Top honors: Fran Gladden, vice president of government and public affairs for Cox Southeast Region, has been named one of three 2018 Distinguished Alumnus of the Year by the McNeese State University Alumni Association. The award is the highest honor an alumnus can receive and recognizes individuals who have distinguished themselves in their respective fields. A Lake Charles native, Gladden moved to Baton Rouge in 1979 after graduating from McNeese with a bachelor’s degree in marketing. Gladden was also among this year’s class of Business Report’s Influential Women in Business.
Bought and sold: Research shows that customer gratitude is linked to increased sales revenue, sales growth and customer commitment. But what about the role of salesperson gratitude in buyer-seller relationships? Does it motivate behavior that is beneficial to firms? A new study co-authored by LSU Department of Marketing Professor Judith Anne Garretson Folse finds that salesperson gratitude has a positive impact on customer gratitude and commitment through the prosocial behaviors. The study appears in the September issue of Keller Center Research Report. LSU has more details.
You can always go: Anita Begnaud is the new chief executive officer of Lafayette’s Downtown Development Authority, effective Oct. 22, The Advertiser reports. She most recently was the senior vice president of governmental affairs and communications at One Acadiana. As CEO, Begnaud plans to build upon existing planning efforts to attract new amenities, buildings, developments, jobs and residents, while also building on the district’s unique character. She also plans to focus on increasing stakeholder engagement by providing existing businesses with necessary resources, unifying downtown and driving advocacy. Read the full story.
