2015 Citations of Merit recognize dedicated alumni and friends, awards recognize top faculty and students

Annually, the Trulaske College of Business hosts Honors Luncheon to recognize students, faculty, alumni and friends for their accomplishments. This year’s event welcomed a packed room at the Reynolds Alumni Center. Below is a list of some of the top awardees:

• Emerging Leaders – Sarah Gregory and Tanner Stitzer
• Alumnus of the Year – Matt Flanigan
• Faculty Member of the Year – Andy Kern
• Staff Member of the Year – Adrienne Fink
• Delta Sigma Pi Key – Kailey Hensala
• Student Leadership Awards – Ashlie Anderson-Rice, Luke Carden, Henry Cargill, Kenisha Fullerton, Julianne Gaughan, Hai Kim, Katie Wells
• Recent Alumni Achievement Awards - Kelsey Meyer and Ben Phillips
• Trulaske College of Business Distinguished Research Achievement Awards – Jere Francis, Marsha Richins
• Richard G. Miller Summar Scholars Award - Jere Francis, Kyonghee Kim, Detelina Marinova 
• Jeffrey E. Smith Summer Scholars Award - Dan Turban, Sterling Yan
• Trulaske College of Business Summer Scholar Award - Inder Khurana, Elaine Mauldin
• Raymond and Mary Ann O’Brien Excellence in Teaching Award – Greg Bier
• Bruce and Pam Walker Outstanding Faculty Service Award – Greg Bier
• Shelter Insurance Companies Teaching Excellence Award in Marketing – Don Meyer
• Outstanding Graduate Research Assistant Awards – Nick Hallman, Yeji Lim, Timothy Moake, Feifei Wang
• Outstanding Graduate Teaching Assistant Awards – Anne Albrechts, John Berns, Andrew Crecelius, Reza Houston

Additionally, the college awards ten Citations of Merit. Nominees for these prestigious awards are selected for their career accomplishments, involvement with the college through board and volunteer activities, student and graduate recruitment or other collaborative programs, and financial support of the college. The Faculty Policy Committee reviews each candidate and then the entire faculty votes on the final ten recipients. Up to two of the awards can be given to friends of the college in the form of Special Citations.

Citation of Merit recipients are recognized publicly at the Trulaske College of Business annual Honors Luncheon. Recently, the following dedicated alumni and friends were honored:

John L. Carter
BS BA ’85, University of Missouri
President and CEO, Nationwide Retirement Plans
Columbus, Ohio

After an incredible experience at the University of Missouri, John has continued the university’s mission of service to citizens in his work and volunteerism.

John has spent 30 years in the financial services industry focused on helping individuals prepare for and live during retirement. He currently serves as President and CEO of Retirement Plans at Nationwide, a leading provider of workplace retirement savings programs with $100 billion in assets under management. Prior to joining Nationwide, John held executive leadership roles at Prudential Financial, UBS, and the former Kidder Peabody.

John remains a dedicated Mizzou Tigers fan among the masses of Buckeyes. He even ordered black and gold umbrellas for his office and nothing makes him happier than seeing a sea of Mizzou on rainy days in downtown Columbus.

John’s advocacy for the retirement security of America extends to his board work with leading industry organizations including the Insured Retirement Institute and the Employee Benefit Research Institute. He frequently travels to Washington, DC, to lend a voice to regulatory and industry conversations impacting retirement planning.

John most recently served on the Marketing Advisory Board for the Robert J. Trulaske, Sr. College of Business and was instrumental in forming the Certificate in Sales and Customer Development. Like his father, John is a member of the Missouri Alpha Chapter of Phi Delta Theta Fraternity.

John enjoys spending time watching his eldest son, Jack, play golf for Iowa State; traveling to horse shows to see his daughter, Payton; and attending Mizzou games with his youngest son, Blair – the biggest Tigers fan inside (or outside) of Ohio.

Martin M. Doerr
BS ACC ’76, University of Missouri
Member in Charge of Tax, Brown Smith Wallace, LLC
St. Louis, Missouri

Marty is the Member-in-Charge of the Tax Practice of Brown Smith Wallace. He is responsible for the technical oversight of the tax practice, as well as overall client service, staff training and recruiting, and policy matters. Marty comes from The May Department Stores Company where he served as the Senior Vice President – Tax. While at May, Marty handled all aspects of tax compliance, IRS audits and negotiations, state income tax and sales tax audit issues, captive insurance formation, golden parachute planning, and other tax-advantaged business strategies.

Before that, he was a partner with Arthur Andersen, where he led the firm’s national retail tax practice. His areas of expertise include mergers and acquisitions, compensation planning, partnerships, and accounting methods.

A licensed CPA, Marty is a member of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants and the Missouri Society of Certified Public Accountants. Marty also is active in his community, serving as a board member (including treasurer and president) for the Greenbriar Country Club, and serving on the Accountancy Advisory Board for the Robert J. Trulaske, Sr. College of Business. He formerly served as parish council president and finance committee chairman for St. Monica Parish. Marty, who has been instrumental in establishing the Brown Smith Wallace Faculty Scholar, is a sponsor-level member of the Davenport Society and a member of the Jefferson Club. Marty and his wife, Marianne (also a Mizzou alum), have four children, two of whom were spirited Tigers. Their daughter Monica was a four-year member and captain of the Mizzou women’s cheerleading squad and their son Adam was a founding member of the men’s club baseball team.

Chris T. Koenemann
BS BA ’72, University of Missouri
Executive Vice President, Lockton Companies
St. Louis, Missouri

Chris Koenemann is a seasoned risk management and insurance professional with more than 40 years of industry experience. In 1985, he joined Lockton Companies, St. Louis as a co-founding principal. During the past three decades, Chris has contributed to the company’s success and has overseen Lockton quickly become the world’s largest privately owned risk management and insurance brokerage firm.

Upon joining Lockton, Chris had the pleasure of working closely with the late John (“Jack”) T. Lockton III. In honor of Jack’s contributions and friendship, Chris and his wife, Linda, also a Mizzou graduate, endowed a Risk Management Scholarship in Jack’s name. Chris worked as an early promoter and advisor in establishing the new Risk Management and Insurance Program launched during the Robert J. Trulaske, Sr. College of Business’s Centennial Celebration.

In addition, Chris is actively involved in several university associations. Currently, he is a member on the Missouri 100 Advisory Board, Davenport Society, 1914 Society, Jefferson Club, the John and Dolly Kadlec Society, the Evans Scholarship Foundation Board of Directors, and the Alpha Tau Omega (Gamma Rho Chapter) House Corporation. 

Chris and Linda have four children and they split their time between St. Louis and Scottsdale, Az.

Joseph P. Maloney, Jr.
BS ACC ’83, University of Missouri
M ACC ’84, University of Missouri
Partner, KPMG LLP
St. Louis, Missouri

Joe is an audit partner in KPMG LLP’s St. Louis office. He also leads that office’s audit group that specializes in serving Private Market Clients.

Joe started his career with KPMG in 1984 after graduating from the University of Missouri. His clients have included both privately held and public companies, including several clients who have prepared for or completed their initial public offerings. He also has served several foreign-owned public entities with operations located in the United States.

During his 30-year career, Joe’s client work has focused on clients primarily in the Consumer and Industrial Business segment. He also has been involved in several acquisition and divestiture projects, including assisting clients in due diligence on acquisitions for the review and evaluation of business combination considerations. 

Joe is the lead partner for KPMG’s recruiting team at the University of Missouri. In that role, he leads a team that has hired 40-50 accounting students annually over the last several years to join KPMG offices, not only in St. Louis and Kansas City but also throughout the United States in either full-time or internship positions. Because of the significant role the University of Missouri has played in KPMG’s national recruiting efforts, several students also have been placed internationally as part of their full-time or internship positions. 

Joe serves as a dedicated member of the School of Accountancy Advisory Board for the Robert J. Trulaske, Sr. College of Business. He and his wife, Linda, also a graduate of MU’s School of Accountancy (BS ACC ’83), met at Mizzou and are members of the Davenport Society and the Jefferson Club. They have two sons: Patrick and Daniel.

Melvin J. Niemeyer
BS ACC ’89, University of Missouri
MBA ’96, Harvard University
Partner, Transaction Services Group, PricewaterhouseCoopers
Chicago, Illinois

Mel is PwC’s Deals Business Strategy Leader and a member of the PwC’s Deals Leadership team. He started his career at PwC in 1989 in PwC’s audit practice in St. Louis and joined PwC’s Deals business in 1996 after earning his MBA.

Since joining the Deals business, Mel has advised both financial and strategic buyers on complex domestic and international transactions, carve-outs and disposals ranging from $10 million to $50 billion. With his expertise, Mel has advised over 500 deals across multiple sectors, advising corporate and private clients on evaluating targets in the industrial products, manufacturing, distribution, consumer products, and business services sectors. He also draws on an international perspective after leading crossborder acquisition teams on transactions across the globe. Mel has had great impact in successfully guiding senior leaders considering acquisitions and divestitures as part of their strategy.

Mel has guided Mizzou students as a team teacher and keynote speaker at the 2013 Beta Alpha Psi Initiation Banquet for accountancy majors. Mel is a life member of the Mizzou Alumni Association as well as a member of the Davenport Society and Jefferson Club. While at Mizzou, he was a member of the honor societies Omicron Delta Kappa and QEBH. Mel was also a member of AASB, Beta Alpha Psi and the Homecoming Steering Committee.

Mel is divorced and has two children: Lillian and Mara. Mel and his daughters live in Chicago, Illinois.

Gregory J. Schuster
BS BA ’99, University of Missouri
Senior Managing Director, DTZ
St. Louis, Missouri

In his role at DTZ (formally Cassidy Turley) Greg is responsible for the development and management of services to national and global corporate clients of DTZ’s Global Occupier Services team. Greg joined the company in 1999 following graduation from Mizzou.

Greg is a Certified Commercial Investment Member (CCIM), Licensed Real Estate Salesperson for the Missouri Real Estate Commission, and a member of the International Council of Shopping Centers. In the community, Greg serves as a member of the school board for Living Water Academy and is also a Director of Ministries @ Work, which provides biblical leadership development and curriculum to small group leaders.

Greg has taught students regularly as Professor-for-a-Day and has been a dedicated member of the Finance Advisory Board since 2006. Greg and Leah are members of the Davenport Society and Jefferson Club and they support the college through the Finance Advisory Board Scholarship Fund. As a student at MU, he was involved in Delta Sigma Pi Business Fraternity.

Citation of Merit awarded in memory of
Donald E. Steen
BS BA ’68, University of Missouri

After graduation, Don went to work for Touché Ross (now Deloitte) in St. Louis for five years. He entered the health care field in 1973 with Hospital Affiliate, a NYSE company, where he would become Group President.

In 1980, he founded Medical Care America, which became the largest provider of outpatient surgical services at that time. Don was a true pioneer and visionary in the industry. After growing the company from the ground up, he sold it to Hospital Corporation of America in 1994. Don stayed with HCA for four years as Western Group President and then as International President, where he developed a presence in Europe. In 1998, Don founded United Surgical Partners International (USPI), a leader in the short-stay surgical industry with 218 facilities.

Don met his wife, Trudy (BS BA ’68), during their freshman year at the University of Missouri. Together, they founded the Donald E. and Trudy K. Entrepreneurship Venture Fund at MU. This fund supports an elite group of students in the Robert J. Trulaske, Sr. College of Business who are interested in entrepreneurship and demonstrate a high potential for new business development. Don was committed to fostering entrepreneurship in students as a mentor, speaker, and member of the Entrepreneurship Alliance Advisory Board.

Don continued as Chairman of the Board for USPI until his death on May 13, 2014.

Diamond Wade Wheeler
BS BA ’84, University of Missouri
MBA ’88, University of Missouri-Kansas City
Investment and Insurance Advisor, State Farm Insurance Companies
Webster Groves, Missouri

Wade is a Registered Representative with State Farm. After positions in commercial banking with Commerce Bancshares, Merchants Bank, and Marine Midland Bank, Wade became a State Farm Representative in 1991. He was promoted to Agency Field Consultant in 1995 and to Agency Field Executive in 1999. Wade also served as Marketing Director leading a two-year project in Columbia to run advertising and build a marketing department and marketing website from the ground up.

Wade is a Chartered Life Underwriter (CLU), Chartered Financial Consultant (ChFC), Chartered Advisor for Senior Living (CASL), Chartered Leadership Fellow (CLF), and a Certified Financial Planner (CFP). In addition to his role as one of the longest-serving members of the Marketing Advisory Board, Wade also is active in the Alumni Mentoring Program. He has served on the boards of directors for the Society of Financial Service Professionals and the National Association of Insurance and Financial Advisors of Greater St. Louis.

Wade and his wife, Vicki, live in Chesterfield and are the parents of Diamond Max, who is a May 2011 graduate of Mizzou; Paige Kristine, who is a 2014 graduate of Mizzou; and Andrea Eleanore, who is a sophomore collegiate volleyball player on scholarship at Newman University in Wichita.

SPECIAL CITATIONS OF MERIT

Gerardo I. Lopez
BS BA ’80, George Washington University
MBA ’84, Harvard University
Chief Executive Officer and President, AMC Entertainment Inc.
Leawood, Kansas

Gerry has served as Chief Executive Officer, President, and member of the Board of Directors of AMC Entertainment Inc. (AMC) since March 2009. According to The Wall Street Journal, under Lopez’s leadership, AMC has achieved “counterintuitive success” by emphasizing quality over quantity and creating a new consumer‐focused approach to the movie exhibition industry.

He currently serves on the public company boards of Brinker International (NYSE: EAT); Digital Cinema Implementation Partners (DCIP); Open Road Films; and Recreational Equipment Inc. (REI). Additionally, Gerry serves on the executive board of the National Association of Theatre Owners (NATO) and as a trustee of the National Association of Latino Independent Producers (NALIP).

Gerry was featured in the award-winning Trulaske College of Business Centennial Speaker Series, where he shared insights into his industry and the importance of student preparation. He also was the guest lecturer in the Scott CEO Forum in 2012. Gerry is a dedicated member of the college’s Strategic Development Board and was instrumental in establishing the Executive Leadership Development Program with AMC and the college.

Gerry’s management philosophy is simple: hire good people, agree on a direction, provide the tools, and reward results. His mantra, as he puts it, is to “listen, learn, discuss, decide, execute, measure… and repeat.”

Steven L. Trulaske 
BA ’79, DePauw University
MBA ’82, The Ohio State University
Owner, True Manufacturing Company, Inc.
O’Fallon, Missouri

Steve is the owner of True Manufacturing, a firm that was cofounded by his father, Bob, in 1945. True Manufacturing is a leader and innovator in the refrigeration business. Steve joined the family’s commercial refrigeration business in 1982.

Currently, Steve serves his community as a member of the board of directors for the Weber Grill Company and as an active member of the World Presidents Organization and the CEO organization.

The Robert J. Trulaske, Sr. College of Business is named after Steve’s father. In his honor, Steve continues his legacy through a strong commitment to Mizzou. Since 2010, he has served the college as a member of its Strategic Development Board by providing invaluable insights into corporate marketing and business development practices.

During the college’s Centennial Celebration, Steve was featured in the Centennial Speaker Series and shared insights into his industry and how the college prepares its graduates for successful careers. The award-winning series is featured on the college’s YouTube page (youtube.com/mizzoubusiness) and has been distributed widely to its alumni and constituents. Steve also co-hosted a golf tournament for MU alumni and friends at Boone Valley Golf Club in Augusta, Missouri, during the celebratory year.

Steve and his wife, Lisa, are members of the Davenport Society.