Faculty from the SAU College of Business and members of the Business Ambassadors serve lunch to guests at the PBL State Fall Leadership Conference.
MAGNOLIA – The Phi Mu chapter of Phi Beta Lambda at Southern Arkansas University hosted the 2010 PBL State Fall Leadership Conference on Friday, Oct. 22. More than 100 PBL members and advisers from across the state joined local chapter members for the two-day conference held at the Donald W. Reynolds Campus and Community Center and the SAU Business Building.
The conference included several professional development workshops lead by members of the SAU staff and faculty. Darlene Heithaus, a former human resources analyst for Murphy Oil Corporation and current instructor in the College of Business, presented a workshop on interview dos and don’ts. Gerald Plumlee, assistant professor of management, presented a workshop session focused on business etiquette. Amber Sharp, human resources assistant at SAU, presented a session on communication in the workplace. Kandice Herron, director of student activities, presented a session of fundraising for non-profit student organizations.
The conference also included state officer elections and a keynote address from Cledis Stuart, assistant dean of multicultural affairs and student advancement. He gave a very entertaining and informative speech about the definition and reality of diversity in our daily lives.
Two SAU PBL chapter officers serve as Arkansas PBL state officers. SAU PBL Local Chapter Executive Vice President of Membership Tommy Clark, a sophomore management and finance double major from Magnet Cove, ended his term as the state director of communications. In this position, Clark was responsible for writing press releases about state chapter activities and developing the fall issue of the Arkansas PBL Press, the official state newsletter. SAU PBL Local Chapter President Valerie Smith is currently serving as the state executive vice president of membership. She is a sophomore accounting major from El Dorado.
The SAU PBL Chapter received recognitions at the conference. The chapter was recognized as a Top Ten chapter in the nation for the week of Oct. 18-22 for being the fourth largest local chapter with a membership of 48. The chapter’s “Battle of the Chapters” team, consisting of Lauren Mitchell, a senior accounting major from Camden; Cecilie Lane, a junior accounting major from Kingsland; and Deana Hughes, a freshman biology major from Arkadelphia, won this year’s FBLA-PBL trivia competition. SAU PBL was also recognized for collecting the most diapers in the Arkansas PBL Every Little Bottom Diaper Drive. The SAU chapter collected over 4,225 diapers. A total of 8,766 diapers was collected throughout the conference and presented to a representative from the Arkansas Diaper Depot.
Other SAU PBL members who attended the conference include: KeAndre’ Arnold, a sophomore accounting major from Texarkana; Andrew Berg, a junior agriculture business major from Camden; Kristi Canada, a junior marketing major from Camden; Adam Choate, a senior MIS major from El Dorado; Emilie Garner, a junior accounting and finance double major from El Dorado; Kelsey Glass, a freshman agriculture business major from Prescott; Brittany Holleman, a senior MIS major from Prescott; Casey Key, a sophomore management major from Prescott; Shannon Russey, a freshman business major from Magnolia; Bianca White, a junior accounting major from Pine Bluff; and Kayla Wright, a junior accounting and finance double major from Smackover.
Phi Beta Lambda is the post-secondary division of Future Business Leaders of America. Membership is open to all students. For more information contact the SAU-PBL chapter adviser, Ms Traci Hughes at (870) 235-4298.
