VILLANOVA, PA, April 21, 2009—The Villanova School of Business congratulates MBA candidates, Rachel Buck, Joel Faircloth, and Alison Sawyer. The team of three received 1st place recognition and $5,000 in LaSalle University’s first annual Delaware Valley Nonprofit Case Competition and most recently received $4,000 in the annual Association for Corporate Growth (ACG) Philadelphia Cup competition.

Members of the team credited success in the case competitions to their Villanova MBA experience. "Between the two competitions, we touched upon a host of relevant financial, business, and ethical concepts which supplemented our coursework," said Alison Sawyer.

Joel Faircloth agreed, "The competitions were challenging in that we had to draw on our collective experiences from the VSB program and synthesize them into a coherent strategy. Only when the case work was completed did I fully realize how much I have learned in the MBA program."

During the nonprofit competition, Team VSB was applauded for their outstanding presentation and unique approach to the legal, ethical, and financial issues facing a local nonprofit organization. In the third annual ACG Philadelphia Cup, the trio finished in 3rd place behind The Wharton School and Haub School of Business.

Simone Pollard, Villanova School of Business Assistant Dean of Graduate Business Programs, commended the winning team for their representation of Villanova University. "We are extremely pleased with our MBA students’ success in these competitions. Such high rankings attest to VSB’s standing as a premier graduate business institution that is impacting the local region through student engagement."

The Delaware Valley Nonprofit Case Competition is the first of its kind in the region. The competition is sponsored by the Nonprofit Center at La Salle University's School of Business. For more information on this case competition visit www.lasallenonprofitcenter.org.

Founded in 1954, the Association for Corporate Growth (ACG) is a global association for professionals involved in corporate growth, corporate development, and mergers and acquisitions.

The Villanova School of Business serves more than 2,500 students across its graduate and undergraduate business programs. The campus is located on Philadelphia’s Main Line, just 12 miles west of center city. In addition to its MBA programs, the school offers graduate programs in accounting, technology management, church management, and finance. The VSB Part-Time MBA Program is ranked #11 in the nation. More at www.business.villanova.edu.