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Business leaders to explore spiritual values in commerce during first-time conference at St. Olaf

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March 15, 2001

NORTHFIELD, Minn. ? Twin Cities and other area business leaders will explore the role of spiritual faith in the workplace during a first-ever conference at St. Olaf College Thursday, March 29. The conference is sponsored by St. Olaf College?s Finstad Center for Entrepreneurial Studies.

"Faith plays an essential role in decision-making, and it has an undeniable impact on the ethics we follow in our business practices," said John Hanson, director of the Finstad Entrepreneurial Center. "St. Olaf College has a strong identity as an influential Christian organization. We developed this conference so we can use these resources to help concerned business and professional people increase the impact of Christian ethics on commerce."

In the mid-1960s some business leaders began advocating that personal spiritual philosophy be separated from the process of business decision-making. Since then the use of spiritual values in business has been a controversial ? though frequently overlooked ? topic of business discussion, according to Hanson.

The March 29 conference is intended "to encourage strong ethical consideration by business leaders in the Twin Cities," he added. Participating business leaders will spend the day talking about ethics with other entrepreneurs and with St. Olaf professors.

Christopher M. Thomforde, president of St. Olaf College and a pastor of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, will speak to conference participants at an opening luncheon. Then participants will form small groups to discuss where and how faith should intersect with and influence business.

Area business leaders are welcome to attend the conference. Those interested may get more information by calling (507) 646-3043 or e-mailing queries to events@stolaf.edu.

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Faith in the workplace conference ? 2

Hanson wants to make the "Do You Have Faith in Your Workplace?" conference an annual event.

The Finstad Entrepreneurial Center encourages entrepreneurial thinking and acting among St. Olaf College students, faculty and alumni. The center offers grants of up to $3,000 to students who undertake entrepreneurial projects. It also offers classes dealing with entrepreneurial principles and issues, and does intensive case studies among Twin Cities entrepreneurs as a way to support and assist St. Olaf alumni and students with business development.

St. Olaf College prepares students to become responsible citizens of the world, fostering development of mind, body and spirit. A four-year, coeducational liberal arts college of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA), St. Olaf has a student enrollment of 2,950 and a full-time faculty complement of approximately 300. It is one of Money Guide?s top 100 "elite values in college education today," and it leads the nation?s colleges in percentage of students who study abroad.

Contact Michael Cooper at 507-786-3315 or cooperm@stolaf.edu.