This month the first year EMBA participants hosted a poster forum with local business and education leaders.  In this session execs shared their ideas on how to make Boise a more competitive place to live and work.  Each study team created a poster and “pitched” their idea to the group.  Some of the ideas generated from the class have taken hold in the community and been cultivated into real projects benefiting more than just the EMBA participants but also the people of Boise and Idaho.

The sessions were part of the Creating Competitive Advantage (EMBA 513) course and were held in the Hales Family/Chris and Barbara Petersen Imagination Lab part of the new Micron Business and Economics Building on the Boise State University Campus.

Executive Panelists:
CeCe Gassner, Economic Development Director, City of Boise
Ben Quintana, Boise City Council Member, City of Boise
Melanie Rubocki, Partner, Perkins Coie
Dr. Don Coberly, Superintendent, Boise School District
Peter Wachtell, Entrepreneur, Multiple Businesses
Tommy Ahlquuist, COO, Gardner Company
Eileen Barber, Co-founder, Keynetics

Guest experts included: Dave Cooper – Partner of Cooper Norman; Art Berry, Founder of Arthur Berry & Company; Mark Durkin, CEO of Micron; Todd Gill, COO of United Heritage; Brian Larsen, J.D. of Hawley Troxell; Nick Taylor, J.D. of Perkins Coie; and Jessica Flynn, CEO of Red Sky Public Relations, and her team of media trainers. Capstone projects were revealed to the EMBA study teams during Saturday afternoon’s lunch. The Capstone project is the highlight of the entire EMBA Program because EMBAs work on actual strategic problems from organizations for the last four months until Commencement. They enrich what they have learned while they continue to broaden their education while helping their assigned organizations.  Capstone organizations participating this year are: The Arc; H&W Computer Systems Inc.; Payette Brewing; and Syringa Wireless

Boise State’s Executive MBA program will hold an open house for prospective students and interested companies from 5:30-7:30 p.m. January 23rd, 2013 in the Stueckle Sky Center at Bronco Stadium. Those planning to attend should email emba.boisestate.edu or call 426-4034 to reserve a space.

Classes will begin in September 2013 and participants will earn an MBA degree in two academic years of part-time class attendance. The program is designed specifically for middle- to senior-level professionals who want to gain the leadership, business and innovation skills their organizations need on a schedule that minimizes work and personal life disruption.

Boise State’s Executive MBA was launched in 2006 and focuses on creativity in the evaluation of business problems, an immediate link between class projects and work tasks, an integrated curriculum that takes into account a wide range of business units and a trade mission-style international experience in Vietnam.

The program has earned very high marks in an independent survey of its graduates by the international Executive MBA Council, and 81 percent of graduates have said their Executive MBA degree had a positive impact on their careers.

For more information, visit cobe.boisestate.edu/emba.

The new Executive MBA class of 2014 began the 2 year program with an intensive week-long residency at Sun Valley Resort.  The program purposely starts away from work/life distractions in order to build a strong learning community and study teams from day one.  Additionally topic sessions experienced during the week included Team Building; Negotiations; Strategic Design & Growth; Design Thinking; and Leading Change. Senior faculty  from Boise State University and industry experts included Dr.s Roy Glen and Kirk Smith; Dr.s Linda Clark-Santos and Keith Allred. Pictured is a team preparing a presentation on Steve Jobs biography ~ (left to right, Jason Morales; Heather Kunz; Shyam Ramalingam: and Mark Bathrick.)  The historic ambiance of Sun Valley is present classrooms with framed photos of celebrities adorning the walls.

First year EMBA participants proudly display certificates designating them as “Fourth from Last”,  a special and highly coveted award,  given to the EMBA team that has the winning Innovation project at the end of the year.  The projects are the culmination of the two month long Fostering Innovation module.  Pictured holding the award are team members: Mike McLean (Sales VP, Young Living Essential Oils), Fred Webster (Physician Liaison, West Valley Medical Center), Nicole Brown (Chief Operating Officer, Medical Management), Scott Caringella (District Operations Manager, John Deere Green Tech), missing from picture is Linda Reeder (ATR Programs Document Management, Battelle Energy Alliance).  EMBA teams have the summer off to rest, relax and recharge before returning to campus in September for the start of their final year of the program.  We congratulate the EMBA 5 cohort for the completion of their first year of the program!

Pictured is Jarred McKenzie and his wife Karen.  Jarred is the Chief Operations Officer for Dykeman Electric, Inc. located in Boise.  Jarred was also recently named one of Boise’s 40 most accomplished under 40.  He joins the ranks of outstanding EMBA alumni with leadership positions in the Treasure Valley and throughout the Northwest.

Learn more about the EMBA program at our Informational Open House on Wednesday, June 6, and become a part of the next cohort that starts this fall.

An all-star group of community leaders from government, business and education joined the first year Executive MBA class in Nancy Napier’s Competitive Advantage module this month.  The class teams developed plans to make Boise a more competitive city, leveraging the univesity as part of the process.  The leaders evaluated and discussed the ideas in terms of feasibility.

Four study teams of Executive MBAs displayed posters of their ideas in a trade show-like format and explained their visions to the community leaders. Then, the visiting leaders shared their ideas about the plans with the participants.  Some panelists also expressed interest in working with the participants to implement several of the ideas.

The EMBA Program – faculty and staff, and especially the participants - greatly appreciate the time, interest and support of the panelists who made this such a remarkable event.

Executive Panelists from left to right:
CeCe Gassner, Economic Development Director, City of Boise
Ephriam Greenwall, Developer, Talcott Holdings
Jamie Cooper, CEO, Drake Cooper
Ben Quintana, Boise City Council Member, City of Boise
Johnny Hale, Managing Partner, KPMG, LLP
George Iliff, Managing Owner, Colliers International Boise
Mary Givens, Director, Office of Technology Transfer, Boise State University
Bernadette Madarieta, VP and Controller, Boise, Inc.
Anthony Lyons, Executive Director, Capital City Development Corporation

Boise State’s Executive MBA program will hold an open house for prospective students and interested companies from 5:30-7:30 p.m. April 25th in the Stueckle Sky Center at Bronco Stadium. Those planning to attend should email emba.boisestate.edu or call 426-4034 to reserve a space.

Classes will begin in September 2012 and participants will earn an MBA degree in two academic years of part-time class attendance. The program is designed specifically for middle- to senior-level professionals who want to gain the leadership, business and innovation skills their organizations need on a schedule that minimizes work and personal life disruption.

Boise State’s Executive MBA was launched in 2006 and focuses on creativity in the evaluation of business problems, an immediate link between class projects and work tasks, an integrated curriculum that takes into account a wide range of business units and a trade mission-style international experience in Vietnam.

The program has earned very high marks in an independent survey of its graduates by the international Executive MBA Council, and 81 percent of graduates have said their Executive MBA degree had a positive impact on their careers.

For more information, visit cobe.boisestate.edu/emba.

Class was held in the 6th floor, Sky Line Room of the Stueckle Sky Center with panoramic views of Boise and the foothills.

In October the 2^nd year EMBA class members attended their International Residency Week in Hanoi, Vietnam.  The class learned about the rapidly emerging economy in Vietnam; met with various business organizations, industry representatives and the US Embassy; visited various cultural venues; and generally explored Hanoi and enjoyed immersing themselves in the culture. 

Pictured right during an industry visit (left to right) are Ryan Earl (EMBA); Brent Luloff (EMBA); Dr. Cuong, SME Sr. Consultant for Vietnam’s State Utility; Bonnie Hong (EMBA); Jenni Herberg (EMBA); Mrs. D T Ha, Principal, Online Management Consulting, Hanoi, VN, MBA from Boise State 1999. Mrs. Ha is instrumental in coordinating the BSU Executive MBA International Residency along with fellow alumni from BSU MBA in Hanoi. The 2^nd year EMBA class will graduate this May 2012.