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Outstanding Alumni Award Winners
2009 Outstanding Alumni
Albert E. Asebrook, ’84 B.S.B.
Raj Soin College of Business
Albert E. Asebrook, ’84 B.S.B., a partner in the assurance and advisory services practice of Deloitte & Touche, is the College Outstanding Alumni Award winner from the Raj Soin College of Business.
Asebrook graduated magna cum laude with a B.S.B. in accountancy from Wright State University in 1984. Upon graduation he went to work with the public accounting firm Touche Ross, which later became the present-day Deloitte & Touche with whom Albert has worked for 25 years.
Throughout his career, Asebrook has never forgotten Wright State. He has personally led many recruiting efforts to hire Wright State accounting students and has provided valuable counsel to many alumni once they joined the firm. His involvement with Wright State is not just limited to recruiting, however. Over the years, Asebrook has regularly either maintained or established relationships with accounting faculty to provide them with useful input on how Wright State can enable its accounting students to excel upon graduation. Asebrook’s counsel has also included serving on the Raj Soin College of Business Dean’s Advisory Board.
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Diane L. Pleiman, ’97 M.B.A.
School of Graduate Studies
Diane L. Pleiman, ’97 M.B.A., vice president of hospital operations for Miami Valley Hospital, is the College Outstanding Alumni Award winner from the School of Graduate Studies.
Pleiman joined Miami Valley Hospital in 1999. She is currently responsible for the Shaw Emergency Trauma Center, CareFlight Air and Mobile services, Level I trauma program, medical imaging services, laboratory, outpatient clinics, and the neuroscience and oncology product lines.
She was previously director of Miami Valley Hospital’s nursing financial operations, patient placement, and staffing. In this role, she helped develop an interactive model to predict nursing staff demand, nurse recruitment, and retention strategies. She also directed the design and implementation of new patient flow standards to increase the availability of patient rooms and speed the transfer of patients from the hospital’s emergency trauma center to inpatient rooms. Prior to this role, she was business manager of nursing and business manager of the emergency and trauma center.
Pleiman began her career as a nuclear medicine technologist at Wilson Memorial Hospital in Sidney before moving to Upper Valley Medical Center in Troy.
In addition to her M.B.A. from Wright State, Pleiman has a B.A. in nuclear medicine technology from the University of Findlay. Her professional presentations and articles include analyses of emergency department management and patient turnover. She has served as an adjunct faculty member at Wright State, where she taught finance for the nursing administrator.
Pleiman’s community involvement has included: serving on the boards of New Choices, Inc., the Covenant Society, and the Epilepsy Foundation of Western Ohio; volunteering with the Dayton Philharmonic Orchestra; and being a member of the United Way Young Leader’s Circle.
Pleiman was a recipient of the Dayton Business Journal’s 40 Under 40 awards in 2008.
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Larina I. Kase, ’02 M.B.A., ’03 Psy.D.
School of Professional Psychology
Larina Kase, ’02 M.B.A., ’03 Psy.D., a professional public speaker and author, is the College Outstanding Alumni Award winner from the School of Professional Psychology.
Kase is a recognized expert in peak performance, anxiety and stress management, leadership, and entrepreneurship. Her unique approach is regularly seen in media such as Inc., Entrepreneur, SELF, and on national TV and radio. She is the author or co-author of seven books, including The New York Times bestseller The Confident Speaker. She has helped hundreds of entrepreneurs and executives from companies such as Verizon, Intel, Morgan Stanley, and Ernst & Young.
Based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, Kase has provided motivational keynotes and seminars for various organizations across North America. |
2008 Outstanding Alumni
Christina
S. Howard ( B.A. ’74, M.S. ’80)
Raj Soin College of Business
Christina S. Howard, B.A. ’74, M.S. ’80, vice
president of entrepreneurial development for the Dayton Development
Coalition, is the Outstanding Alumni Award winner from the Raj Soin
College of Business. She is currently focused on the implementation of
the Dayton region’s newest entrepreneurial effort, the $22.5 million
Entrepreneurial Signature Program, which supports emerging technology
companies through grants, equity investments, and entrepreneurial
assistance programs. Howard also manages the Miami Valley Venture Funds
and the Dayton Investment Network.
Howard has served as a staff economist in the Office of Management and
Budget in Dayton, and as assistant director of the City-Wide
Development Corporation. She served as vice president of Society Bank
from 1982 to 1991, and president and chief executive officer of
Concord-Renn Company, a tool and machining company located in
Cincinnati, Ohio, from 1991 to 2001.
In addition to her work for the Dayton Development Coalition, Howard
serves on the Business Advisory Board of the Wright State Raj Soin
College of Business.
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2007 Outstanding Alumni
Jamie King ('80 BSB)
Raj Soin College of Busniess
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Jamie
King is CEO of Crowe Manufacturing Services. In 1988, King tapped into
her life savings, took out a second mortgage, and borrowed $1 million
to buy Crowe Manufacturing Services, a contract manufacturer that also
makes valves and linkage assemblies. Under King’s leadership, the
company expanded its service, tripled the number of employees, and
earned numerous quality awards.
King and her company have been recognized
with the Entrepreneur of the Year award; Dayton Small Business of the
Year; the Ohio Governor’s Award for Women’s Excellence in Enterprise;
and the Toastmaster’s Club Award for Communications Excellence. She has
been on the boards of the Dayton Development Coalition, the Ohio
Manufacturer’s Association, Key Bank for the Southern Ohio District,
and the Dayton Area Chamber of Commerce.
Named one of Dayton’s Ten Top Women in 2002,
King is currently a member of the Wright State University Board of
Trustees. She has mentored students through the Student-Alumni
Connections program in the Raj Soin College of Business for several
years. She is on the executive committee and finance committee for the
Dayton Foundation, and is a director and chair of the audit committee
for Friedman’s Jewelry in Savannah, Georgia.
“We get to be who we are because of the
people around us. At Wright State, many contributed to my success. The
strong accounting program and faculty at Wright State provided a
foundation from which I’ve been able to grow.”
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2006 Outstanding Alumni
Donna J. Back (M.B.A. '78)
School of Graduate Studies
Donna J. Back is the recently retired
director of financial management and comptroller, Aeronautical Systems
Center, at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base. Back was responsible for
the multibillion-dollar financial management of weapon systems
acquisition and sustainment programs, including B-1, B-2, C-17, F-22,
F-15, F-16, and numerous subsystems. She supervised over 700 people at
Wright-Patterson and Brooks Air Force Bases. Back's awards include the
Air Force Exceptional Civilian Service Award and being named the
Outstanding Financial Director in the Aeronautical Systems Center.
In her community, Back has served on the
Beavercreek School District Advisory Council and Strategic Planning
Committee. In addition, she has served in leadership positions for the
American Society of Military Comptrollers, the Air Force Executive
Enhancement Advisory Group, the Wright-Patterson Heritage Benefit
Board, and Culture Works. Back also serves on the Raj Soin College of
Business Corporate Advisory Board at Wright State University.
Future plans:
After a 33-year Air Force career, concentrate on work-life balance.
Favorite quote:
"Count success by not how high you climb, but by how many you take
along." Will Rose
Best advice:
Find a coach or mentor.
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2005 Outstanding Alumni
Gregory G. Lockhart (B.S.B. '73)
Raj Soin College of Business
Gregory G. Lockhart is the United States
attorney for the Southern District of Ohio. Appointed by President Bush
and confirmed by the U.S. Senate in 2001, Lockhart primarily works with
the prevention and prosecution of terrorist activities, violent crime,
drug trafficking, public corruption, and white collar fraud. Prior to
his United States attorney appointment, Lockhart was an assistant U.S.
attorney and was responsible for the civil defense of lawsuits brought
against the United States and its employees. His professional awards
include Outstanding Contribution in the Field of Drug Law Enforcement
from the Drug Enforcement Administration and Recognition for Trial
Success from U.S. Customs. Lockhart has served as president of the
Federal Bar Association of Dayton and the Greene County Young
Republicans Club. Lockhart is currently a member of the Raj Soin
College of Business Curriculum Review Advisory Committee.
Favorite WSU memory:
Participating in Model UN and playing cards in the Student Union.
Guiding motto:
Do the right thing, at the right time, for the right reason.
Favorite book:
Brave New World.
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2004 Outstanding Alumni
Brian G. Cooper (B.S.B. '81; M.B.A. '86)
School of Graduate Studies
Brian G. Cooper is chief operating officer
of Cox Ohio Publishing, Inc., and general manager of the Dayton Daily
News. Cox Ohio Publishing publishes the Dayton Daily News, the
Springfield News-Sun, The Middletown Journal, the Journal News
(Hamilton), five weekly newspapers, and various Web sites in the
Dayton/Miami Valley and Southwest Ohio
Previously, Cooper served as senior vice president of Cox Newspapers,
Inc., a subsidiary of Cox Enterprises, Inc., in Atlanta. Cooper was
responsible for overseeing Cox's nine community newspapers, the
newspapers' financial operations, as well as the company's interest in
Cox CustomMedia and PAGAS Mailing Services. Cooper also served as a
representative on the boards of Trader Publishing Company and Agora
Holdings, corporate parent of Poland's largest daily newspaper.
Active in civic organizations, Cooper has
been a board member for the Big Brothers Big Sisters of Metro Atlanta
and the Center for the Visually Impaired Foundation. He is currently
treasurer of Inspired Practices in Early Education, Inc., a nonprofit
organization working to improve the quality of early care and education
in Georgia.
Favorite WSU Memory:
My undergraduate time spent working off-campus and going to school. I
enjoyed taking some time off in the afternoons and working in a game or
two of racquetball in the Physical Education complex.
What I Do for R&R:
I'm not very good at rest and relaxation. I always seem to be in motion.
Favorite Quote:
Having just returned to Dayton, I've been thinking about one of Yogi
Berra's statements: "It's deja vu all over again."
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David S. Gutridge (B.S.B. '69; M.B.A. '71)
Raj Soin College of Business
David S. Gutridge is CEO of MTC
Technologies, Inc. (MTCT), a $200 million provider of engineering and
information technology services to the Department of Defense and
various intelligence agencies.
Before joining MTCT, Gutridge spent 10 years
at Dayco Corporation (later renamed Day International) that culminated
in his serving as president and chief operating officer. After the
company was sold to M.A. Hanna in 1987, he served as president and COO
for the bulk of the combined company. After joining MTCT, Gutridge
assumed responsibility for all manufacturing operations including
directing the start-up of a new technology plastics business, and the
financing, acquisition, and disposition activities for the seven
businesses affiliated with the company. In June 2002, MTCT became a
public company after only 79 days, a virtually unheard of feat.
Barron's listed the initial public offering as one of the top 10 IPOs
of 2002.
Gutridge was founding chair of the Premier
Health Partners Board of Trustees and has chaired the boards of Good
Samaritan Hospital, the Wright State University Foundation, and the
advisory board for the Raj Soin College of Business.
Favorite WSU Memory:
Helping to establish the first student government.
Future Plans and Goals:
My immediate plans and goals are centered around making MTC
Technologies a great investment for our shareholders. Longer-term goals
are centered around retirement and enjoying our grandchildren.
Best Advice:
Always have a back-up plan.
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2003 Outstanding Alumni
Ron Marshall (B.S.B. '76)
Raj Soin College of Business
Ron Marshall is CEO of Nash Finch Company, a
Fortune 500 company and one of the largest wholesalers in the country,
serving more than 2,200 independent supermarkets, military
commissaries, and other institutional accounts in 30 states. Nash Finch
also owns more than 90 stores under the Econofoods, Sun Mart, and
Family Thrift Center trade names. As CEO, Marshall oversees the
company's more than 12,000 employees and more than $4 billion in annual
sales.
Before joining Nash Finch, he served as
executive vice president and CFO of Pathmark Stores, Inc., a leading
grocery retailer with annual sales of $3.7 billion serving the
Mid-Atlantic states. Marshall also served as senior vice president and
CFO of Dart Group Corporation, a retailer of groceries, auto parts, and
books. Before that, he was vice president and CFO of Barnes &
Noble Bookstores, Inc.
Marshall currently sits on the board of
directors for the Food Marketing Institute and the Wright State
University Foundation. He serves on WSU's National Alumni Advisory
Council and is also a commissioner on the President's Commission for
Special Olympics Minnesota.
In his spare time, Marshall is a skilled
pilot and a certified scuba diver. He has completed several marathons
and carried the Winter Olympics torch.
Favorite WSU Memory:
"The faculty members who were role models and prepared me for the
internship program. I did so well that I was hired right after
graduation."
Best Advice:
"Always treat people with integrity, honesty, and sincerity. Across the
long term, building credibility with people is the way to be
successful."
Last Book Read:
John Maynard Keynes: Fighting for Freedom, 1937-1946, by Robert
Skidelsky
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Richard M. Wegmann (M.B.A. '82)
School of Graduate Studies
Richard M. Wegmann is chairman and CEO of
BusinessLabs, a provider of leading-edge e-Commerce and enterprise
business management solutions to mid-sized companies in the
manufacturing, distribution, and service industries.
As a division of Digital Concepts, Inc.,
BusinessLabs has implemented numerous design and development projects
for commercial enterprises. The company provides expertise in the
implementation of workgroup technologies, particularly solutions based
on Lotus, Microsoft, and IBM products and systems.
Wegmann continues to serve Wright State as a
member of the Wright State University Foundation Board of Trustees. He
is a lifetime member of the Wright State University Alumni Association
and has assisted with the Corporate Appeal in various capacities.
Wegmann has also provided guidance and input on the undergraduate and
graduate programs of the Raj Soin College of Business.
Wegmann serves on the boards of several
community organizations, including the Dayton Ballet, the Engineering
and Science Foundation, the Rotary Club of Dayton, and the Electronics
Equipment Manufacturer's Group. He is also a member of the Armed Forces
Communications and Electronics Association, where he received a
meritorious Service Award in 1994.
Favorite Wright State Memory:
"Receiving the 1999 WSU Alumni Association's Distinguished Alumni
Award."
Favorite Quote:
"The inherent vice of capitalism is the unequal sharing of blessings;
the inherent virtue of socialism is the equal sharing of miseries."
Winston Churchill
Future Plans:
"To continue to balance family, work, social, and volunteer
activities."'
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2002 Outstanding Alumni
Donald P. Laden (B.S.B. '91)
Raj Soin College of Business
Donald P. Laden is the owner of Upnorth
Investments LLC, a private equity company. Upnorth focuses on investing
in small businesses in the pet industry, where Laden has had a varied
and successful career. Laden's career began at age 19 when he joined
the first sales team at Iams Pet Foods. He eventually became regional
manager, then marketing manager in charge of national sales promotions,
and was later promoted to marketing manager, New Product Marketing.
After graduating from Wright State, Laden became president of Complete
Petmart, a chain of local pet supply superstores. After the company was
sold, Laden started Petovations, which aimed at creating new and
different products for the pet industry. Laden later acquired Pet
Warehouse, a small catalog and Internet marketer of pet supplies.
Favorite Wright State University
memory:
"... graduation...having remembered standing in the courtyard area in
1987 when I first reentered college and thinking 'this is going to be a
long haul' and then walking up to receive my diploma! It's a powerful
memory!"
Future plans or goals:
"I am continuing down an entrepreneurial path and looking to invest in
or acquire small businesses. I hope to some day get my master's in
Business Administration and maybe become a teacher!"
Best advice I ever received:
"...[from] my Dad... work hard, treat people with respect and good
things will happen!"
How I relax:
"... ride motorcycles and play golf (not at the same time though!)."
Favorite quote:
"I'm a great believer in luck. The harder I work, the more I have of
it."--Thomas Jefferson
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