California State University, Los Angeles, PepsiCo/Frito-Lay Partner in "Gateway to Los Angeles" Program to Prepare Students for Leadership Roles in Business World

California State University, Los Angeles announced last week it has formed "The Gateway to Los Angeles," an innovative partnership between the University and PepsiCo/Frito-Lay, which includes a $1.4 million donation to Cal State L.A.'s College of Business and Economics and College of Engineering, Computer Science and Technology by PepsiCo Foundation -- the largest contribution ever to either College. In addition to this gift, Frito-Lay will also donate significant in-kind contributions to the College, including internships, guest speaker programs, student clubs and campus activity support, recruitment efforts, and other campus involvements over the next four years.

The "Gateway to Los Angeles" partnership will serve to develop model programs to prepare the College's students to become tomorrow's business leaders and entrepreneurs. The programs will also extend to students in the University's College of Engineering, Computer Science, and Technology. These programs will be run by the Frito-Lay Leadership Center, which will be created on campus as a result of the $1.4 million donation. The Center will be supervised by Dr. Timothy Haight, Dean of the College of Business and Economics. The "Gateway to Los Angeles" partnership will be officially launched Thursday, December 6, at a check presentation ceremony to be held in the Cal State L.A. University-Student Union Alumni Lounge at 11:15 a.m.

This partnership will work to develop well-trained graduates in business and technology who already possess an understanding of the greater Los Angeles and Southern California communities in
which they live. Students will build an inclusive workforce that is the key to the multicultural corporation and a healthy business community.

"Cal State L.A. shares with PepsiCo/Frito-Lay a vision of business driven by the imperatives of global economics and rapid technological change," said Cal State L.A. President James M. Rosser. "Together, our strengths can produce business leaders and a workforce educated through cutting-edge programs that are international in scope. As one of the most culturally diverse universities in the United States, Cal State L.A. is a dynamic presence at the center of this key economic region. The University can be an unparalleled industry partner. We can expand opportunities for our students while providing a gateway to PepsiCo/Frito-Lay to meet its goals to become the employer of choice and corporation of choice in Southern California."

"On behalf of everyone at Frito-Lay, PepsiCo is proud to partner with Cal State L.A. to forge successful relationships with key faculty members and student organizations," said Al Bru, President and CEO of Frito-Lay North America. "We look forward to creating the gateway to many opportunities for students who will emerge as the business leaders of tomorrow."

Conceived as an umbrella facility for leadership development, the Frito-Lay Leadership Center will provide the basis for a new 21st Century paradigm of partnership between academia and business and industry. Its mission is to create a learning experience for its students, and identify present and future dynamics in the Southern California business community and eventually, nationwide, according to Dean Haight. In addition, it will allow students to develop research programs and projects designed to meet business and consumer needs in a rapidly changing marketplace, chart the forces of e-commerce and retail globalization, and harness the necessary strategies to compete successfully in today's local and global markets.

FACT SHEET

FRITO-LAY LEADERSHIP CENTER

The Frito-Lay Leadership Center will help develop contemporary curricula, providing a real-world perspective for students and faculty through fieldwork, internships and scholarships, and reflecting PepsiCo/ Frito-Lay's commitment to the University and the broader social and business community it serves. The Center will arrange faculty externships-where University faculty members work with corporate executives on on-site projects; a "Professor for a Day" program-where qualified corporate executives bring current, real-world experience into the classroom; and seminars and other leadership training programs that develop personal connections between students and corporate representatives. An Executive Lecture Series, a Global Leadership Conference, and annual corporate events, including career development activities round out the Center's offerings.

PEPSICO/FRITO-LAY SCHOLARS FUND

The PEPSICO/FRITO-LAY SCHOLARS FUND-a critical community partnership component for the greater Los Angeles region-will provide scholarship support for Cal State L.A. students who are interested in careers with PepsiCo/Frito-Lay or the retail-related industries.

HIGH SCHOOL-TO-COLLEGE PROGRAMS

Under the partnership, the College of Business and Economics will develop programs that prepare students for executive careers in e-commerce and retailing, as well as manufacturing and production operations. The partnership will help develop a comprehensive model program to recruit and train students for careers in e-commerce and retailing through a new "e-Tech College Incentive Program" and the University's highly regarded Institute of Retail Management, already a national model. Innovative programs in engineering and production technology will provide a unique advantage for students entering management positions.

ACADEMIC ADVISORS

Recognizing the high profile value of this program, Cal State L.A.'s leader for the PepsiCo/Frito-Lay Gateway to L.A. initiative will be Dr. Timothy Haight, Dean of the College of Business and Economics. Dr. Haight earned a B.A. and M.B.A. (Accounting and Finance) from the University of Dayton (Dayton, Ohio), and a D.B.A. in Business Finance and Investments from George Washington University. He came to Cal State L.A. in 1998, following eight years as the first chair of the Department of Finance at Towson University, and experience as president of an environmental consulting firm.

Dr. Haight has served as a trustee or director for numerous corporations and organizations, including the University of West Los Angeles, Savant Corporation, Farmers Bank of Maryland, First Virginia Bank-Central Maryland, Clifton Trust Bank, Baltimore, United Way of Central Maryland, and AMA Corporation. He has held editorial positions on five business journals, authored/co-authored nine books, and published more than 70 professional papers.

Appointed Director of the Frito-Lay Leadership Center will be Fermin Cuza, the CB&E's Executive-in-Residence. Mr. Cuza serves as liaison between the College and the international trade and business community and develops international trade and business related courses for the College. As former Senior Vice President-Worldwide Corporate Responsibility, International Trade and Worldwide Consumer and Government Affairs at Mattel, Inc. Mr. Cuza represented Mattel before business and government entities, both domestically and internationally. Prior to his appointment with Mattel, Mr. Cuza was Director of Border Operations for U.S. Customs, and was responsible for the U.S. Customs workforce at the five border crossings along the California-Mexico border, as well as the harbor, airport and bonded warehouse facilities in the headquarters port of San Diego.