Bryan Jones
Contributing Writer
ESU is set to host two events for its Crayola Series of Professional Executive Lecture during the month of October. Organized by The College of Business and Management, the events will feature key speakers that provide insight into professional career growth.
“Well, there’s a bit of excitement to it,” said Douglas Nay, the Associate Professor of Business Management. “Dean Williams is very invested in this, and it’s really his brainchild.”
“I had done this concept previously at Elizabethtown College,” said Dean Sylvester Williams. “Although we were introducing our students to about 35 executives a year, as opposed to the 10 we do at ESU. The more people we brought in, the better we were able to do by the students.”
The first event features the Vice President of U.S. Category Management & Human Insights of the Hershey Company, David Nolen. Scheduled for Thursday, October 3, from 2:00 pm to 3:30 pm at Beers Lecture Hall.
Attendees and students will have the opportunity to learn about the various ways Mr. Nolen impacts his business, challenges in the management of consumer goods, and strategies for driving business growth in an extremely competitive market.
As the Vice President of U.S. Category management & Human Insights, Nolen is in a unique position to share his knowledge with students entering business related fields. Considering that his team works on understanding market trends and the behavior of consumers, the insights gained from this presentation could be valuable for students majoring in marketing and business administration.
The connection of business growth and human insights may be one of the more focused upon points of the presentation, with Nolen informing students how his teams use consumer data for informed decisions on product placement, marketing strategies, and overall promotion.
Carlo Deconza, an alumnus of ESU, graduate of the Fall 2016 class and East Stroudsburg resident currently working in the film industry, expressed intrigue at the event.
“Events like this are really powerful for students because the speaker provides firsthand experience you just can’t get anywhere else,” Said Deconza. “It’s one thing to read or learn about people like this, but to have the chance to question them yourself, it leaves an impact.”
The second event will take place on Thursday, October 24, from 2:00 PM to 3:30 PM, and features Dave Makarsky, the Managing Director of Camelback Resort; a staple of the Poconos. This lecture will have more of a focus on the insights and experiences of managing one of the largest resorts in the Poconos. Students can get a firsthand account on the day-to-day operations of running a resort.
“It’s important for me to have the students get as much experience as possible with individuals like this,” stated Dean Williams. “A lot of first-generation students haven’t had contact with c-suite level executives before. By bringing them here for lectures, the students are provided with a new source of information, and a deeper look into business management.”
Though the events are part of a series of lectures that take place over the course of a semester, Dean Williams invites a variety of guests to speak to ensure that the lectures remain fresh. From large corporations to small businesses, and everything in-between this lecture series intrigues because of the myriads of viewpoints that students can glean knowledge from.
“It’s like going to a candy store,” stated Dean Williams. “You don’t know what candy you want, but all the different types that you see, taste, and experience ultimately lead you to the candy you end up wanting. I think for our students, providing them something to sink their teeth into through these lectures can lead them to discovering a career they can excel at.”