Business Departmental News
- Rick Sarmiento, Chairman & CEO of the Latin Business Association - October 24, 1 p.m. - 2 p.m.
- Patty DeDominic, Founder, Chair & CEO of PDQ Careers and past national president of the National Association of Women Business Owners Organization (NAWBO)/president emeritus of the NAWBO-LA Chapter - November 7, 1 p.m. - 2 p.m.
- Adriane Brown, President & CEO of Honeywell Transportation Systems and a member of the Honeywell International Inc. senior management team, November 30, 1 p.m. - 2 p.m.
- This speaker series will be held on the Chalon Campus in the Lecture Hall. For more information, contact Dennis Signorovitch at (310) 375-8201 or Olga Medina at (310) 954-4150.
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Ms. Ferro with Sigma Beta Delta members and Professor David Leese. |
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Jennifer Ferro speaking at the Vantage Point. |
Jennifer Ferro, General Manager, KCRW 8939 was the final speaker at this academic year’s Vantage Point program. Ms. Ferro, who was named General Manager of KCRW and President of the KCRW Foundation in 2010, joined the public radio station in 1991 as a volunteer reporter.
In addition to creating a plan to improve on-air fund raising, Ms. Ferro led the change in KCRW’s online strategy that now includes three live Internet radio channels, iPhone apps, active blogs, original content features and social media strategies. She is a Board Member for the Development Exchange, Inc., the public radio industry’s fundraising, revenue and marketing organization.
Ms. Ferro spoke candidly about the opportunities and the challenges women executives can encounter in the workplace and how those challenges can be met.
KCRW 89.9, licensed to Santa Monica College, is one of National Public Radio’s flagship stations in Southern California and features an eclectic mix of independent music, news, talk and arts programming serving Los Angeles, Orange, Ventura Counties and parts of San Diego, San Bernardino, Kern and Santa Barbara Counties and the greater Palm Springs area. The station’s programming also can be heard worldwide on KCRW.com.
The winners of this year's Business Writing Contest were announced April 11th at the Vantage Point speakers program. They are:
♦Angeline Padilla
♦Katherine Hampton
♦Aiyana Vantress
Congratulations to all our winners and participants too. The next writing contest will be conducted during the spring 2014 semester.
Early in the morning of March 1, 2013 twenty-three students and faculty embarked on a journey to explore the Wonders of China. A whirlwind visit to Shanghai started with a moving tour through the recently restored Ohel Moishe Synagogue which now serves as the Shanghai Jewish Refugees Museum. Shanghai in the 1930’s and early 40’s was an open city and did not have restrictions on immigration, and some Chinese diplomats issued "protective" passports to Jewish people escaping persecution.
An evening walk along the famous Bund, where views of the 19th, 20th and 21st Century city can be seen by just turning 360 degrees, and visits to the Shanghai Museum and the Shanghai Unban Planning Center completed our introduction to a city with a great past and exciting future.
After the MSMC faculty headed to Nanjing University in Nanjing as part of their National Endowment for the Humanities Grant, the student group boarded a plane for Xian.
Xian is the eastern terminus of the Silk Road and the site of the famous Terracotta Warriors of the Qin Dynasty. More than 3,000 years of history, including over 1,100 years as the capital city of ancient dynasties, have endowed the city with an amazing array of things to see and savor. We visited museums, a Neolithic village, and pagodas, but three things stood out. First, of course, was that first sight of the over 3,000 warriors each with distinct facial features and clothing. Knowing that only a small portion of the site has been uncovered, we had to imagine what would be seen on future visits.
The second was the Great Mosque, the oldest and one of the most renowned mosques of China, founded in 742. It is still used by Chinese Muslims as a place of worship. Unlike most mosques in the Middle Eastern or Arab countries, the Great Mosque of Xi'an is completely Chinese in its construction and architectural style, except for some Arabic lettering and decorations, for the mosque has neither domes nor traditional-style minarets.
Our third highlight was a visit to Xian Technological University where we were treated like visiting royalty. We were greeted by the Dean of the School of Foreign Languages who delivered a formal speech of welcome. The School had invited 12 students majoring in English who immediately made friends with MSMC students. Many of their students and ours now have multiple pen pals exchanging stories of school, family and hopes to see one another again either in China or Los Angeles on an exchange program. We toured the library, campus museum and classrooms. Upon reflection MSMC students shared that they had a much greater appreciation of what a wonderful college experience they were privileged to have at the Mount. One thing that struck them was that it was almost impossible for a student to change majors in China. Once you are in a program you stay whether you like it or not.
The MSMC faculty and students were reunited in Beijing, with lots of buzz about what each group had been doing and their impressions. We experienced Tiananmen Square just as the Chinese National People’s Party Congress was going on just a few yards away in the Great Hall of the People. In contrast to the grand spectacle of the Forbidden City were our ventures to the gothic St. Joseph Catholic Church and into the hidden Hutong residential area where we visited a local family in their courtyard home.
The final day in many ways may have been the most memorable. Our long day started with a visit to the Tibetan Lama Temple and Monastery. The fragrance and white cloud of incense was everywhere as worshipers were crowed into the temple grounds to pray. The chanting of many monks drew us into a pavilion where all were welcome. Just a few yards away is the Temple of Confucius. Rather than being a religious site it is a place where Confucius is honored as a philosopher and educator. 2,500 years after his birth the morals and principles of his philosophy are an integral part of the values and ideology of modern Chinese society. He has been revered by common people, emperors and leaders alike throughout history.
Our last adventure was to many the most unforgettable. For some it was a lifelong dream fulfilled. The Great Wall at Mutianyu dates from the 7th Century, and as you walk it you cannot help but wonder who the people were who have trod this route before you. On this day we were also blessed with true blue sky and just a hint of spring in the trees and air. We called our final day Blue Sky of Beijing, and some wondered if that would be a good chapter or book title. The flight home to family and friends was late in the evening and with all the exercise and beautiful memories we easily drifted off to sleep preparing for all the excitement of our return.
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Ms. Torrez takes a question from the audience after her Vantage Point talk. |
ESTHER TORREZ, the President & CEO of the Community Enhancement Foundation, headquarter in Los Angeles, spoke at the Business Administration Department/Sigma Beta Delta- sponsored Vantage Point speakers’ series on February 14. Her talk focused on the challenges and opportunities that come from viewing your management skills with the widest possible “lens.”
Ms. Torres established the Community Enhancement Corporation in 1992 with the goal of improving living conditions and expanding economic opportunities for low-to moderate income families, individuals and youth. CEC’s primary mission is to revitalize economically challenged multi-cultural communities in Los Angeles and to infuse new life into decaying lower-income neighborhoods.
She came to her role in community development from a career in international marketing and planning. She had served as Manager of Marketing and Strategic Planning for the American Express Latin American Division. Earlier she was an associate professor of sociology and psychology at Bakersfield College.
Ms. Torres currently serves as a commissioner on the Policy Roundtable for Child Development in Los Angeles Country and is a member of the Community Advisory Committee of Los Angeles City Council District 9. In addition, she serves on the South Los Angeles Initiative Board. In 2011 she was recognized as an outstanding alumna of the UCLA Anderson School of Management.
She received her MBA from UCLA in 1982 and earned a Master’s degree in Education and Counseling in 1977.
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February Vantage Point speaker Esther Torrez with Sigma Beta Delta members and Professors David Leese and Dennis Signorovitch. |
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Terry A. Tegnazian, president of her own publishing company, offers advice to students about succeeding in business during the Oct. 20 Vantage Point speaker series on the Chalon Campus. On the cover: Yvette Herrera, principal of HT Group, a strategic marketing firm, talks with a business student after the event. |
Oct. 24, 2011 -- The Mount’s business administration department continued its popular Vantage Point speaker series on Oct. 20 with a panel discussion featuring top Los Angeles business consultants. The department co-sponsored the event in the Chalon Campus Center with the business Sigma Beta Delta Honor Society and the group Leadership California, a network of women executives committed to advancing women in leadership positions in business and public policy.
Headlining the event were Carolyn Casavan, principal engineer, Casavan Consulting; Terry A. Tegnazian, president, Aquila Polonica (U.S.) Ltd.; Denise V. Bickerstaff, principal, Keyser Marston Associates, Inc.; and Yvette Herrera, principal, HT Group. The women offered tips on being in business: Be a self-starter, flexible and use good judgment; show enthusiasm and engagement in what the job entails.
"In order to be successful, you can’t just do what is expected. You have to go above and beyond what is expected,” said Bickerstaff, whose firm provides real estate advising. Bickerstaff and the other panelists agreed that the days of spending 20 years with one company were over, and young people entering the workforce should expect to change careers throughout their lives.
Congratulations to the following Business students:
Jennifer Penate- Hispanic Scholarship Fund, sponsored by Target.
Kristine Banag- AICPA Scholarship, sponsored by International Society of Young Filipino Accountants.
Valerie D. W. Rowe is the principal of VisionSpot Consulting, LLC and author of POWER Your Potential BOOST CAMP®. Deeply rooted in a Mission Possible philosophy Ms Rove launched the SMB School of Leadership Peak Efficiency BOOST CAMPS® with a vision for turning business and personal development obstacles into opportunities Ms Rowe and her BOOST CAMP® team travel nationally delivering customized corporate education and organizational development programs designed to improve operational effectiveness beyond the basics Her firm provides real solutions Maximizing Brilliance, transforming the way leaders, individuals and organizations work to boost engagement and performance.
Ms. Rowe holds a Master's degree in Organizational Management and is a doctoral student in Organizational Leadership at Pepperdine University She is an adjunct professor in the John Sperling School of Business and Technology at the University of Phoenix. She serves as President of the National Association of African Americans in Human Resources. Ms. Rowe believes that each person has amazing abilities and seeks to draw them out in every session, enabling individuals to achieve marketable and measurable results. Her programs have been delivered to thousands of people in organizations worldwide. Ms Rowe will speak about identifying your unique talents and strengths, making a captivating first impression, building an authentic network of supporters, and setting S.M.A.R.T. goals to create an action plan for success.
Vantage Point Speaker Series: Castulo de la Rocha, President & CEO, AltaMed Health Services Corporation
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AltaMed President & CEO Castulo de la Rocha, a nationally prominent community health leader, spoke at the Department’s Vantage Point program February 17 on the challenges and opportunities in today’s Health Care environment. Over the past 30 years under Mr. de la Rocha’s leadership, AltaMed, a non-profit community health organization, has grown from two employees to the largest fully-accredited Federally Qualified Health Center (FQHC) in the nation. With more than 1,600 employees, AltaMed delivers more than half a million patient visits annually from 43 sites in Los Angeles and Orange Counties including 21 clinic sites and 11 senior care service centers.
Mr. de la Rocha’s dedication to and success in providing high quality, affordable and accessible health and human services to underserved communities has earned him national recognition in the health field including the U.S. Surgeon General’s Gold Medallion for Public Health; the Pioneer for Justice award by the Mexican American Bar Foundation; the Community Service Award from the American Diabetes Association; and the VNA Vantage Award from the Visiting Nurses Foundation. Mr. de la Rocha was named one of the Top 10 Latinos in the health care industry by Latino Leaders Magazine and one of the top 100 Latino influentials by Hispanic Business Magazine in 2008. AltaMed Health Services has also ranked number one in Hispanic Business Magazine’s list of “Top 25 Nonprofits” every year since 2006.
Mr. de la Rocha holds a Juris Doctorate from Boalt Hall School of Law at the University of California, Berkeley, a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science from the University of California, anta Barbara, and a Certificate in Management from Stanford University.
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Castulo de la Rocha, center, with Sigma Beta Delta honor society members and professors David Leese and Dennis Signorovitch. |
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Bonnie Hill talks with Professor Anne Rigone and student after her presentation |
BONNIE HILL has had an extensive and varied career at the highest levels in the corporate world. She has over 19 years of experience serving on corporate boards in addition to a range of assignments in government, education and philanthropy. She is president of B. Hill Enterprises LLC, a firm specializing in corporate governance and board of director issues. She is also co-founder of Icon Blue, a brand marketing company in Los Angeles.
Dr. Hill serves on the board of directors of The Home Depot, Yum! Brands, AK Steel Holding Corp., and California Water Service Group. Her community involvement includes board memberships at FINRA (Financial Industrial Regulatory Authority) Investor Education Foundation, the RAND Corporation, Goodwill Industries of Southern California (Advisory) and the LA Urban League (Emeritus Board.) She is also a member of the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board’s Investor Advisory Group, a founding member of the Lead Directors Network and other organizations.
She served as president & CEO of The Times Mirror Foundation and as a senior vice president of the LA Times from 1997 to 2001. Previously she was dean of the McIntire School of Commerce at the University of Virginia, and earlier was Secretary of State and Commerce for the State of California. In addition, she held a number of presidential appointments: vice-chair of the Postal Rate Commission and assistant secretary in the Department of Education under President Reagan; and Special Advisor on Consumer Affairs to President George H.W. Bush. She also chaired the SEC’s Consumer Affairs Advisory Committee and other assignments.
Dr. Hill has received numerous honors and awards recognizing her achievements. She received her BA degree from Mills College, MS from California State University, Hayward, and a doctorate from the University of California at Berkeley.
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Ms. Bonnie Hill with members of Sigma Beta Delta and Professor Dennis Signorovitch. |
April 8, 2010-- Carol Dunn, Entrepreneur & Management Consultant, began her career in a small boutique travel agency in Beverly Hills, California. Her enthusiasm and reputation for great service quickly produced her first Hollywood studio clientele. After purchasing the agency, Ms. Dunn built Hoffman Travel into the entertainment industry's premier travel agency, with sales that swelled from $800 thousand to $220 million a year throughout the 1980s and 1990s. Under her leadership, Hoffman's high-visibility clients included American Honda, Warner Bros., Universal Studios, 20th Century Fox, MGM, the Getty Museum, and major US law firms.
Ms. Dunn’s high-octane performance has earned her numerous business and entrepreneurial awards including California’s Top Five Women-Owned Businesses and Top 100 businesses in California.
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Ms. Dunn meets with students after her Vantage Point talk |
In 1997, Ms. Dunn sold Hoffman Travel to the McCord Group where she led company sales and remained as President of their Western and Entertainment divisions until 2002. Since then, she has served as a consultant to corporate managers and CEOs and has developed service training programs for numerous companies. She is certified in Process Communications and helped to develop the management talent at World Travel BTI (now BTI Travel). Ms. Dunn is also a strategic partner with Spencer Shenk Capers & Associates, a behavioral sciences consulting firm whose core business is to increase personal and organizational productivity by developing leadership excellence.
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Entrepreneur Carol Dunn with members of Sigma Beta Delta and Professors Dennis Signorovitch and David Leese |
February 18, 2010 -- Gisselle Acevedo, President & CEO of Para Los Niños, a nonprofit organization that serves extremely impoverished children and their families throughout Los Angeles and San Bernardino Counties. Ms. Acevedo joined the organization in June 2006 after a distinguished career in media, public affairs, law, and education.
Before joining Para Los Niños, she was president and general
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Those in the photo include our guest speaker Giselle Acevedo, Dr. David Leese, Professor Dennis Signorovitch, and Sigma Beta Delta, The Business Honors Society. |
manager of the Los Angeles edition of Hoy, the Spanish language newspaper. Earlier she was vice president of public affairs at the Los Angeles Times and president of the Los Angeles Times Foundation. Ms. Acevedo also served as executive director of corporate communications and public affairs for AT&T Broadband and as director of government relations and public affairs for the Metropolitan Transit Authority (MTA). She began her career as an elementary school teacher and received her master’s degree in education. Shortly thereafter, Ms. Acevedo attended law school and, as an attorney, served as a client’s rights advocate for individuals with developmental disabilities and mental illness.
Para Los Niños’ services include child development and education, a Charter School, child abuse prevention and intervention, afterschool enrichment, and youth diversion and delinquency prevention. In addition, it provides comprehensive family support including counseling, parenting classes, English as a second language classes, mental health counseling, and youth workforce services.
Ms. Acevedo is a prominent leader in the philanthropic community. She is a member of numerous boards including those of The John F. Kennedy School of Government, Women’s Leadership Board, Farmers Insurance Company and Health Net. She is also a regent at Loyola Marymount University, Los Angeles.
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Vantage Point guest speaker Kathleen Kent Garvey, CFO, Crestwood Communities Inc. with faculty and Sigma Beta Delta members, left to right, Professor Dennis Signorovitch, Candice Aranda, Mariott Sanchez - Secretary, Jennifer Cerna - Historian, Fern Altobelli, Jigna Patel - Treasurer, Professor David Leese -SBD Advisor, Ms. Garvey, Erika George - President and Diane Navarrette - Vice President |
November 19, 2009 -- Kathleen Kent Garvey, CFO of Crestwood Communities Inc, an Inland Empire-based home building firm she co-founded in 1978, was The Vantage Point guest speaker in the fall semester. Her family has been in the residential construction industry for three generations and nearly 60 years. Continuing in that family tradition, Crestwood Communities builds high-quality single-family homes that offer innovative design, stylish architecture and preferred amenities in welcoming neighborhood environments
Combined with her entrepreneurial success, Ms. Garvey has been very active in community service. She is a member of the Board of Directors of the Glendora Library Foundation, an active fundraiser for several high schools, as well as for her parish church, where she serves on the planning and management committee. She also served as benefits chairperson for Mary’s Mercy Center which funds a soup kitchen and a shelter for homeless women and their children. And she was instrumental in the creation of a new “rancho” where children can play and eat at a mission school in Nicaragua. She also provides books and software for the school. Ms. Garvey has earned many awards for her community service including official commendations from the California Legislative Assembly and Los Angeles County.
Ms. Garvey received her BA degree in Economics from the Mount in 1969. She received the Mount St. Mary’s College Outstanding Alumna Award for Service to the Community in 2007.
The economic and financial turmoil of the past year have hit the southern California economy especially hard. Helping to lead a business in these difficult times presents a host of management challenges that Ms. Garvey shared with the students in her talk. In addition, she offered her counsel on what the Mount’s students need to do as they get ready to start their careers in the current environment.
(1) During Fall semester 2009, Mount St. Mary's Accounting Association sponsored an event in cooperation with INROADS that featured speaker Janet Robinson. INROADS is a non-profit organization that helps place selected freshmen and sophomore student accounting majors into paying Summer internships. INROADS focuses on matching each candidate with an appropriate company that is the right fit for the student. In addition to pay, interns are given a coach/adviser, a corporate mentor, and access to advantages such as free tutoring and scholarships. Perhaps the most important thing that INROADS students learn is the development of soft skills such as how to become a high performer. Many students who have joined this organization have been successful in obtaining internships at four large accounting firms as well as many other successful companies.
(2) During Fall semester 2009, Mount St. Mary's Accounting Association sponsored an event in which Rebecca Sillman from Roger CPA Review spoke to the Mount accounting students about the CPA exam as well as the benefits of taking a CPA review course. She described the various subjects that would be present on the exam, and also provided us with a variety of tips that might help us to better prepare for and tackle the exam
(3) In the 2009 fall semester the Accounting Association, at the Chalon campus, had the pleasure of hosting an Ernst and Young (EY) information session facilitated by Ron Roberts, Campus Recruiter/Diversity Recruiting Lead. During this session Ron spoke about EY and some of its major clients, as well as the recruiting process for both sophomores and juniors. Ron had good news in store for us; the EY Los Angeles office decided to make him the official recruiter of Mount St. Mary’s College. This is not only a big stepping stone for the Accounting Association, but also for the The Mount’s Business Department.
(4) The PwC event successfully engaged professional staff with Mount students. The staff present Audit partner Ray Vicks, Audit Manager Marcelino Castillo, LA Recruiter Angela Vasquez, and Mount Alumnae/Tax Associate Eunice Salinas. The event included an informational presentation about the firm, the industry, and internship opportunities. The event allowed students to network with the staff and ask a variety of questions. The professionals were impressed by the turnout and look forward to returning next semester.
March 26, 2009 -- MICHELE RHILINGER, is a Vice President of the Weyerhaeuser Company, the $16 billion forest products company headquartered in Seattle WA. She is responsible for the Company’s softwood lumber sales to all U.S. domestic and international customers. Ms. Rhilinger is a Mount graduate, Class of 1975.
She has enjoyed a long and successful career in several industries typically populated with male executives: forest products, automotive and process control instrumentation. In her remarks and the Q&A session, Ms. Rhilinger will share her perspective on the many opportunities available in the corporate world and offer her advice on how to manage your career in business environments you may not have considered.
Ms. Rhilinger joined Weyerhaeuser in 1994 and has held a number of increasingly responsible positions in Business Development, Customer Service, Operations and Sales at locations throughout the country, and has driven increased sales and profitability while improving safety and customer satisfaction in all of her assignments.
After graduating from the Mount, Ms. Rhilinger started her career with the Ford Motor Company in Los Angeles and later was promoted to a number of management positions in the LA District, Phoenix, Minneapolis and Ford’s Corporate Headquarters in Dearborn Michigan. Among her various responsibilities, she had worked in Owner Relations, Parts Sales, Field Service and Technical Training during 14 years with Ford.
She then accepted a position as a Business Director with Fisher Controls International, Inc. in Marshalltown, Iowa, where she developed and executed business plans that ensured the market position and long-term profitability of the company’s worldwide parts business.
Michele Rhilinger is a strong supporter of Mount St. Mary’s College as well as a successful business leader.
Feb 26, 2009 -- CEO of Ricarda Couture Designs, based in Southern California, specializes in designing baby blankets, adult throws, crib bedding, and high end clothing. She started this company seven years ago, learning her trade, and the business of fashion, hands-on while building her company. As of this year, Ms. Perez has taken her company international, reaching into the Japanese market, while still continuing to manufacture her product line here in the United States.
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Former LA Mayor Richard Riordan mingles with students from MSMC's Sigma Beta Delta business honor society after his Nov. 20 talk as part of the College's ongoing The Vantage Point speaker series. Riordan discussed the rich economic landscape of Los Angeles. |
Nov. 26, 2008 -- MSMC’s Business Administration Department continued its signature series The Vantage Point Nov. 20 with an inspirational talk from guest speaker Richard Riordan, former mayor of Los Angeles.
Riordan, a well-known civic leader, entrepreneur, and philanthropist, shared with business students during the afternoon event at the Chalon Campus Center his four key qualities of a good leader: "courage, giving, empowering others, and relentless pursuit of goals."
He addressed students as "leaders of the future" who are fortunate to live in the rich business environment of Los Angeles. Forty-two percent of all international trade goes through the city’s ports and airports, Riordan said. “While some industries, like government jobs, will be experiencing cutbacks, I would encourage you to consider service-related industries like healthcare, which will continue to expand during economically-challenging times," he said.
The Business Administration Department and the Sigma Beta Delta business honor society launched The Vantage Point series in 2006 as a forum for students to gain insight from business leaders and entrepreneurs. Previous speakers have encouraged students to plan the steps they will need to take to achieve true success in their careers.
Riordan, a native of New York, first came to Los Angeles to work for O’Melveny & Myers, one of the city’s leading law firms. He branched out and became a private investor in numerous businesses locally and nationwide. In 1981 he created the Riordan Foundation, which has donated computers and books to schools nationwide.
Riordan was elected mayor in 1993 and helped guide Los Angeles into the ranks of major world cities. He later served as secretary of education in Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger’s administration. Among Riordan’s business pursuits, he owns the Original Pantry Café, a downtown institution, Gladstone’s 4 Fish in Pacific Palisades, and Mort’s Deli, another area institution.
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It was in October last year at Homecoming that the Business Administration Department announced the creation of the college’s seventh graduate program—a Master of Business Administration to be held in the weekend format at the Doheny Campus. Just six short months after that announcement, the first cohort of 30 students has been formed for our September 2008 launch. As you can imagine there is tremendous excitement about the enthusiastic response to the program.
Who are these 30 pioneers in the Mount MBA program? They are from their late 20’s to 50’s, and over 40 percent were not business majors in college. About half of the students are alums of either the traditional or Weekend College. They come from a vast array of occupational fields including health care, not for profits, education, entertainment, manufacturing, civil service, financial services, and law enforcement.
The Mount MBA has an innovative and ground breaking curriculum that has received accolades from business executives who have reviewed it. They believe it truly addresses the needs of the business community for well prepared leaders. These leaders will be prepared to solve problems in an integrated fashion, not in the linear manner of traditional MBA formats.
The Mount MBA has a number of distinguishing features in addition to its innovative curriculum. A Business Advisory Council has been formed to assist the faculty in maintaining the current relevance of the curriculum. An Executive in Residence program will bring business community expertise into the classroom. Individualized career coaching will be integrated from the outset. And an international travel study module will emphasize the global perspective necessary for future leaders.
Share this good news with family, friends, and colleagues who are ready to take the step. Applications are now being received for the second cohort, to begin in January 2009, and the third cohort beginning the following September. For more information, go to www.msmc.la.edu and under “Academics” click on the “Graduate Programs” link.
When the Mount’s Weekend College program was established 16 years ago, it adopted the slogan, “Turn your weekend getaway into a weekend get ahead.” That slogan now applies for those ready to earn their MBA.
MSMC will launch a Master's in Business Administration Program beginning in fall 2008 in a weekend format for junior- and mid-level professionals seeking career advancement. Faculty member Janet Robinson has been selected to lead the program as its first director.
"This new graduate business program builds on the strengths of faculty in the Business Administration Department," said Provost Eleanor Siebert, "and will join the Mount's current six graduate degree programs designed to promote leadership and foster a spirit of service to others."
The program is aimed at attracting students in their 30s and 40s, and is believed to be the only one in the region offering classwork on weekends only.
Each incoming class will form a cohort of 20 to 30 students, moving together through a richly-integrated curriculum that will culminate in the MBA degree after four semesters (or 15 months) of advanced business courses. The cross-disciplinary courses will give students a big-picture view of how various theories and disciplines blend together in a real business setting.
"This program is aimed to answer the criticism that MBA program graduates are not able to solve complex, ambiguous problems that cut across different areas," according to a plan put together by a committee led by Mark Alhanati, chair of MSMC's Business Administration Department.
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Mount St. Mary's business professor David Leese (pictured front row, second from left) poses with students at the Chalon Campus holding prom dresses which were donated to underprivileged teenage girls. The class spent the semester helping A Place Called Home, a youth center in Los Angeles. |
June 6, 2007 -- It began as a spring class assignment to support a community organization serving underprivileged children and teenagers in South L.A. But Rachel Morgan ’07 says she knew she would be a fixture at A Place Called Home (APCH) the moment she passed through its doors.
“The first time I saw the looks on the kids’ faces, I was hooked,” says Morgan, who double-majored in music and social science with an emphasis on history. She also completed a business minor and is awaiting acceptance to two Mount master’s programs in teacher credentialing and humanities.
Morgan’s enthusiasm for service is exactly the payoff professor David Leese says he was hoping for in the nonprofit management seminar for non-business majors. He delegated roles to his 15 students like team leader and treasurer, and stepped in when they needed help resolving issues about workload and strategy. “I said, `I don’t want you doing this project for a grade. I want you to do it for those kids,’” Leese says. “It shows them first that they’re actually using skills for something they want to do as opposed to some artificial assignment.”
APCH is a youth-enrichment center founded in 1993 to offer low-income youth from rough neighborhoods a secure, positive family environment. More than 250 children each day get services at the center, which provides programs designed to help them break free from gangs, drugs, and poverty. The Mount's Sociology Department and Student Ambassadors program also have longstanding relationships with the center; Leese began sending his students there in the early 1990s.
The class raised $985 after expenses through pizza and candy sales on the Chalon Campus. Morgan also taught music lessons to children at APCH and helped coordinate a project to collect donated prom dresses and accessories for girls who can’t afford their own. She requested donations from Mount students, faculty, and staff, and also asked her mother, a teacher at a San Fernando Valley public elementary school, to prod colleagues for donations to what was called the Cinderella Project.
“Rachel and the rest of the Mount St. Mary's volunteers never cease to amaze me,” beams Melissa Molina, volunteer coordinator at APCH. “It just goes to show when you have the will there’s always going to be a way.” Molina says the money raised by MSMC students will go toward a new roof for the center.
Salaam Coleman Smith, head of the Style Network and EVP of E! Entertainment encouraged students as a part of the Vantage Speaker Series sponsored by the Business Department.
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Visiting scholar Yang Jin describes her life in China to students in Professor Katherine Whitman's world economic history class. |
Feb. 12, 2007 -- Visiting Chinese scholar Yang Jin is spending two weeks this month with students at the Mount sharing her experiences growing up in a remote part of China and pursuing a college education.
Yang is the fifth recipient of the Chinese Visiting Scholar Fellowship through the Bridging Cultures: U.S./China Program of the Education Department, which is headed by Nancy Pine. The program, begun in 2000, is coordinated with the Asian and Pacific Studies Program at Loyola Marymount University.
Yang, who is fluent in English, has been meeting with MSMC students in economics, sociology, and Chinese language classes. This is her first trip outside of China.
Yang, now a Ph.D. student at China’s Nanjing University, described her childhood and barriers to obtaining a college degree to a recent world economic history class at the Mount. She said the rising cost of attending college, an insufficient social security system, and the complex traditional roles of women originally made her an unlikely candidate for college.
Because her family, like many families in China, had little money, one child was selected to obtain a college education. Although many of her family members believed that this role should go to her brother, the family voted to send Yang because she excelled in school.
Yang has her master’s degree in applied linguistics from Nanjing University. She holds a bachelor’s degree in English and literature. She has been teaching in the English Department of Nanjing University since 1993, and has published on anxiety in language learning and Internet use in academic communication.
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Adriane Brown poses with students and professors from the Business Administration Department after her talk. |
Adriane M. Brown, president and CEO of Honeywell Transportation Systems, spoke to a packed crowd during a Nov. 28 talk on the Chalon Campus of Mount St. Mary's College.
In explaining her success in an industry traditionally dominated by men, she said, "If you treat people with dignity and respect, no matter what the situation, you can always walk away with your head held high. That advice has carried me to this day."
Brown was invited as part of The Vantage Point speaker series, which explores issues facing today's business world. The series is designed to strengthen business acumen among Mount students and inspire them by presenting some of the many challenges found in our local, regional, national, and global markets.
In 2005, Brown was named to Automotive News' list of 100 leading women in the North American automotive industry. She currently serves on the board of directors for Jobs for America's Graduates and is a member of the Arizona Women's Forum, a chapter of the International Women's Forum.
On November 2nd, Roger Philipp, C.P.A., of the “Roger Philipp CPA Review Course” addressed twenty-five accounting students at a meeting hosted by the Accounting Association. Roger, in his usual energetic style spoke of the requirements to sit for the CPA Exam, the components of the exam and its scoring. He covered the dates and locations that the exam is offered as well as the two tracks that are available to CPA candidates for licensure. Students were supplied with supporting literature for future reference as well as a CD that contained a portion of an actual CPA review class.
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DeDominic with business department professors and students |
Patty DeDominic, the founder, chair and CEO of PDQ Careers Group, a staffing services firm in Los Angeles, spoke to a packed crowd during a Nov. 7 talk on the Chalon Campus of Mount St. Mary’s College.
DeDominic was invited as part of The Vantage Point speaker series, which explores issues facing today’s business world. The series is designed to strengthen business acumen among Mount students and inspire them by presenting some of the many challenges found in our local, regional, national, and global markets.
“We live in a society that depends on each of its citizens to give back to the community,” DeDominic said. An active philanthropist, DeDominic recently announced a historic $1 million challenge grant to the National Association of Women Business Owners’ Los Angeles Chapter (NAWBO-LA).
DeDominic currently serves on several boards of directors and is chairman and a founder of the Foundation for SCORE, a free counseling service for small businesses. She is also a former chair of the Los Angeles Area Chamber of Commerce, a past president emeritus of NAWBO-LA, and served as commissioner of the Americas for the World Association of Women Chiefs.
The 9th Annual Southern California International Trade Conference was held at the Sheraton Universal Hotel on October 20, 2006. Among the 200 participants were 9 students who are studying International Marketing and two international business alumnae. Accompanying the students were two members of the Business Administration faculty, Katherine Whitman and Peter Antoniou.
The theme of the conference was "Going Global - Stretch Your Business Beyond Our Borders". The conference was highlighted by a keynote panel presentation moderated by MSMC trustee James Flanigan. One of the panel presentations featured a Weekend College student, Eileen Saucedo, who is the international marketing sales manager for Yellow Transportation.
Conference participants were able to attend breakout sessions on How to Import and Export and What to Import and Export and network with conference exhibitors and attendees. The luncheon session feature an address by the president the largest manufacturer of custom identification wristbands in the United States which is headquartered in San Fernando, California and has plants in Mexico and Belgium.
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Ricardo Sarmiento, CEO of the Latin Business Association, stands with Mark Alhanati (left), chair of MSMC's Business Administration Department, and professor Dennis Signorovitch (right). |
Ricardo Sarmiento, chairman of the board and CEO of the Latin Business Association, ignited the entrepreneurial spirit in a packed room of business majors during an Oct. 24 talk on Mount St. Mary's Chalon Campus.
Sarmiento was invited to speak as part of the Business Administration Department's The Vantage Point speaker series, which explores issues facing today's business world. The series is designed to strengthen business acumen among Mount students and inspire them by presenting some of the many challenges found in our local, regional, national and global markets.
In his presentation, Sarmiento emphasized the importance of building relationships and finding mentors in one's chosen field. Students then engaged Sarmiento with numerous questions, ranging from "Do I really need an MBA to be successful in the business world?" to "How do I find my strengths?" Sarmiento, who has more than 15 years of experience in a variety of industries, candidly answered each student with insight and humor.
Sarmiento is the principal of The Ultimate Partnership, a management consulting practice providing services in international strategic partnerships, strategic marketing, customer service, and technology. He was also appointed by Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger to serve on the State of California's Enterprise Assistance Fund Board of Directors, where he represents financial initiatives focused on small business growth.
The Business Administration Department's new "Vantage Point" speaker series will host three speakers during the fall semester:
On July 8, 2006, Educational Doctorates in Organizational Leadership were conferred upon two faculty in the Business Administration Department. Dr. Michelle French, Assistant Professor and Associate Degree Program Director and Dr. Janet Robinson, long time, award winning faculty member of the Bachelor of Arts and Weekend College Bachelor of Science Programs received their degrees from Pepperdine University at commencement ceremonies held on the school’s Malibu campus. The Mount Community is both proud and honored to acknowledge and celebrate this milestone of accomplishment in Dr. French’s and Robinson’s lives. Your students and colleagues will long be the beneficiaries of your scholarly work. Congratulations!
The start of the 06/07 Academic Year brings some exciting new changes to the business administration department. Prof. Mark Alhanati returns from a year long sabbatical as the new Department Chair. He promises new departmental initiatives to further enrich students learning and career opportunities. We will be leading with “The Vantage Point” speaker series this fall, regularly bringing to campus business leaders from throughout Southern California. We are also preparing for our entry into the American Advertising Federation’s annual advertising competition. We will be competing against more than twenty local colleges vying to present the best advertising campaign with the winner advancing to the national level. Our Travel/Study program this year offers both an Asian and European, two-week learning adventure. In the Spring, after a one year absence, we will be bringing back the (VITA) Volunteer Income Tax Assistance Program where students have the opportunity to be trained and certified as volunteer tax preparers by the I.R.S. Following certification, they will hone their skills preparing taxes at our own Doheny Service Center.
We are thrilled to welcome our newest full-time faculty member, Dr. Michelle French. Dr. French will be teaching courses in Business, Management and Marketing on both campuses. She will also be the Director of our Associate Degree Program on the Doheny campus. She will be sponsoring the “ Doheny Business Club.” Doheny students make sure you sign up and join in.
The department received an additional FTE faculty position for the current year and we are very fortunate to have Professor Anne Rigone returning in that capacity. She will teach several of our Accounting classes and serve co-sponsor our Accounting Association. Professor Rigone’s knowledge, commitment, experience and teaching expertise gives us faculty in Accounting that is second to none.
Katherine Whitman, Associate Professor of International Business and Economics and coordinator or our travel/study program will assume the position of Weekend College Program Director. In that capacity, she will be working with weekend students, faculty, administration and with curriculum development. She looks forward to and has some great ideas for enriching the business curriculum for Mount students.
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