Indiana State University Newsroom

A prominent financial advisor and Indiana State University graduate will join an internationally recognized ethics professor as among the speakers at an upcoming conference about ethics.

Financial advisor Joe Evelo and Paul Fiorelli, co-director of the Cintas Institute for Business Ethics at Xavier University, will present at the eighth annual Ethics and Corporate Social Responsibility Conference at Indiana State on April 3. Evelo will present "Ethics and Integrity in the Real World: A Real-Life Story of an ISU Student" in a general audience session at 2 p.m. Fiorelli will present "The Value of Values: Why We Should Care About Ethics" during a noon presentation.

"People who attend the conference can gain professional networking opportunities and insight into ethical dilemmas they might face in their own career path," said Will Lehman, a junior finance major from Nineveh, Ind., who is part of the team organizing the conference. "They will also learn information about ethics and corporate social responsibility."

Evelo is founder and senior investment strategist for the Evelo/Singer Group in Cincinnati. In February he was recognized as the top financial advisor in Ohio in Barron's "America's Top 1,000 Financial Advisors." Evelo, who received his bachelor's in economics from Indiana State, has more than 36 years of experience in the financial services field.

"His presentation will discuss the importance of ethical decision making in the workplace and the results of someone who ‘made it big' in the industry without compromising moral and ethical standards," said Brittany Kirk, a junior majoring in marketing and insurance and risk management from Casey, Ill., who is helping to organize the conference. "We hope that attendees of this session will be inspired to work hard and maintain their integrity as they seek to make a difference in the world through their careers."

Fiorelli was selected to be part of a national advisory group working with the United States Sentencing Commission. He has received the Thomas Clark Fellow Award from former U.S. Chief Justice William Rehnquist, and he also was honored with the 2007 International Compliance Award from the Society of Corporate Compliance and Ethics.

"After his outstanding presentation at the first ethics conference, Paul Fiorelli has been invited to return again this year," Kirk said. "His engaging style of presentation captivates his listeners and changes the way they view ethics in everyday life."

Breakout sessions at 11 a.m. and 1 p.m. will provide people with an opportunity to learn more about different topics that interest them. The presentations range from Lant Davis, pastor at Central Presbyterian Church in Terre Haute, discussing economic fairness, to Diane Cargile, the former president of the National Association of Elementary School Principals, who will present "What it Means to Be a Professional in the Classroom, the Courtroom or the Boardroom."

At 10 a.m. the first general audience session of the day will feature Tom Roberts, the director for enterprise management services in the Defense Financing and Accounting Service. He will present "Ethics: The Difference Between Compliance and Conscience."

"As a 30-year veteran of our armed services and current leader of one of our nation's largest finance and accounting systems, he brings to his audience a wealth of practical and worldwide experience," said Ellen Lamb, a junior financial services and insurance and risk management double major from Pendleton, Ind., who is helping organize the conference. "Mr. Roberts's examples from history and his life experiences will keep conference attendees thoroughly entertained as they are informed of how an ethical conscience should be utilized in our work environments."

Students in Networks Financial Institute's Professional Development Program organize and host the ethics conference, which is the largest event that is part of the annual ethics week at Indiana State. At 7 p.m. on April 1, groups of Indiana State students will compete in the ethics bowl, a bracket-style tournament where teams compete to find the best way to handle ethical dilemmas.

On April 2, Holocaust survivor and CANDLES Museum founder Eva Kor will speak at 5 p.m. in Hulman Memorial Student Union. On April 4 at 4:30 p.m., the "Ethics in Athletics" event will take place in the Arena at Indiana State and feature Indiana State coaches and athletes talking about ethics. The event also will feature games and activities to conclude ethics week.

Kor's presentation and the "Ethics in Athletics" event are open to the public. More information about the ethics conference, including the itinerary and registration information, can be found at www.indstate.edu/ethics

People can also keep up with the ethics conference on Twitter with @IndStEthics2013.

Photo: http://isuphoto.smugmug.com/Events/Ethics-Conferance/i-NKXrGDP/0/L/03_36_12_ethics%20conference-1637-L.jpgIndiana State University professor Art Sherwood speaks at the Ethics and Corporate Social Responsibility Conference at Indiana State last year. Indiana State students in the Networks Financial Institute's Professional Development Program organize and host the annual conference, which features speakers and presentations from a variety of areas in business.

Photo: http://isuphoto.smugmug.com/photos/i-fRNjgXF/0/L/i-fRNjgXF-L.jpg(Submitted photo)Joe Evelo

Photo: http://isuphoto.smugmug.com/photos/i-WmD2CHX/0/L/i-WmD2CHX-L.jpg (Submitted photo)Paul Fiorelli

Media Contact and Writer: Austin Arceo, assistant director of media relations, Office of Communications and Marketing, Indiana State University, 812-237-3790 or austin.arceo-negrich@indstate.edu