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Four honored as CBA
Distinguished Alumni
UNO's College of Business
Administration honored four alumni during its 2008 Distinguished Alumni
Achievement Award luncheon in May. Of more than 17,000 CBA alumni, only 73 have
been honored as CBA Distinguished Alumni. Following are profiles of the 2008
honorees.
Michael
J. Geppert
First Data Solutions
Michael J. Geppert is president of First Data
Solutions, a division of First Data Corporation. First Data Solutions serves
leading financial institutions, retailers and collection agencies with applied
analytics and information solutions in credit, fraud and debt collections.
 Geppert
received his bachelor of science in business administration (BSBA) degree with
a specialization in marketing from UNO in 1982.
Prior to First Data Geppert was
with the Omaha World-Herald. From 1998 to 2000 he served as president of
VideoYellowPagesUSA.com, a wholly-owned subsidiary of infoUSA. Before working
at infoUSA, Geppert was senior vice president at First Data Solutions.
Geppert is past chairman of the
Mid-America Council Eagle Scout Association and currently is a member of the
Mid-America Council Boy Scouts of America board of trustees. He also is an
active member of St. Vincent de Paul church in Omaha, serving on numerous
parish committees.
Geppert and his wife, Adri, are
natives of Omaha and are strong supporters of Maverick hockey. They have four
children, including John, a freshman at UNO.
Jane H. Gilbert
American National Red Cross
 Jane H.
Gilbert is the senior vice president for chapter operations at the American
National Red Cross. She is responsible for the activity of the Red Cross
chapter network, which includes 749 American Red Cross chapters across the
United States.
Gilbert earned an Executive MBA
degree from UNO and a BA from Southern Methodist University in Dallas.
Gilbert's Red Cross career began
in 1995 with the Heartland Chapter in Omaha, where she served as the deputy
director of marketing and development. During this time she helped increase the
fund balance of the chapter and assisted in the completion of a capital
campaign. In April 1999 Gilbert transitioned to chief executive officer of the
Charter Oak Chapter in Hartford, Conn., which serves as coordinating chapter
for the state. There Gilbert managed chapter operations across 81 counties.
In 2003 Gilbert moved to Raleigh,
N.C., where she became the first executive of the mid-Atlantic service area.
She was promoted to her current position in August 2005 when Hurricane Katrina
struck the gulf coast of the United States.
Matthew T. Norris, CFA
Waddell & Reed Investment Management Company
Matthew T. Norris is a senior vice president of Waddell
& Reed Investment Management Company and Ivy Investment Management Company.
As director of equity research he supervises the investment research and
economics departments.
 Norris
earned an MBA degree from UNO in 1992 and a BS in cellular biology in 1986 from
the University of Kansas.
Before joining Waddell &
Reed, Norris was affiliated with Advantus Capital Management Inc. in St. Paul,
M.N., from 1997 to 2003. He joined Advantus as a growth analyst and was
appointed large cap value portfolio manager in 2000. Prior to joining Advantus
he was an equity analyst and portfolio manager for Norwest Investment
Management Inc. from 1994 to 1997.
Norris joined Waddell & Reed
as a portfolio manager in July 2003. He was appointed director of equity
research in June 2005. He is portfolio manager of the large cap value
institutional accounts, Waddell & Reed Advisors Value Fund, W&R Target
Funds Value Portfolio, and Ivy Value Fund.
Norris is a Chartered Financial
Analyst and a member of the Kansas City Society of Financial Analysts. He and
his wife, Renee, married in 1991 and have two children.
Rolland (R.C.) Thompson
Tactical Air Support Inc.
Rolland (R.C.) Thompson is president and CEO of
Tactical Air Support Inc. Prior to founding TAS Thompson served 26 years in the
U.S. Navy, retiring as the "exec" to the commander, U.S. Strategic Command.
 Thompson
has an Executive MBA degree from UNO, an MS in national security strategy from
the National Defense University, and a BS in aeronautics from Embry-Riddle
Aeronautical University.
During his active service
Thompson served as the commander of an operational carrier air wing, as the
strike warfare commander for Operation Enduring Freedom, and as the commanding
officer of the Navy's elite TOPGUN school. Thompson logged more than 6,500
total flying hours during his career, including 5,500 hours in the Navy's
frontline fighters.
After retirement from the
military Thompson worked in the government contracting industry for three years
before founding Tactical Air Support Inc. TAS provides consulting services and
responsive, cost-effective adversary training for military aviators. His
company currently uses F-5s, SU-27 fighters, the L-29 Super Delfin, and the
L-39 Albatross to provide realistic air and electronic combat training.
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