Author Kevin Freiberg Among Business Leaders Visiting Cal State San Marcos To Share Experiences

Dr. Kevin Freiberg, author of one of the top five global business books of 2002, entrepreneur and speaker, headlines the group of business leaders who are scheduled to be "Inside The Executive's Chair" in an innovative class that brings captains of industry to the campus to share their experiences with students. Freiberg is scheduled to appear Friday, April 25, 2003.

The class, which began in fall 2002, was created by David Bennett, director of outreach and lecturer in the College of Business Administration, along with Assistant Professor Troy Nielson. It is modeled after the Bravo Television series "Inside the Actors Studio" and brings top business leaders to campus "to talk about their careers, their companies, and the criticalbusiness decisions with which they are commonly faced," said Bennett. The guest executives respond to questions, first from the faculty moderators, then from students.

"It has become quite a popular class," Bennett reported. He said that from approximately 50 students at the beginning, the class now enrolls more than 75 "and there are always 'walk ins.' Lots of students are asking about it, as well," Bennett added.

The guests also seem to enjoy the class, Bennett pointed out. "They think it's terrific. They always want to come back. Students often contact them after their visit, and the executives take time with the students."

Bennett explained that one of the motivations for the class was to introduce Cal State San Marcos to local business leaders. "Many of them have never visited the campus," he said. "This way we can show them around and let them know what we're doing as a business college and as a campus."

The class meets from 11 a.m. to 12:50 p.m. each Friday during the spring semester in Academic Hall 102. It is open to all students and to members of the campus community and the public on a space available basis.

Visiting executives scheduled to appear include:

January 31 - Ted Owen, president and publisher of the San Diego Business Journal.

February 7 - Pepper de Callier, partner in the de Callier -Janik Partnership and a former partner in Hedrick & Struggles executive search firm.

February 14 - Tina Nova, Ph.D., president/CEO and founder of Genoptix, Inc., a venture-backed biotechnology company.

February 21 - Mac Clarke, CEO and founder of Salient Networks, an Australian company that provides integration solutions for voice and data traffic to businesses throughout Australia and New Zealand.

March 7 - Sara Gilman, co-founder of Lifeforce Services, a trauma treatment corporation.

March 14 - Doug Gordon, attorney with Klinedinst Law Firm and past president and CEO of Gordon Jewelers, a firm with more than 6,000 employees and 660 stores in 44 states.

March 21 - Bill Strauss, CEO of Proflowers.com, the largest domestic direct-from-the-grower Internet flower company.

April 11 - Dr. Anne Evans, founder of Personal Best.

April 18 - Lori Holt Pfeiler, Mayor, City of Escondido.

April 25 - Kevin Freiberg, president of Freibergs.com, a professional speaking and consulting firm dedicated to equipping leaders for a world of change. His book, NUTS!, is about the Southwest Airlines recipe for business and personal success.

May 2 - Rick Valencia, CEO and president, ProfitLine, Inc., which provides business process outsourcing solutions that manage the lifecycle of voice and data services and reduce communications costs for enterprise-level companies.

Additional information about the class or the individual appearances is available from David Bennett by telephoning 760-750-4218.