Alumni News

 Ingrid Rondeau

             Ingrid Rondeau is a 2004 graduate of Valdosta State University with a degree in Management who has taken her education to the next level. Rondeau is a Negotiator of Cooperation and Small Economies (CAFTA) at the Ministry of Government in El Salvador. She is currently involved in the Free Trade Agreement negotiations for the Central American Free Trade Agreement (CAFTA) between the U.S. and five Central American countries along with the Dominican Republic. The two main areas that Rondeau deals with in CAFTA are labor and the environment. She has already been involved in two CAFTA meetings.

            Getting the job wasn’t easy. Rondeau had to go through a three part test that was designed to test her translation skills, her economic savvy, knowledge of El Salvador and knowledge of Free Trade Agreements, and figuring out past tariff rates without a calculator. She says that she is very happy with her job and that she was glad to be able to apply what she learned at the Langdale College of Business to her current career.

            While attending Valdosta State University, Rondeau was a member of SIFE and did several projects on how to open a business and currency exchange in El Salvador. She will also be receiving her degree in Economics from VSU in the near future.

 

Stacy Courtnay

Stacy Courtnay (formerly Stacy Baxter) graduated from VSU in 2000 with a Bachelor’s degree in Marketing.  While at VSU, Stacy was heavily involved with the VSU SIFE Team and served as the Vice President her Junior year, and President her Senior year.  She can be credited with nearly doubling the size of the VSU SIFE team by proudly promoting the organization to her classmates as well as her sorority, Chi Omega.  “Being a part of the VSU SIFE team taught me so much about team work, project organization, time management, responsibility, and professionalism.  I felt compelled to recruit as many of my friends and fellow students to become involved because of all of the valuable lessons and positive benefits this organization offered.” 

 After spending the summer of her Senior year interning at Technology Builders, Inc. (TBI), an internship she gained through the VSU Co-Op program, Stacy returned as a full time employee after graduation as the Events Marketing Coordinator.  She assisted the Marketing Manager and VP of Marketing with the execution of their nationwide marketing campaigns. In late 2002, Stacy was hired on as the Marketing Director at Decision First Technologies (DFT), another Atlanta-based software company. DFT is a Business Intelligence company that provides the Fortune 2000 marketplace with best-of- breed Business Intelligence technology and professional services.  At DFT, she directs all marketing efforts to support the company’s software and services revenue objectives.  This includes managing the marketing agenda, budget, implementing lead-generation campaigns, and orchestrating all public relations efforts.

 To this day, Stacy credits SIFE for her success after college.  “I wouldn’t be where I am today if it wasn’t for what I learned in SIFE.  When I graduated from VSU, I was able to hit the ground running with my first employer, TBI.  There was no rough transition from college to corporate America because SIFE made me business-savvy and taught me what it takes to make it in the real world .”

 Stacy and her husband, Taylor, reside in Atlanta, Georgia, with their three dogs.  She enjoys playing with her dogs, cooking, and spending time with her family and friends.

Meredith McLaughlin

 Meredith McLaughlin was recently promoted by Regions Bank from assistant Branch Sales Manager to officer status in the Cahaba Heights Office. McLaughlin is a 2003 graduate of Valdosta State University where she obtained a Bachelor of Business Administration with a double major in Marketing and Business Management. She is also an Alumni member of Students in Free Enterprise (SIFE), Valdosta State University Chapter. She began working for Regions earlier this year as a teller and was chosen for Regions’ Management training program.

 She is the daughter of David and Susan Joiner, of Warner Robins and graduated from Central Fellowship Christian Academy. She is married to Justin McLaughlin.

 Regions Bank is a community-focused bank with local leadership, Regions Bank currently offers full service commercial and retail banking from more than 1,400 offices and a 1,700 ATM network across 15 states throughout the South, Midwest, and Texas.

Tara La'Bonnae Kea