February 20, 2004

CBA luncheon honors graduates, welcomes Bobby Jindal

In what has become a highly anticipated event, the College of Business Administration Alumni Association held its annual luncheon January 30. At the event, the association honored two of its own. Jeffray A. Teague, B'95, received the Young Alumnus of the Year Award and Edwin G. Jewett, Jr., B'61, G'68, was selected the Alumnus of the Year. Jeff Crouere, G'94, president of the Business Alumni Board, who served as the master of ceremonies, made the presentation to Teague and Jewett. Teague is cost accounting manager of Mechanical Equipment Company, Inc. For six years, he was audit manager at Ernst & Young, LL.P. Teague is very involved in the New Orleans community, serving on the board of directors of the Youth Leadership Council (YLC) and Big Brothers/Big Sisters of Southeast Louisiana.

Jewett has more than 30 years experience in financing of enterprises in developing countries. Since 1998, he has served as owner of CMI Consultants in Baton Rouge. He has held executive positions in banking and in the private sector, and has consulted to bilateral and multilateral financial institutions concerning production and processing operations in Latin America, the Caribbean Africa, Asia, and Europe.

Prior to the award presentation, Provost and Vice President of Academic Affairs Walter Harris welcomed the attendees to the invigorating gathering and CBA Dean J. Patrick O'Brien related the latest achievements coming out of the college.

Keynote speaker Bobby Jindal, who recently ran for governor of Louisiana, presented ideas on job growth, education, and other elements for moving the state forward. Jindal has served as a former health and policy adviser to President George W. Bush and was president of the University of Louisiana System.

"The state is blessed," Jindal said, "with great resources, great location, great ports, but it's the only state in the South to lose population. Education is the most important thing that we can do to move our state forward. There were 15,000 jobs that could have been created in our state if we had educated people to fill these jobs."

Jindal said before someone decides to run for office or start his or her own business, they must think of the principles that are important. They must "think about the goals you want and why you want to accomplish them," he stressed. "Business and politics are not different. If you are going to make the sacrifice you must make that decision and do everything in your power to succeed."