Alumni in the Press : Spring 2001

Jere Thompson, Jr., MBA 82, is featured in the "Entrepreneurs/ Up and Comers" section of the May 31, 1999 issue of Forbes. The founder of CapRock Communications, who took the company public in 1998 through a merger with IWL Communications, has the ultimate goal of building a 5,500 mile regional fiber network sprawling across Texas, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Arkansas and Louisiana, effectively cornering the long distance fiber service market in smaller, overlooked destinations. CapRock, providing it can grab 5 percent of the local telephone and data market of the region, is poised to emerge as a billion-dollar business.

James H. Keton, BBA 73, MBA 84, CEO of CHAPTEC Solutions was quoted saying, "I guess I'm one of those people who doesn't just want to drive a car. I want to know how and why it works." This capsule profile appeared in the September 1999 issue of the Journal of Accountancy. The article discussed the recently blossoming market for enterprise resource planning software tailored for midsize companies. Keton is one of only 15 VARs authorized by giant SAP to serve midsize companies in the U.S.

Bill Fiala, MPA 92, has been recognized by The Wall Street Journal in its 1999 All-Star Analyst Survey. Fiala is ranked #3 for stock-picking skills and accuracy in estimating company earnings in the electrical equipment industry. This marks Fiala's third appearance in the survey's six years of existence.

Michael Parker, MBA 93, was recently named one of twelve "Outstanding Young Bankruptcy Lawyers" in the nation in the April issue of Turnarounds & Workouts magazine.

Will Yancey, PhD 93, is now National Director, Audit Sampling Practice, for Ryan & Company, a state and local tax consulting firm. His web site, www.willyancey.com, was listed in the fall 1999 issue of Forbes as one of the top ten web sites about taxation.

Bill Gurley, MBA 93, appeared on the cover of Red Herring in October. The cover story showcased his new style VC company, Benchmark.