February 2009 Alumnus Action
This Newsletter brings with it a new Dean of the College of Business Administration, Dr. Danny Arnold! Dean Arnold will begin his formal appointment on April 1. He succeeds Dr. Ronald Bottin, who retires after 18+ years as COBA’s leader.
Most recently, Dean Arnold was the Dean of the Business School at Frostburg State University, Frostburg Md. In that position, he led the college’s effort to achieve accreditation from the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business International (AACSB International).
MSU Alum Takes the Ball and Runs with it
By Mary H. Chin
Marketing alum, Ashley Fisher from Nixa, shares her recipe for success: combining her passion for sports and fashion equals Sales Analyst for Dallas Cowboys Merchandising. Her personality and perseverance served as key ingredients in landing this desirable position.
Marketing alum Ashley Fisher (right) and her friend Kristin Holash, pose with All-Pro quarterback Tony Romo during the Dallas Cowboy‘s holiday party.
Fisher relates how her life experiences prepared her for this exciting career. “I grew up around sports my whole life. As soon as I was born, I was attending basketball games. My dad, Mark Fisher, who is the Athletic Director for Springfield Public Schools, was a coach at the time. My brother, Trevyor, is the Director of Basketball Operations at Missouri State.” It’s no wonder Fisher’s pastimes include an array of athletics – volleyball, flag football, surfing, and attending sporting events.
Ashley Fisher explains her fashion aspirations. “I really enjoy fashion and knew by sixth grade I would go into it. My aunt was a buyer for May Company (Famous Barr at the time, now Macy’s). When I was a sophomore in college I had an internship there and loved it. At that point I wanted to be involved in fashion. The most important things in my life are my family, sports, and fashion. All of this together makes up a lot of my life and why I am in the career I am in.”
Now stir in the key ingredients of perseverance and personality. Before graduating with honors from MSU, Fisher worked part-time with the Springfield Cardinal Baseball franchise. How appropriate, growing up as a St. Louis Cardinal fan. Fisher explains her happenstance meeting that sealed her fate. “After one of the baseball games, I went with friends to grab a few beers at Big Whiskeys, a local Springfield gathering place. I noticed a quartet of gentlemen enter and was startled to recognize Jerry Jones, Jr. (of the Dallas Cowboys). I have a talent of being able to talk to anyone and get their life story within five minutes (thanks, Dad). Jones connected me with Bill Priakos, the VP of Dallas Cowboy Merchandising (DCM).”
“I knew the next step in the interview process would be tough, but I was not intimidated. I was well-prepared to meet with Priakos and asked point-blank after the interview if he would hire me – only to hear his ‘no’ response. Minutes after leaving the interview, he phoned, and the position was mine.”
(Continued)
As a sales analyst for DCM, Fisher comments on her position. “We are the only NFL team to control our own merchandising. All other teams are produced and distributed through Reebok. I am the assistant to one of our largest accounts, Walmart, where I am in charge of replenishment and weekly reporting. I also assist our National Sales Manager with communication to outside sales reps. We send out sell sheets of new collections or available merchandise that is ready to ship. And, I’m involved with our special make up process (SMU’s). An SMU is when an account takes an existing style and tweaks it or comes up with a completely new idea for an item.”
Fisher continues, “I honestly say that I do different things everyday. This is a year-long process, not just seasonal. We deal with all apparel – jerseys, fleece, shirts, and the like. Our current introduction is a woman’s line, HerStyle, geared to the trendy lady and fan. Most of my job deals with numbers, but l could step into any role at any point and be happy with that. We are such a unique and small company that opportunities pop up all the time.”
Ashley Fisher enjoys life in her new home town. “One of my favorite things about living in Uptown Dallas is the restaurants and exploring a new one each week. I prefer sushi or Italian but you can catch me hanging out at the sports bars on a regular basis – ‘Go Cowboys!’ I love to travel but haven’t had the chance to explore as much as I would like. I have had some awesome vacations and plan them at least once or twice a year. This year it’s to LA again for some surfing but my favorite trip was Hawaii.”
Ashley Fisher and co-worker Lacy Copeland pause from their duties long enough for a pre-game picture.
Most recently, Ashley Fisher spent time with the Texas Stadium Farewell Fest. “This was a family event in the stadium parking lot with bands and entertainment – similar to a big garage sale for die-hard Cowboy fans. The last parts of the stadium were auctioned off – pieces of the goal posts, turf, signs, drink machines, and players’ lockers, like Emmitt Smith’s. It was fun to hobnob with current and past football players, who signed autographs for the fans.”
Oh, and by the way, Fisher is keeping current on her athletics. “I ran a half marathon in December. As most of my friends know, I hate long distances and had never ran over five miles until this past year. It was surprising to me as well but a great feeling of accomplishment.”
On the other hand, maybe one wouldn’t be all that surprised. It must be the perseverance.