Tulane Athlete and Finance Student Drafted by Los Angeles Dodgers

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Geoffrey “Geoff” J. Block owns and manages RLB Squared, LLC, a holding company headquartered in Bluffton, South Carolina. A graduate of Tulane University, Geoff Block gives back to his alma mater by supporting the A. B. Freeman School of Business and the university’s athletic programs.

In June of 2019, the business school and athletic programs at Tulane issued dual press releases announcing that student-athlete Kody Hoese has been selected in the 2019 Major League Baseball First-Year Player Draft. Hoese, a junior majoring in finance, was taken with the 25th overall pick by the Los Angeles Dodgers.

Hoese’s selection came after the Green Wave athlete enjoyed a 2019 season that saw him record a team-best .391 batting average. He also finished with 92 hits, 61 RBIs, and 72 runs scored, all of which contributed to him winning the American Athletic Conference Player of the Year and securing a place on the All-American Athletic Conference first team.

Hoese has built a significant athletic legacy over his time at Tulane, where he ranks in the top 5 all-time players in both the single-season home runs and total bases. A native of Griffith, Indiana, he is the first Green Wave player since 2008 to be chosen in the MLB Draft’s first round and the 10th player overall in program history.

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The Effects of Weather on Vintage Wine

Geoff Block is the founder and manager of the Lowcountry Strong Foundation, a non-profit organization that supports families in need in Beaufort and Jasper counties. A graduate of Tulane University, Geoff Block develops real estate and currently manages RLB Squared in South Carolina.

When he’s not busy with professional or philanthropic responsibilities, Mr. Block enjoys fine dining and vintage wines. Vintage refers to the year that grapes were picked for use in winemaking. In other words, vintage wines are produced from grapes that were selected in the same year, whereas non-vintage wines are made from blends of different vintages.

The weather has a significant impact on wine vintages since different grape varieties respond differently in taste and quality under different climates. Different grapes perform best under certain weather conditions, while other weather conditions can negatively affect a vintage. Spring frosts and hail can kill crops and reduce the size of grapes, while overly wet weather or drought conditions in the summer can reduce grape quality. In the fall, rainy conditions or cold weather too close to harvest time can also reduce the quality of a vintage.

Tulane University Announces Launch of Joint MBA/MSRED Degree Program

Serving as the manager of RLB Squared, Geoff Block oversees real estate acquisitions and developments, including the new headquarters of Jaguar Land Rover North America. Geoff Block attended Tulane University in New Orleans, where he studied business at the Freeman School of Business.

Established in 1914, the Freeman School of Business at Tulane University offers undergraduate and graduate programs in business administration, finance, management, business analytics, and accounting. In February 2019, the Freeman School announced a strategic partnership with the Tulane School of Architecture to offer a joint MBA/Sustainable Real Estate Development (MBA/MSRED) degree program, the first of its kind in New Orleans.

The MBA/MSRED degree program provides students with information and concepts in analytics, development, consulting, and management - all areas essential in the preparation for the evolving practices of the real estate industry. The MBA/MSRED includes a combined total of 89 course credits delivered in two years or five semesters. In addition to classroom learning, students are also required to complete case studies and perform directed research on a chosen topic in sustainable real estate development.

Three Ways to Motivate Your Employees

For more than five years, Geoff Block has served as the manager of RLB Squared, LLC, a South Carolina-based investment firm. In this capacity, Geoff Block oversees the day-to-day management of the firm and employees.

If you own or manage a company, you must keep your employees motivated if you want them to continue performing well. You can motivate employees by:

- Offering incentives. By implementing an incentive program at your company, you show your employees that you appreciate good work and encourage them to work well throughout the year. Incentive programs can take various forms to fit with your business. For example, you can cover part of the cost of employees getting additional credentials or education.

- Being communicative. Routine communication is often overlooked, but sharing new goals with your employees and showing how much you appreciate them is essential. Don’t focus on emails and newsletters; find time to speak with your employees face-to-face.

- Promoting advancement. When your employees know they are working toward something, they automatically feel motivated to accomplish more. Provide employees with training opportunities so they can learn the skills they will need in their new positions.

Vintage Wines and Their Point of Comparison

A Tulane University business graduate, Geoff Block gained executive experience with Crown Growth Partners. He currently oversees the day-to-day operations of RLB Squared, LLC. Aside from managing this firm, Geoff Block enjoys fine dining and vintage wines. 

When two wines of the same variety are displayed in a wine store and one is more expensive than the other, it may be because the more expensive bottle is a vintage wine. The age of a bottle of wine often affects its price, particularly when it comes to red wines. Taste is altered as red wine ages because time reduces the tannin and acidity levels in the wine. 

Aside from processes and procedures that are controllable, the taste of vintage wine is greatly affected by an uncontrollable force — nature. The climate in a particular region where grapes grow has a huge impact on the outcome of the wine. During wet seasons, grapes don’t ripen at the time they were originally expected to ripen. That means the fruit harvested during a wet year might be mediocre when compared to fruit grown and harvested under normal climatic conditions. For this reason, even wines of the same label may taste differently from year to year.

Wine enthusiasts use the vintage chart as a general reference guide. The vintage chart contains information on the region where a wine was produced, the variety of grapes used in the wine, and the years of bottling. The chart also provides a rating. A certain wine may be rated as “superb” in one year and rated “very good” in another, thanks to those occasional uncontrollable forces.

Tulane Forward Melvin Frazier Selected in 2018 NBA Draft

An experienced executive who formerly worked with Crown Growth Partners, Geoff Block has served as the manager of real estate investment firm RLB Squared since 2013. An alumnus of Tulane University, Geoff Block continues to support the school through regular donations to its athletics programs.

On June 21, 2018, Melvin Frazier became the first Tulane University basketball player to be selected in the National Basketball Association (NBA) Draft since 1997. Frazier, a junior and former star player at Higgins High School, was selected 35th overall by the Orlando Magic.

Frazier had a memorable campaign in 2017-18 as the Green Wave forward averaged 15.9 points, 5.6 rebounds, and 2.9 assists per game en route to winning the Most Improved Player for the American Athletic Conference. He averaged 11.5 points as a sophomore and 5.2 points as a freshman. Following the season, Frazier stood out at May's NBA Draft Combine as he registered a 40.5-inch vertical leap, which was second-highest among all forwards.

Eligibility Requirements for Lowcountry Strong Support

Geoff Block is an accomplished financial services provider who joined RLB Squared, LLC, in Bluffton, South Carolina, as manager following his tenure at Crown Growth Partners. In addition to his work at RLB Squared, Geoff Block engages with numerous charitable organizations, such as the Community Foundation of the Lowcountry.

A registered 501(c)(3) not-for-profit organization, the Community Foundation of the Lowcountry, or Lowcountry Strong, works with families and community members throughout Beaufort and Jasper counties with a mission of benefitting in-need individuals, particularly those impacted by natural disasters.

Due to limited resources and high demand, Lowcountry Strong services are only available to eligible individuals. To begin, only full-time residents living in either Beaufort or Jasper are eligible. Individuals are only considered for Lowcountry Strong support if their financial needs can be viewed as critical, typically as a result of considerable damage to their place of residence. A family may also be eligible for support if their overall quality of life has greatly suffered.

Finally, Lowcountry Strong services have been designed to benefit the region’s most at-risk families. Households with annual incomes surpassing $85,000 generally are not accepted into the program, though exceptions can be made for families in extreme situations.