College appoints new Advisory Board Members

The Current, Summer 2003

During the past year, the following new members joined the College of Business Administration Advisory Board:

Ellen E. Engel (’83), a native Detroiter, worked with Plante & Moran for eight years as a C.P.A. and consultant. In 1991, after completing her Ph.D. at the Stanford University Business School, Engel joined the faculty at the University of Chicago in 1996, where she is currently an associate professor of Accounting for the Graduate School of Business. Engel’s research activities focus on the role of accounting information in executive performance measurement and various corporate governance matters including executive and board of director incentives. She is also a member of the editorial board of the Journal of Accounting Research.

James E. Haas (’51, MBA ’53) has been in public accounting since 1951. Since 1960, he has had his own business, now operating as James E. Haas CPA, PC. Haas is a life member of both the AICPA (American Institute of CPAs) and the MACPA (Michigan Association of CPAs). He has served on the life insurance and small practitioner’s committees of the MACPA University of Detroit Relationship. Haas is a life member of the business fraternity Delta Sigma Pi. He is a member of UDM’s Ignatian Circle, the Heritage Society, the Cal Club/Titan Club, the Executive Committee of the President’s Cabinet and a past member of the College of Business Administration Alumni Board of Directors.

Salvatore “Sam” F. Gianino (’71, MBA ’76) is regional president of the Detroit/southeast Michigan market for National City Bank of Michigan/Illinois. He has concentrated on commercial lending throughout his years in banking. He has been with National City since 1978 and previously served as senior vice president of the Commercial Lending Division, president and chief executive officer for the northwest region, and executive vice president of the Corporate Banking Group. Gianino serves or has served on the board of directors for the Detroit Zoological Society, the Detroit Regional Chamber of Commerce, United Way, COSI (the Toledo-area science and industry museum), the Toledo Symphony Orchestra, and the St. Vincent Foundation. He has also been a member of the President’s Advisory Council at Walsh College, chapter chairman of the American Red Cross, and treasurer of the Toledo Area Chamber of Commerce.

R. Peter Prokop (’66) is shareholder and director of the law firm Raymond & Prokop, P.C. He chairs the firm’s Strategic Planning Committee and its Business Services Group. He is a member of both the American Bar Association and the State Bar of Michigan. He is a principal author of a section of the ABA’s Model Asset Acquisition, and serves on the Editorial Committee for the ABA’s Model Joint Venture Agreement. Prokop is also a member of the Federal Tax Committee of the Michigan Association of Certified Public Accountants. He is a past president of the Financial and Estate Planning Council of Detroit. He is a past president of the Detroit chapter of Legatus, an organization of Catholic business leaders. Prokop also serves as member of UDM’s Planned Giving Advisory Committee.

Catherine Schmitt (’71, ’76) taught high school math before focusing her career on business and spent nearly 25 years in health care at Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan (BCBS). Currently, Schmitt is the BCBS director for national policy and program administration for both General Motors and Delphi. She is also a board member for the Capuchin Soup Kitchen and was a fellow in the 2002 Michigan Political Leadership Program. The UDM spirit runs strong in Schmitt’s family. Her husband, Norman, earned his bachelor’s degree (’70) and MBA (’75) at U of D and her son, Andrew, is the fifth generation of the family to follow the UDM tradition.

Edward T. Sprock (E&S ’75, Bus Ad ’78), who first joined DaimlerChrysler as a U of D engineering co-op student, has spent 29 years in automotive assignments with the DaimlerChrysler Corporation. In July 1999, Sprock was appointed director of Logistics, DaimlerChrysler, Auburn Hills. In addition to his work at DaimlerChrysler, Sprock is chairman of the board of DaimlerChrysler Transport, Inc. and treasurer of the board of directors of the Automotive Industry Action Group. He also leads DaimlerChrysler’s Procurement and Supply Division’s recruiting efforts and its 36-person trainee program. As a volunteer, Sprock directs one of the more successful federation baseball teams in Michigan and works with the Make-A-Wish Foundation of Michigan.

Roseann Stevens (’81,MBA ’00) has served as Visteon Corporation’s vice president and general manager for the GM-Fiat-Opel account since January 2001. Stevens was previously Visteon’s vice president of Global OEM accounts, and from 1997 to 1998, she was director of global marketing sales and service for Visteon’s North American region. Prior to Visteon, Stevens worked at Lear Corporation as vice president of sales for its Ford Division. She also served as director of sales for Ford Accounts at Lear from 1994 to 1997. Prior to that, she had been a sales manager at both Creative Industries Group, Inc. and Fibercraft/Descon.