The University of Toledo College of Business and Innovation (COBI) and the Business Engagement and Leadership Council recognized both business and academic excellence during their 52nd annual Pacemaker Awards on Friday, March 27 at the Inverness Country Club.
The 2015 recipient of the Business Pacemaker Award is Steven M. Cavanaugh, Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer, HCR ManorCare, Inc.
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| Steven Cavanaugh |
In his capacity as Chief Operating Officer at HCR ManorCare, Cavanaugh has oversight responsibility for all of the company’s day-to-day operations as well as the company’s public policy and government relations activities. He also serves as a member of the company’s Board of Directors.
HCR ManorCare is a post-acute health care services company that operates skilled nursing facilities, assisted living facilities, home health and hospice agencies and outpatient rehabilitation. It does business in over 500 locations nationwide and employs nearly 60,000 employees who provide care to over 200,000 patients annually.
A native of Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio, Cavanaugh earned a bachelor’s degree in finance, magna cum laude, from The University of Toledo. He was appointed to The University of Toledo Board by Ohio Governor John Kasich in April, 2014 and is also former Chairman of the Business Advisory Council for the College of Business and Innovation. Cavanaugh and his wife Tiffany reside in Holland, Ohio, and are the parents of two children.
“Recipients of the Pacemaker Award over the past five decades read as a Who’s Who of current and legendary business leaders in the Toledo region,” said Dr. Gary Insch, Dean, UT College of Business and Innovation, "and Steve certainly belongs in that impressive roster. The Pacemaker Award is the College’s highest honor, recognizing an individual for outstanding achievement in business as well as contributions to the community and the University. His highly successful career, outstanding leadership and tremendous generosity make him the ideal business professional to receive this year’s award.”
"Steven and Tiffany are generous supporters of the college, and have enabled the college to pursue new initiatives," Insch added. "They also have recently established an endowed fund to provide scholarships, which are vital to attracting talented honor students to the college. It is a gift that will impact generations to come."
Student Pacemakers
Student Pacemaker Awards are presented to UT College of Business and Innovation graduate and undergraduate students for their outstanding academic achievement, University and community service, and leadership.
The 2015 student Pacemakers are: Applied Organizational Technology - Jessie Instone; Accounting - Lindsey Shepherd, Wenchao Li; Finance - James Spieth, James McSherry; Information Operations Technology Management - Amanda Bleasdale, Alexa Jarrett; Management - Jake Tullis, Christina Koepke; Marketing/International Business - Elizabeth Weiler, Alexandra Orr; MBA - Deanna Bobak, Katie Griggs; Ph.D. - Canchu Lin.
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| Amanda Bleasdale |
Amanda Bleasdale is a senior, double majoring in Information Systems and Accounting. She has an overall grade point average of 3.782. Amanda is a member of Alpha Kappa Psi where she has been Vice President of Marketing and Rush Chair. She is also a member of Beta Alpha where she has served a social chair. She is also involved with the Association of Systems Management, Campus Activities and Programming, Levis Leadership, is a Searles Ambassador and is the campus ambassador for the University Studies Abroad Consortium. She is a member of the Information Systems Audit and Control Association and Corpus Christi University Parish. She is a recipient of the Rocket Scholar Award, the Levis Leadership Scholarship, the Hanf Scholarship, the Charles A. Sullivan Scholarship and the Harry & Ruth Mikesell Scholarship. In fall 2013 Amanda studied abroad in Turin, Italy and this May will travel with the UT international trip to Germany/Czech Republic/Austria. She has previously completed summer internships with Owens-Illinois and GE Aviation, as well as completed an internship project with the UT Center for International Studies and Programs. She has accepted a full-time offer from Pricewaterhouse Coopers as a Risk Assurance Associate.
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| Deanna Bobak |
Deanna Bobak is an MBA student specializing in Leadership with a cumulative graduate grade point average of 3.936. In addition, Deanna holds a master of science in geology. She has attended the Advanced Leadership Academy, was a NW Ohio District Science Day judge, is a co-leader for a Brownie Troop, was a Partners for Clean Streams volunteer, received the ARS Technology Transfer Award, and an award for Excellence in Technology Transfer from the Federal Laboratory consortium for Technology Transfer. She was also an executive board member of Kappa Kappa Gamma Toledo Area Alumnae, was the Grow Hope Spokesperson for Plant Purple and the Basket Coordinator for Regina Coeli. Currently, Deanna is the Project Director for Nurtures at The University of Toledo.
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| Katie Griggs |
Katie Griggs is an MBA student with an overall grade point average of 3.9 and a specialization in Marketing. Currently, Katie is the UT Director of Basketball Operations and works directly with the women’s basketball team, for which she previously served as an assistant coach. In addition, she is the summer basketball camp director for 1,200 regional youth in grades K through 12, works directly with Nike on design and ordering of team gear, and is the liaison between the Rocket Academic Center and student athletes. She has participated and volunteered with the Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure, Rockets for the Cure, Ovarian Cancer Walk, ALS Walk, Red Cross, Ronald McDonald House, United Way, Western Avenue Ministries, and the Salvation Army. Katie is currently participating in the College of Business and Innovation’s Advanced Leadership Academy.
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| Jessie Instone |
Jessie Instone was chosen by the Department of Applied Organizational Technology as their Student Pacemaker. She carries a grade point average of 3.9 and is specializing in the field of intermodal transportation technology. As a non-traditional student, Jessie is completing her associates degree and at the same time pursuing a bachelor’s degree. While going to school full-time, she also works full-time in the logistics field for Transnet where she began as an accounting clerk and now works as a sales representative. As a working adult, Jessie realizes the importance of staying positive and professional. She is enthusiastic about her career path and knows that hard work and determination will be key factors in her success and her ability to make a difference. She was on the Dean’s List in Fall 2014 and is a recipient of the UT Achievement Award.
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| Alexa Jarrett |
Alexa Jarrett is a senior who is double majoring in Supply Management and Professional Sales. She currently holds a 3.847 grade point average. On-campus, Alexa has been involved with the Fellowship of Christian Athletes, the APICS organization, has been a peer career assistant and is a member of the UT Women’s Track Team where she holds the UT record and is the number 1 pole vaulter. Last summer, she completed an internship with the J.M. Smucker Company. She is a recipient of the Charles A. Sullivan Scholarship, the Elicano Memorial APICS Scholarship, the Rocket Scholar Award, the UT Track and Field Scholarship, and has consistently been a MidAm Conference Indoor/Outdoor Championship Qualifier. When Alexa completes her undergraduate program this summer, she will have done so in three years and she plans to then go on to UT’s grad school for a master’s degree.
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| Christina Koepke |
Christina Koepke is a senior who is triple majoring in Human Resource Management, Marketing and Supply Chain Management where she holds a perfect 4.0 grade point average. She is a member and President of the Society for Human Resource Management, APICS, Campus Bible Fellowship and Phi Eta Sigma National Honor Society. She is a member of Our Lady of Mt. Carmel Church and a participant in the MLNWO 5K Run. She has appeared on the President’s List each semester of her college career, is a recipient of the Blue and Gold Scholarship, the Toledo Trucking Association Scholarship, the Robert R. Falter Scholarship, the Harry and Ruth Mikesell Scholarship, and the Michael Crawford Memorial Scholarship. She is currently completing an internship with the Sunforest Transportation Insurance Group and this April will be competing at the Central Regional SHRM Student Competition and Career Summit.
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| Wenchao Li |
Wenchao Li is a senior double majoring in accounting and finance. She has an overall grade point average of 3.881. In addition to high academic achievement, Wenchao is very active on and off campus. She has been president of the International Student Association, director of marketing for homecoming, is currently is the student ambassador of the Institute of Internal Auditors, a member of Beta Alpha Psi, the Institute of Management Accountants and EPIC. Also, she was a Management Assistant with the UT Confucius Institute where she coordinated large on campus events such as Chinese Cultural Day and Fall Festival. She has volunteered for various activities within the college, including the job fair, the picnic, the UT Accounting mentoring program, homecoming parade, the Meet the Accountant, and the Success Student Panel. Off-campus, Wenchao has been an instructor in Junior Achievement, participated in Pricewaterhouse Cooper’s Greater Michigan Elevate Program and Ernst & Young’s Emerging Leaders Program. She is the recipient of the Charles A. Sullivan Scholarship, the BP Scholars Fund, the Patricia Hanf memorial Scholarship and the International Rocket Scholarship.
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| Canchu Lin |
Canchu Lin is a student in the College’s Manufacturing and Technology Management Ph.D. program where he holds a 3.835 grade point average. He has a B.A. from Jiangxi University in China, a Master’s degree from Beijing Foreign Studies University, an M.S. and a Ph.D. from Purdue University in Organizational Communication. He is the 2012 recipient of the B. Aubrey Fisher Award for the outstanding article published in the Western Journal of Communication. Globally, he has worked with the International Monetary Fund Division of the People’s Bank of China and was the Editor-in-Chief of Jieti Multimedia Ltd. Canchu has taught at Tiffin University, Bowling Green State University and The University of Toledo. He has a number of published articles and is a member of APICS, the Institute of Supply Management, the Association of Information Systems, the National Communication Association, the International Communication Association, the Association for Chinese Communication Studies, and the Association of Chinese Professors of Social Sciences in the United States. Most recently, Canchu assisted in preparing reports for the AACSB Accreditation Site Visit.
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| James McSherry |
James McSherry is a senior double majoring in Financial Services and Entrepreneurship. He holds senior rank and a 3.87 grade point average. On-campus, James has volunteered with Dollars 4 Change and Phi Eta Sigma where he has served as fundraising chair and has worked with Elves and More in Akron, Ohio. He is a recipient of the Blue and Gold Scholarship, the Kinsey Determination Scholarship and the Dean Hodge Memorial Scholarship. Currently, James is at Oklahoma State University in the national student exchange program where he is a member and Pledge Class President of the service fraternity Alpha Phi Omega and is a member of the health promotion club. He is also currently employed as an intern with Northwestern Mutual. He previously served as an intern for Morgan Stanley.
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| Alexandra Orr |
Alexandra Orr is a senior, marketing and professional sales major with a 3.991 grade point average. She is a UT Sustainability, Energy, Efficiency, Design Intern, a member of the UT Climate Action Plan and a student ambassador for the Edward Schmidt School of Professional Sales. Alexandra is the co-founder of the H.O.P.E., Helping Other People Everywhere, non-profit organization, was a volunteer researcher for the Toledo Lucas County Sustainability Commission and the head coach for youth basketball. She previously interned at Owens Corning. Alexandra consistently has appeared on both the UT President’s List and Dean’s List. She was named the SEED August Intern of the Month in 2013, is a recipient of the Robert and Janelle Falter Scholarship and the Charles Sullivan Scholarship, the Burkett Restaurant Scholarship and the Vectren Corporation Scholarship.
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| Lindsey Shepherd |
Lindsey Shepherd is a junior majoring in Accounting with a 3.84 grade point average. She is a member of Kappa Delta Sorority where she has served as a SET Leader and as Leadership Chair. She is also involved with Alpha Kappa Psi, the Levis Leadership Program, Lambda Sigma Honor Society and has been a student in the Jesup Scott Honors College for two years. Lindsey has appeared on both the President’s List and the Dean’s List. Currently, she is serving an internship in the Audit Department of Gilmore Jasion Mahler.
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| James Spieth |
James Spieth is a junior who is majoring in Finance. He currently has a cumulative grade point average of 3.757. He serves as Vice President of Finance for Pi Sigma Epsilon and is involved with the Student Held Asset Return Portfolio. In 2014, he was a member of the UT Football team. Off-campus he volunteers with the Sharon United Methodist Church. James has appeared numerous times on the Dean’s List, is a recipient of the Rocket Scholarship, the Red Cross Scholarship and the Kern Memorial Scholarship. This summer he will be an intern with Owens Corning
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| Jake Tullis |
Jake Tullis is a junior majoring in Entrepreneurship with a 3.8 grade point average. He is a member of Alpha Kappa Psi where he has been president of his pledge class, and chairman of corporate sponsorship. He is also involved with the Young Entrepreneurship Society, Lambda Sigma, Leadership University of Toledo, S.W.A.T., and The Voice of Honors. Jake has been a Cheerleader for UT, is the CEO/President and co-founder of Health for the Future, the Founder of Tullis Publishing, the Assistant Manager of Vector Marketing and a participant in UT’s Big Event. He is a recipient of the Balanced Man Scholarship, is a member of the Honors College and has appeared on the Dean’s List. Jake is a 2013 recipient of the United States of America’s Presidential Volunteer Award.
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| Elizabeth Weiler |
Elizabeth Weiler, a junior major in Marketing and Professional Sales holds a cumulative grade point average of 3.6. She is a member of the UT Women’s Cross country Track and Field Team, the Student Athlete Advisory Committee and has been a volunteer notetaker for students with disabilities. In addition, Elizabeth is a program volunteer with the Toledo Metroparks and recently was a marketing and sales intern for WUPW Fox Toledo. She is also an independent artist/business owner for her company Modern Daydream which creates and sells handmade dreamcatchers. She is the recipient of the Tim Bar Packaging and Display Sales Scholarship, won third place in the Shapiro Essay Revision Contest out of 176 students, is an honors student, frequently appears on the Dean’s List, is an Academic All-MAC 1st Team Award, MAC Track and Field of the Athlete of the Week in 2014 and received the US Track and Field Cross Country Coaches Association All-Academic Award in 2014.
