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It's All Business
Fall business conference aims to build future leaders through interactive forums and networking opportunities for students across all disciplines
By Stephanie Smaglo | November 20, 2014
It’s just after one o’clock on the first day of Virginia Wesleyan’s student-led fall business conference (Nov. 17-21) and the event’s executive vice president Tianna Garland ’16 is feeling the adrenaline. Dressed the part in a sophisticated gold dress and fitted black blazer, she has just left the conference internship fair and will soon return to the Batten Student Center to introduce the afternoon speaker, former Congresswoman Thelma Drake. Garland’s air of excitement and dedication works almost symbolically as a representation of this semester’s conference theme, "Developing Distinguished Leaders for a Growing Economy.”
The weeklong conference—branded this semester as the Marlin Prestige—is the culmination of months of hard work by business students in the course “Principles of Management.” Led by Associate Professor of Management/Business/Economics Paul Ewell ’89, students coordinate all aspects of the event, exercising key management skills like product development, networking, and project and financial planning. The conference features a variety of speakers, panels, and interactive forums focusing on Virginia’s expanding economy and the cultivation of its young leaders.
"Our focus is to develop the distinguished leaders our economy needs," says Garland. "Our team made it a point to create events that not only inform guests about economic issues in Hampton Roads, but also that provide students with interactive networking opportunities."
One of these valuable networking opportunities came in the form of guest speaker Eric Nyman ’94, senior vice president for global marketing at Hasbro. In a presentation titled “The Real Toy Story,” Nyman spoke Tuesday afternoon about the important link between passion and career, and he shared his personal road map for success, a mnemonic he created called SMILE: Strategy, Mentorship, Intelligence, Love, and Entrepreneurship.
“Open yourself up to learning things that you wouldn’t traditionally open yourselves up to,” he told the audience when speaking about the ‘Intelligence’ portion of his mnemonic. “That’s what’s so cool about a liberal arts institution. Take some classes that really make you uncomfortable. Nobody asks you, five years into your career, ‘Did you get all As in college?’ What they ask is, ‘What did you expose yourself to? Did you push yourself? Did you make yourself a more interesting person? What are some experiences that you’ve done that can help us?’ Those are the things that can really help you.”
Other guest speakers included Tiff Zimmerman, sales manager at Sentara; Thelma Drake, former Congresswoman and current director of the Virginia Department of Rail and Public Transit; Daniel Baxter, business recycling coordinator for the City of Newport News; and Jeff Craddock ’93, local pawn shop owner. Still to come on Friday are speakers Lorna Gerome, director of human resources for Albemarle County and Albemarle County Public Schools; Robert Aston, chief executive officer at TowneBank; and VWC President Billy Greer, who will discuss the College’s economic impact on the Hampton Roads community.
Daily activities also included the popular "Shark Tank" presentations; the Bob Marlin Consulting Competition; a personal branding workshop; and a special presentation by business professor Dave Garraty addressing the UN Principles for Responsible Management Education (PRME), a set of ethical guidelines formally adopted as part of VWC’s business curriculum in 2008.
Before she heads off to the next event, Tianna Garland takes a page out of Eric Nyman’s book. She encourages students across all disciplines to attend the business conference, get involved and take advantage of the opportunities it provides.
“This conference isn’t just for business students,” she says. “It’s for Virginia Wesleyan students. Even if you’re not a business major, it’s important to remember that everything is a business.”