The Retail Management students were treated to a first-class presentation and tour of the Williston headquarters.  Chris Powell, Director of Public Relations, addressed some of the publicity issues involved in running a company and showed some of the recent pieces developed by the company as well as some of the recent external pieces written about the company.  Ms. Powell also gave the tour of the floor.  Lora Tisi, the new president of April Cornell, met with the group and discussed the strategic vision and the new direction of the company.  The class was also fortunate enough to be joined by April Cornell, co-founder of the company, who talked about the company’s history, its present success and its socially responsible foundations in India.

Ekaterina Sausville-Macias, a junior in the business program with a concentration in marketing and international management, helped facilitate the visit.  An intern in the design department, Ekaterina approached Dr. Tomas with the idea that the Retail Management students might enjoy learning about Cornell Trading’s organizational philosophy, its customer communication methods, its internal environment, and it products and image.  These are all traits which drew her to the company during the summer of 2004.  Ekaterina has been working for 10-16 hours/week as an intern since May.  She has worked in both the marketing and design departments.  Her tasks have included putting collections and samples together, assisting in an industry research project, and working on publications, mailings and brochures.  She loves the work environment and is appreciative of the learning opportunity and the responsibility that she has been given.  Her primary interest is in the business side of the fashion industry, and her experiences at Cornell Trading have heightened her desire to pursue a career in this field.

Dr. Tomas usually coordinates 1-2 fieldtrips per semester for her Retail Management class.  These experiences not only underscore the concepts addressed in the course but also shed light on how these concepts are applied in the “real world.”