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Dianne Neal's Remarks at the Alumni Award Banquet
April 8, 2004

This award means a great deal to me. I hold UNCG and the Bryan School in such high esteem – and being singled out as a distinguished alumni is a real honor. The interesting thing about receiving an award like this is that it makes you stop and think. If you're like me, you don't reflect on a day-to-day basis on the role your education plays in your life. But it's huge. And the institution at which you choose to study plays an equally important role. There are many schools that offer accounting degrees and MBA's … but I chose UNCG. And I have never, ever regretted my choice. In fact - It's quite the opposite. By good fortune or maybe you'd call it pure luck – I became a student and life-long fan of UNCG.

It all started when my father was on a business trip, and happened to bump into a group of UNCG students. He was very impressed with them, and their recommendation of the school was so strong that he suggested I consider applying. Now, sometimes I wonder what would have happened if he'd bumped into a group at some other school, but I still consider that chance meeting a stroke of good fortune. I loved my undergraduate years here. Pretty quickly, I determined that I wanted to pursue something to do with math, which I was good at, and business. I was always fascinated by business. So the obvious answer was that math plus business equals an accounting degree. As an added bonus, an accounting major meant that I would not have to take any more biology courses, which at the time was a huge benefit.

During my undergrad years -- actually the first day in a Matrix Theory math class -- a second stroke of good fortune happened my way. A pretty special guy named Ched Neal sat down next to me and caught my eye and stole my heart. So I give UNCG credit for that major life change as well. After 18 years of marriage and two adorable sons, I think it's safe to say that it's worked out. UNCG also helped me find my first job in accounting. Forsyth Memorial Hospital was conducting on campus interviews my senior year – and I was very fortunate to get the job. I worked there for six years and during that time, I came back to UNCG to study for the CPA exam.

Then, I decided to pursue an MBA at the Bryan School . I have to admit that my undergraduate degree was sort of “expected” in my family. But taking on the commitment and workload of the MBA program was an investment in myself that was purely selfish. What a luxury it was to invest time and effort into improving my education … broadening my business perspective … and enhancing my teamwork skills. As much as I loved my undergraduate years, I appreciated the challenge and reward of the graduate program even more. The professors were amazing – not only were they extremely knowledgeable, but they also went the extra mile to work one-on-one with students. That is one of the hallmarks of UNCG's business program. It couples individual attention and guidance with solid grounding in the technical material being taught.

I use what I learned at UNCG every single day. As CFO of a Fortune 500 company, I obviously use the accounting and finance training that I received here. But I also apply the big-picture analytical skills that a great education gives you. Numbers have to add up and yes – the debits need to equal the credits - but what do the numbers really mean? What are they really telling you? What are the trends? Are costs too high? Are you getting a good return on your investment? What do we need to do to improve earnings? Those are the macro questions that separate a bean-counter from a real financial manager. And that's exactly what UNCG taught me to do – know the basics from a technical standpoint – but don't stop there. Use analytical skills, judgment, and business acumen to strive for better results. It's really hard for me to imagine how different my life would have been if not for my time at UNCG. I chose a career here, met my husband here and I got my first job here. Now if that's not the definition of a full service institution, I don't know what is. And then UNCG provided the opportunity for me to come back after work to study for my CPA certificate and my MBA. UNCG has truly become part of who I am. That's one of the reasons why I enjoy participating on the Bryan School Advisory Board. It gives me the chance to make sure that the next generation of students has the same – or even better – opportunities than I had. Now that I have kids of my own, that's particularly important to me. I can only wish for my boys the same creative environment and limitless opportunity that I was presented with when I arrived on campus.

Again, my thanks and appreciation go to Dean Weeks and the selection committee for this award. And to the faculty and administration of the university, I can only say that I owe you a debt that I can never repay. Thank you.

Page updated: 07-Feb-2006

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