Economic Outlook Conference 2010

2 • NORTH BAY BUSINESS JOURNAL 2010 SSU ECONOMIC OUTLOOK MARCH 1, 2010

Greetings! The School of Business and Economics at Sonoma State

University (SBE) is proud to partner with the North Bay Business Journal

to produce this special edition on regional economic development.

The articles on the following pages tell part of the story about how

SBE and its friends and partners are serving as a catalyst for

the North Bay’s future economic prosperity. In these

challenging economic times, we are focused on delivering

programs that provide business tools and methods to deliver

results, and providing applied research to advance business

practice. But the story of SSU’s business school is not only

about what we do, it is also a story about who we are.

It is a story about our students and alumni who share a

unique set of values that reflect the ethic of the North Bay.

Values that help shape excellent employees who don’t take

their careers for granted and who understand that what they do is more

important than what they say. Values that create lasting relationships.

SBE students and alumni know what it means to earn what you get.

The SBE story is also about our teachers. SBE faculty are that rare

mix of researchers and teachers: seasoned academics and business-

world experts with a passion for both. SBE faculty are reachers. They

bridge academia with the business world, translating knowledge into

wisdom and research into relevance. Classroom with career, becoming

mentors and lifelong members of student and alumni networks.

Ultimately, the SBE story is about the North Bay’s business

community. We’re a catalyst of growth and learning for our students,

yes. But also for our regional businesses. If we are to realize our vision

– to become the educational nucleus of a thriving North Bay economy

– we must be one of many parts, adding value to give our community

its force and power.

The economic challenges of the past 18 months have taught all of

us that “good enough” must never be good enough. It is time to

rekindle the entrepreneurial spirit that is the heart of the North Bay.

To fuel that intangible spark that recognizes a need and creates

something in response to it. To rally around that voice that says, “This

can be better.”

At SBE, we simply can’t help but seek more effective ways to

encourage learning, to add value to our alumni’s degrees, to help

employers find excellent and adaptable talent, and to play our part in

bringing together the North Bay community. It is time to write the

next chapter of our shared story – the part where we turn economic

challenge into regional prosperity.

It’s a mighty task that will never be done. Just the way we like it.

Dr. William Silver,

Dean, SSU School of Business and Economics

Welcome

Dr. WilliamSilver,Dean, SSUSchool ofBusiness andEconomics

CONTENTS

Regional Economic Development:Time to Execute 4

Sonoma State UniversityTaking Action 5

North Bay 2015:What Fate Awaits Us? 7

Financial Literacy isKey to Regional Prosperity 9

Regional DesignationsGet Consumer Attention 10

SSU Business and Econ FacultyAdvance Business Practice 12

Research projects in which our facultyengaged in 2008-2009 13

My SSU 14

This supplement to the March 1, 2010,issue of the North Bay Business Journalwas produced for Sonoma State UniversitySchool of Business and Economics.

North Bay Business Journal427 Mendocino Ave., Santa Rosa, CA 95401707-521-5270Fax 707-521-5269www.NorthBayBusinessJournal.com

Sonoma State University1801 East Cotati Ave., Rohnert Park, CA 94928707-664-2377www.sonoma.edu

MARCH 1, 2010 2010 SSU ECONOMIC OUTLOOK NORTH BAY BUSINESS JOURNAL • 3


That the North Bay needs a coherent

economic development focus no longer seems

to be an item to be debated. And while there

are different visions of what economic

development means, there is an emerging

consensus in the North Bay that our ap-

proach to regional prosperity will

be anchored in a foundation of

sustainable business practices

and healthy economic growth.

This consensus is not a trivial

accomplishment in that we are

not too far removed from

contentious growth vs. no

growth debates.

Why then haven’t we started?

The current economic crisis has

created contradictory influences in

that it has heightened awareness

for the need, but halted momen-

tum on real action by undermin-

ing funding and restricting our

efforts. It is hard to devote financial and human

capital to regional action when it is needed for

the day-to-day economic survival of individual

businesses and enterprises.

Nevertheless, our business organizations

and elected officials are all calling for action.

The Sonoma County Alliance recently

brought development officials from around

the region together to share perspectives. The

Santa Rosa Chamber of Commerce has

declared economic development as one of its

key priorities for this year. Our county

Supervisors have convened a dialogue on

economic development involving many

diverse stakeholders. The North Bay Leader-

ship Council has called for the formation of

an Economic Development Corporation.

With a consensus on need, a plethora of

ideas for programs, and a shared desire for

progress, why can’t we create momentum for

action?

The answer lies in that the business

community collectively, like many businesses

independently, has lost the discipline of

execution. And while some might hope I am

referring to the need to eliminate bureaucracy

and bureaucrats, I mean that we have lost the

discipline of getting things done. In their

bestselling book, Execution: The Art of Getting

Things Done, Bossidy and Charan identify

execution as the missing link between

aspirations and results. What if the North

Bay business community were to organize

itself as a well-run business? Can we apply the

execution practices of corporate successes

such as GE, Honeywell, Allied Signal, and

Emerson to the challenge of delivering

regional economic prosperity? Can we align

ourselves to execute on our aspirations and

turn them into regional results?

I know we can. But it won’t happen by

merely talking about it. And it won’t happen

by commissioning another study. It will

happen only when individually and collec-

tively we take action.

Execution is a simple two-step process. It

involves: (1) Focus – identifying and priori-

tizing the key action steps; (2) Commitment

– taking action and accepting ownership for

delivering results. Here is what we need to do

to apply the principles of execution to our

regional economy; to run our business

community like a business.

The execution challenge. In the various

recent forums, meetings, dialogues, etc. that

have been focused on regional economic

development, a few great ideas get mentioned

over and over again. The execution challenge

is not to decide how much effort or how

many resources get funneled to each one, but

rather, to decide which activities we will

resource completely so that they can be

accomplished and which activities we won’t

pursue. Here are four solid recommendations

for focus, drawn from the Innovation

Council’s economic strategic plan, which

comes up time and time again in North Bay

economic development conversations:

1. Create a more supportive climate for

conducting business in this region.

2. Foster the growth and development of

small innovative companies.

3. Attract and retain new businesses with

high-value jobs and talent.

4. Build a world class workforce based on

educational achievement.

There are other good ideas. The point

here is to pick a few, stop discussing them,

and start doing them.

Just do it. If you are reading this article,

then you are in a position to make a commit-

ment and take action on one or more of the

following economic development catalysts:

• Elect officials who support sustainable

economic development. This is an election

year. Encourage candidates with business

experience to run for office. Support their

campaigns with your resources and your

time. Every hour of effort and every dollar of

support makes a difference.

• Get involved with your local Chamber

of Commerce and participate in their

advocacy efforts. Attend City Council

meetings and hearings and lend your voice to

policies that support regional prosperity.

• Connect a start-up business or entrepre-

neur to the Sonoma Mountain Business

Regional Economic Development:Time to ExecuteDR. WILLIAM SILVER, DEAN, SSU SCHOOL OF BUSINESS AND ECONOMICS

With a consensuson need, a

plethora of ideasfor programs,and a shared

desire for progress,why can’t we

create momentumfor action?

See Regional page 6


What can Sonoma State University do to take

action for regional economic development? As a

university with a broad scope of expertise working

in the interest of a wide community of stakehold-

ers, Sonoma State is positioned to be an economic

development hub for the region. There are many

ways this may occur across the

university. Using our students,

faculty, staff, and community

partnerships, Sonoma State’s

School of Business and Econom-

ics (SBE) seeks collaborations

and ways to bring together

resources so that a regional

economic development strategy

can become a reality.

As a non-partisan force in the

North Bay economy, SBE will

provide regional data, studies,

and guidance to public policy

makers, data to firms who would

like to locate in the North Bay,

and education about economic development for

all, from our students to government officials to

community residents. In addition to being an

educational hub and an information resource, the

SBE will serve as a catalyst for regional collabora-

tion on economic development, convening

diverse stakeholders to facilitate not only dialogue

but action.

Collaboration with entities such as the

Sonoma County Economic Development Board

(SCEDB), city and county economic develop-

ment officials, planning departments, consultant

entities, and governmental data sources can build

a formidable database that would become a one-

stop shop for anyone seeking information about

the North Bay economy. Likewise, data on the

social fabric and environmental balance of this

region is rising in demand, and analysis of that

data is ever more necessary for balanced economic

development strategies. SBE has access to

many sources of social and environmental

data, as well as links to experts on trends in all

these areas. Furthermore, we intend to be an

educational resource for public policy makers

on economic development issues and queries.

In this region, biotechnology, medical

device research, and computer software

development have been leaders in technology.

Can these firms continue to grow and thrive

in the North Bay? Will they make invest-

ments in social programs, nonprofit organiza-

tions, and their communities? Will these

firms provide innovation and entrepreneur-

ism in green/clean technologies to further use

technology to reduce environmental imbal-

Sonoma State UniversityTaking Action

The SBE will serveas a catalyst for

regionalcollaborationon economicdevelopment,

convening diversestakeholders to

facilitate not onlydialogue but action.

ance and provide competitive advantages to

local firms?

The answers to such questions lie in a

regional economic development strategy for

the North Bay, a product and service which

currently does not exist. Sonoma State

University intends to become a regional

economic development center by combining

current regional resources; seeking out private,

state, and federal funding for these efforts;

and beginning a regional strategic plan that

includes job attraction and retention for the

North Bay. Please contact Dr. William Silver

at [email protected] or Dr. Robert

Eyler at [email protected] to add your

thoughts (and actions) to these efforts. ■


Cluster (SMBC). The SMBC is doing

outstanding work developing the

companies already in residence, and it

has room for more.

• Get working capital in the hands

of businesses. If you are an angel

investor, get off the bench and back

into the game. If you work for a

community bank, create access to loans

for small businesses. If you have risk

capital, put it in asset classes that

support regional companies such as

Establishment Capital Partners Small

Business Fund.

• Shop local. Bank local. Play local.

Eat local. Drink local. Give local.

Support the Sonoma County GoLocal

Cooperative.

• Be an ambassador for the North

Bay. Tell friends in the East Bay, South

Bay, and in San Francisco about life

and business in the North Bay.

Encourage them to move here, to

locate their businesses here, or, at the

very least, to visit here. Expose them to

the quality of life that is the North Bay.

• Invest in education. Have your

company participate in the Worksite

Held Employee English Learning

program. Volunteer your time in your

local primary or secondary school.

Send your employees to an MBA

program at Sonoma State University.

There is no special magic about the

mechanisms of regional economic

development. Economic development

is just sound business practices

executed at a community level. It is my

hope that in 2010 Sonoma State

University’s Economic Outlook

Conference serves as a call to action.

The School of Business and Econom-

ics at SSU is committed to being the

educational nucleus for a thriving

collaborative North Bay economy. Join

us by committing now to one or more

of the action steps needed to execute

on economic development. ■

Regional continued from page 4


The North Bay can have

two fates for this coming

decade. The first is what

happens if we continue with

the status quo; the second fate

demands a change. Which will

we choose?

If this region does nothing

to attract and retain industries

that are on a technological

frontier, the North Bay will

continue to take advantage of

its multiple natural resources.

Wine, tourism, retail, and health care

will follow this region’s geography and

demography. Marin County will continue

its evolution and become a large, affluent

suburb of San Francisco; Sonoma and

Napa counties will continue to

be tourist draws where eco-

nomic growth is slow but

predictable.

If the main regional exports

are to be tourism, health care,

and wine, this is not a bad fate.

However, the long-term

prospects for attracting dy-

namic industries on the

technological frontier will be

low as home prices rise and

remain relatively high.

The North Bay has long

lamented the loss of its middle

class, the importation of

workers from other regions,

and the exportation of wages away from

local merchants. This continues if the

status quo remains. The local unemploy-

ment figures will look good relatively

speaking, due to a contracting labor force

and job growth to simply serve local

residents. Not an inspiring vision.

Surely we can do much better. The

North Bay could choose instead to recog-

nize and seize regional, not individual,

competitive advantages. If economic

development is regional, and we know

commercial space and business inventories,

for example, resources can then be focused

on a common vision to attract and retain

businesses where a sense of regional

community is everyday business, losing the

parochial pursuit of sales and property

taxes as the driving force behind public

policy.

Biotechnology firms can form a cluster

in northern Marin County around the

Buck Center. Northern Petaluma can

become a research center for renewable-

energy products, using Windsor and the

Sonoma Mountain Village as expansion

space. Santa Rosa can become a conference

center hub, serving the wine industry, high

technology, and other industries while

housing more professional services. San

Rafael and the city of Napa could do the

same.

By 2015, unemployment could be

below 5% and all industries would be

rising as targeted industries pull the

regional economy behind them. The North

Bay could also be exporting products all

over the world by 2015, specifically to

Latin America and Asia, by utilizing the

growing diversity in our population as well

as the path paved by the wine industry.

Thinking in terms of investment and

not cost becomes balanced with environ-

mental concerns when firms that are clean

and green, or those that produce energy

and water-independence products or

services, are foci of such an economic

development strategy.

By 2015, it is possible that medium-

scale manufacturing would return to the

North Bay, producing such items as

photovoltaic shingles for homes and

businesses, electric cars, landscaping

materials, and equipment that use one-

third of the water and energy of current,

conventional products.

The list is long and the breadth is vast.

The key is harnessing our largest regional

resource, an educated, diverse, skilled labor

force. Changes are coming; in fact, they are

already here. This region as a whole, not

counties as separate units, must marshal its

economic forces to become a national and

global player.

The second fate described above is

about balance: primarily attracting and

retaining dynamic industries focused on

exporting goods and services, while doing

the same for those firms servicing workers,

businesses, and all residents.

This combination approach is the true

task of regional economic development and

is supported by Sonoma State University’s

efforts as a regional economic development

center. Such a center can inform active

public policy toward shaping a regional

development strategy. The “do nothing”

fate is an option, but an imprudent one.

This region must become active together to

make a well-balanced and prosperous fate a

reality. ■

North Bay 2015:What Fate Awaits Us?DR. ROBERT EYLER, CHAIR OF ECONOMICS AND DIRECTOR OF EXECUTIVE AND PROFESSIONAL PROGRAMS,SSU SCHOOL OF BUSINESS AND ECONOMICS

This regionas a whole,

not counties asseparate units,

must marshal itseconomic forces

to become anational andglobal player.

Dr. Robert Eyler



Understanding how money works, on

both practical and emotional levels, is vital for

making clear financial decisions but also

essential for a prosperous North Bay

economy. Unfortunately, with

something as pervasive as money,

most people don’t understand how it

works or what drives their decision-

making. A 2008 Charles Schwab

survey found that only one in three

parents had taught their teen how to

balance a checkbook. Many adults

don’t fare much better in personal

finance. One study of baby-boomers revealed

that financial literacy among the group was

“alarmingly low.” In fact, half could not even

divide $2 million by five. Think about the

economic impact of such a lack of practical

understanding. Sonoma State University’s

School of Business and Economics is building

the Financial Literacy Headquarters to

promote regional prosperity through financial

education.

The Financial Literacy Headquarters

(FLHQ) will use a community-based format

to provide resources for and raise awareness of

financial literacy in Sonoma County. The job

of the FLHQ will be to access, screen, and

make the many resources that exist in our

area accessible to those who need it most. The

School of Business and Economics will be the

main outreach to those resources and will also

provide organizational support including

classrooms, materials, and centralization of

the FLHQ. Eventually, students, alumni,

faculty, and friends of the school can all

participate in giving back to the community

in this much-needed campaign for regional

prosperity. The FLHQ started over a year

ago, meeting weekly with a few passionate

people, knowing the key to success would be

to find a way to streamline the delivery of

financial literacy. By utilizing existing

community partners such as the school and

other non-profit agencies, including Com-

munity Action Partnership, Sonoma County

Office of Education, and the CalCPA

Educational Foundation, participants and

resources could be matched more efficiently.

Local businesses have generously supported

the efforts by contributing resources and by

providing volunteers, which has allowed the

FLHQ to reach hundreds of teens and adults

with financial education.

This spring, the FLHQ will run free,

monthly sessions offering expertise from

volunteers in a range of financial areas. ’“The

Financial Doctor Is In” program will enable

individuals to get help with their specific

questions, from foreclosures to personal

finance to retirement. Volunteer experts will

be available to talk in person and to offer

guidance and additional resources. The

FLHQ is also planning free talks at various

locations in the community. The next

community event is a panel of experts

speaking on the current topic of housing

troubles, “Remodify, Shortsale, or Foreclosure

– Navigating the Choices & Consequences,”

scheduled for March 20th at 9:00-11:00am at

the RETHINK Money Coaching Center in

Santa Rosa. The FLHQ is instrumental in

another upcoming event for Sonoma State

students, the IRS’ Volunteer Income Tax

Assistance program (VITA), which will

provide free income tax preparation for SSU

students in need. VITA will be run by

student members of the Accounting Forum

of the School of Business and Economics

with coaching from the FLHQ and alumni.

Next year, they hope to expand this free

service to other community members. The

school is also helping the FLHQ get off to a

strong start in 2010 by building a set of

online resources that can direct participants

to additional financial resources.

The need for financial literacy education

is clear, but more importantly, the opportu-

nity to do something about it is here. To

learn more visit www.sonoma.edu/sbe/

financialliteracyHQ, or if would like

to join me and the school in building

this valuable program, contact us at

[email protected]. We are

looking for additional corporate partnerships

and local business sponsorships to help

provide these resources quickly and broadly

to our community. ■

Financial Literacy isKey to Regional ProsperityANGIE GRAINGER, CPA/PFS, CFP®, SBE ALUMNUS, PRESIDENT, RETHINK MONEY COACHING, INC.

THE FLHQ Spring SessionsDATE TIME LOCATION THEME

February 26 12:00-2:00 SSU / Schulz Finale Room Drop-In Consultation

March 20 9:00-11:00 Santa Rosa / RETHINK Remodify, Shortsale, or ForeclosureMoney Coaching Center – the Choices & Consequences

April 23 12:00-2:00 SSU / Schulz 3001 Drop-In Consultation

May 22 9:00-11:00 Petaluma / Petaluma Public Remodify, Shortsale, or ForeclosureLibrary – the Choices & Consequences

Angie Grainger


Regional DesignationsGet Consumer Attention

FIGURE 1: RANKING OF CONSUMER CHOICES

FIGURE 2 : CORE VS MARGINAL

Helpful data for wine producers selling

nationally: Brand is still most important for

consumer choice, but regional designations

are too. A new study to be published in a

forthcoming issue of The International Journal

of Wine Business Research shows that consum-

ers utilize both brand and regional designa-

tions such as Sonoma County more heavily

than the oft-coveted smaller appellations

(AVAs) such as Dry Creek Valley.

Dr. Thomas Atkin, an associate professor

of Supply Chain Management at Sonoma

State University, and Ray Johnson, faculty for

the Wine Entrepreneurship Course at SSU’s

Wine Business Institute, co-authored the

paper, “Appellation as an Indicator of

Quality,” that investigates which information

consumers nation-wide use to make a wine

purchase decision. Figure 1 shows results for

the whole sample group.

Brand and place-of-origin

information such as country,

state, and region – for ex-

ample, Sonoma County – were

the most important attributes

in the consumers’ choice of a

wine. Brand name was the

runaway favorite, selected by

76.7% of the 409 respondents.

One type of geographical

indicator, appellation (or

AVA), was not well utilized

and was chosen by only 19.6%

of the group.

Atkin and Johnson’s

outcomes conflict with an

earlier study by Johnson and

Bruwer which showed brand coming in

second to region and practically tied with

appellation. There are two important

elements to consider to interpret and to apply

this data: sample area and wine knowledge or

consumption habits. Atkin and Johnson

drew from a national, as opposed to more

local sample, and studied the data to discern

trends for core versus marginal wine consum-

ers. Core wine consumers and those with

greater expertise utilized place-of-origin cues

to a greater extent than less frequent or

marginal consumers (Figure 2).

What does this mean for marketing

applications? For wine brands that are

dispersedly distributed, in particular those

targeted at marginal wine consumers, brand

and regional identifiers were most important

in consumer choice. Thus, wineries in

established regions should increase their

efforts to promote regional identity at the

county, state, and national level to enhance

their existing brand images. Strong brands

are not diminished by the addition of

regional images but rather are enhanced by it.

Wineries with weak brand identity can

leverage the awareness of the regional areas

where they grow

and make wine.

Adding regional

information such as

“Sonoma County”

to the label will

help them get the

full consumer

benefit of where

they “grow and

work.” ■



Every semester, the School of Business and

Econ faculty engage over 1,500 students in

lessons designed to develop both deep

knowledge and practical skills in the

world of business. Reaching out,

they build bridges by bringing the

North Bay community into the

classroom and likewise by helping

our students apply their learning at

work. But that’s not all. They also

model the discipline of academic

rigor and business relevance for

their students by continually

engaging in writing cases, conduct-

ing studies and consulting with

companies in ways that advance

business practice here in the North

Bay and around the world.

Dr. Armand Gilinsky is well known for

his research in cases. This type of research

serves the dual purpose of advancing the

business practices developed in the case as

well as challenging our students and students

across the nation to think critically within the

context of these business problems and up-to-

date strategic methods. Two cases published

in 2008-2009 are as follows.

• “The Prize? The Price! Constellation

Brands’ Proposed Merger with the Robert

Mondavi Company” with R. H. Lopez,

published in The CASE Journal. This case

challenges students to analyze diversification

strategy and merger & acquisitions in the

global wine industry.

• “Sula Vineyards” with R. H. Lopez and

J. Shah, published in Case Research Journal.

This case challenges students to perform pro

forma financial forecasting and analysis

related to wine industry strategy in an

entrepreneurial setting in India.

Dr. Elizabeth Stanny and her co-author

Dr. Kirsten Ely are engaged in research

examining the way companies disclose

information on climate change and green-

house gases to their shareholders. Their study,

“Corporate Environmental Disclosures about

the Effects of Climate Change,” published in

Corporate Social Responsibility and Environ-

mental Management, makes three points of

note for investors, particularly in a community

like ours, known for its environmental focus.

1. Although the risks associated with

climate change are generally considered

critical to investment value in all industries,

only 58% of the S&P 500 disclose informa-

tion on greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions,

leaving 42% disclosing none.

2. Firms with larger institutional owner-

ship and foreign sales are more likely to

disclose likely due to the greater oversight and

focus on environmental matters by institu-

tions and other countries.

3. Firms in carbon-intensive industries are

not more likely to disclose emissions. Thus

U.S. investors cannot count on receiving what

they need to assess a firm’s climate change

exposure under the current voluntary system.

Dr. Stanny has presented this information

at conferences such as the Annual Conference

of the American Accounting Association and

locally at the Western American Accounting

Association meeting in San Francisco. Dr. Ely

is taking her knowledge of these matters into

the community and partnering with organi-

zations such as the Sonoma County Water

Agency to find new and improved ways to

measure and report GHG emissions and

other environmental impacts.

On the next page are other examples

showing the breadth and relevance of the

more than 50 research projects in which our

faculty engaged in 2008-2009 (SSU faculty

are in bold text). If you have ideas for

research that would benefit the North Bay

region, please contact Dr. Terry Lease,

Chair of Business Administration at

[email protected] to discuss it. ■

SSU Business and Econ FacultyAdvance Business Practice

No matter where you live or work in Marin or

Sonoma counties, you can choose your own

primary care physician from one of our convenient

locations including San Rafael, Novato, West Marin,

Petaluma, Rohnert Park and Santa Rosa.

They build bridgesby bringing the

North Baycommunity into the

classroom andlikewise by helpingour students apply

their learningat work.


TITLE AUTHORS FOCUS

“Hospital Finances and Inpatient Sepsis Mortality: Jim E. Banta, H. Bryant Nguyen and Finds that more facilities and equipment per bedMore Margin, Less Mission” C. Torben Thomsen does not translate into lower sepsis mortality

“Appellation as an Indicator of Quality” Thomas Atkin and Ray Johnson Considers region vs. appellation in consumerpurchase evaluations of wine

“Desperately Seeking Serendipity: Exploring the Impact Armand Gilinsky, C. Santini, Compares best practices in innovation strategyof Country Location on Innovation in the Wine Industry” L. Lazzerretti and Robert Eyler in the wine industry across countries

“Using Winery Web-Sites to Launch Linda Nowak and Sandra Newton Proves wine brands targeting millenials shouldRelationships with Millennials” pay attention to the design and maintenance of a web site

“Importance of Region in Marketing Thomas Atkin, Jane Examines the way region impacts theWine to U.S. Consumers” Sutanonpaiboon and Ray Johnson marketing of wine to U.S. consumers

“Heterogeneity in Economic Growth” Chong Kim Shows how countries with more human capital and greateropenness grow faster than other developing countries

“What Does Greater Economic Integration Mean for Regional Florence Bouvet Determines that greater economic integration isIncome Inequality? An Analysis of OECD Countries and Regions” associated with less regional income inequality

“Estimating the Demand for Wine Using Steve Cuellar and Ryan Huffman Uses scan data from the U.S. retail market to gain insightsInstrumental Variable Techniques” on wine demand at the varietal level, estimating demand

“Global Innovators: How Some Companies are Working to Robert Girling Shows how innovative enterprises combine theImprove Social Conditions Around the World” energies of social concern with the logic of the marketplace

“An Empirical Test about Differential Board Monitoring and Aidong Hu Considers how board monitoring in high-techCEO Compensations in High-Tech vs. Traditional Firms” and traditional firms impacts CEO compensation

“A Model and Exploratory Study for Promoting Professional Janeen Olsen and Liz Thach Highlights effective professional selling tacticsSales in Winery Visitor Centers” that can be adopted by managers in winery visitor centers

“Informal Sector in Chinese Economy: Michael Santos and Gerald Priddle Finds China’s black market currency exchange and informalA Study of Currency Exchange & Informal Banking” lending practices limit government’s ability to curb inflation

“Wine 2.0 - The Next Phase of Wine Marketing?” Liz Thach Investigates how wineries are incorporating social networking,blogs, v-logs and e-commerce components of Wine 2.0

Congratulationswww.agilent.com

Thanks and congratu la t i ons to Sonoma Sta te Un ivers i ty and the North BayBusiness Journal for coordinating the 17th Annual Economic Outlook Conference.

Agilent is a proud long-time sponsor of the conference, which consistently demonstratesthe interconnectedness of economic vitality and quality of life in the North Bay area.

Research projects in which our faculty engaged in 2008-2009(SSU faculty are in bold text)


I am not your typical woman(whatever typical means these days). Nokids. No pets. My career and extracur-ricular involvements consume my life.That is just how I like it. I graduatedfrom Sonoma State University in 2005with a double major in Business andEconomics with an emphasis inMarketing and a minor in AmericanMulti-Cultural Studies. My experienceat SSU was extraordinary, and I

attribute much of my success to the faculty,course work, and networking opportunitiesmade available to me. My class sizes weresmall, allowing me to have one-on-oneinteraction with my professors. I was able tomeet with professors outside of class to getadditional assistance when necessary. Severalcourses I took had real-life applications

w w w . f i f t h r e s o u r c e . c o m

Jim Ford REA and James Henderson AIA

141 Stony Circle, Suite 221Santa Rosa, CA 95401www.FifthResource.com

James Henderson: 707-237-5240,[email protected]

Jim Ford: 707-484-1688,[email protected]

VISIONING • ENTITLEMENTSARCHITECTURE • ENGINEERING

MANAGEMENT

Immediately upon graduation I began workat Golden Pacific Systems, Inc., a high-tech,marketing distribution company, headquar-tered in Rohnert Park, that sells an internalonline ordering, communication, and docu-ment management system called GPnet formulti-unit companies. Being that I am a verystrategically minded and entrepreneurialperson, I sought out a job that requiredcreativity, innovation, and a competitive spirit.I got what I asked for and much, much more. Iam going on 4.5 years with the company, nowserve as the Business Development Executive,and acquire and oversee the management of allnational large-volume accounts.

Involvement outside work? You bet. “Freetime,” you ask? What’s that? I now serve onthe Board of Directors for the Sonoma StateUniversity Alumni Association and the non-profit Rebuilding Together Petaluma. I amalso the President of the North Bay AlumnaeChapter of Alpha Gamma Delta, VicePresident of the Rivertown Business BuildersBusiness Networking Internal (BNI) chapterand serve on the Supervisory Committee forthe Sonoma Federal Credit Union. Serving asa board member on the alum association forSSU, however, is one of my most importantand heartfelt memberships as I have a strongconnection to the university and am dedi-cated to its continued success. SSU gave somuch to me. I’m proud to give back andproud to be an alum. ■

regarding what it takes to run a business –development, growth, strategic planning,financial planning, hiring, and marketing.

The Department of Business Administra-tion encouraged me and provided greatopportunities for me to experience manydifferent careers and industries within thebusiness world. The business departmentencouraged me to use my leadership skills anddetermination to get more students activelyinvolved. Thus, I founded a student organiza-tion, for which I served as President my senioryear. Founding and running this organizationallowed me to gain a great understanding ofinternal operations, managing differentpersonality types, how to create and oversee afinancial plan, and how to conduct marketingefforts to attract members. When confrontedwith a challenge, I learned to approach it in a

creative way and develop uniquesolutions. This experiencetaught me how marketing andselling a service or product –even yourself – will varydepending on the message, theaudience, and the value itprovides to your potentialcustomers. This knowledge wasso important it got me my firstjob ... I am still with the samecompany today (and my bossonly has a few grays hairsbecause of me.)

My SSUSARAH SCUDDER, SSU ALUMNUS, BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT EXEC, GOLDEN PACIFIC SYSTEMS, INC.

Sarah Scudder


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We find the Business Journalinvaluable in staying current onthe businesses entering ourmarketplace, changes to existingbusiness and remaining up to dateon the people who operate andserve the various enterprises.Thanks very much for yourcontinued efforts and high level ofperformance.

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I look forward to reading theBusiness Journal each weekbecause it allows me to keep upwith changes in many marketsegments. I also appreciate thee-mail updates for breakingnews, plus the events havealways been educational.

– BOB SCHULTZ, MDPhysician-in-ChiefKaiser Permanente

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Through the Business Journal we are able tobetter track the latest news on new businessesin the area as well as changes being made incurrent businesses. The college utilizes thisinformation . . . to strategize changes that needto be made in our current work force trainingprograms and courses.

– ROBERT F. AGRELLAPresidentSanta Rosa Junior College

BREAKING NEWSBREAKING NEWS


Documents

Economic Outlook Conference 2010