Marketing Students Win Top Places in Sales Competition

Junior marketing students Joe Martin and Adam Gerlinger won two of the top five places in the competitive sales presentation competition at the American Marketing Association International Collegiate Conference in Orlando in April.

Martin won second place and Gerlinger fifth place in the competition among 50 competitors that requires students to make 10-minute presentations on selling. The winning students are currently enrolled Marketing 273, Strategic Personal Selling, taught by Bill McGowan, who accompanied them and other marketing students to Orlando.

"I was so happy for Adam and Joe. Both of them have been in my classes, and I've been able to see their academic growth and confidence level rise on a first-hand basis," said McGowan.

McGowan, who has been at CSU, Chico for three years, was recognized by the American Marketing Association as the Faculty Advisor of the Year. He was nominated by students for his dedication, support, motivation, resources and experience in the corporate world. His students praised his open-door policy and the strong foundation he gives them.

McGowan is a Service Corps of Retired Executives counselor and was membership chairman at Butte Creek Country Club, which provides local resources for the marketing students. He has a list of positive life statements called the "McGowan 25." He encourages students to take on challenges and endorses a "positive attitude" as the key to life.

McGowan teaches Marketing 170, Survey of Marketing (the gateway course to marketing), Marketing 270, Sales Force Management, and Marketing 273, Strategic Personal Selling. Marketing 170 is also an instructionally related course that provides students with the basic marketing concepts to develop a marketing plan for a business that allows them to compete in case competition studies against other universities.

For more information, contact Bill McGowan at 530-898-4182.