On March 15, 2009, approximately 100 vendors and school licensing directors gathered in Anaheim, California at the Fair Labor Association’s University Advisory Council’s Annual Meeting. They came together to discuss the urgency of ensuring that corporate social responsibility does not become another victim of the economic downturn.

Joel Friedman, vice president of general merchandise at Barnes & Noble College Booksellers, was personally invited to join a five-person panel leading the discussion. He served as the only retail voice on the panel, which included three merchandise vendors as well as a licensing vendor from the University of Maryland.

"It was a pleasure and honor to be part of such an important discussion,” noted Friedman. “As a member of the FLA and a recognized industry leader in fair labor practices, Barnes & Noble places a high priority on supporting positive developments in the area of social responsibility.”

During the discussion, Joel highlighted the importance of understanding the entire supply chain process from production to consumption and how it is affected by a troubled economy. As the only retail voice on the panel he offered a unique perspective on the issue of social responsibility.

“So many good ideas were shared during this discussion,” said Friedman. “It was a great collaboration and I look forward to continuing to be part of similar events.”

Barnes & Noble College Booksellers is a member of the Fair Labor Association (www.fairlabor.org) as well as their University Advisory Council. This February, Joel Friedman had the honor of becoming the first retail member of the Student Advisory Committee (a subset of the University Advisory Council).