Special Thank You from BGS Central Office

The Central Office would like to thank all collegiate chapter representatives for their hard work this spring. Thanks to your efforts, Beta Gamma Sigma has enjoyed another very successful year, and the Society is on pace to eclipse last year's record number of inductions.

We sincerely hope you realize the difference you’re making in the lives of your best students through your efforts for Beta Gamma Sigma. We’ve been monitoring quite a lot of the social media comments by new members, their families and friends, and it’s been remarkable how much this lifetime membership means to so many. And the truth is that it could not happen without your efforts and the efforts of everyone involved at your school. If there is anyone who does not receive this message from us, who has been involved in BGS at your school this year, please be sure to pass it along to them.

Thank you once again for making “the best in business” an important part of your business school.

Congrats to the Medallion of Entrepreneurship and
Business Achievement Award Winners!


Medallion of Entrepreneurship, 2013

Darrell S. Freeman, Sr.
Founder and Executive Chairman, Zycron, Inc.
Nominated by: Belmont University

Founding Zycron, Inc. in 1991, Darrell S. Freeman has been busy overseeing the Tennessee-based information technology consulting firm's more than 300 employees across the country. Zycron is recognized as an industry leader in the field of information technology services, providing client-specific solutions across all industries with extensive experience in industries like healthcare, energy and utilities and state and local government. Headquartered in Nashville, the company has five offices across the U.S. as well as an office in South America.

Known for giving back to his community, Freeman was appointed to a four-year term from 2012 to 2016 as a member of the Tennessee Board of Regents for the Seventh Congressional District. He also served two terms from 2006 to 2008 as Chairman of the Nashville Chamber of Commerce, in which he welcomed President George W. Bush to Nashville for a federal budget talk. Currently, he is a board member of the Centennial Medical Center, the Nashville Entrepreneur Center and the Nashville Public Education Foundation.

Freeman earned his bachelor of science degree in computer technology as well as his master's in industrial sciences from Middle Tennessee State University.

 

Beatriz M. Manetta
Founder, President and CEO, Argent Associates, Inc.
Nominated by: Seton Hall University

Beatriz M. Manetta founded her certified minority- and female-owned company, Argent Associates, Inc., in 1998. Since then, she's served as the company's president and CEO, overseeing Argent's work within the telecommunications industry, annual revenues that posted at $107 million in 2011 and the company's wrork to track technology assets and monitor the environment of assets and shipments across the world. Its customers range from those in government, enterprise and telecommunications sectors. Argent has offices in Texas, New Jersey and North Carolina and has clientele at many Fortune 500 companies.

Manetta gained more than 20 years of experience in the telecommunications industry, working at companies like AT&T and Lucent Technologies. She also has more than 10 years of international experience, conducting business in the telecommunications sector in the Middle East and Latin America for AT&T and served on the President's Export Council (PEC), which advised President George W. Bush on important international trade matters.

Manetta received a bachelor of science degree in marketing and accounting from Rutgers University. She earned her master's in international business from Seton Hall University.

 

Marla Johnson Norris
CEO, Aristotle, Inc.
Nominated by: University of Arkansas at Little Rock

As CEO and co-founder of the continually growing internet and interactive design, marketing and consulting firm, Aristotle, Inc., Marla Johnson Norris consults with clients across the country on topics such as online marketing, strategic branding and design, research and reporting and integrated public relations. Established in 1995, Aristotle has worked with cilents like Silver Dollar City, Long Island, Baptist Health System, Elvis Presley Enterprises and more.

Norris has received multiple recognitions, including the Travel South USA Ambassador Award in 2009, the 2012 University of Memphis Centennial Alumni Processional Honoree recognition and the Multi-Ethnic Sports Hall of Fame First Women and Service Award in 2012. Norris is known to lead Aristotle staff in support of causes with financial and in-kind contributions, and she has given over $15,000 to multiple philanthropic causes over the last two years.

Norris earned her bachelor of arts degree from the University of Memphis and earned her master's in education from the University of Arkansas at Little Rock.

Business Achievement Award, 2013

Louis V. Eccleston
President, S&P Capital IQ; Chairman of the Board, S&P Dow Jones Indices
Nominated by: La Salle University

Louis V. Eccleston, president of S&P Capital IQ and chairman of the board of S&P Dow Jones Indices, has nearly 30 years of business and leadership experience. In his roles with The McGraw-Hill Companies, Eccleston oversees S&P Capital IQ's provisions of multi-asset class data, research and analytics. He works with multiple investors, investment advisors and wealth managers from across the world, and every day, he is responsible for over 830,000 indices through S&P Dow Jones Indices.

Currently, Eccleston is a member of the Drew University Board of Trustees and is a longtime teaching volunteer, continuing to serve as an alumni lecturer for Drew University's annual Wall Street Semester program. He has also been named to the President's Circle at Drew University, recognizing him as a donor who has given lifetime gifts of $100,000 or more to the school. He is a member of La Salle University's Council of President's Associates and a chair of the La Salle University Business Advisory Board where he founded the Dean's Circle and the Economic Outlook Luncheon at the university. He was named a Beta Gamma Sigma Chapter Honoree at La Salle University in 2005.

Eccleston earned his bachelor's degree in economics from Drew University. He received his MBA in finance from La Salle University.

 

Jerry D. Fields
Founder, Chairman and CEO, JD Fields & Company, Inc.
Nominated by: Texas State University-San Marcos

Jerry D. Fields, the founder, chairman and CEO of JD Fields & Company, Inc., has created one of the largest distributors of steep products worldwide. Based in Houston, Texas, the company also has regional offices in Dallas, Tulsa, New Orleans, Chicago, Denver, Los Angeles and Guadalajara, Mexico. JD Fields oversees $60 million in inventory in about 25 stocking locations, and it has sourced material from every continent except Antarctica. Each year, the company ships material from mill sources to customers all around the world.

Fields has received numerous awards and recognitions, including being a finalist for the 1989 Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year. JD Fields and Company was named one of the fastest growing companies in 1990 by Inc. Magazine and has been recognized for the last three years by the Houston Chronicle as one of Houston's Top 100 Private Companies.

Fields received his bachelor's degree in business from then Southwest Texas State University, now Texas State University.

Centennial Spirit in the Second Century

Beta Gamma Sigma is pleased to continue the Meet the Leaders of Business Guest Speaker Series in 2013-2014. This year, we have developed a more standardized way to explain the program and nominate your university as a potential host.

Please read the information at the link below to understand more about the process and to submit your university as a nominee, either online or through a hard copy form. The deadline for submitting a nomination to our 2013-2014 lineup is June 15th, so take a look at this soon! We look forward to receiving your nominations.

http://betagammasigma.org/mtlob-form.htm

Don't Forget to Complete Your 2012-2013 Membership of Acceptance Survey

As a reminder, each chapter is required to complete and submit the 2012-2013 Survey of Member Acceptance and Chapter Promotional Activities.

This self-reporting mechanism determines if the chapter is named Premier or Exemplary and pre-qualifies chapters for participation in Beta Gamma Sigma's Scholarship Program as well as the Society's Outstanding Chapter and Outstanding Chapter Advisor competitions. Completion of this form in a timely manner also assists the Central Office with planning for chapters for 2013-2014 and onward.

To download the 2012-2013 Survey of Membership Acceptance and Chapter Promotional Activities, go to:
http://www.betagammasigma.org/Forms/membershipacceptance_survey_12and13.doc

Chapters are highly encouraged to complete and submit the survey as you are finalizing chapter activities for the year.

2013-2014 Collegiate Chapter Training Seminar

Beta Gamma Sigma offers its collegiate chapter advisors and officers a tremendous opportunity to learn firsthand the best methods for running a BGS collegiate chapter. Discover new processes and best practices, and share ideas with those in your position at other business schools. The BGS Collegiate Chapter Officer Training Seminar is a vital tool for maximizing the effectiveness of chapters. Chapter personnel learn from Central Office staff and one another through this one-day interactive program.

2013 Chapter Training Schedule:

Space is limited, don't wait, send in your registration to reserve your space. Find registration forms and more information for the Houston or Atlanta seminars at the Forms and Registrations page on our site.

For more information on these Chapter Training Seminars, please contact Jean Tucker at jtucker@betagammasigma.org.

NEW- Student makes video sharing SLF experience in Jacksonville! Check it out….

Register for 2013-2014 Student Leadership Forums

This year, Beta Gamma Sigma will hold Fall 2013 and Winter 2014 Student Leadership Forums. The 2012-2013 Student Leadership Forums were a success, and many of the students had positive responses when the forums ended. Find photos, student comments and more at the SLF page.

Lin-Yi Fu, Hsuan-Hao Lin and Modeste Some, from Fu Jen Catholic University, created this video about their experiences at the Beta Gamma Sigma SLF event in Jacksonville, Florida. Check out this creative piece of work here:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XPcSqunRS5o&feature=youtu.be


2013-2014 Student Leadership Forum Schedule:

Fall 2013 SLF
Tampa, Florida
November 7-10, 2013

Winter 2014 SLF
San Antonio, Texas
February 6-9, 2014

To register students for one of these upcoming forums, please go here: http://www.betagammasigma.org/Forms/slf1314.pdf