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The Labovitz School of Business and Economics’
Sixth Annual Professor For A Day Event
Tuesday, February 28, 2006

LSBE ALUMNI PARTICIPANTS

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Panel Agenda & Discussion Topics

Gary R. Ludwig
BBA 1996 – Marketing

Gary is the Transit Director for a multi-county public transportation system in central Minnesota. He is credited with building Trailblazer Transit from scratch, as well as the government organization that operates the transit system. Gary leads a team of over fifty people that provide bus and volunteer driver transportation to thousands of people in twenty-one cities in Sibley and McLeod Counties. He works with many different levels of government and various types of organizations to secure the funding and political support necessary to maintain the non-profit service.

Gary credits much of his professional success to the education he received at the University of Minnesota Duluth where he graduated in 1996 with a degree in marketing and a minor in psychology. He is eager to share his experiences, both successes and failures, and hopes to pass along some practical information about the world of small business and the skills necessary to be successful in life after college.

David G. Minkkinen
BBA 1989

David is a Managing Director (Principal) in BearingPoint’s State, Local Government, and Education (SLED) practice. He has over fourteen years of experience in the design, development and implementation of large-scale information systems in the public sector. His specific business analysis focus has been in the areas of business process re-engineering, JAD session execution, logical and physical data modelling, workflow process design, requirements analysis, and technology architecture delivery. He has extensive experience in project management and delivering projects in multiple technology environments. David is the leader of BearingPoint’s Midwest SLED Consulting practice.

David earned an MBA (1991) with Concentrations in Finance, Marketing, and Management of Information Systems at the Carlson School of Management, University of Minnesota-Twin Cities and a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration (1989) with Concentrations in Marketing and Management from the University of Minnesota Duluth. He has completed advanced training and many certifications.

Russell L. Orning
BBA 1993

Russ is the Executive Director of Operations for TEKsystems in Minneapolis, MN. Russ began his career with TEKsystems in Chicago in 1993 after graduating from UMD’s Labovitz School of Business and Economics. He then expanded the Minneapolis office in 1996 and has grown the office from 5 million to 60 million a year in services revenue. He is responsible for executive-level interface, business development, and all branch level operations including profit and loss. Previously, he directed TEKsystems’ National Sales Group as well as managed the growth and expansion of TEKsystems’ offices for the Western U.S. Russ has been in the IT Services Industry for more than 12 years. Russ volunteers with the Crises Nursery of Minneapolis, provides outreach for three inner city families in Minneapolis and enjoys coaching his children’s youth sports teams.

Andrew T. Graf
BAc 2002

Andy Graf grew up in the small southern MN town of Amboy, which is about 30 miles south of Mankato. He graduated from LSBE in May of 2002. During the winter/spring semester of 2002, Andy worked as an intern at Copeland Buhl & Company. After graduation, he began working at Copeland Buhl full time in the Audit & Accounting department. After completing one year in the Audit & Accounting department, Andy made the switch to tax, where he has been ever since. He was recently promoted to a tax supervisor position. Andy is married, lives in Eden Prairie and is anxiously awaiting the arrival of his first child.

Michael M. Vekich, CPA
BAc 1970

Vekich, St. Louis Park, 58, is CEO of Vekich Associates. He is a business and financial consultant and is considered an expert in refocusing organizations strategically, creating capital for companies, mergers and acquisitions, and the regeneration of troubled companies/entities.

A Certified Public Accountant, he serves as a financial and business advisor to several public and private company boards. Previously he was CEO of Vekich Arkema accounting firm. During 2004 Governor Tim Pawlenty appointed Mr. Vekich as the Acting Minnesota State Lottery Director to stabilize a traumatized and shaken organization. During that eight month assignment he created the first ever strategic plan, thereby increasing profits by 26% resulting in a $100 million profit, the largest return to the state in the Lottery’s history.

He was chosen by 12,000 local accountants, lawyers and business leaders as one of Minnesota’s best and brightest “Super CPA’s” for several years. He has been awarded status as a Diplomate of the American Board of Forensic Accounting.

Mr. Vekich is an honorary board member of the Accounting Aid Society, an organization he founded in 1971 to help foster the success of minority-owned and economically disadvantaged businesses.

He has served on the Minnesota State Board of Accountancy, as a charter member and vice-chair of the Higher Education Services Council, and on numerous boards, including Chair of Skyline Exhibits, Inc., Vice-Chair of Grazzini Brothers & Co., Chair – Minnesota State Colleges and Universities, Ciprico (NASDAQ), Chair of Minnesota Partnership For Action Against Tobacco, The Salvation Army, Turnaround Management Association, Association for Corporate Growth and the Christian Management Association. He also served as a captain with the Hennepin County Sheriff’s Emergency Squad.

He holds a B.A. in accounting and business administration from the University of Minnesota Duluth.

Mitchell G. Scudamore
BBA 2002- Marketing

In 1996 Mitch graduated form John Marshal High School in Rochester, MN and the following fall he began school in the Biochemistry Program at UMD. Six years later he graduated with Bachelor degrees in Biochemistry, Chemistry, and Sales and Marketing. During college Mitch had an opportunity to work in a number of fields during the summer months, but it wasn’t until his summer Job at the Mayo Clinic, where he discovered his dream job…Pharmaceutical Sales. However, upon graduation he was unable to secure a job in this field and he was hired by 50 Below, a local company specializing in web site sales. It was here where he had his first taste of the real world. His tenure with 50 Below included outside sales with major tire manufactures, state & local tire associations, and large account tire dealers. A few years later, he was hired by his current employer Novartis Pharmaceutical Corporation (a company he had previously applied and was turned away). Mitch now sells pharmaceuticals to physicians, pharmacists, and nurses all over the Northeastern Quarter of Minnesota.

Steve Miller is a 2003 graduate of the Labovitz School of Business and Economics with a bachelor's degree in Business Management. Currently, he lives in Prior Lake and works in Downtown Minneapolis for Ameriprise Financial as a Compliance Examiner. Growing up in rural Minnesota (Deerwood), Steve enjoys doing just about anything outside. His favorite activities include fishing, hunting and golf. He is also a huge Bulldog Hockey fan (of course). At the present, he is studying to take the NASD Series 24 Exam so that he can become a Managing Principal within compliance. Moving forward, Steve would also like to attain an MBA at some point in his career.

Rick A. Magnuson, CPA
BAc 1974

Rick Magnuson spent twenty years at Commercial State Bank of Two Harbors where he held the positions of President, Chief Executive Officer and Director. He is currently Chief Financial Officer and Director of National Bank of Commerce (NBOC) of Superior, WI, a $370 million bank with six offices in Wisconsin and Minnesota. At NBOC, Rick is responsible for managing the accounting, computer operations & treasury functions as well as interest rate risk for the Company. Rick developed and manages the broker CD & interest rate swap program to convert fixed rate CD’s to variable rate. Rick is a member of the Minnesota Society of Certified Public Accountants and the Financial Managers Society.

Megan Herzog is a licensed CPA and member of the AICPA. She works within the Industry Services Group at PricewaterhouseCoopers, LLP, one of the world’s largest public accounting firms. At PwC, Megan works primarily on income tax provisions and large, consolidated tax returns, while also assisting clients with various consulting work. Megan has worked with numerous Fortune 500 and Fortune 100 companies, including The Boeing Company, Supervalu, and Motorola. She has had the opportunity to travel extensively with PwC, including spending time in Dallas, Boston, Los Angeles, Seattle, Chicago, Denver, and Hawaii. Prior to working for PwC, she graduated with honors from the University of Minnesota Duluth with a Bachelor of Accounting degree and a minor in Communication. Outside of the office, Megan resides in Chaska with her husband, Mark and her shih-tzu puppy, Madsen.

Rebecca J. Fisher
BBA 2002– Marketing and Human Resource Management

Rebecca Fisher is originally from Hibbing, MN. She relocated to attend UMD’s Labovitz School of Business and Economics and graduated with degrees in Marketing and HR Management. During Rebecca’s last semester of college, she obtained a Sales and Management internship with The Buckle, a leading specialty apparel company. After eight months of experience in the Duluth store, Rebecca was offered a store management position in Eau Claire, WI. Since then, she has become an Area Manager out of the same location and a district recruiter.

Michael R. Donley
BBA 1995 - Marketing

Mike Donley grew up in Burnsville, Minnesota and is a 1995 graduate from the Labovitz School of Business and Economics. Upon leaving LSBE, Mike has held sales positions in a variety of different industries.

His first sales position was with Xerox, selling Copiers and office products.
Next he worked for Emery Worldwide where he was an account manager selling International and Domestic Air Freight Services.

For the last 6-years he has been involved in selling medical products and devices to hospitals and doctors. From 2000 to 2002, Mike worked for Kendall Healthcare where he sold everything from feeding pumps to needles and syringes. Then from 2002 to 2004, he sold external defibrillators and AED’s for ZOLL Medical.

Currently Mike is with ArthroCare Sports Medicine where he is selling instruments and surgical devices to Orthopedic Surgeons. This product line includes devices and anchors used to repair torn rotator cuffs, ACL replacements, and other sports type injuries. Mike’s current sales position takes him directly into the operating room where he demonstrates and instructs the surgeons as they use his product(s).

Mike lives in Wayzata with his wife Chris and 11-month old son Jack. He enjoys pheasant hunting, ice fishing, and any family time spent at their cabin in northern Minnesota.

Amir E. Permeh
BBA 2001 - Marketing

In September of 2001 Amir finished his degree in Marketing at the Labovitz School of Business and Economics. Soon after completing his college coursework, Amir was hired to work with Hershey Foods Company as a territory sales manager. During his three years at Hershey, he was involved in the sales and merchandising of consumer confection products with a focus on key chain accounts. Amir covered a broad territory including much of Northern MN and Northern WI. He was able to expand his sales ability and gain lasting experience that helps him in his current position.

Now for the last two years, Amir has worked for the Miller Brewing Company. He is currently a Sales Manager and works directly with distributor owners and General Managers. He manages a territory covering much of Rural MN. Amir also supports many special events within his territory including: Grandma’s Marathon, Bayfront Blues Festival and WeFest. Additionally, he works with distributor sales’ teams to drive incremental business through promotional activity and incentives.