Baldwin Free Enterprise Lecture Series

The presentations listed here are made possible by the J.A. Baldwin Free Enterprise Lecture Series Fund.  This is an endowed gift given to the University Foundation to promote the benefits of the free enterprise system among students at the University of Nebraska at Kearney and the public.  Its intention is to provide an exchange of ideas through seminars, forums and special appearance of outstanding spokesperson from the world of business, industry and finance.

Past Presentations:

  • October 6, 2017 (as part of the Tri-City Economic Forum): Timothy D. Hodges, Ph.D., Director of Research, Gallup
  • September 30, 2016 (as part of the Tri-City Economic Forum): Ernie Goss, Ph.D., Professor of Economics and MacAllister Chairholder, Creighton University
  • September 22, 2016 (in conjunction with the Ron Landstrom EIR Program):  Jeanette Wojtalewicz, CFO of CHI Health
  • Spring 2015 (as part of Ethics Day):  Cynthia Cooper; CEO of CooperGroup, LLC
  • Spring 2013:  Center for Great Plains Symposium
  • Fall 2011 (as part of Marineau Symposium):  Dr. Yaron Brook; Ayn Rand Center for Individual Rights
  • Spring 2011:  Jim Harris; Author & Management Consultant
  • Fall 2010:  Michael Simmons; Cofounder of Extreme Entrepreneurship Education, LLC
  • Spring 2010:  Rebecca Kousky; Founder/Executive Director of NEST
  • Fall 2009 Grant Stanley; CEO/Founder of Contemporary Analysis
  • Spring 2009:  Andrew B. Busch; Global FX market Strategist BMO Capital Markets
  • Fall 2008:  John Perry; Owner/CEO of BioGreen
  • Spring 2008:  Ben Casnocha; CEO of Comcate, Inc.
  • Fall 2007:  Jerry Newman; Author
  • Spring 2007:  Andy Litinsky; President of Trump Productions

September 22, 2016

Jeanette WojtalewiczJeanette Wojtalewicz is the SVP and Chief Financial Officer for CHI Health serving Nebraska and Southwest Iowa.  This organization of $2 billion in net revenues is comprised of 15 hospitals, 800 employed physicians and numerous post-acute services and joint ventures.  Jeanette has worked in Healthcare Finance for 30 years.  She received her BS in Business Administration with an emphasis in Finance from UNK in 1984 and masters in Healthcare Administration from Bellevue University in 2008.  Her work experience has been in public accounting, acute health care settings, post-acute/rehabilitation services, and children's psychiatric services.  Jeanette is a past President of HFMA in Nebraska, and serves on a number of local boards including the Nebraska Health Information Initiative, Midlands Choice and UniNET CIN.  Jeanette has been recognized by HFMA with the Gold Merit Award and was the recipient of the John C. Finegan Award from the Lincoln Family Medicine Program.  She also received the UNK Distinguished Alumni Award in 2012 and is a past mentor for the UNK Gold Torch Society.  Jeanette is married to Michael and they have 5 children.

March 2, 2015

Cynthia Cooper

Developing strong leaders and building solid ethical foundations are critical elements to driving long-term sustainable success.  Cynthia Cooper has been a featured speaker at Universities and businesses throughout the U.S.  She's an expert in ethics, leadership development, risk management and more providing training and consultation in professional settings.  She and her team unraveled the fraud at WorldCom, to date one of the largest corporate frauds in history.  Cynthia was names one of Time Magazine's Persons of the Year in 2002.  Event Flyer.

Spring 2013

"The Economics of School Consolidation" - Spring 2013 Center for Great Plains Symposium

Speakers

Moderator

  • Tim Burkink, Dean, College of Business & Technology, UNK

Link to Abstracts

Fall 2011

Yaron Brook

Yaron Brook is president of the Ayn Rand Center for Individual Rights.  he is a columnist at Forbes.com, and his articles have been featured in major publications such as the Wall Street Journal, USA Today, and Investor's Business Daily.  Dr. Brook is often interviewed on radio and is a request guest on a variety of national TV programs.  He is co-author of Neoconservatism:  An Obituary for an Idea and a contributor to Winning the Unwinnable War:  America's Self-Crippled Response to the Islamic Totalitarianism.  Dr. Brook, a former finance professor, is an internationally sought after speaker on such topics as the causes of the financial crisis, the morality of capitalism, and the U.S. foreign policy.

Dr. Brook was born and raised in Israel.  He served as a first sergeant in Israeli military intelligence and earned a BSc in civil engineering from Technion-Israel Institute of Technology in Haifa, Israel.  In 1987 he moved to the United States, where he received his MBA and Ph.D. in finance from the University of Texas at Austin;  he became an American citizen in 2003.  For seven years he was an award-winning finance professor at Santa Clara University, and in 1998 he co-founded a financial advisory firm, BH Equity Research, of which he is presently managing director and chairman.

Event Program

Podcast

Spring 2011

Jim HarrisJim Harris is an International Best Selling Author and Management Consultant.  Through his books Blindsided and The Learning Paradox, Jim has explored why companies and industries are being blindsided by new technology and marketing services, how "job security" as we knew it is gone, and how environmental leadership can drive profitability and improve the bottom line. Event Flyer.

Fall 2010

Michael Simmons

Michael Simmons is the Cofounder of Extreme Entrepreneurship Education, LLC and author of The Student Success Manifesto:  How to Create a Life of Passion, Purpose, and Prosperity.

Event Flyer

Spring 2010

Rebecca Kousky

Rebecca Kousky, Founder/Executive Director of NEST

Event Flyer

Fall 2009

Grant Stanley

Grant Stanley, CEO/Founder of Contemporary Analysis in Omaha, NE

Event Flyer

Spring 2009

Andrew Busch

Andrew B. Busch, Global FX Market Strategist BMO Capital Markets

Fall 2008

John Perry

John Perry, Owner/CEO of BioGreen

Event Flyer

Spring 2008

Ben Casnocha

Ben Casnocha, CEO of Comcate, Inc

Author of "My Start-Up Life"

Event Flyer

Fall 2007

Jerry Newman

Jerry Newman, Author of "My Secret Life on the McJob"

Spring 2007

Andy Litinsky

Andy Litinsky, President of Trump Productions