YPSILANTI – Eastern Michigan University students, recent graduates and the public will hear insights and perspective from more than 100 highly successful EMU alumni during the EMU Alumni Business Conference, to be held at the College of Business on Sept. 18.
The group includes a variety of professions, including banking executives, marketing experts, accounting and finance professionals, entrepreneurs and leaders from dozens of other industries.
Among the speakers will be Charlie Batch, a standout quarterback for Eastern in the mid-1990s who went on to a 15-year NFL run with the Detroit Lions, who drafted him, and the Pittsburgh Steelers, with whom he spent most of his career.
WJR morning show host Paul W. Smith, left, along with co-host Steve Courtney, interviews EMU President Susan Martin during the station’s appearance in conjunction with last year’s professional development conference at the COB.
The lineup also includes James Webb, chairman of Aon Risk Services; Howdy Holmes, president and CEO of Jiffy Mix, Joyce Jenereaux, president of the Gannett Michigan Region-Detroit Free Press; Carol Romej, attorney at Hall, Render, Killian, Heath & Lyman, P.C.; and Steve Futrell, CEO/owner of Technology Solutions.
“We have drawn an outstanding group of alumni to speak to our students at the conference,” said Michael Tidwell, dean of the College of Business. “They represent a wide array of professions and expertise that will offer tremendous insight and guidance to our students.”
The conference represents the College’s goal to connect Eastern’s exceptional network of business graduates with today’s students.
“We recognize that success for today’s graduates hinges on their level of technical proficiency and professional polish in the first few months of a new career,” Tidwell says. “Connecting our alumni with our students helps students build these skill sets while broadening their professional network.”
Matt Leddy, an EMU sophomore from Saginaw who is pursuing a degree in economics and supply chain management, said last year’s conference proved an invaluable experience.
“I met so many people and listened to presentations that really got me thinking about what it’s going to take to get to the next step, and how EMU is going to get me there,” Leddy said.
Leddy said that along with their present roles, speakers talked of the challenges they overcame in college, such as working several jobs to pay for school.
“Just hearing about it is one thing, but seeing real-life proof, asking questions, and learning first hand is another thing,” Leddy said of the anecdotal lessons he gleaned during the conference.
His advice to students who attend the conference?
“Bring contact cards, resumes, take notes, and talk,” he says. “These speakers are EMU alumni, they want to help, and they want you to succeed. Not only do you meet alumni, you also meet other College Of Business students with whom you have similar interests.”
The conference will run from 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the College of Business, with EMU business alumni conducting talks during three separate time blocks. Sessions will start at 10 a.m., 1 p.m. and 2:30 p.m.
Paul W. Smith, morning host at WJR-760 AM, will broadcast his show live from the second floor of the COB from 6 a.m. to 9 a.m. to kick off the day. Guests will include Dean Tidwell and EMU President Susan Martin.
Students can register for the conference by visiting https://www.emich.edu/cob/conference/login.php
The conference aligns with the mission of the EMU College of Business, which seeks to offer a distinctive curriculum for tomorrow’s leaders in our global business environment.
In addition, the COB offers numerous programs that interact with the business community, giving students practical experience working on current issues. For more about the College of Business, visit https://www.emich.edu/cob/
