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Business Networks | March, 2009 | Volume 7, Issue 3 Depressed asset values may offer good opportunity for estate planning.
When President Barack Obama submitted his budget blueprint to Congress on February 26, 2009, within its 140 pages appeared the administration’s proposal for estate taxes. If approved, the budget would freeze the estate tax exemption at the current level—$3.5 million per person, with the maximum tax rate of 45%—from 2010 on. According to Blaise M. Sonnier, assistant professor, School of Accounting in the College of Business Administration, now could be a prudent time for individuals to review their estate plans and consider transferring property—including real estate, stocks, bonds, and other investments—to their heirs. “In 2000, the first $600,000 of property owned by a person was exempt from the federal estate tax,” he said. “In 2001, the amount was increased to $675,000, and it gradually increased to its current level of $3.5 million per person, which became effective on January 1, 2009.” Read more. Blog this.
Improving the bottom line and the environment: Green Supply Chain Forum proves both are sustainable business goals.
Today’s companies face the challenge of implementing environmentally sound operational practices while balancing growth and opportunity in what is clearly the most demanding business climate in decades. The urgency of these issues sat top of mind among the attendees at the Green Supply Chain Forum held February 19-20, 2009, and hosted by the College of Business Administration and the college’s Ryder Center for Supply Chain Management. According to Walfried Lassar, Ryder Professor and director of the Ryder Center, the forum drew more than 120 participants from the southeast, southwest, and northeast regions of the United States. Coming from Fortune 500 companies, smaller entrepreneurial companies, and government agencies, the attendees represented a wide range of industries with roles and responsibilities cutting across all aspects of supply chain management—including consulting, procurement, inventory, and logistics. Read more. Blog this. The view to 2030: ExxonMobil offers outlook on energy.
Each year, to help prepare for the future energy marketplace, ExxonMobil develops The Outlook for Energy, providing an in-depth look at the long-term global trends for energy demand and supply, and their impact on carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions. At the recent Energy Business Forum, Scott Nauman, manager for economics and energy in the corporate planning department for ExxonMobil, shared his company’s assessment of the global energy outlook to 2030. More than 150 representatives of the academic, student, and energy industry communities attended the forum, which was held on February 27, 2009, in the College of Business Administration’s Special Events Center. “The Outlook for Energy forecast is underpinned by economic and population projections as well as our expectations for energy-efficiency gains from the deployment of advanced technologies and adoption of better energy-management practices,” Nauman said. Read more. Blog this. The good, the bad, and the ugly: Wertheim lecturer examines ailing U.S. health care system.
What are we going to do about our health care system? It’s a question being raised throughout South Florida and across the United States—from kitchen table to conference room table. The right answer is not easy to come by—but pinpointing problem areas offers a valid starting place. In a recent Wertheim Lecture, Brian E. Keeley, president and chief executive officer, Baptist Health South Florida, identified the top three health care issues demanding attention: access, quality, and cost. “The reality is, our national health care system is broken,” Keeley said. “It needs a comprehensive fix...not just a tweak.” Read more. Blog this. Budding financial analysts put their knowledge into practice.
At no time in recent history has prudent investing been more important. A group of students in the College of Business Administration will try their hand at the process using real money—thanks to generous donors—and under the guidance of an eleven-person advisory board composed of members of the business community. “The board will ask tough questions of the Student Managed Investment Fund (SMIF) members and will decide which investments should be made,” said Helen Simon, director, Capital Markets Lab (CML), who also will have a say in the purchases. At the end of each year, half the profits will revert to the fund and half will go toward the support of the CML on whose resources—including staff members and financial software—the students rely for their research. Read more. Blog this.
Two student organizations host Red Tie fundraiser benefiting Better Way of Miami.
Not all good ideas arise in a moment of inspiration. Some evolve, eventually yielding satisfaction as rewarding as the ones that take off from the outset. One such evolving event involved Future Business Leaders of America-Phi Beta Lambda (FBLA-PBL) in association with the College of Business Administration’s collegiate American Marketing Association (AMA) chapter. Its results: first, $1,000 for Better Way of Miami, a successful substance abuse and HIV-AIDS awareness program; second, the successful rollout of a project now expected to be an annual event, one that fills a missing piece for FBLA-PBL, namely community service; and third, a successful collaboration between two student organizations. Read more. Blog this.
Michael Fenton (BBA ’07)
Michael Fenton (BBA ’07), associate director, Catholic Community Foundation in the Archdiocese of Miami, Inc., traces much of his professional success to his experiences at Florida International University (FIU). He holds an undergraduate degree in finance and a Professional Certificate in Banking. In addition to these achievements, he plans to enter the College of Business Administration’s Master of Science in Finance (MSF) program in 2010, and is the new president elect of the Business Alumni Chapter. Read more. Blog this. FIU’s Entrepreneurship Hall of Fame Masquerade Soirée and Silent Auction approaches.
Agenda: Cocktail Attire Alumni Notes
Have you been promoted or changed jobs? Update your profile.
Family Firm Lecture explores “Challenges to a Successful Family-Owned Business in a Troubled Economy.”
On March 23, 2009, at Florida International University’s Biscayne Bay Campus, Marcy Syms, president and CEO of Syms Corp., will discuss the challenges of having a family-owned business in a difficult economy. If you would like more information on the Family Firm Lecture, which will take place from 5:00-7:00 p.m., please contact 305.348.7171. John E. Lewis, the founding dean of the college, died on January 24, 2009. Appointed dean of the School of Business and Organizational Sciences on September 18, 1970, he served until 1972. He developed innovative programs, budgets, and industry contacts, recruited a faculty of 46, and presided over budget growth from $75,000 to more than $1,000,000 in that two-year period. Lewis held a PhD in economics from the University of Alabama, and was a professor/university administrator at Georgia State, the University of Tennessee, and the University of Alabama in Birmingham, retiring from Salisbury University, Salisbury, Maryland in 1991.
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Celebrate ten years of entrepreneurship with the College of Business Administration together with its title sponsor, SunTrust Bank, on May 16, 2009 at the spectacular, newly renovated Fontainebleau Miami Beach Hotel. The Ten-Year Anniversary Masquerade Soirée and Silent Auction will feature wonderful items for bid, a not-to-miss raffle and attendee gift bag, souvenir masquerade mask, and live music on the original stage where Frank Sinatra performed. Past honorees will be recognized and the college’s own executive dean, Joyce J. Elam, will be honored as the South Florida Entrepreneur of the Year. Please join us for an evening to remember.
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