2014 BEEP Alumni Open House Program Booklet-REVISED
- 1. February 25, 2014 | Delaware State University Alumni Open House&BlackExecutiveExchangeProgram Individual value proposition: What’s yours?
- 2. 2 Delaware State University | College of Business Message from the Dean As acting dean of the College of Business, it is a distinct honor and privilege to welcome you to Delaware State University’s 2014 Alumni Open House and Black Executive Exchange Program conference. Consistent with BEEP’s mission to share learning experience across generations, cultivate new leaders, and inspire achievements beyond the possible, the COB is committed to engaging students through professional development and networking opportunities. A top priority of the COB is to support the ability of our students to obtain jobs leading to successful careers in their chosen field of study. Your role is important to the success of our students. We appreciate your unparalleled dedication to the COB. Your enthusiasm to motivate our students to a new level of excellence is evidenced through your continuous participation each year. Please accept my sincerest wishes for an energizing and rewarding conference! Best Regards, Amir Mohammadi Acting Dean, College of Business Delaware State University
- 3. College of Business |Delaware State University 3 Tuesday, February 25, 2014 Program Agenda | All events will be held in the Bank of America Building 8:30 a.m. – 9:15 a.m. Breakfast Room 308 Greetings Dr. Bradley Skelcher Associate Provost Introductions & Tamekca Faria Schedule of Events Interim Director, College of Business Advisement Center 9:30 a.m. - 10:45 a.m. Classroom Visits Mock Interviews Room 204 Resume Reviews Room 204 11 a.m. — 11:50 a.m. Visiting Management Professionals Forum Longwood Auditorium, Room 113 Introduction of the Speaker Dr. Akwasi Osei Associate Dean, College of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences; Chair, Department of History, Political Science and Philosophy Speaker Adisa Bakari, Partner and Chair, Sports Entertainment Group, Kelley Drye & Warren LLP 12 p.m. — 1 p.m. Luncheon Room 309 1:30 p.m. – 2:45 p.m. Speed Networking Room 309 Facilitator: Yusuf Wilson President, Wilson Consulting and Training Systems, LLC Classroom Visits Mock Interviews Room 204 Resume Reviews Room 204 3 p.m. — 4:15 p.m. Concurrent Workshops Delivering in a Telephone Interview. Room 205 Facilitators: Valerie James, Assistant Vice President, Quality, Cigna Healthcare; Lisa Moody, Director, DSU Career Services; and Yusuf Wilson, President, Wilson Consulting and Training Systems, LLC Navigating the Background Check. Room 206 Facilitators: Jonas Acquah, Senior Finance Associate, JPMorgan Chase; and Ronald Pinkett, Chief Financial Officer, Brandywine Counseling & Community Services 3:30 p.m. Closing Reception Room 308
- 4. 4 Delaware State University | College of Business Speaker Profile Adisa Bakari Partner and Chair, Sports Entertainment Group, Kelley Drye & Warren LLP Adisa Bakari ’95 is a partner in the Washington, D.C., law firm Kelley Drye & Warren LLP. He is also the chair of the firm’s Sports Entertainment Group (SEG). The SEG represents 34 NFL players, including Maurice Jones-Drew of the Jacksonville Jaguars, Antoine Bethea of the Indianapolis Colts, Matte Forte of the Chicago Bears and Le’Veon Bell of the Pittsburgh Steelers – as well as six professional boxers and one NBA player. Bakari has established a reputation as a sports agent who is not only there to represent his clients in salary negotiations and product endorsements, but also in getting his athletes to take a long term view of their futures. He works hard to drive home the point to his athletes that they are more than entertainers, and to help put them in a position in which they can provide for their families in their post-professional sports years. A political science major at Delaware State University, Bakari made his dream of becoming a sports attorney a reality. He credits his time at DSU and his experiences with his professors as being instrumental to the development of his analytical ability and to his view on life. After graduating cum laude from Delaware State University, Bakari went on to earn a law degree from the University of Wisconsin in 1998. He began his law career at Dow Lohnes 15 years ago, and embarked in a new direction with Kelley Drye & Warren after Dow Lohnes merged with another firm. Bakari met his future wife, Josephine Carter, while at DSU. They married after graduation and have four children.
- 5. College of Business | Delaware State University 5 Facilitator Profiles Jonas Acquah Senior Finance Associate, JPMorgan Chase Although initially intent on a career in science, an interest in business resulted in Jonas Acquah’s pursuit of the United Kingdom-based Association of Chartered Certified Accountancy qualification, similar to the Certified Public Accountant designation in the United States. At the same time, Acquah studied for a degree in Natural Resources Management at Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology in his home country of Ghana. Acquah is a Chartered Certified Accountant and is awaiting a fellow status by the end of 2014 from the UK accountancy body (ACCA). In 2008, he completed a second degree in Applied Accounting from Oxford Brookes University, UK, and obtained a full scholarship to study Master of Business Administration – Finance at Delaware State University, graduating in the top 1 percent in 2010. Currently, Acquah’s role has evolved and expanded into a senior finance associate and manager at JPMorgan Chase & Co. within the CIB Finance and Business Management (CIB F&BM) Group, responsible for change management and strategic initiatives across the Global Emerging Markets (NA, LATAM and EMEA) and Global Special Opportunities Group. Acquah has about five years of extensive background in financial reporting and control, having worked as an audit associate in KPMG coupled with his background as a financial controller at JPMorgan. He was responsible for the substantiation of more than 8,000 balance sheet accounts with a total balance sheet of about $7 billion. Acquah is also involved in ensuring that balances are tested and meet the requirements of the Sarbanes Oxley Act. Acquah is a strong advocate for diversity and inclusion. He was nominated to the National Association of Black Accountants Philadelphia Board as the director in 2012 and in 2011, and assistant director of the Accounting Career Awareness Program, a weeklong event geared at creating accounting awareness among high school students from underrepresented ethnic groups and minorities within Philadelphia and its surrounding locations. At JPMorgan, he has been selected as one of five persons of color to lead a diversity recruiting effort (CIB Delaware Diversity and Non-Core Recruiting) as part of the CIB F&BM overall people agenda. Valerie James Assistant Vice President, Quality, Cigna Healthcare Valerie James is the assistant vice president of quality for Cigna Healthcare, a global health service company dedicated to helping people improve their health, well-being and sense of security. Cigna employs more than 30,000 people and is licensed to operate in 30 countries and jurisdictions. Cigna’s operating subsidiaries in the United States provide an integrated suite of health services, such as medical, dental, behavioral health, pharmacy and vision care benefits, as well as group life, accident and disability insurance. James is responsible for measuring, managing and improving the quality of care received by Cigna's medical customers. She manages a team of more than 50 health care professionals and an $8 million budget in the execution of a national quality program. Previously, James served as quality management director, Prudential Health Care, and managed a regional quality program that covered five states and received the highest level of accreditation by the National Committee for Quality Assurance. Before joining Prudential, James was the quality management director for United Healthcare. James received a Master of Health Administration from Washington University in St. Louis, MO, and a Bachelor of Science in Business Management from Oakwood College in Huntsville, AL. She is a Six Sigma Black Belt and has served as a visiting professor for the National Urban League Black Executive Exchange Program (BEEP) since 2008.
- 6. 6 Delaware State University | College of Business Facilitator Profiles Lisa Moody, MBA Director of Career Services, Delaware State University Lisa Moody currently serves as the director of Career Services at Delaware State University, specializing in providing career coaching and other professional development services for students, alumni, faculty and members of the community. Her other areas of responsibility include serving as the department’s employer liaison, content manager and event coordinator. Moody also partners with community organizations such as Jobs for Delaware Graduates to provide seminars to high school students on what they can do now to be successful later in college or their careers. Prior to coming to Delaware State University, Moody spent 17 years in management in Corporate America in operations and a brief period in the nonprofit sector. Most of her employment tenure has been in banking and finance in credit cards and consumer deposits in a variety of fields ranging from collections, imaging, new accounts, fraud, individual retirement accounts and corporate facilitating. She also has a background in residential real estate. Moody earned a Bachelor of Science in Christian Ministry from Chesapeake Bible College and Seminary and earned her Master of Business Administration from Delaware State University. She enjoys utilizing her past and current experience to help others develop to reach their professional and personal potential. Ronald Pinkett Chief Financial Officer, Brandywine Counseling & Community Services Inc. Ronald Pinkett is a results-focused finance executive who specializes in public and private sector fiscal management, policy/procedure development, strategic analysis and business relations. He has managed budgets of $150 million and staff up to 125 employees. He has produced strong and sustainable profit gains, while implementing financial controls, investigating internal operations and returning insolvent businesses to solvency while restoring a positive public image. Pinkett possesses strong and decisive leadership qualifications combined with excellent analytical, organizational and cross-cultural communication skills. He has a proven track record of strengthening internal controls, improving cash management, budget analysis and forecasting, creating corrective action plans and maintaining strong fiscal management while allowing businesses the opportunity to grow and prosper. A challenge he recently encountered was to assess the profitability of a recently acquired subsidiary; the task entailed evaluating senior management, product pricing and viability within the market space. After several visits to the site, he was able to evaluate management and determine their roles going forward as well as establish a pricing model which ensured all products offered would yield a reasonable ROI. Within one year of the plan being implemented, the business which was previously not profitable was restored to profitability.
- 7. College of Business | Delaware State University 7 Facilitator Profiles Yusuf Wilson President, Wilson Consulting and Training Systems, LLC Yusuf Wilson is president and senior consultant of Wilson Consulting and Training Systems, LLC, and author of the national hot-selling books, Time to Get Hired! and The Art of Networking. He has been interviewed on ABC, CBS, Fox and more than 300 radio stations across the country. He’s been a corporate executive for more than 20 years and has been laid off three times in his career. After every job disruption, he’s gotten a higher paying job with greater managerial responsibility. He has solved problems and provided leadership for organizations such as Philip Morris USA, American Express, JPMorgan Chase Bank, TD Bank and MBNA. Wilson holds degrees in Marketing and Management and a master’s degree in Human Resource Management. He’s a member of the Sustainable Business Network of Greater Philadelphia, Society of Human Resource Managers (SHRM) and the International Coaching Federation (ICF). In addition, he’s a highly sought-after speaker, seminar facilitator and one-on- one career coach. Visiting Professor Profiles Ernest Ackah Owner, Boss Barbershop Ernest Ackah is the owner of Boss Barbershop located in Dover, DE. Previously he worked as an investment accountant, including nine years at BNY Mellon – which was previously PFPC (PNC GIS) – in Wilmington. There he held supervisory positions. He has also worked at T. Rowe Price in the Baltimore, MD, area, where he held a team coordinator position. Ackah received a Bachelor of Science degree in Accounting from Delaware State University in 1999. He was a member of the Accounting Club and tutored within the Student Supplemental Instruction Program in Economics. He was also president of the International Students Association. Ackah received a Master of Business Administration from Goldey-Beacom College in 2006. Already being an accomplished barber, Ackah pursued his passion and opened his barbershop in 2011. Patricia Adams Financial Control, JPMorgan Chase Patricia Adams is an associate at JPMorgan Chase in Newark, DE, where she manages a team within the Corporate and Investment Banking Fixed Income Financial Control department. In addition to her current role, she is heavily involved in the firm’s diversity recruiting initiatives, which includes participating at both the NABA and ALPFA national conventions. Patricia holds a degree in Finance from the University of Maryland, College Park. She also has a passion for mentoring both youth and young professionals.
- 8. 8 Delaware State University | College of Business Visiting Professor Profiles William Charlton “CJ” Pilot/President, United Airlines/CCASTT Foundation Upon graduation from Delaware State University, William “CJ” Charlton was the first African-American without prior military experience to be sponsored by the North Carolina Air National Guard to become an officer and attend Undergraduate Pilot Training (UPT) for the U.S. Air Force. Currently he serves as a C-130 Aircraft Commander in the Air Force Reserves. From 2000-2005, as a pilot for Atlantic Coast Airlines, Charlton served as a liaison for the Organization of Black Airline Pilots (OBAP) to facilitate the hiring of aspiring African-American pilots. His position and duties continued as he transitioned from ACA to United Airlines in 2005. The desire to introduce his daughters to aviation led Charlton and his wife to begin organizing and running summer camps to teach children how to fly airplanes. In 2010, that passion evolved into a nonprofit organization known as the Charlton Camps for Aviation, Science & Technology Training (CCASTT) Foundation. The mission of the foundation is to introduce children from traditionally underserved and underrepresented backgrounds to individuals and careers that will change the economic outlook of their families for generations to follow. Larry Chamberlain Operations Division Manager, UPS Larry Chamberlain received a Bachelor of Science degree in Business Administration from Clarion University of Pennsylvania in 1979. During his senior year, he did an accredited co-op study with the Pennsylvania Higher Education Assistance Agency and became a Lifetime Brother of Omega Psi Phi Fraternity in the spring of 1977. After graduating, he managed several Rite Aid Pharmacies from 1979 to 1986 in metro Philadelphia. He started at United Parcel Service in 1986 as a package car driver in Southwest Philadelphia, was promoted to a full-time on-road supervisor in 1990 and then a business manager in UPS’s Package, Safety and Human Resource Departments. Chamberlain was promoted in 2002 to a Staff Level Package Operation Division manager and is currently a Transportation Operation Division manager, responsible for the metro Philly and Lawnside, N.J., facilities and employees. Sonceré Clemmons Associate, Financial Control, JPMorgan Chase Sonceré Clemmons graduated from Delaware State University in 2010 with a bachelor’s degree in Accounting. She is currently pursuing her Master of Business Administration with a Finance concentration from Wilmington University. Clemmons works at JPMorgan Chase in the Corporate & Investment Bank as a financial control associate. She has been with the company as a full-time employee since July 2010. Dr. Ralph Crawford Assistant Director for Forest Health and Economics, USDA FS Dr. Ralph Crawford is an expert in federal research and management for range, long-term research sites and forestry programs. He has a Bachelor of Science in Biology from Voorhees College (Denmark, SC), a Master of Science in Biology/Plant Pathology from Atlanta University (Atlanta, GA), and a Ph.D. in Plant and Soil Science from Alabama A&M University (Normal, AL). Additionally, Crawford has extensive executive training through the Federal Executive Institute, Leadership for a Democratic Society and through Harvard University. He has published research papers in major national and international peer-reviewed scientific journals and is highly skilled at leading and developing collaborative partnerships and producing diverse scientific products through consensus with diverse groups.
- 9. College of Business | Delaware State University 9 Visiting Professor Profiles Reginald Harris Financial Professional, New York Life Insurance Reginald D. Harris is 29 years old and resides in Wilmington, DE. He has a bachelor’s degree in Sports Management and a master’s degree in Sports Administration, both from Delaware State University. He is a member of the Dover Alumni Chapter of Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity Inc. and is a passionate young man who loves to serve and educate the Delaware and Philadelphia African- American communities through his volunteering with the youth and education in financial literacy. Harris is on a mission to help as many families as possible. Marcus Irvin Senior Underwriting Specialist, Cigna Corporation Marcus Irvin is currently a senior underwriter for Cigna Corporation. He provides pricing and plan design consultation for life, disability and accident coverages to employer/employee groups ranging from 50 to 5,000 employees in size. He began working for Cigna in 1999 after graduating from Temple University with a concentration in Actuarial Science and Risk Management/ Insurance. Irvin is from Philadelphia, PA, and recently moved to the Maryland area in June 2011. Interesting fact: Irvin was a mailman for the U.S Postal Service for three years before going back to college to complete his BBA degree in the fall of 1998. Mona Long Director of Sales, UPS Mona Long is a director of sales with demonstrated success in developing strong client relationships and solutions, lucrative business development strategies and garnering profitable market share for UPS. Long’s 21-year career with UPS has provided her an opportunity to work on many assignments directly impacting global sales, global marketing and international sales training. She has studied and traveled to many domestic and international markets and effectively partnered with global alliances and government agencies, providing her organization with a favorable competitive landscape and profitable return on investment. Long attended Business School at DePaul University and has a master’s degree in Business Administration. Long has been a sponsor and supporter of the National Organization of Women Business Owners (NAWBO) in Chicago and Atlanta. She currently supports the NAWBO at a national level and local level in Indianapolis. In addition, she is a member of the DePaul University MBA Association, International Business Development Leaders and National Society of Collegiate Scholars Alumni, and she mentors young women.
- 10. 10 Delaware State University | College of Business Visiting Professor Profiles Leland Nelson President, Dirty Dog Hauling Leland J. Nelson is the president and co-founder of Dirty Dog Hauling, a professional junk removal company. Nelson began his career as an auditor at KPMG LLP in Harrisburg, PA, and has more than 10 years of accounting and auditing experience. He is the president of the African-American Chamber of Commerce of Central PA, a charter member of the Greater Harrisburg Chapter of the National Black MBA and a graduate of the inaugural class of the Martin Luther King Jr. Leadership Development Institute in Harrisburg. Nelson received his undergraduate degree from Delaware State University and is a certified franchise sales consultant. In 2009, he was awarded with the Entrepreneur of the Year awards from Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority Inc., the National Black MBA and Omega Psi Phi Fraternity. In 2008, Nelson was the recipient of Central Penn Business Journal’s Forty Under 40 award. In 2007, he received the Delaware State University Outstanding Alumni Award and the African-American Chamber of Commerce of Central PA Minority Development Award. Doris Smith Area HR Manager, UPS Doris Smith is a results-oriented leader with a proven track record of solving operational problems and maximizing performance. She is talented in turnaround operations through strategic planning, process design and quality improvements. Smith has 24 years of experience with UPS, serving in a number of operations and technical support management positions. She earned a Bachelor of Arts in Management Information Systems from Temple University (Philadelphia, PA), and a master’s in Science Management from Rosemont College (Rosemont, PA). She has many community and professional affiliations, including: United Way of Westmoreland County; National Coalition of 100 Black Women; University of Phoenix Online facilitator; Business Management classes facilitator; Wakisha Charter School and UPS Entrepreneurial Program; Fight for Literacy Program co-founder and site coordinator; Delta Sigma Theta Sorority Pittsburgh Alumni Chapter; and Northside Institutional Church finance team. Damond Thorington Division Safety/Food Safety and Sustainability Leader, SUPERVALU Damond Thorington has excelled in various leadership capacities within the private and public sector over the past 14 years. As an area safety/food safety manager in the retail industry, Thorington has utilized his tremendous leadership qualities such as courage, accountability, effective communication and maximizing relationships to drive winning results. Thorington also works part-time for the University of Phoenix as an adjunct faculty member. Prior to joining SUPERVALU, he worked with Sears Holding Corporation as a general manager, where he was responsible for overseeing profitability, loss prevention, merchandising and operation of a $13 million retail store; and for the Target Corporation, where he excelled as an executive team leader of Assets Protection. Thorington has also worked for the Maryland Department of Juvenile Services and for the Maryland Department of Public Safety and Correctional Services. He also served eight years in the U.S. Army Reserve. Enid Wallace-Simms Senior Public Affairs Manager, Delmarva Power, a Pepco Holdings Company Enid Wallace-Simms is part of a proud heritage of five generations of women who graduated from Delaware State University. A native Delawarean, she is a direct descendant of American abolitionist, author and orator Frederick Douglass. After graduating from DSU with a bachelor’s degree in Distributive Education, Wallace-Simms taught public school for 10 years. She is actively involved in the Metropolitan Wilmington Urban League and is a founding member of the Delaware Chapter of the National Coalition of 100 Black Women, a nonprofit advocacy group focused on gender equity and sociopolitical advancement for women of color. Wallace-Simms has been an active part of the Girl Scouts of the USA since her early childhood. In her role as public affairs manager, Wallace-Simms manages customer, government and community relations within the city of Wilmington. Since joining the company in 1980, her career has spanned various departments such as Accounting, Insurance and Public Relations.
- 11. College of Business | Delaware State University 11 Additional Visiting Professor Michael Sorden Manager, UPS About the National Urban League’s Black Executive Exchange Program (BEEP) BEEP’s mission is to share learning experience across generations, cultivate new leaders, and inspire achievements “beyond the possible” through committed involvement and operational excellence. BEEP is a part of the National Urban League Movement (NUL), which is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization. The Black Executive Exchange Program (BEEP) is the National Urban League’s oldest signature program. Established in 1969 through a grant from the Ford Foundation, BEEP was developed out of the need to expose black college students to role models in business and government, and enhance the curricula at Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) by relating them more closely to the world of work. Since its inception, BEEP has reached more than 1,000,000 students with over 3,000 visiting professors from more than 1,000 corporate, small business and government entities.
- 12. Delaware State University College of Business 1200 North DuPont Highway Dover, DE 302.857.6900 www.desu.edu/business