married on September 14, 2005 in his home country of Thailand. Boonchoo currently works for Orange, a mobile network provider, and Tesco-Lotus (Thailand), a large retail store. In addition, he has also had the opportunity to start two companies of his own: Thanasarn Tools & Equipment, which imports special tools & equipment for construction, and ID Inside Company, a company that finds solutions for its clients using microchip technology. Boonchoo's wife is a dentist who specializes in root canals.

LISA GISLASON MBA’04 got engaged to Clarke Hylton on Friday, October 8, 2005. The wedding date is set for Saturday, May 13, 2006 in Portland, OR. Visit the happy couple-to-be's web site at www.theknot.com/ourwedding/lisagislason&clarkehylton.

ELLIOTT DALE MBA’05 and JENNIFER HAMILTON MBA’06 are happy and proud to announce their engagement to the Atkinson community. "We met last year when we were both students at AGSM, and our first date was a TNO," writes Elliott. "We have both benefited immensely from our association with the school, and want to acknowledge all of those of you who have shared in our relationship." Elliott and Jennifer will be married in the fall of 2006 in Portland.

FAMILY ADDITIONS
DEAN BURNETT MBA’00 and TARYN (FUCHS) BURNETT JD/MBA’01, CDR‘01 welcomed a baby boy into their family on September 26, 2005. Quentin Conrad was born happy and healthy at 7lbs. 13 oz.

KATRINA BAUMAN MBA’00and husband Daniel Dummer welcomed their first child, Clayton Daniel Bauman Dummer, on October 17, 2005.

UPDATES
SANDY BARUAH MM’95 was the featured speaker at an Economic Roundtable luncheon titled "The Future of Federal Economic Development Policy" on Monday, November 14th in Portland. Sandy is now Acting Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Economic Development in the Bush Administration. The topic was a discussion focused on the President's agenda for promoting innovation-led regional economic development, and the Strengthening America's Communities Initiative — a Presidential proposal to update federal economic and community development policy, and consolidate 18 federal economic and community development programs. Sandy has served the Bush Administration and the U.S. Department of Commerce since 2001. He served as the Deputy Assistant Secretary for Program Operations at the Economic Development Administration (EDA) and currently serves as EDA's Chief of Staff as well as Acting Assistant Secretary. Sandy's role is to lead and manage the U.S. Department of Commerce's Economic Development Administration, the domestic economic development arm of the Commerce Department. Sandy and his wife and son currently live in Washington, D.C.

JUSTIN DICKERSON MBA’99 was recently promoted to Director, Operations Analysis at DSW Shoe Warehouse, a rapidly growing footwear retailer headquartered in Columbus, Ohio that recently completed its initial public offering. Justin's area of responsibility covers real estate and marketing analysis, as well as strategic planning. After graduating from Atkinson 6 1/2 years ago, Justin began his career in the retail industry with Target Corporation, eventually becoming Manager of Corporate Finance. He then managed assortment planning and space planning for Circuit City, and then Bath & Body Works, before joining DSW this past summer. Justin and his family live in Columbus, Ohio, and spend most of their time following Ohio State football.

JUS SINGH MBA’94 was promoted to Managing Director at Resources Global Professionals in June of 2005. Resources is a public company traded under the ticker RECN that has over 70 offices worldwide. The company was a former subsidiary of Deloitte & Touche.

DAN HEISTER ‘81, MBA’87 was recently honored with the USEPA 2005 On-Scene Coordinator (OSC), Excellence in Community Involvement Award. This is a national award and only one OSC is recognized annually. Dan's work as the EPA On-Scene Coordinator at the North Ridge Estates Asbestos Removal project is just one example of his dedication to the community. As one of his team members put it, "An EPA On-Scene Coordinator is usually the good cowboy in white hat, who rides into town, rescues the townspeople from the immediate threat from a toxic release caused by bad men in black hats, and then fades into the sunset with an enigmatic nod and a wave of his hand. Out west in the southern Oregon ranching community of Klamath Falls, there is a neighborhood called North Ridge Estates that was built on top of an ornery asbestos problem. The true measure of commitment to community involvement has been demonstrated by On-Scene Coordinator Dan Heister, who remains the hero of a contaminated community almost three years into the response to an emergency that just keeps on emerging." Dan will be in New Orleans for three weeks beginning at the end of November, working for USEPA as the Deputy Incident Commander in response to Katrina. This will be his second rotation as the Deputy at the response. Photos: (Left) Oregon Operations Office Director Socorro Rodriguez, OSC Awardee Dan Heister and Community Involvement Coordinator Judy Smith; (Right) Dan Heister briefing Congressman Walden at the North Ridge Estates site.

JON LAZARUS MM’98 and KERI TRASK LAZARUS ‘97, MBA/JD’01, CDR‘01 purchased their first home and finished painting it just in time for the winter season. They received invaluable help from BRENT FURBY MBA/JD’00, who also was Jon's best man at their wedding in May of 2004. In August 2005, Jon passed his Project Management Professional exam from the Project Management Institute and is looking forward to learning more with a PMP certification. Keri continues to grow her own law firm, Law Offices of Keri Trask Lazarus, which primarily focuses on personal injury cases for the Portland and Salem Areas. Jon currently works for the Oregon Department of Transportation, and coincidentally, reports to fellow alum GALEN MCGILL MBA’93. Jon will celebrate his 3rd year anniversary working at ODOT in February 2006.

JUNE BROTHERS MBA’84 will be retiring as Vice President - Corporate Safety from Georgia-Pacific in December. "June's outstanding leadership has been a key part of improving our safety performance across the company," stated an article announcing June's retirement. "She joined GP in 1988 as safety director at the Toledo, Ore, Containerboard mill. After a brief period in Corporate Safety, she served 11 years in Building Products before returning to Corporate Safety in 2002. She was on the OSHA Voluntary Protection Program Participants' Association National board of directors for nine years, five as chair. She began her safety career thirty years ago with Oregon-OSHA." June and her husband will be relocating from Atlanta to Winslow Valley Estates in West Salem, where they have just completed construction of a new home.

BRYAN POCOCK MBA/JD’99 recently enjoyed a relaxing - and rewarding - vacation in Mexico. Nice catch Bryan!

Introducing Linda Pyle, Director of Events
Linda Pyle has accepted the position of Director of Events at the Atkinson Graduate School of Management. Linda will assume responsibility for the growing number of events and guest speakers that we at Atkinson anticipate for our near future.

Linda comes to Atkinson from the University Office of Scheduling, Events and Conferences where she was Assistant Director. In addition to her years of experience in customer service and event management, Linda also has a background in sales and marketing. She developed a successful marketing strategy for the office of events and conferences and marketed the University facilities to community event planners.

Linda is a graduate of Oregon Health & Sciences University with a Master of Science, Management in Science and Technology. She received her Bachelor of Science in Management and Communications from Western Baptist College. She is a member of the American Marketing Association and the
Public Relations Society of America.

RECENT EVENTS

Executive Speaker Series
Bob Thompson, CEO of PayWi, visited Atkinson in November as part of a series of executive speakers to visit the school. Bob talked about the future of the wireless payment industry, and his startup company PayWi. PayWi currently operates a point of sale payment system through your cell phone, eliminating opportunities for fraud and making payment of all types extremely simple.

PMBA Information Session: Holiday Cheer
Atkinson staff, faculty, alumni, friends and students from both the Salem and Portland programs met together at Three Degrees Restaurant at RiverPlace on Tuesday, December 13th for a PMBA Information Session. PMBA Director, Tina Alexander, talked briefly about the Portland Professional MBA program followed by a viewing of the 51st Annual Lighted Ship Parade on the Willamette River. Look for more information about upcoming information sessions, which will resume after the holidays.

PORTLAND PROFESSIONAL MBA

Professional MBA Prepares to Welcome January 2006 Class
The Portland Professional MBA will kick off its first semester on January 6th and 7th with concentrated cohort training for the new class of students in its Pearl District home at 11th and Burnside. Students will begin classes on January 9th taking two courses, "Managing Organizations: Design & Change" and "Data Analysis, Modeling and Decision Making."

For more information on the Professional MBA program, please contact Tina Alexander or Carla Wiltbank at 1-866-385-PMBA (7622) or visit www.willamettepmba.com.

CAREER SERVICES

Statistics Update:
From the Class of 2006…..11% of those seeking have accepted offers of employment following graduation and an additional 8% have reported receiving offers thus far – a total of 19% of the class. Many others are in the midst of interviewing and applying and in discussions with a variety of companies.

ATKINSONews Alumnus Spotlight:
SCOTT COE MBA’89, Bonneville Power Lunch
By Aaron Andrus, MBA Candidate 2007

On Monday, October 7th the Atkinson community was pleased to receive guest speaker Scott Coe, an AGSM alumnus (1989) who currently manages the power scheduling department of the Bonneville Power Administration (BPA).

BPA, headquartered in Portland, Oregon, is a federal agency under the U.S. Department of Energy that serves the Pacific Northwest through operating an extensive electricity transmission system and marketing wholesale electrical power from federal dams and other non-federal electricity generation facilities (www.bpa.gov/corporate).

Mr. Coe discussed his career path with BPA, interesting and challenging aspects of his work, and the attributes he developed at Atkinson that have helped him succeed in business such as flexibility and critical thinking skills. He was accompanied by Andy Myers, a recent AGSM graduate (2001) Scott personally recruited out of the program. Andy gave an overview of his experiences as a power scheduler and discussed the exciting, and at times demanding, nature of their work.

Mr. Coe presented the co-op program to current Atkinson students who may be interested in working with Bonneville. The co-op program is ideal for second year Atkinson MBA students interested in a career at BPA. Those chosen for co-op positions have an opportunity to be hired on full time, by-passing the traditionally difficult federal hiring system. One would first need to log in 650 hours before being eligible for conversion to a full-time position. Typically, the candidate will work over Christmas break, then one day a week or so until graduation.

Students interested in learning more about the Bonneville Power Administration or the co-op program can contact Beth Ursin, the AGSM career development coordinator (eursin@willamette.edu).

JD/MBA Information Session Report:
A panel of graduates from the Willamette JD/MBA combined degree program spoke to students in or considering the JD/MBA program on December 8. The panel represented the variety of career paths the joint degree makes possible and included PATRICE ALTENHOFEN MM/JD’95 of Cascade Employer Association, SCOTT DAVIDSON MBA/JD’87 of White and Lee, JASON HEDLUND ’97, MBA/JD’01 of Ernst and Young, and ADRIAN MALATESTA MBA/JD’00 of Target Corporation.

Patrice Altenhofen began her career in labor relations work at Cascade Employers Association as a student intern and eventually moved up into management in human resources. She is currently the general council and director of human resource development services at Cascade Employers Association where, among other things, she provides guidance on employment matters to private and public sector employers and participates in the development of long-term human resource and compliance strategies. She enjoys career flexibility that allows her to spend plenty of time with her two daughters.

Scott Davidson began his career at Intel before he took the opportunity to work in a private practice at White & Lee LLP, a corporate law firm that provides critical legal service and business guidance to early- and mid-stage technology and other emerging growth companies (www.whiteandlee.com). He notes that his education gives him the advantage of understanding financial matters that most lawyers do not.

Jason Hedlund began his career with Arthur Anderson before getting his LLM in tax at the University of Washington and then hiring on with Ernst & Young LLP tax department. Ernst & Young is a global organization that helps companies in businesses across all industries-from emerging growth companies to global powerhouses-deal with a broad range of business issues. Despite his degree in law, Jason does not consider himself a lawyer, but rather a middle man in business.

Adrian Malatesta tried his hand in multiple areas of business law before settling into employment law. He worked with Patrice Altenhofen at Cascade Employers Association and later got into employee relations. He is currently a regional human resources representative for the Target Corporation where he oversees the execution of HR policies and procedures in a large number of western Target stores. Adrian values the opportunity to collaborate with leadership to impact business through Target's most valuable resource-people.

Important skill-sets for JD/MBA graduates in non-traditional career paths are the ability to sell yourself in addition to having a strong technical skill set, great people skills-especially when it comes to motivating people-and strong written and oral communication abilities.

If you are interested in learning more about the JD/MBA program, contact Judy O'Neill (joneill@willamette.edu). Alumni/employers interested in hiring JD/MBA candidates can contact Beth Ursin (eursin@willamette.edu).

Young Professionals in Salem and Portland
Are you interested in connecting with young professionals in the Salem or Portland area? The Young Professionals of Portland was started by two Willamette alums, MATHEW HUNNICUTT ’02, MBA’02 and ANDREW FRAZIER ’98. YPOP hosts events usually on the last Tuesday of every month to provide an opportunity for young Portland professionals to network. Salem Area Young Professionals, started more recently by the Salem Chamber of Commerce in September 2005, has already established a large following. 100 people attended a recent event held at Willamette Valley Vineyards. If you are interested in connecting with either of these organizations, please visit their web sites: www.youngprofessionalsofportland.com/ypop or www.salemyoungpros.com.

EXECUTIVE DEVELOPMENT CENTER
Certificate in Public Management
On December 1, 2005, 27 participants in Cohort Five of the Certificate in Public Management program graduated. The graduates are Paula Allen, Robyn Bassett, Brenda Bayes, Roy Bruce, Nolan Campbell, Marsha Clark, Traci Cooper, Patrick Dodge, Mary French, Robert Gerberding, Sandy Jefferson, Dexter Johnson, Addie Kerr, Phyllis Kerr, Paul Kroll, Michael Kurtz, Robert Martinez, Patricia Newell-Gerlack, Richard Ogden, Dean Owens, Brady Peeks, Armando Perfecto, Karen Peterson, Martin Plotner, Jeff Scheick, Linda Shames and Jerry Wyatt.

The Carney Award, which is given to the student who the faculty believes best demonstrates his/her commitment, academic achievement and leadership in the Certificate for Public Management, was given to Jeff Scheick. Graduates also receiving recognition for their commitment to Excellence were Sandy Jefferson, Michael Kurtz and Brady Peeks.

Atkinson Accounting Association Kicks Off
The first event for the student accounting group at Atkinson was held on Monday, November 14th with special guest speaker Kathy Cuhna, CPA and CMA from Aldrich, Kilbride & Tatone. Kathy spoke on two topics: Unusual Ways into Accounting, and CPA/CMA comparison/contrast. The purpose of the Atkinson Accounting Association (AAA) is to promote the interests of AGSM students who are interested in the field of accounting and/or are seeking employment in the accounting industry upon graduation. Stay tuned for future AAA events.

Atkinson Golf Association (AGA) tees off with a CLA Alumni Speaker
DENNIS WHITLOCK ’78 was the inaugural speaker for the Atkinson Golf Association. Dennis graduated from Willamette in 1978 with a BS in Economics. He worked in his family's business for 20 years and 5 years ago became the General Manager at Creekside Golf Club, a private Peter Jacobsen-designed course in south Salem. Dennis shared his knowledge of business and golf. He stated "not many deals are actually closed on the golf course - but it is a great opportunity to evaluate the character and integrity of your potential business partners". Several students asked questions about the market for golf since it is a part of their PaCE project. Members of the AGA will be golfing over the holiday break - please contact Ken Smith (smithk@willamette.edu) or Andrew Logue (alogue@willamette.edu) for tee times and locations.

Atkinson's SHRM Group Welcomes Guest Speaker
Mike Porter, Associate Attorney with Miller Nash LLP, recently spoke the Atkinson's Society of Human Resource Management student group. Mr. Porter’s practice focuses on serving public school districts, private schools, and higher education institutions on issues involving labor and employment, student rights and discipline, alternative education programs, and federal and state regulatory compliance. He also works with private employers in all areas of labor and employment law. Mr. Porter regularly advises clients in these areas and represents clients in federal and state courts as well as in mediations and arbitrations. Mr. Porter earned a bachelor's degree in education at Kansas State University and a master of education degree at the University of South Carolina. He received his law degree from the University of Kansas School of Law where he was elected to the Order of the Coif.

Atkinson Management Today Publishes Second Issue
Extra! Atkinson Management Today (AMT), the student produced, on-line publication of the Atkinson Graduate School of Management at Willamette University, published its second issue on November 16, 2005. The issue covers a wide range of topics such as cross-cultural negotiation, mentorship and creative branding. Feedback from subscribers and students has been overwhelmingly positive: “Clearly presented, easy to follow and digest . . .Great job, my first time reading and I will be reading future articles.”

AMT was created to enhance the Atkinson experience and connect with alumni and professionals in the community. The on-line journal, published semi-annually, researches the latest techniques and trends available to managers. The November issue can be accessed through the following link: www.willamette.edu/agsm/amt/.

If you have any questions, or would like to contribute to AMT, please contact us at bcoon@willamette.edu or jhamilto@willamette.edu.

Student Accomplishments
Congratulations to FADI BOURI and MARY WHEELWRIGHT (SIMBALA). Friday, November 4, 2005 "Beta Gamma Sigma Induction Ceremony"

View the current events calendar at: www.willamette.edu/~schiapel/master_calendar/ and other information for alumni at: www.willamettealumni.com/events.

One isn't necessarily born with courage, but one is born with potential. Without courage, we cannot practice any other virtue with consistency. We can't be kind, true, merciful, generous or honest.

– Maya Angelou