"Meet the Retailers" panel (from left to right) Tara Spivey, HR, Macy's West; and Chantel Waterbury, RMI '97, Buyer, Macy's West; Malissa Iannone, RMI '99, Associate Merchandise Manager DFS; Lindsay Carpenter, Development, Nordstrom.

A room full of students and faculty were treated to a guest panel which included: Tara Spivey, Human Resource Manager for College Relations and Sales Promotion for Macy's West; Lindsay Carpenter, Director of Learning and Development for Nordstrom; and SCU -RMI '99 Alum Malissa Iannone, Associate Merchandise Manager for Boutiques-Duty Free Shops Galleria; and Chantel Waterbury, SCU-RMI Alum '97, Buyer of Trend and Designer Jewelry for Macy's West.

Speaking with experience, poise, and knowledge, the panel enlightened students and faculty on their career paths to date, why they chose the companies they work for, what retail means to them, and the career paths available in their companies. One point stressed was the fact that retailing is not exclusive to management and buying/merchandising. Human Resources, Training, Finance, Planning, and Marketing (among other jobs) create great careers that are needed to support the merchandising group.

Each speaker also emphasized the importance of internships, which gives valuable experience to college students, and the idea of working hard and speaking up. Every single panel member has succeeded in the retail industry as a result of making their goals heard, by everyone they encountered. Such verbal expression, when teamed with hard work, allowed each to attain and excel in their goals.

Before a question and answer period, Malissa and Chantel also discussed why they joined the Retail Management Institute and the benefits they received during and after their four years at Santa Clara University. Both commented on the internship program, Retail Seminar classes, networking events, and the opportunity for leadership experience. Following were questions which focused on the students' concerns and the panels' insightful considerations.

After the talk, panel members were treated to a casual reception where they were able to mix and mingle with students, recall past memories of SCU, and simply socialize.

Meet the Retailers served as an excellent opportunity to create contacts with various companies and allowed attendees to get their foot in the door of several prominent retailers.