2021 RMSBA Annual Meeting Agenda

The Art & Science of Buying NACS

Finding common ground between retailers and suppliers to mutually build sales and profits is more important than ever, so find out why sharing data, developing closer collaborations, and mutual problem-solving is essential to success for all parties (including consumers!).

Developing a strategy for managing supplier partnerships is critical to your success. How do you choose primary, secondary, and specialty suppliers in a given category? How do you say “no” without burning bridges? When does it make sense to use distributors vs. buying directly from a manufacturer? How do you develop true partnerships, where both parties can trust one another and succeed?

A successful sales strategy for the campus store looks different these days. Your core customers may still be choosing to shop virtually and not walking through your front door. How are you adapting and evolving to meet their needs? This session will share ways your store can create a convenient student shopping experience through eCommerce and the LMS. Help your students discover and purchase materials from wherever they are while driving revenue to your store.

This session will include:

• Ideas to keep your website fresh and customers coming back


• Maintain relevance to your campus through strategic relationship building


• Reach your customers through the LMS by creating a superior student experience

An understanding of retail math is crucial to campus stores. In this workshop, we'll take an in-depth look at calculations used in purchasing, daily analysis and running a retail business. Not a numbers person? That's okay! Extra time and attention will allow for all experience levels, and a take-home resource will be provided.

Coming together as RMSBA provides the opportunity to connect around what we do every day, and more importantly - how we do it. The ways we provide customer care, encourage retention of our staff, and manage people interactions from different cultures and perspectives matters. Each interaction is an opportunity to live the values and brand you promote. This presentation will encourage members of RMSBA to consider how understanding topics of respect, inclusion, difference, and diversity can lead to better bottom lines, better campus partnerships, and better work environments.

Dr. Kyle Oldham is a trainer, facilitator, and educator with more than 15 years of experience teaching, supervising, advising, event planning, leading and motivational speaking in student affairs and housing. Dr. Oldham works toward creating an inclusive community of learners, that critically reflective, problem solve, interpret, and analyze personal strengths and skills to build capacity for equity, diversity, and inclusion leaders in higher education. Kyle uses storytelling and elements of dialogue to engage participants in self-reflection and growth related to inclusion and equity.
Dr. Oldham currently serves as the Director of Workplace Inclusion & Talent Management for Housing & Dining Services at Colorado State University where he is responsible for providing educational opportunities for staff to find their voice, their inner passions and ability to lead, from an equity, diversity, inclusion and socially just perspective.
Dr. Oldham obtained a Bachelors of Art in Speech Communications and a minor in Chemistry from Baldwin Wallace University, a Master’s degree in Student Affairs and Higher Education from Colorado State University and his Ed.D. from UMass Amherst in Social Justice Education. Kyle believes that education and awareness are the tools we need most in an ever-changing world, where we are challenged to be our best selves.

Emily Ambrose, has dedicated over 15 years of her professional career and personal life to leadership development, training, coaching, facilitation, diversity, inclusion, and equity work. With a passion for making the sometimes-taboo topics accessible and relatable to all, Emily has worked closely with non-profits, companies, and presented at conferences on how to shift work culture and infuse diversity, equity, and inclusion into the workplace.
Specifically focused on issues around the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer community (LGBTQ), Emily has extensive experience with co-creating Safe Zone workshops and presenting on sexuality and gender identity. She serves as a trained and active volunteer with the Victims’ Assistance Team, supporting survivors and secondary survivors of sexual assault. As an independent consultant, Emily has helped to guide the design and implementation of the highly recognized Multicultural Community Retreat (MCR) in Northern Colorado. She is a Certified Coach Level 2 coach through Consult-Train-Coach, LLC, and is a member of the International Coaching Federation.
Currently and for more than a decade, Emily has been working at Colorado State University in Diversity, Training, and Development. She also found home in the Grand Canyon working as a guide for Arizona Raft Adventures during the summer. Emily has a B.A. degree from the University of Colorado in Boulder in Communication and LGBT Studies and an M.S. from Colorado State University – Fort Collins in Student Affairs in Higher Education. She is a certified facilitator and trainer in MBTI and StrengthsFinder. She has also attended the well-known Social Justice Training Institute. Emily lives in Fort Collins, Colorado and enjoys salsa dancing.

Concurrent Educational Sessions - Roundtables

• Course Materials


• General Merchandise


• Directors