Archive for month: May, 2017

University of Georgia graduates end up in a wide array of careers and in every state and many countries. Ira Bershad, a Terry College graduate from the Class of 1987, has forged his own path as a small business owner in Texas using the skills he learned at the University of Georgia.

We spoke with Ira about his experience as a Georgia Bulldog and how he stays connected to his alma mater.

Where are you from and what made you decide to attend UGA?
I was born in Brooklyn and moved to Georgia as an 11-year old. I looked at a lot of schools, but UGA offered the best combination of business school, campus activities, sports, social and location for me.

You studied business at UGA – what drew you to that subject? Did you always want to own your own business?
I was always interested in business and specifically marketing and branding. We had a great high school business program where I grew up.  I am still to this day in touch with the program’s coordinator. Growing up in Atlanta, I wanted to be president of Coca-Cola when I grew up. I was hired by Procter & Gamble when I graduated and I got the best training there was. I still use things every day that I learned at P&G.

Tell me about your business and what you do, your experience as a small business owner and how UGA prepared you for that.
I have been recruiting in the area of sales and marketing in the consumer packaged goods industry for the past 21 years. I started Bulldog Search Group in 2011. After all those years working for other companies, I was more than ready to open my own business. I learned a lot from the various places I worked, but wanted the ability and the flexibility to build the business I wanted to run. When I first opened in 2011, it gave me the flexibility to be super involved with my daughters—coaching them in soccer and softball and having a flexible schedule. As the business grew, I had the ability and skills to grow with it. UGA was a fantastic foundation for business learning.  I was involved heavily in campus leadership as president of the business school student council, president of Leadership Resource Team (LRT), president of Freshman Council and a member of Phi Gamma Delta (FIJI) Fraternity. Being involved during college teaches, amongst other important things, time management. I have found the busiest people I know are also the most productive and reliable.

Describe your time at UGA in three words.
Rewarding. Fulfilling. Endearing.

What was your most memorable college experience?
I have too many. My most memorable college experience is the total experience—activities, leadership, social, sports and oh yeah, academic.

What is the most valuable piece of career advice you’ve ever received?
Work hard and be nice to people.

How do you stay connected to UGA out in Texas?
I am probably as connected to my UGA friends as anyone. With text and social media, it’s no different than being in Atlanta but beyond driving distance. I am in constant contact with UGA and FIJI friends. I’ve organized an annual road trip to a Georgia game for nearly a decade.  There are a lot of UGA graduates here in North Texas and this area sends a number of freshmen to Athens.

The Class of 2017 just graduated – what message do you have for those new alumni?
Take your career seriously from the very beginning. Work hard and be smart about your career. Don’t be afraid to detour and take a calculated risk, but have a plan. Always remember you never know when you will meet up again with a former boss or coworker.  Your resume is everything you do in business—both your accomplishments and how you treat people. Nothing is off the record.

Written by Claire Dickey

We caught up with Georgia graduate Kevin Aycock, who has been recognized through the 40 Under 40 and Bulldog 100 programs, to learn about how these recognitions have enhanced his career and network. Nominations are open for the 2018 Bulldog 100 through May 31. 

Kevin Aycock:

• 40 Under 40 Class of 2016 and Bulldog 100 2014 and 2015
• BBA ’02, MBA ’15
• Owner of Kevin Aycock Homes and president of Arthur Rutenberg Homes

What He Does: “We build custom homes and have been doing so since I finished undergrad. I started working for another homebuilder for a while, and in 2009 I went out on my own and started Kevin Aycock Homes.”

His Experience with 40 Under 40 and Bulldog 100: “I’m very proud of having these recognitions. I’m a Bulldog through and through, so it was a really big deal to me personally, but it’s also been a great addition to my resume. Living in Atlanta, and building homes for people in Atlanta, we run across a lot of fellow Bulldogs. Most Bulldogs keep up with UGA, so most of them have seen our recognition. It’s very reassuring for them when they’re deciding to do business with me.”

Kevin, second from right on the back row, and other Terry College grads at the 2016 40 Under 40 Celebration.

Future Goals: “Since being named Bulldog 100 the first time, the business has doubled in size – it’s grown significantly. Our goal is to keep growing and keep doing what we’re doing, but do more of it. [Homebuilding] is such a large and growing market; I feel like the sky’s the limit, and we can just keep growing each year.”

UGA’s Role: “Starting with undergrad, and then getting my MBA from Georgia later in life, both degrees certainly prepared me for the world I’m in – the business world. The MBA program was fantastic and just what I needed to really grow my business. On a social level, the connections I’ve made through UGA are helpful. That instant bond you have with another bulldog is priceless.”

Tips for Success: “Regardless of what you’re going to do, if you’re planning to own and operate your own business, study finance. Everything revolves around that. Second, keep networking. UGA has such a huge alumni base, especially in Atlanta, so take advantage of that.”

Two new University of Georgia buildings have been named in honor of donors with lasting connections to the Terry College of Business.

Construction of Benson Hall and Moore-Rooker Hall is near completion as part of the second and largest phase of UGA’s Business Learning Community. The buildings are located on the Athens campus at the corner of Lumpkin and Baxter streets.

“I want to thank these outstanding alumni for their tremendous loyalty and support,” said President Jere W. Morehead. “Their generous gifts will enhance the learning environment for business students at the University of Georgia for generations to come.”

The two new buildings adjoin Amos Hall, the centerpiece of Phase II’s construction, and are next to Correll Hall, which opened in 2015.

“We are honored to name these buildings for such respected leaders in the business community. I am especially grateful for the faith and confidence these alumni have demonstrated in the future of the Terry College of Business,” said Dean Benjamin C. Ayers. “We’re very excited for completion of the second phase of construction this summer, when all of our faculty and students will be able to work, learn, study and collaborate in business school facilities that are second to none.”

The naming of Benson Hall and Moore-Rooker Hall was approved earlier this spring by the Board of Regents of the University System of Georgia.

Benson Hall, on the business school’s east side facing Lumpkin Street, is named in honor of three generations of one of Athens’ well-known families: patriarch W.H. “Howard” Benson, son H.E. “Ed” Benson, and grandson Larry R. Benson.

Howard Benson, who passed away in 1971 at age 83, founded Benson’s Inc. in 1918. Today, Benson’s Inc. is the parent company to Benson’s Hospitality Group in Athens and Benson’s Bakery in Bogart.

Ed Benson is chairman emeritus of the parent company and graduated from UGA with a bachelor’s degree in business in 1942. He received the Terry College’s Distinguished Alumni Award in 1969 and is an emeritus trustee of the UGA Foundation.

Larry Benson is chairman and CEO of Benson’s Inc. and also graduated from UGA in 1974 with a bachelor’s degree in management. In addition to his support of the business school, he established the Benson White Coat Support Fund for the university’s Medical Partnership with Augusta University.

Benson’s Hospitality Group operates the Holiday Inn, Holiday Inn Express and Hilton Garden Inn in downtown Athens and the SpringHill Suites in Oconee County. A $35 million Marriott hotel property owned by Benson’s is under construction adjacent to the Holiday Inn, located two blocks north of the Business Learning Community. And Benson’s Bakery produces Benson’s Old Home Kitchens cake products for retailers nationwide.

As Benson’s Bakery prepares to celebrate its 100th anniversary, the family’s gift naming Benson Hall provides a lasting landmark reflecting the integral connection the Athens-based company shares with Terry College and the university community.

Moore-Rooker Hall, on the business school’s west side facing Hull Street, is named in honor of the Dudley L. Moore Jr. family of Atlanta and the John W. Rooker family of Atlanta.

A 1957 graduate of the business school, Moore has served in a number of alumni leadership roles. He was elected the founding chairman of the Terry College’s Board of Overseers in 2001. He is a past chairman of the UGA Foundation Board of Trustees, a former trustee of the UGA Real Estate Foundation and an emeritus trustee of the UGA Athletic Association Board of Directors. He established the Dudley L. Moore Jr. Chair of Insurance with an endowment in 1986.

Moore’s father-in-law, Richard Bowden, is a graduate of UGA, and his wife, Peggy, earned bachelor’s and master’s degrees from UGA’s College of Education. Three of the Moores’ children also graduated from UGA.

Moore was the founder, chairman and CEO of Atlanta-based Omni Insurance Group Inc., a specialty insurer that was acquired by Hartford Financial Services in 1997. He received the college’s Distinguished Alumni Award in 1985 and was named Risk Management and Insurance Alumnus of the Year in 1992.

Three generations of Rooker family members have graduated from the Terry College of Business. John W. “Jack” Rooker was the second of three sons of William A. Rooker Sr. to graduate from UGA-all in business. After his graduation in 1960, Jack Rooker joined his father’s Southern Bonded Warehouse company. Only a couple years prior, Rooker Sr. had added a real estate and investment company to the family’s business.

Today, the Rooker Co. has evolved into a highly successful real estate development business that designs and builds warehouses, large distribution centers, manufacturing and government facilities predominantly in the Southeast. Jack Rooker is the company’s chairman, and his son, John, a 2002 Terry College graduate, became CEO in 2011.

Jack Rooker’s previous gifts to the university have supported not only the business school but also the UGA Real Estate Foundation, where he served as founding chairman for five years, the Athletic Association’s golf facility and equestrian team center, and the Rooker Family Equine Receiving Barn at the veterinary medicine hospital. In 2005, one of the four residence halls in the university’s East Campus Village was named John W. Rooker Hall in gratitude for his years of alumni leadership and support.

Amos Hall, which connects Benson Hall and Moore-Rooker Hall, will be the Business Learning Community’s hub when all three phases of construction are complete. It is named in honor of Daniel P. Amos, chairman and CEO of Columbus-based Aflac.

As the “Building Terry” campaign chair, Amos held the top leadership role in the business school’s campaign, which exceeded its original fundraising goal of $90 million by more than $30 million when the campaign ended in 2015. Amos Hall was the first of the three buildings that comprise Phase II to be named.

Amos joined Aflac after graduating from UGA in 1973. He has been Aflac’s chief executive since 1990 and chairman since 2001. Aflac is a Fortune 500 company that insures more than 50 million people worldwide. It is the leading provider of individual insurance policies offered at the worksite in the U.S.

Amos was awarded the Salute to Greatness Award from the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Center in Atlanta in 2013 and the Terry College’s Distinguished Alumni Award in 1990. He is a past chairman of the UGA Foundation Board of Trustees and previously endowed the Amos Distinguished Professor of Insurance at the college.

The university broke ground on Phase II in 2015 at the same time that Correll Hall was dedicated. Supported by $35 million in private funds, Correll Hall was the first building of the Business Learning Community to open. It is named for A.D. “Pete” Correll, chairman emeritus of Georgia-Pacific and a Terry College alumnus, and his wife, Ada Lee Correll, a graduate of the UGA College of Education.

Phase II construction is the result of a public-private partnership that combined significant donor support and state funds totaling $63 million. In all, the three buildings of Phase II encompass 140,000 square feet with two large auditoriums, a capital markets lab, a music business lab, undergraduate commons, classrooms, team rooms, and faculty and staff offices.

With construction scheduled for completion in May, faculty and staff from all seven of the college’s academic departments, as well as other Terry College program staff, will move into the Phase II buildings in June.

A dedication of Amos Hall, Benson Hall and Moore-Rooker Hall is set for Sept. 15, with a groundbreaking ceremony for Phase III construction to follow on the same day.