Students learn business etiquette at 10th annual seminar



The UAF School of Management hosted its 10th annual Spring Etiquette Seminar on Friday, February 28. Students had the opportunity to interact with and learn from professionals within the Fairbanks community about dining etiquette, as well as professional advice from various backgrounds and industries.


Professional experts this year included:

  • Amy Cooper, UAF School of Management

  • Jim Culley, Mt. McKinley Bank

  • Stephanie Haskins, Black Spruce Brewing Company

  • Jordan Hendry, SBS Retirement Consultants

  • Mark Herrmann, UAF School of Management

  • Jennifer Hoskins, Foundation Health Partners

  • Melissa Jay, KPMG

  • Pam Lloyd, GCI

  • Carly Nelson, Fountainhead Development Inc.

  • Doug Schrage, UAF ֱֻ Association

  • Jenn Thompson, MAC FCU

  • Tammy Tragis-McCook, UAF School of Management

  • Bobby Weaver, Keyes and Associates

  • Krystal Wester, Hot Shot Sisters


The event kicked off with a presentation by Melissa Jay of KPMG, educating students about the importance of dining etiquette and proper behavior outside of the workplace. Following the presentation, the professionals were assigned various questions and categories to discuss with the students. The professionals shared their opinions of matters such as working in a shared space, social media guidelines, and email etiquette.



Before the seminar, some participants were interviewed to find out what they hoped to learn and their reasons for attending the event. IvaLea Packee, a freshman accounting student, said her goal was “to get experience and connect with some people and learn about different opportunities in the community.” Both students and professionals appreciated the ability to connect in a group setting, as well as breaking into one-on-one sessions to ask any questions the students wanted to learn about.



Following the seminar, other participants were interviewed to find out what they learned and some of the takeaways they appreciated. Doug Schrage of the UAF ֱֻ Association shared that his favorite part of the seminar was the game where professionals were asked to answer random questions and give their input on various topics. “It gave us the chance to answer questions without the opportunity to prepare for them, so I think it was very genuine.”



The 2020 Etiquette Seminar proved to be a success and a great learning experience for students, as well as for professionals. Thank you to KPMG, Lavelle’s Bistro and the UAF ֱֻ Association for sponsoring the event.

Enjoy this student-created video with more comments and feedback from participants about the event.