By MSU News Service MSU NEWS SERVICE
The student chapter of the American Marketing Association at Montana State University was named the Chapter of the Year at the AMA International Collegiate Conference, which was held in New Orleans, Louisiana, this April.
Founded just nine years ago, the MSU chapter has been named a top- 10 chapter in each of the past five years, but this is the first time it earned the top designation out of more than 330 other chapters.
“Being named Chapter of the Year is an incredible honor, and I am humbled to be part of such a dedicated team that has been recognized at an international level,” said Aleisha Dutton, president of the AMA chapter and triple major in marketing, accounting and finance. “This has been a special year – from adding a new networking dinner event, to having the CEO of the AMA as our keynote speaker in our regional conference, to record fundraising that allowed 37 students to attend ICC. I will never forget everyone who had a part in what AMA has accomplished.”
To earn its International Chapter of the Year designation, MSU was evaluated in areas including professional development, social impact, fundraising, membership and communications.
The chapter raised more than $49,000 this academic year, fully funding travel for 22 of the 37 students attending the international conference.
In addition to International Chapter of the Year, the MSU chapter participated in 17 events at the ICC and earned the following awards:
- First place, Digital Marketing Competition: Eve Broeker, Jack Hays, Lucas Lehnen, Madelyn Pierson, Hunter Swenson.
- First place, Chapter T-shirt design: Radley Robertson.
- Third place, Intercollegiate Case Competition: Jovany Castillo Guillen, Luka Depatsy, Aleisha Dutton, Rebecca Jolley, Amber Kurth, Joseph Krumrey, Monica MacPherson, Emma Powell, Abbie Tietz, Lily Heriza, Melia Swirsky, Maxwell Wolsborn.
- Third Place, Marketing Strategy Competition: Blair Ringer and Abbie Tietz.
- Third Place, EBSCO Scholar Award: Jackson Redder.
- Fourth Place, Diversity Leadership Scholarship: Farrell Zulkarnain.
- Finalist (top 5), Undergraduate Research Competition: Monica MacPherson.
- Honorable Mention, Perfect Pitch Competition: Molly Claussen.
“I told our students last fall that they were operating at a different level. But I had no idea it would result in being named Chapter of the Year,” said Eric Van Steenburg, associate professor of marketing in the Jake Jabs College of Business and Entrepreneurship and faculty adviser for the AMA chapter. “This would not have been possible without the leadership of Aleisha Dutton, the dedication of the chapter’s executive board, hard work of the organization’s 25 directors, the guidance of the professional advisory board and the tremendous support from the Jabs administration.”
ICC is held every spring and is hosted by the Chicago-based American Marketing Association, a global organization with more than 25,000 members. It is intended for students to grow and network as young marketers, learn valuable skills and connect with professionals. The MSU chapter has captured 65 awards in its nine years of participating.
The AMA student chapter at MSU prepares students for their professional careers through networking, personal growth and community-oriented leadership. Membership in the AMA at MSU is open to students of any major. For more information, visit www.amamontanastate.org.
Contact: Eric Van Steenburg, MSU AMA faculty adviser, eric.vansteenburg@montana.edu
