On Thursday morning, February 22nd, the Engagement Center was filled with College of Business students were eager to recognize and sincerely thank the Federated Insurance Company for their generous donation by naming a Role Play Room after the company.
Federated has been supportive of WSU’s College of Business, and the Strauss Center for Sales Excellence through a variety of activities that include:
o Scholarships for accounting, business leadership, management information systems, computer science, criminal justice, and athletics leadership
o Partnership with the Strauss Center for Sales Excellence
o Sponsorship of the student chapter of American Marketing Association, and the Sales team to attend and participate in regional and national sales competitions
o Guest lecturers in a variety of classes including Marketing Analysis, Introduction to Professional Selling, Advanced Professional Selling, and MIS courses
o Volunteering time to act as a guest coach for the sales team
o Holding bi-annual “Be Part of Something Bigger with Federated” event
Role Play rooms, including the one now named after Federated Insurance, have the design and recording capabilities that are critical to the preparation of both the Sales Team and students involved in the sales curriculum.
These state-of-the-art rooms provide students with the resources they need to successfully learn skills that will help them to Create Their More.
Debbie Block, Director of Development, welcomed executives from Federated Insurance Scott McCauley, John Wagner, Dan Wagner, and Jay Horner. Each executive expressed their satisfaction with the high caliber of Winona State business students and spoke of the high value of their partnership with the College of Business and WSU. As partners for the past 15 years, they have witnessed the immense growth within the College of Business and sales curriculum.
Dr. Scott Olson, WSU President, thanked Federated Insurance for their years of support. Dean Hamid Akbari recalled how early on in his Deanship, Federated Insurance provided support and assistance with the new vision of the College of Business as the path to rebranding the college for “innovative engaged teaching and learning” as captured by its slogan of “Create Your More.”
Professor Mark Young highlighted the profile of Winona State’s College of Business alumnus, John Wagner, who as Vice President-Director of Field Operations – Claims at Federated Insurance, provides a role model for all current students.
Student leaders, Hannah Fagerstrom and Nick Neely (co-captains of the WSU Sales Team) illustrated how the support from business partners makes them excel as students. “We are more than fortunate to have such a resilient relationship with Federated Insurance and look forward to the opportunities ahead.” – Hannah Fagerstrom, COB Student Leader, and Co-Captain of WSU Sales Team
Hannah Fagerstrom, President / Founder of Professional Selling Club, Co Captain of the Sales Team