College of Business News

Jake Jabs, an MSU alum and president and CEO of American Furniture Warehouse based in Denver, has given more than $3 million to the MSU College of Business. Click here to see excerpts from an interview with Jake Jabs.

The gift will pave the way for thousands of MSU students to hone their entrepreneurial skills.

Jabs, well-known in Colorado for his philanthropy, has come to view gifts to education as an important way to make a difference.

“I thought, ‘Well, where does the money that I give do the most good?’ I got to thinking that maybe if I gave to education, and helped education, that my money would go further,” Jabs said. “I think I can do more good by giving to something like MSU.”

Jabs hopes his gift will provide opportunities for students to receive a strong education so that they can compete well in a global marketplace.

“I think the entrepreneurship center opens doors. It makes students feel like there are other opportunities out there where they could be an entrepreneur, also.”

To read the full story please click here.

For more information on how gifts make a difference for the College of Business, please contact Jackie Sather, jsather@montana.edu or 406-994-6766.

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Make a Difference. Reduce Taxes. Do Good.

If these are some of your 2010 goals, I have good news - THERE IS STILL TIME TO MAKE IT HAPPEN! And doing so is easy.

Whether through a general contribution, an endowed scholarship, a memorial to a loved one, a gift annuity, a will, or a trust, every gift to the Montana State University (MSU) Foundation helps ensure that MSU College of Business students and faculty achieve and succeed in unparalleled ways. With your support, 2010 has been another year of remarkable achievements. So if supporting MSU is something you’re interested in doing, please don’t hesitate. As Martin Luther King, Jr. said, “The time is always tight to do what is right.”

Go to www.montana.edu/foundation/give_now.htm to make a one-time online donation to the College of Business. If you prefer to mail your gift, be sure it is post-marked on or before December 31st to qualify for any 2010 tax benefits.  Please make the check out to MSU Foundation and specify where you wish the donation to be placed; ie, Accounting Option, scholarship, greatest needs, etc.  If you have questions or want to make a non-cash gift (e.g. stocks, life insurance, trusts, real estate, etc.) contact Jackie Sather at jsather@montana.edu or 406-994-6766.

We’re always happy to help you meet your goal of supporting MSU and the College of Business.

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Bob Arrotta is a familiar face on the Montana State University (MSU) campus, having built many relationships with MSU employees while working for Harrington’s Bottling Company. A longtime Bozeman resident and manager of Harrington’s, he is well respected by his employees and those he has worked with over the years.

In Arrotta’s honor, Harrington’s has pledged three-year funding for The Student Service and Mentorship Award. At least one scholarship for a College of Business (CoB) student will be given each of those years. Scott Lease, Harrington’s general manager, believes this award is a great way to honor a man with the ability to communicate and work well with people by developing lasting relationships.

“For Harrington’s, we have a soft spot for schools and young people and we are proud and honored to be associated with MSU. We are delighted to provide this scholarship in Bob’s name. He has been a great friend and co-worker for the past 30 years.” Lease said.

Arrotta, known as a good leader and mentor for Harrington’s Bottling Company, spent many years actively involved in the community, including the Gallatin Empire Lions Club and serving on more than nine community boards. He was instrumental in Bozeman’s successful bid for the College National Finals Rodeo (CNFR), which was held here for 24 years. Arrotta organized and volunteered on many CNFR committees the years the event was in Bozeman.

The Student Service and Mentorship Award will be given to a sophomore, junior, senior, or Master in Professional Accountancy student. The award will recognize a student demonstrating exceptional commitment to community service or mentorship by volunteering in a project that enhances quality of life or community awareness, much like the citizenship Arrotta has modeled. The student will also be a role model whose work demonstrates one or more elements of the CoB Student PRIDE Code of Excellence.

Arrotta was surprised by the award and genuinely humbled by the honor. “There are great things going on in the College [of Business] and the students are lucky to receive degrees from this institution,” he said. “For about 30 years, I worked with the College daily and this [award] is very dear to me and my family.”

The award will provide another opportunity for CoB students to cultivate professional development and leadership skills while understanding the value of participating in a worthy project or giving back time and/or resources to the community.

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The MSU College of Business PRIDE code (Performance, Respect, Integrity, Diligence, Engagement) is a code of conduct that originated from the students of the College based on characteristics found in successful professionals.

In an effort to promote creativity and the PRIDE Code, the CoB hosted, for the first time, a video competition. The competition gave any CoB student, faculty, staff and alumni the chance to showcase their experiences regarding one or more elements of the code and how their association with the CoB has positively affected them.

Videos were submitted and judged based on four categories: inspirational, interpretation, humor and non-student entries. Many outstanding videos were submitted and top winners in each category are listed below:

Inspirational: COB Pride
Humor: Exotic Hunting with Delora Donaldson
Interpretation: Montana State PRIDE Code
Non-Student: PRIDE the Informercial (CoB Faculty)

You can view all the winners in each category here: http://www.montana.edu/cob/Video/index.htm.

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