Leader of Wartburg’s Business
Department Dies

Dr. Mel Kramer, chair of the Business Administration and Economics Department, died on July 19 after spending his last few months at the Bartels Home in Waverly, IA.  This 1952 graduate of Wartburg College went on to earn a master’s degree and Ph.D. from the University of Iowa before returning to Wartburg as chair of the business department.

During his 40 years of teaching at Wartburg, he helped to create the courses and majors that have served as the foundation for business, accounting, and economics education for over 3,000 students graduating from the department.  When he retired in 1996, he served two terms on the Waverly City Council, further using his leadership skills.

According to Paul Magnall, who succeeded him as department chair, “Kramer was able to get us a new building in 1983 and help us transition from a commercial business education focus to training students for all facets of business.” He also provided the personal leadership that continues to guide faculty and students throughout their careers.  Each year the outstanding student in the department receives the Dr. Mel Kramer Award.

“One of his legacies was his vision of the importance of bringing the town and gown together,” explained Associate Professor Gloria Campbell. “He recognized how important it was to bring business to campus through Corporation Education Day and campus out to business through the internships he coordinated for many years. He also helped to arbitrate the negotiation of union and government contracts whenever needed. 

In 1978, Kramer convinced 12 Iowa companies to contribute shares of their stock to a student-managed portfolio. For many years, the top leaders of these companies returned to campus to discuss topics of mutual interest with students. The dividends and interest from that portfolio have made it possible to continue the yearly Corporation Education Day and to fund a variety of student-centered projects on campus. It is thought to be one of the 10 oldest student-managed portfolios in the U.S.

His daughter Kathy Kingery  ’91 reflected upon his life: ”Dad was so proud of Wartburg. He was an alumnus, as were his brothers, his wife and daughters. He wanted to build a strong network of alumni around the world and create a visual symbol in the Whitehouse Business Center that would reflect this pride. He dedicated his life to Wartburg and had many meaningful relationships with faculty and students. As an avid Knights fan, he was orange before “Be Orange” was invented.” 

Those interested in sharing memories of his impact on their lives can send messages to his wife, Rose, and four children to Box 43, Waverly, IA 50677. His daughters Kathryn Kingery ’91 and Diane Kramer ’84 graduated from Wartburg.  Donations to the Dr. Mel Kramer Endowed Business Scholarship can be made through the Wartburg College Development Office. 

Near Record Number of Alumni Participate in Homecoming Event

Career Direction and Connections hosted 23 alumni on Oct. 22 to share their insights on Accounting, Marketing, International Business, Management, Finance, Economics, Sport Management, and Pre-law.  Coming the furthest distance was Edwardo Ehapo ’99, whose employer, Noble Energy EG LTD, brought him back from Equitorial Guinea to its Houston headquarters. He is a contract compliance manager in Equitorial Guinea for oil and gas drilling, including underwater drilling that is even deeper than that in the Gulf. Click to see the list of 2010 participants.

Todd Wille

Mini-Convo Focuses on Ethics
“One Alum’s Perspective on Ethical Issues in Management” was the focus of the Oct. 21 mini-convocation. Todd Wille ’85, shared the lessons learned in the technology company Unify that he had rejoined. His story has been profiled both in Forbes and the Wartburg magazines. 

He stressed to students that ethical challenges are everywhere, not just at the top of organizations. He explained that unfortunately, “People are more willing to push an agenda into unethical territory in tough economic times … I ‘have to’ or I’ll lose my job. When you see things that cause you to ‘pause,’ it’s time to ‘get out.’” In Wille’s case, “getting out” meant having to rebuild confidence in the company that he had rejoined in California. Unify is currently merging with Daegis.

Bryan Reiners

Virtual Company Explained to Students
Bryan Reiners, ’85, returned to campus on Nov. 4 and 5 to share his experiences in accounting, marketing, and management with a wide variety of students. TriBeta students in the sciences learned more about the pharmaceutical industry and the challenges that companies face in bringing pharmaceutical products to market. With so few new drugs being approved, organizations are either merging or developing niches. 

Reiners is currently VP of Business Insights at Actient Pharmaceuticals, a startup firm in Deerfield, IL.  This virtual company outsources nearly all of its operations because of the increasing specialization in the pharmaceutical and medical products industry. He was previously Director of Worldwide Forecasting for Abbott Diabetes Care, so he shared insights on global audits and international trade with several groups of students. Marketing students learned more about the increasing regulations on pharmaceutical sales representatives that have reduced the number of positions in this industry. 

According to Andrew Schmidt ‘11, “Bryan did a very good job of giving us a better understanding of all the different elements in the pharmaceutical industry. …. He was very knowledgeable about his position, which helped give me a better understanding of the business side of things.” 

Business 3.0 Being Rolled Out
After more than 26 years, Whitehouse Business Center needs another upgrade. Although carpeting and some of the furniture have been updated in the past, rooms and technology need another boost. With the encouragement of our advisory board to keep the department competitive, Department Chair Kim Folkers put together a proposal that was approved by administration. New tables and flexible seating have already been added to Marketing Whitehouse Room 215 and additional wireless nodes are being added to accommodate the increasing computer use throughout the building. A cart of laptops will accommodate students without computers for classroom use. More or updated projectors and whiteboards will improve brainstorming and visibility. The floor in Room 217 will be leveled to accommodate small group interactions and students with mobility challenges.  It will be necessary to raise $110,000-plus from alumni for the upgrades. Anyone interested in contributing should contact Wartburg’s Development Office. 

Wartburg Hosts State PBL Conference on March 25 and 26
Former PBL members or other alumni are encouraged to volunteer to help with the Iowa State PBL State Leadership Conference held on March 25 and 26.  About 100 students from chapters all over Iowa are expected to attend. 

Students attending the event will participate in competitive events, attend workshops, network with professionals, and participate in the awards dinner. Wartburg PBL members and state officers will help direct people, facilitate workshops, and provide overall support for organizing the event. Interested alumni are needed to help with seminars or to assist with a networking event.  Volunteers should contact amy.arnold@wartburg.edu.

Alum Erich Heneke ’02 serves as Iowa Alumni Director to help coordinate the event. This is the first time since 2004 that Wartburg has hosted the event. 

Incubator Program
Entrepreneurship is alive and growing at Wartburg College. In collaboration with the Waverly Chamber of Commerce and Waverly Development Fund, Drs. Timothy Ewest and Scott Fullwiler of Wartburg’s Business Department moved closer to putting together a business incubator in Waverly that would involve students in the development of new business entities.

After a series of feasibility meetings with area bankers, civic leaders, and the two community organizations, a 501(c)3 has been developed for a nonprofit incubator structure. This would help to assure tax incentives for those willing to lend space and support to help new businesses develop.  Rather than expecting to consume startup capital with incubator physical space and administration, the group hopes to keep as much of the resources virtual as possible through donations of time and space. 

The next steps will be the naming of a director of the incubator and identifying additional capital prior to  selecting the first entrepreneurs to go through the program. While they learn about the entrepreneurship process, students could help to provide intellectual capital and time. Existing businesses may be partnering with the new business to mentor leaders and help them launch businesses. When the new businesses are successful, they are expected to pay back the loaned capital and help other incubating businesses. 

According to Ewest, “This model will help to get a wider variety of individuals involved in the startup.  We could bring real accounting, management, and marketing problems into the classroom to give students a clearer understanding of the decisions that entrepreneurs must make. Students will also have the chance to learn from the business leaders who are mentoring the incubated businesses. Everyone has something to offer with the result being a stronger community economically.” In this “Year of the Community,” the incubator has win-win potential.

Corporation Education Day Focuses on Global Financial Crisis

Left to right:   John Sorensen, Mark Hewitt, Marshall Auerback, Vaughn Noring

Corporation Education Day has tackled some complicated topics, but few have been more complex than unraveling the global financial crisis.  Nov. 16 marked the 42nd year that business and community leaders were invited to campus to discuss current topics with students. 

Keynoting the session was Marshall Auerback, a senior fellow at the Roosevelt Institute and media spokesperson.  He is currently an investment strategist for PIMCO, the world’s largest bond fund management group. 

In addition to Auerback, panelists for the event moderated by Dr. Scott Fullwiler included: 

• Mark Hewitt, Chair and CEO of Clear Lake Bank and Trust Company and Class A Director of the Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago
• Vaughn Noring, Bank Bureau Chief, Iowa Division of Banking, Des Moines
• John Sorensen, President and CEO of the Iowa Bankers Association, Des Moines

New Members Join Business Advisory Board

From left to right:  Tom Buhr, Todd Nelson, Sarah Foster, John Augustine, Joan Sheridan.  Not pictured:  Ryan Anderson and Penny Meier

Mike Crawford ’91 was elected the new chair of the Business Department’s Advisory Board at the Nov. 16 meeting. After nine years of leadership, Mark Baldwin will step back to a membership role. Several new members have joined the Business Department’s Advisory Board: 

• Ryan Anderson, ’03, sales, Hormel, Austin, Minn.
• John Augustine, ’81, financial planner/owner, Augustine Financial, LLC, Brookside, Wis.
• Tom Buhr, ’97, director, finance administration, Deere & Company, Rock Island, Ill.
• Sarah Foster, ’01, community relations, American Cancer Society, Waterloo
• Penny Meier, ’83, VP, Ameriprise Financial, Minneapolis
• Todd Nelson, ’98, VP, Finance, The Horace Mann Companies, Springfield, Ill.
• Joan Bily Sheridan, ’91, senior HR generalist, Principal Financial Group, Des Moines

Those completing terms on the advisory board include: Mark Everist ‘85, Dr. Todd Houge ‘92, Kent Kleckner ‘88,  and Tom Moeller ’86.  Continuing members include:  Mark Baldwin, Mike Crawford ‘91, Gene Drape, Jon Horick ‘85, Marcia Larson ‘81, Matt McCoy ‘93, Jeff Schumacher ’91, Troy Smith ‘94, Billie Jo Timm ’93 and Craig Wierson ‘74.

Students Present Research at Tier One Management Conference

Left to right: Ye Thway and Naiya Khushalani

Dr. Julie Kliegl accompanied four students to the Midwest Academy of Management conference in Grand Forks, ND, in October. Naiya Khushalani '10 and Ye Thway '10 presented their research on “Supervisory power, ethical leadership behavior and outcomes interrelation: Subordinate perceptions study.”  Hollis Hanson-Pollock (2013) and Meredith Reinhardt (2012) joined the trip for a first-hand look at an academic conference and research output.  The department hopes to develop a pipeline of future student researchers as a result of work done in Senior Seminar in Business and other courses.

Curriculum Changes Approved
To ensure that all students in the Management concentration are prepared for an increasingly complex workplace, BA 361 Operations Management will now be required for new students entering next fall.  The two half-credit computer classes previously offered are being combined into CS 110 Intro to Info Systems.

Dr. Fungisai Nota’s Economics of India course was recently approved for May 2012.  Dr. Tim Ewest is offering ID 304 China in Transition for the second time in May 2011. The department hopes to have a travel trip offered each May term. 

Three online summer school offerings have been approved for Summer 2011:  BA 345 Principles of Management, BA 346 Human Resource Management, and BA 438 Organizational Behavior & Management.  Several “live” courses will also be offered in the department this summer.