Student Success
UM-Flint’s SHRM ranked #1 in HR games in Michigan
In October 2022, UM-Flint’s chapter of SHRM (Society for Human Resource Management) competed at the MISHRM conference HR games against three other teams from Western, Eastern and Grand Valley State University. After four rounds and over 50,000 points, the team of SOM students Laurel Ferguson, Elayna Moore and Abigail Weycker won first place. The team also received the Callie Zipple Spirit of HR Award, which is awarded to the team that best exemplifies collegiality, professionalism, a positive attitude, and respect for fellow competitors and volunteers during the competition.
Read the press release for more information.
Left to Right: MISHRM Representative, Laurel Ferguson, Elayna Moore, Abigail Weycker
Ronjia Williams
Ronjia Williams, MBA 2022, was recognized by Crain’s Detroit Business among People on the Move.
“Conscientious leadership is a way of life for Mr. Ronjia Williams. He has devoted his personal and professional life to service of others. Most recently, Mr. Williams accepted the Senior Vice President role of Printwell Acquisitions Company, Inc. His responsibilities in include deploying strategies to help achieve financial and operational goals while increasing ROI. His patentable technique is driving collaboration across the organization to identify opportunities and develop scalable solutions.”
Dylan Doherty
An MSA student contributed to a research article with Dr. Cathy Miller titled “Do applicants want diversity statements or diversity facts? A field experiment to evaluate whether values or facts are more effective at attracting underrepresented groups to the accounting profession” was accepted for a presentation at American Accounting Association Annual Meeting in Denver on August 8-10, 2023.
Lottie Ferguson
Lottie Ferguson, BBA 2015, was announced as the new Vice President of Development and Donor Services at the Community Foundation of Greater Flint. Ferguson was previously the Chief Resilience Officer for the City of Flint, under Mayor Sheldon Neeley.
Shelley J. Bausch
GATX Corporation announced the election of Shelley J. Bausch, MBA 1995, to its board of directors. Ms. Bausch will also serve as a member of the board’s Audit and Governance Committees. Ms. Bausch serves as Senior Vice President, Global Industrial Coatings of Axalta Coating Systems Ltd., a leading global manufacturer, marketer and distributor of high-performance coatings systems that serves a variety of industrial end markets. Ms. Bausch led the Asia Pacific region and the Fluid Technologies business unit for Carlisle Companies Incorporated.
“We love hiring interns and part-time staff from your college. We hired our current VP of HR as a part-time HR employee from a UM-Flint career fair our Credit Union attended. She started as a part-time HR Assistant, finished her degree from UM-Flint and has been promoted since to HR Manager, Director, and now Vice President of HR and Learning and Development. She is amazing! Our current DEI professional is also completing his degree from UM-Flint. Our Finance Manager also completed her degree from UM-Flint and was originally hired as a PT Teller. Lots of success stories!”
DeAnna Wallace
SVP People and Retail Delivery for Financial Plus Credit Union
SOM alumni recognized in Flint & Genesee Chamber of Commerce’s “40 under 40”
“Leaders and Best” are more than words from the Michigan fight song – it is a philosophy the University of Michigan-Flint community embodies daily. The university’s commitment to that philosophy is evidenced in the Flint & Genesee Group’s first “40 Under 40” list, which spotlights young professionals leading the way in shaping the future of the Flint area. The list includes six UM-Flint alumni from the School of Management, all under 40 but already making a difference through their work.
Nicholas Goldsworthy
BBA 2012
Nicholas Goldsworthy is a recently promoted partner at the Genesee County corporate law firm of Witt & Goldsworthy and provides pro bono legal services to St. John Vianney and St. Mary’s in Flint. He also supports, advises and encourages a wide range of small business owners and Flint community members in their nonprofit and for-profit endeavors. As a board member of Genesee County Habitat for Humanity, Goldsworthy is responsible for reviewing leadership decisions, strategy planning, funding proposals, grant contracts and employee hiring, firing and promotion.
Teresa Lindhurst
BBA 2015
Teresa Lindhurst is the CEO and founder of Lindhurst Executive Virtual Assistant, which has grown to five employees in two years and provides business, marketing and administrative services to various local companies and volunteer organizations. She continues volunteering with UM-Flint, supervising the CEO podcast and assisting the Entrepreneurs Society student organization. She supports music throughout the Flint area by singing and playing violin at St. Robert’s Catholic Church, teaching music lessons, and working with the St. Cecilia Society of Flint, which provides concerts and scholarships to the community.
Kellen Riker
BBA 2015, MBA 2018
Kellen Riker is a senior accountant at Yeo & Yeo, CPAs & Business Consultants. He was honored during the pandemic with the Spirit of Yeo Award, which recognizes one individual within the firm who exemplifies the firm’s mission and core values. In addition, he is a member of Yeo Young Professionals, which provides a voice for the young professionals in the firm and contributes to the mentoring of college students who come to the firm’s Summer Leadership Program. Finally, he is the director of the Yeo Foundation for the Flint office. He oversees the grants that are disbursed by the foundation, helping fulfill his passion for giving back to the community and giving him the enjoyment of taking “the big check” to well-deserving nonprofits.
Milton Straham III
BBA 2016, MSA 2017, MBA 2021
Milton Straham is an advisory analyst at Deloitte & Touche LLP. Before his role as an analyst, Straham worked as a guest teacher for Genesee County schools and was a peer academic advisor at UMFlint’s School of Management. For the past four years, he has served as a board member for the M.A.D.E Institute, which is an acronym for Money, Attitude, Direction and Education. As a Second Ward resident, he has been active in the Sarvis Park Neighborhood Association and Sarvis Park-area events.
Dylan Straka
BBA 2017, MBA 2021
Dylan Straka is the vice president of finance for Premier Security Solutions. He was recently chief financial officer at Skypoint Ventures and started as the staff accountant while still an undergraduate at UM-Flint. In 2019, he became CFO of Skypoint Ventures and the Hagerman family office. As the CFO, he played an integral part in all of Skypoint’s activities in Flint, including business development and support of entrepreneurship and philanthropic activities across the city. Straka assists in disbursing undergraduate scholarships as a member of the Theta Chi Alumni Foundation Board. He is also a member of the Gen Forward Network through the Community Foundation of Greater Flint and the Young Professionals Committee through the Flint & Genesee Chamber.
Steve Treece
BBA 2013
As a senior manager with Yeo & Yeo CPAs & Business Consultants, Steve Treece is a role model and mentor to others. He records monthly podcasts for team members relative to marketing and business development, and encourages those he manages to achieve their highest potential and to get involved in their communities. Treece is a past-president of the Rotary Club of Burton, leading the organization successfully through COVID and helping it maintain in-person meetings during the pandemic. He has also volunteered with Boy Scouts of America, Old Newsboys of Flint, the Food Bank of Eastern Michigan and Genesee County Habitat for Humanity.
Beta Alpha Psi’s School of Management chapter was awarded a Superior Chapter award for 2022-2023.
Courtney Nix, one of our MSA students, was awarded $10,000 scholarship from the PCAOB (Public Company Accounting Oversight Board) in 2023.
SOM Student Achievement Information
View the School of Management’s retention rates, graduation rates, rates of employment post-graduation, and other statistics here. View the incoming fall class profiles for: MBA, MS in Accounting, and MS in Leadership & Organizational Dynamics.