28th Annual Conference & Alumni Weekend
The BBSA celebrated its 28th Annual Conference & Alumni Weekend from March 4th – 7th. The theme for this year’s conference was “Nurturing the Independent Spirit.” The topic framed the activities of the weekend as participants focused on ways to empower and motivate each other to lead in today’s business community. The workshops and seminars concentrated on using the knowledge gained in the past to establish even higher standards of excellence, and to proactively leverage this learning to make a measurable impact on both careers and community.
The BBSA also hosted 28 prospective students who came to Ann Arbor to attend the conference. On Thursday night, the prospective students had the opportunity to eat at the Pizza House before joining current students at Mitch’s for the weekly UMBSA Happy Hour. Events on Friday included a group meeting with Kris Nebel (Director of Admissions) and Al Cotrone (Director of the Office of Career Development), a Q&A session with current students, a housing tour of Ann Arbor, and a catered dinner – the group then went to the Bird of Paradise to meet up with other conference participants for a fun-filled night of jazz.
The conference’s keynote speaker at the Saturday night gala dinner was Mr. G. Barry Huff, President of Glory Foods. Glory Foods is a privately-owned producer of canned and frozen Southern cuisine and was awarded Black Enterprise magazine's Emerging Company of the Year distinction. Huff, a University of Michigan alumnus, provided key insights from his many years of experience in entrepreneurial and corporate settings. The Saturday luncheon address by Lee Merritts, senior partner of Encore Associates, Inc. and former Director of Diversity for Procter & Gamble, North America, examined the individual’s role in cultivating the business case for corporate diversity. The weekend-long conference also included an annual student case competition, interactive workshops and seminars, an alumni town hall meeting with Dean Dolan, and panel discussions featuring prominent speakers from around the country.
The BBSA Annual Conference continues to be one of the largest student-run events at the Michigan Business School and provided a wonderful opportunity for alumni, corporate sponsors, faculty, students, and community members to interact with each other both professionally and socially. The conference has always served as an opportunity to celebrate the achievements of the BBSA membership, strengthen ties to Corporate America, and increase the power of the community through the sharing of knowledge. Though this year’s conference has come to a close, the BBSA looks forward to continuing this distinguished legacy next year.