Campus Business Club Claims Honors At State Conference
(Press Release 04-16-07)
Hank Mooney, Office of Public Information

Members of Eastern Oklahoma State College’s chapter of Phi Beta Lambda found the ticket to the future as they traveled to the Tulsa Renaissance Hotel and Convention Center for the 2007 Oklahoma FBLA–PBL State Leadership Conference according to club sponsors. Post–secondary representatives from universities and junior colleges participated in the annual event.

Friday morning was filled with activity as Eastern’s members joined with students from 14 schools across the state to compete for the opportunity to represent Oklahoma at the 2007 FBLA–PBL National Leadership Conferences in Chicago this summer.

The Opening General Session began with the parade of local chapter presidents, including Eastern’s president Mandy Atkinson, Wilburton. Atkinson also served this year as Oklahoma PBL’s Two–Year College Vice President representing community colleges in the state.

Jan Hargrave, a professional speaker, distinguished lecturer, and author on nonverbal communications was the keynote for the evening. She has been a popular guest on several TV talk shows and The Learning Channel. She is a frequent guest of The Montel Williams Show and is often featured on the TV program Men are from Mars and Women are from Venus.

Using her humor and enthusiasm she selected students from the audience to demonstrate the power of nonverbal communications which she describes in her book “Let Me See Your Body Talk.”

Eastern sophomore Tina Empson, Talihina, campaigned for and was elected PBL State Reporter. Empson also placed first in Business Communication, Word Processing, and Local Chapter Annual Business Report events.

Cody Judd, freshman from Cushing, scored the highest on the Parliamentary Procedures test to win the office of State Parliamentarian. He also placed second in Job Interview and first in the American Enterprise Project with team members, Atkinson, and Josh Barnes, Indianola. Barnes also placed fourth in Hospitality Management and Sports Management and Marketing.

Additional Eastern award winners included for first place Robert Russell, McAlester, in Java Programming and Computer Concepts; James Russell, McAlester, Database Design and Application and Networking Concepts; Brian Duncan, Wilburton, Human Resource Management; and Carla Perovich, Wilburton, in Public Speaking and Sales Presentation. The team of Duncan and Perovich also placed first in the Community Service Project event.

Placing third in Accounting Principles was Manuel Franklin, Eufaula and Sheena Gaines, Canton, in Computer Concepts and fifth place in Sports Management and Marketing. Eastern received first place in the Oklahoma PBL Pubic Relations award competition and second place for the Outstanding Chapter award. Awards were presented at the annual Saturday brunch.

Students also competed in state only open events where Empson took first place in Telephone Skills, third in Records Management, and fourth in Grammar; Atkinson placed second in PBL Facts and fifth in Etiquette; Judd, placed fourth in PBL Facts; and Barnes placed fifth in Records Management.

Additional recognitions for Eastern members included Atkinson and Perovich being named to Who’s Who in Oklahoma PBL. Perovich and Empson were also recognized for achieving the Director’s level in the national Career and Membership Achievement Program.

Sponsors for Eastern’s chapter are Estella Bennett–Mask, Linda Morgan, Debbie Layton and Jennifer Mack. George Larson assisted them this semester. Bennett–Mask served as Oklahoma FBLA–PBL Competitive Events Chair; Larson served as Oklahoma FBLA–PBL Computer Events Coordinator; and Morgan serves as the Oklahoma FBLA–PBL State Advisor.

Future Business Leaders of America–Phi Beta Lambda, Inc., is a national student vocational education association that prepares students for careers in business and business education. Membership is over 260,000 in 11,000 chapters across the United States and abroad. Future Business Leaders of America is the high school division; Phi Beta Lambda is the collegiate division.

Caption info:
Phi Beta Lambda members from the Wilburton college attending the conference include from front left: Tina Empson, Talihina; Mandy Atkinson, Wilburton; Sheena Gaines, Canton and Carla Perovich, Wilburton. Back row: Debbie Layton, co-advisor; Estella Bennett–Mask, co-advisor; Cody Judd, Cushing; James Russell, McAlester; Manuel Franklin, Eufaula; Jennifer Mack, co-advisor and Linda Morgan, co-advisor. Not pictured are Brian Duncan, Wilburton and Robert Russell, McAlester.