Sabrena Sabet 3An update from your Eastern Region Vice President, Sabrena Sabet.

Tim Baxter 4

Wallkill Valley Regional High School Chapter 8

The Board 10

Editor’s Corner 11

10 Tips to Becoming a Successful Secretary 6Want to become a successful secretary? Ammer Soliman, NJ FBLA’s State Secretary,

gives his best advice!

Tim Baxter, Samsung Electronics America President and Chief Operating Officer, tells

Eastern Region FBLA about himself and gives career advice!

Our Local Chapter Spotlight Winner goes to Wallkill Valley Regional High School!

Scott Mueller of Wallkill Valley talks about Wallkill and its initiatives.

#FBLAask and learn how to contribute to The Eastern Regioner today!

The Eastern Region Executive Board

Fun with Parliamentary Procedures 5A fun and informative introduction to parliamentary procedures with Alice

Vinogradsky, NJ FBLA’s Parliamentarian.

2

NFLC 2014 7Your Communications Director, Ammer Soliman, talks about NFLC 2014 and tells you

why you should attend NFLC 2015!

An Introduction to:

SABRENA SABETAn Update and Biography of Your Eastern Region Vice President

Dear Members and Advisers:

Time sure can fly! It seems just like yesterday the National Leadership Conference was going on in Nashville. Since then, the National Officer Team, Eastern Region Executive Board, and myself have been hard at work to make this the best year of FBLA yet. Here’s some information about both National and Eastern Region Initiatives:

National ProgramsThis year, there is a plethora of programs for you to choose from! There’s still plenty of time to participate in Action Awareness, one of the three component programs that make up the Chapter Challenge. You can also try out the new Community Service Awards (CSAs), or participate in the classic Business Achievement Awards (BAAs).

Eastern Region State President’s TownhallsThis year the Eastern Region focused on hosting quarterly Townhalls for State President’s throughout the region to interact and discuss ways for raising awareness about national programs and becoming more involved on the national level. The next State President’s Townhall will be hosted on Saturday, February 7 at 8:00 PM. State President’s please feel free to contact me about our upcoming Townhall to make sure you have a spot on the Hangout!

#FBLAaskOn Friday, January 23rd starting at 9 PM EST, the Eastern Region will be holding a social media town hall forum! Simply go on Facebook or Twitter and ask a question with the hashtag #FBLAask . Myself or a member of the EREBwill answer as many questions as we can, and there’s a chance your tweet/post could end up in our next newsletter! Make sure to spread the word and get everyone involved!

Like and FollowFor the latest details on National and Eastern progress, make sure to “Like” the FBLA Eastern Region Vice President Facebook page and follow me @NatFBLAERVP on Twitter!

As you can see, there is a lot in store for the members this year, so please get connected, get involved, and Step Up to the Challenge this year!

Sincerely,Sabrena Sabet

Sabrena Sabet is a senior at Lakeland High School. Outside of FBLA she works at a froyo store, is a student representative for the Board of Education, and is a part of her school’s Mock Trial amongst other things. Feel free to contact her via email fblaervp@fbla.org about anything!

3

President and Chief Operating Officer

Samsung Electronics America

Career Connection with:

TIM BAXTERTim Baxter, now President and Chief Operating Officer at Samsung Electronics America, is an industry expert and veteran with over twenty years of experience in sales and marketing in the telecom and technology industries. He graduated from Roger Williams in 1983 as a marketing major and worked at AT&T for 13 years. In 1996, he took a job at Sony. In 2006, Mr. Baxter took a job at Samsung Electronics America as a Vice President of Sales and Marketing. In January 2009, he was promoted to President of Samsung Electronics America. In December of 2014, he was given the Chief Operating Officer title as well.

Ammer Soliman: “How did you get involved with Samsung?”Tim Baxter: “Well I’ve been in a career spanning over 30 years in the consumer electronics, IT, the telecom, and entertainment businesses, and I worked about 13 years at AT&T, and then about 10 years at SONY, and then about 8 years at Samsung.”Ammer Soliman: “Wow. Now after you graduated college, did you go right into working for AT&T?”Tim Baxter: “At my first job at AT&T I was a results analyst, so I crunched numbers, and I didn’t go to school for that, I went to school for marketing, but in many ways this really helped me because I got really closely connected with the sales organizations and helped them and supported them. That opened up career opportunities for me in sales, based on earning their trust.”Ammer Soliman: “Where did you graduate from?”Tim Baxter: “I graduated from Roger Williams College in 1983, long time ago.”Ammer Soliman: “Okay so then right out of college you went to AT&T, then to SONY, and then to Samsung, and then you got promoted to Marketing Director at Samsung?”Tim Baxter: “So currently I’m, my title just changed last week, I’m the President and Chief Operating Officer of Samsung Electronics America. I also took on the mobile business, so the business that I’m managing now is at over $30 billion a year in sales.”Ammer Soliman: “Wow that’s amazing. What is the most rewarding part of your career?”

Tim Baxter: “I’d say there’s two things that I’ve found most rewarding: one is that I’ve been able to have such success, yet a lot of that success came from being very humble, being very hungry but humble, and being able to connect with people, I tend to view that there are, maybe smarter people out there than me, but I work hard, I connect with people, and I build businesses. I would say the other thing I find most rewarding is to help develop people. I see a lot of people who were like myself, who are just coming in looking for an opportunity to establish themselves and prove themselves, so I try to spend a lot of time either mentoring or helping other people find their way, just the same way I had been helped.”Ammer Soliman: “That’s great. What is one experience that Samsung has provided you with that you will never forget?”Tim Baxter: “Well I would say the biggest experience, personally, is having the opportunity for a local executive to run the U.S. business, they’ve given me that opportunity and I’m forever grateful.”

Interviewed by: Ammer Soliman, Communications Director

Transcribed by: Inna Kapoor, Assistant

4

Fun with Parliamentary Procedure!By: Alice Vinogradsky, NJ Parliamentarian

What is parliamentary procedure?Parliamentary Procedure, or at least its name, sounds quite complex. In reality, all that it means is: A set of rules for conduct at meetings, that allows everyone to be heard and to make decisions without confusion.

Why is parliamentary procedure important?You may be telling yourself, “my chapter operates smoothly as is (whether you have parliamentary procedure or not)” but, Parliamentary Procedure is a time-tested method of conducting business at meetings and gatherings. It is flexible to fit the needs of any organization.

So how does Parliamentary Procedure work? Here are eight easy steps!• Step 1: The member rises and addresses the chair• Step 2: The chair recognizes the member• Step 3: The member states the motion• Step 4: Another member seconds the motion• Step 5: The chair states the motion• Step 6: The members debate the motion• Step 7: The chair puts the question and the members vote• Step 8: The chair announces the result

•

Basic outline of a meeting:For each meeting, it is advisable to create an agenda. The term agenda refers to the order of business that will be presented in a given meeting or convention. Robert suggests that the agenda go like this:

• Call to Order• Opening Ceremonies• Minutes of Previous Meetings• Officer Reports• Committee Reports• Special Orders• Unfinished Business and General Orders • New Business• Adjournment

5

10 TIPS TO BECOMING A

SUCCESSFUL SECRETARYBy: Ammer Soliman, Communications Director

1. When taking minutes during an executive board meeting, do not be afraid to pause the

meeting and return to a previous point if you missed it. As secretary, it is your job to take

down all key information and replay it back to other members, so do not be afraid to take

initiative and ask questions.

2. During discussions, it is important to take down minutes. However, do not forget to

express your opinion! Although it is your job to record important information, do not let

that distract or restrain you from sharing your opinion! Your opinion is just as important as

everyone else’s opinion!

3. Use a laptop/tablet when taking down minutes. Many people type faster than they do

handwrite, and efficiency is key! Typing is also much neater than handwriting, especially

when you are trying to handwrite quickly!

4. As Secretary, it is important that you help keep the executive board meeting on agenda. If

discussion is off-topic or not related to the agenda, do not be afraid to remind other

members that they are off topic!

5. If discussion is off topic, do not record minutes! Minutes are used to communicate key

information; off-topic discussion is not considered important!

6. When taking minutes, be sure to have the agenda open on your laptop/tablet in the word

document for organization purposes.

7. After recording minutes, be sure to format your minutes accordingly and send them out

within 3 days after the meeting. However, the sooner the better!

8. Before sending minutes, ensure that it undergoes a quality check by an experienced

member or your president.

9. If minutes for a particular meeting are exceeding 6 pages, try to send out a short version,

and a more detailed version of minutes.

10. Do not stress over format! If you need help with format, send me an email at

asoliman@njfbla.org , and I will be more than happy to review your minutes and assist

you with your formatting!

6

with Communications Director, Ammer Soliman

Washington D.C Minneapolis New Orleans

Hello Eastern Region FBLA!

The National Fall Leadership Conferences took place in three cities this year, all with unique and extravagant cultures and environments. In most cases, attendees will be from their respective region when attending an NFLC. Speaking from experience, I attended my local NFLC, which was located at Washington D.C., and it was surely a memorable experience for me and my acquaintances. From touring Capitol Hill and meeting congressmen to sitting in on workshops and networking with FBLA members, I had my best FBLA memory yet. I, along with my peers, tasted Washington’s culture, and we highly recommend that any FBLA member attend next year’s NFLC, which will be in Baltimore, Maryland to taste Maryland’s culture!

The National Fall Leadership Conferences are intended to present you with an enriching experience to cultivate your leadership skills, yet expose you to a different lifestyle and culture to give you a taste of some of America’s favorite cities. It is a perfect amalgam of fun and education, and I, as well as Sabrena Sabet, highly recommend that you attend the 2015 NFLC. For more information regarding the 2015 NFLC, go to “fbla-pbl.org” and select the “Conferences” tab.

Regards,

7

Wallkill Valley talks about Super Night:

For the 16th year, Wallkill Valley Regional High School has hosted its annual Super Night, a fundraiser for the March of Dimes. The event begins at 8:00 P.M., and concludes at 6:00 A.M. the following morning in the school gymnasium. Super Night is packed with numerous activities for everyone in attendance, including sports, Jell-O eating contests, and so much more.

Super Night has a different theme each year. Some themes include the Olympics, superheroes, and the beach; this year’s theme was “When I Grow Up… Transforming Tomorrow.” This tied in with New Jersey FBLA’s state theme of “Transforming Tomorrow.” Students in attendance dressed up as the occupation that they would like to be when they grow up.

Local Chapter Spotlight Winner:Wallkill Valley Regional HS

8

Many costumes included doctors, soldiers, farmers, soccer moms, Starbucks employees, and countless others.

Throughout the ten-hour night, there are so many things going on. Usually, the night begins with an introduction, in which chapter members welcome and thank associates from the March of Dimes. Next, the first athletic tournament commences-3-on-3 basketball. At the conclusion of that tournament (when the winners are recognized and awarded) the Dating Game begins. Three boys are blindfolded, and answer questions that are asked by the blindfolded girl. After the first round, three girls and one boy are blindfolded; the “couples” were awarded a restaurant gift card. Following the Dating Game is the volleyball tournament. Each team consists of 8 players, and whichever team scores 11 points first moves on to the next round. When the volleyball tournament ends, the dodgeball tournament begins! The basketball court is divided in four, so that two games can go on at the same time. Finally, after the winning team is crowned, the athletic events come to a close. However, there is still the highly anticipated Jell-O eating contest, which is held in the school cafeteria. Participating students (and sometimes, teachers!) can’t use their hands at all, and must use only their mouths in order to consume all the Jell-O.

This is usually one of the last events of Super Night. Of course, food is available all night for everybody thanks to the donations of the local business community and FBLA parents.

Wallkill Valley FBLA has extremely generous businesses willing to help for Super Night. Some businesses donate food for the night, some give monetary donations, and some also provide the prizes for night. Wallkill Valley is always thankful for those who help make Super Night the best it can be.

In order to participate in Super Night, students are required to donate a minimum of $50.00 for the March of Dimes. Prizes are awarded to those students who raise the highest; at Super Night 2014, the highest donation was $1,075.00! Also, this was the first year that students had the option to raise money online; this removes a common hurdle of raising money from relatives/friends who may live farther away. With online donations, students were able to raise money in a unique, accessible way. The total amount raised for Super Night 2014 was $20,575.00! This was Wallkill Valley’s highest amount of donations in Super Night history- and all was donated to the March of Dimes

BY: SCOTT MUELLERWallkill Valley Regional HS

9

Meet Your BoardAmmer Soliman, Communications Director, New JerseyAmmer serves as NJ FBLA’s secretary and his local chapter Co-President. He has been recognized on the regional, state, and national level for his excellence in competitive events such as Public Speaking I and Computer Game and Simulation Programming. Outside of school, Ammer serves as his Class President and is a varsity tri-athlete.

Dennis Ruprecht Jr, Assistant, New HampshireDennis is a sophomore from Woodsville High School in Woodsville, New Hampshire. This is his second year in FBLA and he serves not only as a Vice President's Assistant on the Eastern Region Executive Board, but also as a New Hampshire FBLA State Officer and a local chapter officer. Dennis is can be contacted via email at druprecht356@gmail.com

Vamshi Adimulam, Assistant, New YorkVamshi is a senior at Monroe-Woodbury High School in New York. This is Vamshi's 3rd year in FBLA and has held positions of Chapter President and New York State Executive Vice President. Last year, Vamshi and his partner placed 7th in the nation in Emerging Business Issues. If anyone would like to contact Vamshi, please email him at evp@nysfbla.org.

Alice Vinogradsky, Parliamentarian, New JerseyAlice is the New Jersey FBLA State Parliamentarian and serves on the National Parliamentarian’s Council. Throughout the past few years, Alice has participated in Regional Competitive Events, attended State and National Leadership Conferences, and has taken an active role at her school’s local chapter, where she currently serves as president.

10

Regan Butler, Executive Assistant/Secretary, ConnecticutRegan Butler is a senior at The Gunnery in Washington, Connecticut. She has been involved in FBLA for 5 years. She is currently her chapter’s President. Aside from FBLA, Regan is involved in all of her schools theatrical productions. She also enjoys helping her school’s marketing and admissions office by taking pictures or giving tours.

Inna Kapoor, Assistant, New JerseyInna has been able to take advantage of job shadowing/internship and summer program opportunities, participate in field trips, volunteer for events, attend conferences, and compete at both the Regional and State levels. She was also voted “Most Involved” by the members of her local chapter. Email her at ikapoor@njfbla.org if you have any questions!

Editor ’s Corner

#FBLAAskAsk Sabrena questions on Twitter and Facebook!

11