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Global Automotive Conference Planning Committee

Planning Committee

Jim Blankenship, President, Bando Manufacturing of America
Robert Jefferson, Dean, Gordon Ford College Of Business,WKU
William Parsons, Director, Office of Global Business & Entrepreneurship,WKU
Mike Cole, General Manager Manufacturing, Franklin Precision Industry,Inc.
Chris Guthrie, Director of Operations, Trace Die Cast
Patrick Higgins, Managing Director, Marsh USA Inc.
Robert Reck, Director, Office of Autoparts & Suppliers division, US Department of Commerce
Pat Griffin, Production Control & Logistics Manager, General Motors
Eddy Bock, Assistant Manager Sales, Sumitomo
Ed Rottman, VP & General Manager Technology, Outokumpu Copper


Support Groups

Office of Global Business & Entrepreneurship
Raja Bhattacharya Instructor MIS, Associate Director Office of Global Business & Entrepreneurship
Drucilla Belcher Office Assistant Office of Global Business & Entrepreneurship
Santosh Xavier Graduate Assistant Office of Global Business & Entrepreneurship
Peter Kimaru Graduate Assistant Office of Global Business & Entrepreneurship
Beth Wood Communications and Marketing Associate Office of Global Business & Entrepreneurship
Pieter De Grez Development Associate Office of Global Business & Entrepreneurship
Michael Meece Intern - Global Automotive Conference Office of Global Business & Entrepreneurship
Leslie Blevins Intern - Global Automotive Conference Office of Global Business & Entrepreneurship
Preston Holland Intern - Global Automotive Conference Office of Global Business & Entrepreneurship

WKU Committee

Steven White Professor Accounting & Finance, WKU
Linda Parry Associate Professor Management, WKU
Robert Wharton Associate Professor Management, WKU
Zubair Mohamed Associate Professor Management, WKU
Doug Fugate Professor, Economics & Marketing Management, WKU
Bob Skipper Media Relations Specialist University Relations, WKU
Tommy Newton Specialist Public Affairs, WKU
Samanta Thapa Associate Professor Accounting & Finance, WKU
Steven White Associate Professor Department of Journalism & Broadcasting, WKU
Bill Tseng Assistant Professor Architectural & Manufacturing Science, WKU
Rick DuBose Development Dir Corp / Foundation Relations Western Kentucky University

Industry / Government

Elizabeth Couch International Economist US Department of Commerce
Margaret Grissom President & CEO Bowling Green Area Chamber of Commerce
Jeff Compton Director Associated Industries of Kentucky (AIK)
Ayube Shirriff Commercial Specialist Foreign Commercial Service Netherlands

Other Universities

Ashok Ullal Professor Reutlingen University, Germany