In The News
Business Administration and Accounting
April 22, 2022
Webinar for Romanians by Prof. Popovich draws from pandemic adjustments
Karen Popovich of the Saint Michael’s College business administration and accounting faculty is active with the American Councils for International Education (ACIE). Recently she presented a three-hour webinar for Romanian educators about challenges teachers have faced since the COVID-19 pandemic began, sharing how Saint Michael’s rose to the challenge. Read more
March 4, 2022
Alumni from the beer and cider industry share some career tips
Nearly 100 students and business faculty gathered in the Roy Room late Monday afternoon to hear the perspectives of four Saint Michael’s alumni who work in the craft beer and cider industry. Amy Cronin ’06, Tim Costello ’17, Jeff Baker ’06 and Nick Kyratzis ’14 each offered students career development advice while sharing personal stories of finding work after college.
Sept. 10, 2021
Nicole Anderson ’22 awarded Sigma Beta Delta Scholarship, the sixth in a row from St. Mike’s
Nicole Anderson ’22 of Kittery Point, ME, a senior business administration and sociology double-major at Saint Michael’s College, is the sixth consecutive nominee from the College to receive a national scholarship from Sigma Beta Delta — the scholastic international honor society that recognizes academic achievement among students in the fields of business, management, and administration.
As sixth consecutive student from St. Mike’s chapter to receive award, the senior business administration and sociology double-major from Maine will receive $1,000
Read full story about Nicole Anderson>>
July 30, 2021
Engaged and active learning: Saint Michael’s business administration students present their research at virtual summer conference
In teams of two, four Saint Michael’s College business administration students along with faculty co-authors, Professor Karen Popovich and Virginie Khare (Eckerd College) virtually attended the 2021 Society for Case Research’s Summer Casewriters Conference on July 20, 2021.
July 21, 2021
Virtual seminars enrich faculty ties with Da Nang University
Business and Accounting faculty from Saint Michael’s College and faculty from Da Nang Architecture University in Vietnam this summer have had several virtual seminars to exchange insights about learning outcomes, approaches to teaching and other ideas.
June 4, 2021
Heather Lashway ’99 promoted to bank VP
Career news appeared recently on the website Cision PR Newswire about Heather Lashway ’99: “Berkshire Hills Bancorp, Inc. (NYSE: BHLB), the parent company of Berkshire Bank, a socially-responsible community-dedicated bank with locations primarily in New England and New York, today announced that Heather Lashway, a ten-year Berkshire veteran was promoted to Senior Vice President Director of Retail Banking … In her role as Director of Retail Banking Ms. Lashway will be responsible for all aspects of the retail banking consumer experience, including branch banking, branch and deposit operations, call center, virtual teller, MyBankers and Sales & Service Delivery. She will work to optimize, digitize and enhance the Bank’s retail banking strategy in support of Berkshire’s Exciting Strategic Transformation (BEST) plan to deliver enhanced value for all its stakeholders … Prior to joining Berkshire Bank, Heather spent 11 years with Citizens Bank in senior Retail Banking roles inclusive of Director of Sales, Division Training Manager and Regional Sales Manager. Ms. Lashway holds a Bachelors in Accounting & Finance from Saint Michael’s College in Colchester, Vermont and was previously an Albany Business Review 40 under 40 honoree.”
Read full item about Heather Lashway>>
May 7, 2021
Marie Colbert ’89 has message for graduating seniors: A path to success begins at St. Mike’s
Like so many of her classmates and friends, Marie (McDonnell) Colbert ’89, P ’24 has always loved St. Mike’s. But as a Steering Committee member of the All in for St. Mike’s capital campaign, Marie and her husband Vin have taken their commitment to Saint Michael’s to a whole new level. With a gift of $20,000 per year for the next five years to the Saint Michael’s Fund and $5,000 per year to the Men’s Soccer program, the Colberts will be supporting not only the College, but also enhancing the athletic experience of their son Dan (’24) and his soccer teammates. Marie appreciates how the College supported her when she took a semester off to ponder the right career path in her student days; it led to a bookkeeping job that in turn led to the job of Controller at her company where she remained for four years; then she helped with the sale of the company. From there, she helped build and run a software company where she started as VP-General Manager for five years, then became President/CEO for the next 20 years. Two years ago, Marie decided to retire to spend time with her family and personal interests. But she missed the sense of accomplishment and interaction, so she recently helped start a software company and brings in new customers as Chief Commercial Officer.
Read more about Marie McDonnell Colbert>>
May 7, 2021
Good Prize winners named in business, history
Glenn ’56 and Susan Good established the Good Prize for Excellence in Business Administration and History to recognize academic excellence in both a pre-professional field and a liberal arts program. The award comes with a $500 cash prize to the graduating senior with the highest grade point average in those two majors. Glenn Good died on July 23, 2020, but his legacy remains on campus through this Prize. Nearly 30 people attended a Zoom ceremony the afternoon of Wednesday, May 5 this week to celebrate this year’s two student recipients of the prize: Megan Geschwind ’21 (business), top photo at right, and Meaghan Kiley ’21 (history). After an informal virtual “meet and greet” among participants to start the ceremony, Krystyna Davenport Brown, vice president for institutional advancement, gave the official welcome before Karen Popovich, chairperson and associate professor of business administration and accounting, presented the Business Award to Megan Geschwind, followed by Professor George Dameron of the history faculty who presented the History Award to Meaghan Kiley. Dameron,who is retiring, has been Meaghan Kiley’s adviser and for those reasons presented that award, after he was introduced by History Department Chair Kathryn Dungy, associate professor of Caribbean and Latin American History.
April 23, 2021
Colbert ’89 speaks to business honor group
On the afternoon of Friday, April 16, the Saint Michael’s business administration and accounting faculty hosted the campus chapter’s annual Sigma Beta Delta Honor Society induction ceremony via a synchronous Zoom session, attended by faculty, student inductees, and some family members. Marie Colbert ’89 was the society’s honorary inductee and keynote speaker. Colbert, president of Blume Global in Wellesley, MA, since 2018, is an experienced executive who has built and led software and services companies in transportation and logistics industry. Colbert encouraged student inductees to always act with integrity, take advantage of opportunities, take some risks and be willing to make and learn from some mistakes, and to become good at making decisions. “Develop your own approach that is grounded with wisdom and makes you ask yourself ‘what’s the right thing to do here?’– using your experiences, knowledge, and good judgment, you will be able to make better decisions and learn from them,” she said. “…[and] this can become your competitive advantage that shows your potential and earns you respect in so many situations.”
May 17, 2021
From St. Mike’s to Twitch: Q&A with Alum Ben Lindemer
When you’re deciding which colleges to apply to or which one to enroll in, finding out where graduates work—and what they do—should be a huge factor in your decision-making process.
And let’s be real: It’s a really good sign when those careers are someplace ridiculously cool. Like Twitch.
Meet Ben Lindemer. A Business Administration major and Vermont native, Ben graduated from Saint Michael’s College in 2014.
May 12, 2021
St. Mike’s women rise to top in recent hospitality hirings
Good college preparation leads to good jobs, two Saint Michael’s College graduates from recent years learned in early May when they landed desirable marketing positions with Hotel Vermont/Westport Hospitality in downtown Burlington. Rachel Kucharski ’17, left, and Maddy Moore ’19, right, at their new job site in Burlington recently. Michell Langlais, the Westport Hospitality director of sales who hired Maddy Moore ’19 and Rachel Kucharski 17 in early May, was so impressed with them and another Saint Michael’s candidate for her most recent open positions that she wanted College leaders to know just how well they are preparing students for the workplace.
Samantha Rossi ’20
March 31, 2021
Alumni connections lead to dream job for 2020 graduate Samantha Rossi
Samantha Rossi ’20 reached out to Ingrid Peterson in the Career Education Center with a success story of her job search since graduating in May 2020 and her connection via networking to Emily Clay ’13 that led to a job with Tinuiti, a digital marketing firm (Samantha works remotely from home in Connecticut and Emily is based in the firm’s Atlanta office). The St. Mike’s network comes through again!
March 26, 2021
Foresight, adaptability keep job profile strong for St. Mike’s seniors majoring in accounting
More than half of Saint Michael’s College’s accounting seniors have already landed good full-time jobs across the Northeast to start in summer or fall, said Professor Steven Doyon ’88, instructor of business administration & accounting. Given how readily Saint Michael’s accounting seniors are still finding good jobs, business faculty at Saint Michael’s — emblematic of faculty across the College — feel affirmed in effective adaptations this past year to meet the enormous challenges of new instructional landscapes while effectively preparing students for the future. Flexible faculty, widespread willingness by successful alumni to help, and vigorous career education and alumni office initiatives are pieces of the College’s and his department’s productive formula, in Doyon’s view. He sees accounting as a strong case-in-point for what Saint Michael’s is doing right to stay relevant in such times with networking and a practical view to career success. Doyon, a veteran instructor and Certified Public Accountant (CPA) with extensive field experience before joining academia, said his strong perception from speaking with internship mentors and future employers in the field is that, for accounting — traditionally one of the College’s most employable majors — the well-roundedness and breadth of a Saint Michael’s liberal arts education bolsters resumes and job-market prospects. Saint Michael’s administrators and faculty feel such might be said of other majors at the College too, given the solid career paths that unfold.
Read full story on accounting major successes>>
March 5, 2021
First-year Johnston makes Eagle Scout
Congratulations to Saint Michael’s student Valerie Ann Johnston ‘24 of Thornton, NH, for a groundbreaking achievement reported this week by writer John Koziol in the Manchester Union Leader, the largest daily newspaper and website in New Hampshire: “Valerie Ann Johnston of Thornton is blazing a new trail as a member of the first class of female Eagle Scouts. The business administration major and accounting minor said scouting has allowed her to do ‘a bunch of things I wouldn’t have,’ including — through five-years’ worth of leadership training — providing her with an insight into ‘what it’s like in a male-dominated organization. I had to prove myself’ on several occasions, the 2020 graduate of Plymouth Regional High School said, but always received ‘exceptional support.’
Read full story about Eagle Scout Johnston>>
Feb. 5, 2021
Business students present research (virtually) to Vermont House committee
Five students in Saint Michael’s business Professor Robert Letovsky’s BU 496 Organizational Problem Solving course worked with Rob Roper, president of the Ethan Allen Institute on research regarding why businesses have left (or failed in) Vermont. They conducted extensive secondary/online research, and supplemented it with a questionnaire which was sent to a small number of executives, economic development specialists and community leaders in the state. Two of the students – seniors Alex Matthey (accounting major/economics minor), and Christopher Elhajj (business major/ religion minor), recently made a virtual presentation of their research to the Vermont House Commerce & Economic Development Committee.
Feb. 5, 2021
Roach ’07 says Catholic education, St. Mike’s experiences behind her success as HR executive
The Lynn Journal, a large Massachusetts newspaper/website in the suburban Boston area, featured a story recently by reporter Cary Shuman about Saint Michael’s alumna and former hockey student-athlete Michelle Roach ’07. She received her bachelor’s degree in Political Science from Saint Mike’s and minored in Business and Human Resource Management. She later attended graduate school at Harvard University, where she received her master’s degree in Human Resources and Organizational Behavior.
Jan. 29, 2021
Alumni judges help finance students prepare for international competition
Three highly successful alumni finance professionals in December gave a virtual boost to Saint Michael’s business students preparing for the Chartered Financial Analysts (CFA) Challenge, an annual global competition to be held in February. In a Zoom program, the five students made a virtual presentation and received helpful feedback from the alumni judges. The alumni volunteer judges were: Grace Hoefig ’81, Senior Vice president/director of research and portfolio manager for Franklin Templeton Investments; Robert Hopper ’94, director of high yield and emerging market corporate credit research for AllianceBernstein; and Dan Lagan ’87, CFA, CEO/portfolio manager for Congress Asset Management Company.
Jan. 22, 2021
Becky James ’06 now partner at accounting firm
Rebecca (Becky) James, CPA has been named partner at Johnson Lambert LLP, where serves a nationwide portfolio of clients and exemplifies leadership not only within the firm but also in the communities and the industries she serves. Becky joined Johnson Lambert in 2006 upon graduating from St. Michael’s College. She has extensive experience in auditing and financial statement preparation of property/casualty insurers, reinsurers, and governmental risk pools, as well as significant experience with internal audit outsourcing and co-sourcing engagements.
Jan. 15, 2021
Apesin presents on Black student leaders
On Sunday, November 8, 2020, Alaba Apesin of the Saint Michael’s business administration and accounting faculty presented her paper “Predictors of First-Year Students Leadership Development in Historically Black Institutions” at the International Leadership Association (ILA) 22nd Annual Global Conference, an online virtual event that ran from November 5-9, 2020.
Dec. 11, 2020
Courtney Burt ’18 provides technical service for management school at MIT
With demands for remote learning vastly increasing in the pandemic, more colleges and universities are seeking expert guidance in “digital transformation” — a popular business buzzword of recent years referring to digital technologies that make processes more efficient or effective. A recent Saint Michael’s graduate is helping meet the demand. In her current job as a digital marketing specialist at Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) Sloan School of Management, Courtney Burt ’18 is using to good advantage her practical experience with technology as a Saint Michael’s College business major. For the Sloan School, Burt is responsible for creating engaging digital experiences that convert website visitors into course enrollments. Lately, she has been working to create online spaces where MIT faculty can engage with audiences in more personalized ways that feel closer to real-world human encounters. One way she has accomplished this is through broadcasting with LinkedIn Live, and on the Tuesday before Thanksgiving, she broadcast an interactive MIT Sloan event to more than 2,500 registered attendees who experienced MIT faculty insights first-hand. One participant was Professor Karen Popovich from the Saint Michael’s Business Administration Department and a onetime mentor of Burt.
Dec. 11, 2020
Professor Robert Letovsky joins Ethan Allen Institute board
Faculty news from a recent newsletter of the Ethan Allen Institute in Concord VT, which bills itself as “Vermont’s free-market public policy research and education organization” and a “think tank” founded in 1993: “EAI is proud to announce Robert Letovsky, the David LaMarche Professor of Business Administration & Accounting at Saint Michael’s College, joined our board of directors this Fall. Robert’s teaching and research have focused on business strategy, business-government relations, international business and marketing. He has also participated in several international education initiatives, most notably in Afghanistan and China, and continues to serve as an online instructor for the Universidad Catolica de El Salvador (UNICAES). As an outgrowth of his lifelong commitment to entrepreneurship, Robert serves as an instructor in the Small Business Administration-funded Boots to Business program, working with active duty military personnel and veterans in distance learning classes and on-base presentations in Europe and Asia.” The item goes on to tell of Robert’s extensive service and leadership between 2001 for his local public school boards and districts, and states, “Robert earned his Ph.D. from Concordia University in Montreal, his MBA from the University of Toronto, and his bachelor’s degree from McGill University. Prior to entering academics, he worked in commercial banking and export finance. He maintains extensive connections to the Vermont business community through consulting, both privately and as instructor for the business consulting course at Saint Michael’s College.”
Nov. 20, 2020
Jenna Carroll ’92 named a ‘Top Wealth Advisor Mom’
From the suburban Boston local-news website Wickedlocal.com recently, an item about a 1992 alumna and recognition for her career success: “Jenna Carroll, a Merrill Lynch wealth management adviser in Newton, was named to the 2020 Working Mother/SHOOK Research’s Top Wealth Advisor Moms list. Carroll, a mother of two, joined Merrill Lynch in 1999 and has over 20 years of industry experience. She is a graduate of St. Michael’s College in Vermont and has a Master of Business Administration from the UMass Amherst. She has also earned the CFP certification awarded by the Certified Financial Planner Board of Standards.”
Oct. 16, 2020
Rebecca James ’06 named 2020 Vermont Rising Star
Rebecca James ’06 was a recipient this year of the 2020 Vermont Rising Star Award from Vermont Business Magazine. (Thanks to Jacob Pelletier ’14, assistant director of alumni engagement, and Angela Irvine, director for advancement programs, for sharing this week the news about Rebecca’s achievement.) Here’s more about the award from the recent issue of VBM, quoting another proud Saint Michael’s alumnus, John Boutin ’79, VBM publisher and son of the late Saint Michael’s President Emeritus Bernard Boutin ’45: “Vermont Business Magazine is proud to announce the winners of its Rising Stars recognition award. The list is composed of 40 winners under the age of 40. Award recipients were selected by a panel of judges for their commitment to business growth, professional excellence and involvement in their communities. ‘We are thrilled by the response to this initiative to recognize these up-and-coming leaders, this is our eleventh year” said VBM Publisher John Boutin. ‘We received over 190 outstanding nominations this year. Despite the pandemic, we are very excited that people took the time to nominate these great candidates.’” The article listing Becky and the other winners notes that she is employed by Johnson Lambert, LLC (CPAs and consultants), and lives in Essex. She was a Phi Beta Kappa, magna cum laude St. Mike’s graduate in business administration and accounting.
Oct. 2, 2020
Letovsky has case study published through Georgetown
Robert Letovsky of the Saint Michael’s business administration and accounting faculty learned this week that his latest case study titled “The Customer is Always Wrong – The Airbus 220 and U.S. Trade Law” has just been published by Georgetown University’s Institute for the Study of Diplomacy. The case focuses on the events leading up to the January, 2018 ruling by the U.S. International Trade Commission (ITC) overturning anti-dumping and countervailing duties imposed by the U.S. Department of Commerce (DoC) on imports of the CSeries commercial jet, produced by Bombardier, Inc., a Canadian company.
Sept. 25, 2020
Jalen Gorham helps educate city youth
Sports reporter Marshall Kramsky at the Burlington-Plattsburgh area NBC affiliate, NBC5, did an extended, excellent feature report this week about Saint Michael’s Purple Knight sophomore basketball player Jalen Gorham, a Business Administration major, and double minor in Accounting and Political, and his work with youth in his hometown as he helps educate them with life lessons that go beyond basketball. From Kramsky’s story: “Gorham, along with a few friends from his hometown in York, Pennsylvania, created a basketball camp that focuses on much more than just hoops. ‘The purpose was to help kids in our community; we thought that a lot of kids had a lot of talent, we thought that some of the schools and teachers they didn’t really teach the kids life lessons and career paths so we figured why not educate the youth, why not better the youth?’ Gorham said.”
Sept. 18, 2020
Path to elite ‘Green MBA’ studies started for VanStry ’17 with Saint Michael’s experiences
Meghan VanStry ’17 is currently an MBA candidate in the nationally recognized Sustainable Innovation MBA program at the University of Vermont’s Grossman School of Business — an opportunity that grew from her rich relevant Saint Michael’s undergraduate experiences, along with the help of a prestigious, monetarily significant and highly competitive scholarship as a first-generation college student. She is the recipient of the Inclusive Achievement Scholarship — a merit-based scholarship awarded to “a single deserving member of the Class of 2021 from an underrepresented group whose application demonstrates the highest levels of commitment and achievement pertaining to sustainable business, innovation, and/or entrepreneurship; and future potential as a transformational change agent who will create positive social and/or environmental value through for-profit business models,” according to the UVM website. While at Saint Michael’s, Meghan majored in business administration and environmental studies (Honors Program), graduating magna cum laude with departmental honors for environmental studies.
Sept. 18, 2020
Accounting graduate makes Vermont Guard history with her recent promotion to colonel
With her promotion during a noontime ceremony at Camp Johnson this past Wednesday (photo at right), Col. Joyce Merrill ’92, a Saint Michael’s College accounting graduate, became the first finance officer in Vermont National Guard history to earn the rank of colonel. Merrill, promoted from lieutenant colonel during the brief ceremony, is a supervisory contract specialist, United States Property and Fiscal Office, for the Vermont Guard. “The promotion of Col. Joyce Merrill demonstrates the great diversity of skills and opportunities within the Vermont National Guard,” said Col. Michael Chase, Vermont National Guard U.S. property and fiscal officer. “While many think of the National Guard as infantry soldiers and fighter pilots, the reality is the Guard is much more. As a nationally recognized finance and contracting officer, Col. Merrill has led this organization in supporting the nation and the citizens of Vermont. Col. Merrill’s expertise, tenacity, assertiveness and dedication has also been a force multiplier in the Vermont National Guard’s contribution to the State’s COVID-19 response.” Merrill enlisted in the Guard in 1982 and received promotions up to the rank of Sergeant. She then obtained her commission through the Officer Candidate School in 1993 and is currently assigned as the deputy USPFO, Joint Force Headquarters, VTARNG. Her previous assignments include Purchase and Contract Branch Chief, Commander 3-124 IO BN, Comptroller, Finance Manager, S1, 86th Troop Command, Budget Analyst, Finance Officer, Tactical Intelligence Officer, HHC 86th BDE, Commander, Co A 186th FSB, Platoon Leader, Co A 186th FSB, and Maintenance Officer, HHD 186th FSB,. She is a graduate of the Information Operations FA30 course, Certified Defense Financial Manager Course, Combined Arms Services and Staff School; Finance Officer Basic and Advanced Courses; and the Management and Comptroller Course. Along with her bachelor’s degree in accounting from Saint Michael’s, she has a master’s in management from Northcentral (online program). Her awards and decorations include: two Meritorious Service Medals; two Army Commendation Medals; Army Reserve Component Achievement Medal; Armed Forces Reserve Medal; and Army Service Ribbon. She resides in South Burlington.
Sept. 11, 2020
TV report quotes Letovsky on aluminum tariffs news
Burlington-area reporters frequently seek out Robert Letovsky of the Saint Michael’s business administration and accounting faculty for his views on breaking business headlines in the region, and so it was this recent Wednesday with news that three New England governors were calling on President Trump to reverse tariffs on Canadian aluminum. The local NBC affiliate, WPTZ Channel 5, posted a piece that included this: “Robert Letovsky, a business administration professor at Saint Michael’s College and expert on U.S. trade with Canada, said the tariffs continue to put further strain on America’s relationship with its Northern neighbors. ‘They thought they negotiated the ‘new NAFTA’, the USMCA, they thought these things were behind them,’ he said. Letovsky said many sectors, including Vermont’s thriving craft beer industry which relies heavily on aluminum cans, could soon feel the financial impact of the trade tax.” Read more
Sept. 11, 2020
Business graduate earns prestigious scholarship
Business Administration & Accounting recent graduate Kara Gailiunas ’20, has been awarded a national Sigma Beta Delta Scholarship, the seventh Saint Michael’s student in recent years to be so honored. She will use this scholarship to pursue a Master’s in Sports Administration at Boston College in fall 2020. Recently Kara wrote to her Saint Michael’s professor and mentor, departmental Chair Karen Popovich, “I am two weeks into my program at BC and I am feeling very well prepared from my time with the Business Department at SMC!” Steve Doyon, also of the Business Administration & Accounting faculty, this week announced that Kara would receive the $1,000 national scholarship from Sigma Beta Delta, the international honor society for business, management and administration. Along with her business administration major, Kara had double minors in economics and psychology and earned a 3.81 GPA as a Dean’s List honoree. She also was inducted into Chi Alpha Sigma honor society for athletics and academic excellence; was an intern in the Saint Michael’s Athletics Operations office; and is cofounder and vice president of Noble Fresh LLC, an all-natural water-conserving odor destroyer business. She was varsity captain of her Saint Michael’s Division I Alpine ski team. Kara is the fifth consecutive Saint Michael’s College nominee to receive a Scholarship/Fellowship Award through Sigma Beta Delta, and she is the campus Chapter’s seventh awardee since 2009 (Jessica Waterbury ’09, Christopher Kopka ’10, Justin Colletti ’16, Connor Mitchell ’17 Ashley McGann ’18, Alana Parker ’19, Kara Gailiunas ’20). In a letter of recommendation, Professor Popovich wrote, “She values purposeful reflection, offers critical analysis and has gained effective communication skills … Especially given the unique challenges with the global pandemic for graduating seniors, I find Kara to be inspiring…”
July 3, 2020
Gamelli ’79 to lead 13 Coldwell Banker offices in N.J.
A recent career note from Patch in New Jersey about William Gamelli ’79: “Susan Yannaccone, executive vice president of Coldwell Banker Realty, is pleased to announce that William R. (Bill) Gamelli, Jr. has been appointed regional vice president of the New Jersey company’s southern region, where he will oversee 13 offices and approximately 1,120 affiliated sales associates throughout Hunterdon, Mercer, Middlesex, Monmouth and Somerset counties. Gamelli began his career within the banking industry in southern New Jersey before relocating to Connecticut, where he joined Westledge Associates, Realtors as the company’s vice president of finance. From there, he spent the next 32 years in a variety of upper management roles with William Raveis Real Estate, including chief financial officer and chief operating officer. While leading many of the company’s initiatives, Gamelli identified and integrated new technology solutions designed to assist sales agents in marketing and managing their business and was profiled in Forbes Magazine and PC Week for leadership in real estate sales automation. Currently a resident of Sayreville, N.J., he earned a bachelor’s degree in business administration from St. Michael’s College in Winooski Park, Vermont.”
Read more
June 19, 2020
Rob Spawn ’82 has a new job with Wedbush Securities
A recent business brief on the PRNewswire website, dateline Los Angeles, tells of Wedbush Securities announcing the appointment of Robert (“Rob”) Spawn as Managing Director, Regional Executive: “Rob serves the Pacific North Region, which includes our existing retail offices in Northern California, Oregon, Washington, and Alaska. Rob joins the firm’s other Regional Executives … to amplify the firm’s growth trajectory through selective additions of advisors, branch offices, and AUM in these geographic areas. Rob is based in the firm’s Santa Rosa, California office … Rob has more than 38 years of experience dedicated to retail wealth management, where he served as a Financial Advisor, Trust Consultant, Sales Manager and Complex Director / Regional Director, with firms including Merrill Lynch, UBS, RBC and JPMorgan, in offices throughout the United States. Rob was also honored as one OnWallStreet’s Top 100 Branch Managers of 2017. Just prior to joining Wedbush, Rob founded Stella Consulting, focusing on recruitment, organizational consulting and expert witness services … Rob received his B.A. in Business Administration from Saint Michael’s College in Colchester, Vermont. He also holds a (California) Life and Health insurance License, he is a Chartered Advisor in Philanthropy (CAP), is an ABA Certified Trust Financial Advisor (CTFA), as well as being a FINRA Arbitrator.”
Read more
June 9, 2020
Balancing T1D and College Basketball – An Interview with Cassandra Falone of St. Michael’s College
Cassandra Falone, a double major in Business Administration and Psychology, was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes in sixth grade. During college, she played on the school basketball team and was also President of the St. Mike’s chapter of the College Diabetes Network. She spoke about her experience balancing diabetes and college basketball with the JDRF Northern New England staff. Read more
May 29, 2020
St. Mike’s student Mazerolle ’21 a Microsoft star
May 1, 2020
Video celebrates business honor society inductees
Karen Popovich of the Saint Michael’s business administration and accounting faculty (right) this week sent a note of “congratulations to our Class of 2020 inductees to the Saint Michael’s College Chapter of Sigma Beta Delta, an international honor society for students in business, management and administration … While we wish we could celebrate this achievement with each of you and your families, we have created a virtual induction ceremony presentation to celebrate your academic achievement. The link (click image above) is to a 28-minute presentation video that recognizes your academic dedication and encourages you to accept honor, achieve wisdom, and fulfill aspirations.” She thanked Father Michael Carter, S.S.E. ’12, for the induction’s invocation, and Dean of the Faculty Tara Natarajan for opening remarks, along with faculty for their recorded contributions and students for photos and bios. “We hope you will share the video with your family and friends,” Professor Popovich wrote. Watch Now
May 1, 2020
Good Prize winners named in business, history
Glenn ’56 and Susan Good established the Good Prize for Excellence in Business Administration and History to recognize academic excellence in both a pre-professional field and a liberal arts program. The purpose is to provide a $500 cash prize to the graduating senior with the highest grade point average in those two majors. The 2020 recipient from Business Administration this year is Delaney Patterson ’20 (top right), who has been inducted to Sigma Beta Delta (International Honor Society for Business, Management, and Administration) and Delta Epsilon Sigma (national scholastic honor society for students of Catholic institutions). She will receive a Bachelor of Science degree with majors in Business Administration and French. The other Good Prize winner for 2020 with the highest GPA in history is Sophia Bates ’20 (bottom right), whose achievements include a recent project researching female spies in wartime France. The online ceremony for the presentations the morning of Wednesday, April 29 this week featured announcing of the awards from Professor Karen Popovich, chair of business and from Jen Purcell, chair of history, after a welcome from Krystyna Davenport Brown, vice president for Institutional Advancement. About 30-plus faculty, staff, family and friends joined via Zoom. Awards from these two prizes honor Glenn Good’s lifetime success as a businessman in banking and his belief that students should be exposed to, and excel in, a true liberal arts education. The Good Prize was established in 2017. Honorees have included: Kassidy Snair ’17, Zachary Maroon ’18, and Morgan Vasseur ’19.
March 19, 2020
Perron juggles life as student, athlete and F-35 Avionics Specialist
Business and Accounting double major Brady Perron is a member of the Air National Guard and balances his academics at Saint Michael’s, his work on the baseball field for the Purple Knights and his duties for the military. Read more
February 27, 2020
Student Profile: Rachel Sullivan ’20
A job already awaits accounting/business double-major Rachel Sullivan with broad liberal arts background and enriching extracurriculars. Read more
January 24, 2020
Okosi ’98 will lead YouTube in markets emerging in Africa, Europe, Middle East
Alex Okosi, who graduated from Saint Michael’s in 1998 with degrees Business Administration and Economics, is YouTube’s new managing director (MD) of emerging markets in Africa, Europe and Middle East (EMEA). Okosi is a Nigerian-born media proprietor responsible for developing and launching MTV Africa in February 2005. Read more
January 11, 2020
Onetime rocker Duffy ’07 is ‘mortgage musician’
Garrett Duffy ’07, who majored in business administration at St. Mike’s, wrote to share a snapshot of his interesting career path since college. Writes Garrett, “My final year at Saint Michael’s was instrumental in my after college success … I managed and performed (harmonica) in an independent band called Barefoot Truth. For 7 years we traveled the country, put out 7 original albums, and amassed over 40 million plays on Pandora. The lead singer/songwriter of the band is another ‘07 Saint Michel’s graduate and close friend of mine (Will Evans ’07); After the band decided to stop touring, I started a career in real estate. This career led me to my current job as a mortgage loan officer. In order to differentiate myself in a crowded field, I started using the alias ‘The Mortgage Musician.’” Read more
Jan. 2, 2020
Freeman funds to support 11 in Singapore internships
Top students from the Business Adminstration and Accounting programs are among the 11 Saint Michael’s College students who will live, work and learn in Singapore for nearly two months early this coming summer 2020, funded by competitive and prestigious Freeman Foundation scholarships to support international internships in Asia. Read more
*Due to COVID-19, all Singapore internships have been cancelled for the summer of 2020.
Dec. 3, 2019
Annual Pitch Your Passion competition features student entrepreneurs
One student’s already promising startup company centered on selling handmade jewelry won this year’s “Pitch Your Passion” competition, in which students present their business models to faculty judges. Read more
Oct. 7, 2019
St. Mike’s business student appears on “Made in Vermont” segment
Francesca D’Elia ’20 was recently featured on the “Made in Vermont” program on WCAX out of Burlington, Vermont for her homegrown jewelry business, which she runs along with her full-time studies at Saint Michael’s. Watch the segment here >>
Oct. 7, 2019
Alumni panel tells how economics majors led to success
Five Saint Michael’s College economics majors returned to campus for a panel presentation on how they forged a path to success after college. They presented to a room full of 60 business and economics students, where the alumni touted Saint Michael’s dedication to internships and experiential learning in both business and economics. Read more
Sept. 19. 2019
Students hear top business leader on workplace diversity
Prominent businessman Timothy Ryan on Thursday (September 12) shared with Saint Michael’s students his knowledge about fostering a diverse, inclusive workplace. The event took place at 7 p.m. in the McCarthy Recital Hall and was well-attended with a large portion of the audience consisting of business majors and students enrolled in business classes. Read more
August 23, 2019
Alana Parker ’19 wins national Sigma Beta Delta scholarship
Steve Doyon of the Saint Michael’s business and accounting faculty shares that recent graduate Alana Parker ‘19 (summa cum laude) was announced recently as a $1,000 national Scholarship recipient by Sigma Beta Delta, the International Honor Society in Business, Management and Administration. Steve writes: “Alana joined our SBD Chapter as one of 21 new members in the class of 2019 at our April 12 ceremony. Additional achievements include: Saint Michael’s College Book Award, Delta Epsilon Sigma (National Catholic Honor Society), 2019 Gallagher, Flynn & Company Scholarship awardee, 2019 Department and Program Honors in Accounting, member of 2019 Vermont CFA Institute Research Challenge winning team from Saint Michael’s, competed with teammates in Americas regional (New York City, April 2019); her extracurriculars included Her Campus, Saint Michael’s Business Society, and Saint Michael’s Founder’s Society. Each SBD Chapter is permitted to nominate one member for the annual Scholarship Program (formerly Fellowship Award, 2018 and earlier). Alana is our fourth consecutive Saint Michael’s College nominee to receive a Scholarship/Fellowship Award, and she is our Chapter’s sixth awardee since 2009: Jessica Waterbury ’09, Christopher Kopka ’10, Justin Colletti ’16; Connor Mitchell ’17; Ashley McGann ’18. Congratulations again to Alana, and best wishes as she begins graduate study at the University of Vermont (MAcc) this fall. Alana has earned a full-time public accounting employment offer for after graduate school through an internship during her Senior year at Saint Michael’s.” – From Saint Michael’s College THIS WEEK
August 23, 2019
Xinting Zhen publishes works in her finance field
Xinting Zhen, who joined the Saint Michael’s Department of Business Administration and Accounting in Fall 2018 to teach finance, shares recent news about her research: “The first is a research award I recently obtained from Emerald Publishing. My doctoral research entitled “Three essays in financial institutions and corporate finance,’ has been chosen by the editorial team of Managerial Finance as a Highly Commended Award winner of the 2018 Emerald/EFMD Outstanding Doctoral Research Awards in the Finance category. Founded in 1967, Emerald Publishing has continued to champion innovative ideas that ‘would advance the research and practice of business and management.’ The Awards help to foster, celebrate, encourage and recognize excellence in scholarly research all over the world. Secondly, I have a research paper entitled ‘Whom you borrow from matters: Universal banks and firm innovation,’ co-authored with Haizhi Wang, Desheng Yin, and Xiaotian Zhang, which has been published by Managerial Finance on April 6, 2019.” – From Saint Michael’s College THIS WEEK
August 16, 2019
St. Mike’s Freeman scholars see Hong Kong at historic time
Eleven Saint Michael’s students participate in internships in Hong Kong – including students in the Business program – this June and July as world attention became more focused on potentially historic political currents as part of the prestigious Freeman Foundation internship program. Read more
April 11, 2019
Gov. Scott in campus talk: Vermont needs more taxpayers
Vermont’s Republican Gov. Phil Scott told a well-attended “town hall meeting” on the Saint Michael’s College campus the afternoon of Monday, April 8, that “we can make Vermont more prosperous by attracting more taxpayers.” Read more
April 11, 2019
St. Mike’s team wins $800 prize at business ‘marathon’
A team composed of Saint Michael’s College students, accompanied by Professors Robert Letovsky and Karen Popovich of the Department of Business Administration & Accounting, on March 1, 2019, competed in the 7th annual “Free Enterprise Marathon” (FEM) held at the State University of New York in Plattsburgh, taking home an $800 fourth place prize. Read more
March 13, 2019
Saint Michael’s hosts student-entrepreneur competition
February 22 was cold but sunny as about 50 people gathered in the Dion Family Student Center Roy Room to hear students from four Vermont colleges and universities pitch business ideas in the fourth annual LaunchVT Collegiate competition. Read more
March 6, 2019
St. Mike’s business students win Research Challenge again
For the second year straight, a Saint Michael’s College team of business/accounting students in February won the Vermont Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) Institute Research Challenge. Read more
Feb. 7, 2019
Networking event keys on women in business, technology
A group of Saint Michael’s students and faculty from the Business Administration and Accounting Department on January 31 visited Logic Supply, a global industrial PC company focused on hardware with its headquarters in South Burlington, for a “Women in business and technology” panel and networking mixer. Read more
December 7, 2018
Excel course helps all 17 achieve certifications
Seventeen Saint Michael’s students earned their professional Microsoft Office Specialist (MOS) Excel 2016 Core Certification this past week. Students enrolled in BU 190 Topics: Microsoft Excel, a two-credit elective course taught by Professor Alaba Apesin of the Department of Business Administration and Accounting (photo at right), were given the option to sit for the exam at the end of the course. Among other things, the course taught students how to navigate the popular software, including how to conduct functions, perform operations with formulas, and create charts for reporting purposes. While students in the course were not required to sit for the certification exam, 17 chose to do so. All 17 students passed the exam – earning recognition with a printed professional certificate and digital badges to showcase on their LinkedIn profiles. Knowledge of how to use Microsoft Excel is considered a relevant and important skill in the 21st century workplace, said Kellie Campbell, Associate Dean for Online Learning and Non-Traditional Programming, further adding that “…students are learning incredible skills through their courses. This testing option is exactly that, an option. If a student chooses to apply that learning towards a certification, it is nice for the college to support them with obtaining externally validated credentials on things they are learning on their way towards their degree. These recognized skills can only help as they build out their resumes and professional profiles.” Alex Colletta, an employee in Information Technology and assistant lead on many programs, helped get the testing center set up this past fall, as there was only one testing site option in the state (a distance away). Saint Michael’s recently became one of only two Certiport Authorized Testing Centers in Vermont. – From Saint Michael’s College THIS WEEK
July 20, 2018
Summer College Excel class leads to certifications
Six students studying business and accounting in the Saint Michael’s College Accelerated Summer College (ASC) traveled with their Professor Karen Popovich to Lyndon State College in Lyndon on Tuesday, June 26, to take the Microsoft Office Specialist (MOS) Excel 2016 Core Certification. Read more
April 24, 2018
Will Meconi ’03, Professor Scott address business honors group
The Saint Michael’s Department of Business Administration and Accounting held its 15th Induction Ceremony of the Saint Michael’s College chapter of Sigma Beta Delta, an international honor society that recognizes outstanding academic scholarship and achievement for students in business, management, and administration. Read more
April 23, 2018
Students learn etiquette does & don’ts for business dinners
The Saint Michael’s College Business Society held its second annual Business Etiquette Dinner in early April. Led by Professor Robert Letovsky of the Department of Business Administration & Accounting, the event focused on helping Saint Michael’s students develop some basic strategies in terms of do’s and don’ts if they are invited to a meal during the job interview process. Read more
April 20, 2018
Jobs picture strong for St. Mike’s accounting graduates
Ten Saint Michael’s College accounting alumni who graduated between 2003 and 2015 joined five Business Administration and Accounting faculty and more than 20 current Saint Michael’s students in Pomerleau Alumni Center on April 19 for the department’s Careers in Accounting Panel & Networking event. Read more
March 2, 2018
Team excels at Free Enterprise Marathon
A team composed of five Saint Michael’s College students, accompanied by Professor Robert Letovsky of the Department of Business Administration & Accounting, competed in the 6th annual “Free Enterprise Marathon” (FEM) held at the State University of New York in Plattsburgh. Read more
February 16, 2018
Saint Michael’s team tops in state as financial analysts
A Saint Michael’s College team of five business/accounting students on February 13 won the 2018 Vermont CFA Institute Research Challenge, a state qualifier for an annual global competition that provides university students with hands-on mentoring and intensive training in financial analysis. Read more