Texas McCombs Alumni News

Month: February 2019 (page 1 of 2)

Class Note: Nathan Klatt, MPA ’95

February 25, 2019 / / 0 Comments

Greenbelt Kombucha was founded in the spring of 2018 by Nathan Klatt (‘95), Timothy Klatt (‘06), Rick Boucard (‘06), Adam Blumenshein and Gavin Booth. The team plans to release two flavors to over 100 H-E-B stores by March 18 and continue promoting an environmentally friendly beverage.

Nathan Klatt, one of the co-founders and UT business alumni, said less effort goes into making kombucha than making beer. Because of this, he said the team feels like other kombucha companies take advantage of retailers by upcharging.

The team claims another unique aspect is the kombuchas’ aluminum can packaging. Before Greenbelt’s creation, Timothy and Blumenshein launched other companies such as Strange Land Brewery, Texas Saké Company and Barrel Creek Provisions. Through these companies, the two observed craft beer’s movement from glass bottles to aluminum cans. Read more here.

Class Note: Mark Madrid, BBA ’95

February 25, 2019 / / 0 Comments

Mark Madrid, BBA ’95, is one of three recently elected trustees for Scholarship America. His Mark L. Madrid Scholarships are awarded to Latina and Latino business majors at the University of Notre Dame, The University of Texas at Austin, and Texas State University.

“We are so pleased to have these three outstanding individuals join our board,” said Robert C. Ballard, president and CEO of Scholarship America.  “They each bring a wealth of professional and volunteer experience in the business and nonprofit sectors, as well as a strong personal interest in supporting students in achieving their educational dreams.” Read more here.

 

Seventh Annual Student and Alumni Executive Mentorship Dinner

February 19, 2019 / / 0 Comments

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Texas BBA students gathered in the hall of honors for Salt Lick BBQ and good conversation with distinguished McCombs alumni for the Seventh Annual Executive Mentorship Dinner. The dinner, which is hosted by the BBA Advisory Board, gave undergraduate students the chance to ask questions and receive advice from members of the Texas McCombs Alumni Network.

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Eric Loop, BBA ’21, dined with executive mentor, Katie May, CEO of ShippingEasy and really enjoyed the opportunity, “It was one of the coolest experiences that I’ve ever had while at McCombs. This dinner provided an informal atmosphere where I could ask almost any question.” Dinner conversation topics were both professional and personal, “The stories that Mrs. May shared about her many successes and failures in the startup field were extremely insightful. However, the wisdom that Mrs. May provided about how her business career balanced with her personal life was far more valuable. Getting to talk to a successful businesswoman about her life, not just her job, was amazing.”

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Peggy Chang Barber, BA and BBA ’91, MBA and JD ’94, Regional CEO Americas and Global Counsel, IACCM, hosted a table as an executive mentor, “I was really honored to be a mentor at the student and alumni mentorship dinner, and the experience was fantastic. Not only did I meet fellow mentors/alums who are doing or have done incredible things, the students I met at dinner were really bright and engaging as well. The dinner was a really wonderful experience.”

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The dinner is such a worthwhile event that Ed Tonkon, BBA ’78, and his family established an endowment that will support the event in perpetuity. Tonkon is one of three generations of Longhorns — his wife, both his parents, and his grandmother are all alumni. Tonkon is president of Zebra Retail Solutions and former chair of the school’s advisory board, and he said his time on the board was a great way to get back to the campus and engage with students, faculty, and alumni.

View photos from the dinner on the Texas McCombs Alumni Network Flickr page.

Executive mentors included:

  • Peggy Barber – Regional CEO Americas and Global Counsel, IACCM
  • Alissa Bayer – Owner and Founder, Milk & Honey Spa
  • Bill Cunningham – Dean of McCombs (1983-85) and President and Chancellor of UT (1985-2000)
  • Neal Golden – President-Texas and Vice Chairman, Newmark Knight Frank
  • Mark Green – Chairman Emeritus, Owner Resource Group and Former General Partner, Goldman Sachs & Co.
  • Konnie Haynes-Welsh – Manager, Corporate Strategy and Portfolio Management, ConocoPhillips
  • Marty Kaplan – President, Nalpak Ventures
  • Katie May – CEO, ShippingEasy
  • Don McKinnerney – Managing Director-U.S. Energy Corporate Banking, RBC Capital Markets
  • Erin Patten – Co-Founder, Dao Detroit
  • Omar Rios – Co-Founder, Kosmic Kombucha
  • Ed Tonkon – President, Zebra Retail Solutions

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Class Note: Melissa Mehall and Melissa Blue, BBA ’01

February 18, 2019 / / 0 Comments

Melissa Mehall and Melissa Blue are more than just childhood friends. They are both BBA ’01 alum and co-founders of Meli’s Monster Cookies. After getting their start a few years ago in Royal Blue Grocery, these entrepreneurs are riding the Walmart wave to national exposure. Read more here.

 

 

Class Note: Julie Voss, BBA ’91

February 18, 2019 / / 0 Comments

Susan G. Komen Houston’s Board of Directors announced today that Julie Voss has been named Executive Director of the organization, effective immediately. Julie holds a Bachelor of Business Administration from The McCombs School of Business.

Voss brings more than 25 years of fund development and leadership experience to Komen Houston from her time at major nonprofits and foundations. She has served as Interim CEO of the Memorial Hermann Foundation and was most recently the Regional Development Officer for the national office of the Boys & Girls Club of America. She has also served in leadership positions at the University of Texas Medical Branch, the American Heart Association and the American Cancer Society. Read more here. 

 

Class Note: Blaine Britten, MBA ’11

February 18, 2019 / / 0 Comments

Blaine Britten, BBA ’11, has been promoted to Vice President of Digital Marketing. His primary responsibilities will include ensuring rapid growth of the digital program on both the data and services sides, along with actively pursuing acquisition opportunities in the space to grow Stirista’s footprint. Read more here. 

 

Pumping Up Your Power and Influence: Strategies for Being Heard and Making a Difference

February 15, 2019 / / 0 Comments

Power and influence, not performance, are often keys to succeeding in the workplace and both come in many forms such as legitimate, expert, reward, referent, and coercive. Dr. Kristie J. Loescher, Sr. Lecturer, Department of Management, discusses ways to master and balance these multiple sources of power in her webinar for the Texas McCombs Alumni Network, Pumping Up Your Power and Influence: Strategies for Being Heard and Making a Difference. Watch the webinar.

Dr. Kristie J. Loescher teaches management, leadership, and business communications at the McCombs School of Business. Prior to her career in academia, Kristie worked in the health care industry for 15 years in the areas of quality assurance, utilization management, and clinical research. Her academic publications focus on ethical education, organizational ethics, communication, change management, diversity management, process improvement in health care delivery systems, and health care reform. Dr. Loescher is the associate director for the Business Foundations Program and the director of curriculum and community engagement for the Healthcare Innovation Initiative.

Class Note: Jeff Gustavson, MBA ’99

February 13, 2019 / / 0 Comments

Jeff Gustavson, MBA ’99, vice president of Chevron’s Mid-Continent Business Unit leads Chevron’s efforts in West Texas’ booming Permian Basin.

The Houston Chronicle interviewed Mr. Gustavson about his history in the oil industry and Chevron’s future. View the Q&A here.

Class Note: Susan V. Sample, MPA ’87

February 13, 2019 / / 0 Comments

Munsch Hardt Kopf & Harr, P.C. is pleased to announce the addition of three new Shareholders to its Houston office: Well-known Energy Litigation Shareholders Richard “Dick” Schwartz and Todd S. Frank, as well as Tax attorney and City of West University Place Mayor, Susan V. Sample.

“Last year we expanded our footprint in Houston by 40 percent to accommodate for new attorneys,” said Phil C. Appenzeller, Jr., CEO of Munsch Hardt. ”Dick, Todd and Susan are hard-working, well-respected attorneys who bring a wealth of experience and leadership to the Firm. They are exactly the type of attorneys we were hoping to attract, and we are delighted they have found a new home at Munsch Hardt. We hope this is just the beginning of an active and successful lateral recruiting year for us in Houston.” Read More

Class Note: Jason K. Willard, MPA ’96

February 13, 2019 / / 0 Comments

Jason K Willard, MPA ’96, announced the launch of his company GetLoci. GetLoci is a new online platform for digital payments, remittance and investing with digital assets backed by a fiat currency or Bitcoin.

Mr. Willard is the Chief Executive Officer and co-founder. Read more about Mr. Willard and GetLoci here.

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