higher education Archives - High Performance Coach Cindy Donaldson

Bryan Gross and Myra Quick talk college grads and entering the workforce

Leave a Comment / podcast / By Cindy Donaldson / October 23, 2019 / Bryan Gross, Cindy Donaldson, core competencies, Crosswalk Coalition, employers, Entrepreneur Masters, Fast Forward Learning, first job, higher education, Myra Quick, red barn consulting, Western New England University

Bryan Gross, VP for Enrollment Management and Marketing at Western New England University, and Myra Quick, Founder and CEO of Fast Forward Learning and Development and the creator of the Mastermind Program Crosswalk Coalition, talk about student readiness when it comes to heading out into the real world and getting their first jobs. Do students have the core competencies needed that employers are looking for? Are students really getting the ROI on their tuition dollars to get them a job in their related fields?

$\"Bryan$ Bryan Gross currently serves as the Vice President for Enrollment Management and Marketing at Western New England University. He is also a member of the Board of Directors for the American International Recruitment Council where he serves as chair of the membership committee. At Western New England University he is a member of the President’s Cabinet and the chair of the University’s Enrollment Management Committee. Bryan is passionate about the strategic value of aligning a University’s admissions, financial aid leveraging and marketing strategies in order to produce optimal results in today’s competitive enrollment marketplace.

His prior positions have been as the Associate Vice President for Enrollment Management at St. John’s University in New York City and as the Associate Vice President for Admissions at the University of Bridgeport in Bridgeport, CT.

He has also presented multiple times at regional and national NACAC and NAFSA conferences on topics related to best practices in domestic and international recruitment and new approaches in digital and social media marketing.

$\"Myra$ Myra Quick is the Founder and CEO of Fast Forward Learning & Development, HR Specialist (PHR, SHRM-CP) public speaker, trainer, and fierce advocate for higher education students and employers looking to hire them. Seeing Both Sides . Myra has lived in the HR world for let’s just say “a long time” and she knows what employers are struggling with and what they are looking for in employees. She’s also worked in higher education for “a long time” and she knows what students are learning, and more importantly how many are struggling post-graduation to get a job that is relevant to their degree. She began seeing the disconnect and the need for Competency Based Education (CBE) years before it was the hot topic and education workshops.

There is a disconnect – and a big one. Myra noticed most schools focus on delivering well-rounded graduates, but not well-rounded future employees. Many colleges and universities have legacy cultures – as in “this is the way we’ve always done it and this is the way it should be” and are unwilling to change those cultures to teach students what they want to learn and give them the exact skills they need for a specific job. AHA moment – the solution has always been crystal clear for Myra. Competency Based Education CBE is the answer – for non-traditional AND traditional students. She launched Fast Forward Learning & Development and the Crosswalk Coalition Mastermind to facilitate change and help bridge the divide between employers and students.

The struggle is real – the future is hopeful. Like many working mothers, Myra decided to finish her degree and was looking for an alternative that would not only fit her lifestyle but give her the biggest bang for her buck. She chose Bay Path University’s Saturday Learning program allowing her to fast track her degree. It was perfect. Bay Path also introduced Myra to one of the major disruptors and change agents in higher education – Dr. Carol Leary, President and CEO at Bay Path. Myra saw how Dr. Leary literally changed the course of the then college’s future by embracing change, connecting deeply with local businesses which included secured funding and taking an almost extinct school to one of the premier 4 year universities on the east coast. Myra knew Dr. Leary was on to something bigger than Bay Path – and the rest is well, history.

It’s simply a passion. Let’s just say, she isn’t letting go anytime soon. Myra is passionate about ensuring that every student that enrolls – traditional or non-traditional – in college receives the core competencies they need for success once they graduate. Not only is she passionate about Competency Based Education, she is passionate about the future of our private 4 year schools who are facing a daunting future with declined enrollment. She believes shifting the way we educate will help right the decreased admissions, save schools, save communities and save jobs.

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Robin Bienemann and Matt Carbray talk Family Business Programs

Robin Anne Bienemann, Founder and CEO of Crimson Rook and the creator of the Family Business Cooperative, and Matt Carbray, Founder of Ridgeline Financial Partners, talk about how important family owned businesses are and how important programs that support them can be to the economy – it starts at the college level. Take a listen and learn more about the programs that both Matt and Robin have been involved in and their thoughts on what colleges and universities can do to help support family owned businesses.

$\"\"$ To say Robin is passionate about Family Businesses is an understatement. She\’s owned them, lived them, supported them and is on a mission to ensure their survival. Robin is the Founder and CEO of Crimson Rook, a firm helping family businesses increase value and supporting them through the transition to new owners or generations. She is also the Entrepreneur in Residence at the University of Connecticut (UConn) where she helped rebuild and relaunch their Family Business Program.

Robin brings extensive management experience to her work having served as an executive and entrepreneur for companies with revenues ranging from $1M to $20B in a wide variety of manufacturing and services industries. From her family roots in small town Vermont to Silicon Valley California at the peak of the .Com era – Robin has seen it all.

For the past dozen years (give or take a decade) Robin has been working with her brothers Dave & Chuck on their family owned businesses – Concursive Corp. and Core Value Research. Concursive software products are used to create mobile and online social-collaborative platforms. Core Value provides owners with a tool set designed to increase the value of the business. Let\’s just say, family businesses are a family affair in Robin\’s family!

Robin received her Bachelor’s degree from Springfield College and her Masters as a Sloan Fellow at MIT. She lives in Spokane, WA with her husband Tom. The couple has three children and eight grandchildren.

$\"\"$ Matthew Carbray offers comprehensive financial planning advice to individuals, families, and small business owners. Partnering with clients to define their financial priorities, short-term goals, and long-term aspirations, Matthew designs comprehensive, customized, and flexible financial plans to help them achieve their desired financial futures.

Prior to founding Ridgeline Financial Partners, Matthew began his career as a financial planner with New England Financial in 2002 and co-founded Carbray Staunton Financial Planners, LLC, in 2006. Matthew earned a BS in financial services with a dual minor concentration in law and taxation from Bryant College in 2002 and holds the CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™, Chartered Financial Consultant® and Chartered Life Underwriter® designation.

Matthew has earned numerous awards and accolades throughout his career. New England Financial selected Matthew as its Best New Agent in 2002, and in 2006 awarded him an Outstanding Achievement Award and the title of Advisor of the Year. In addition, Matthew was named a Five Star Wealth Manager for overall customer satisfaction in 2012-2018* by Connecticut Magazine and a winner of best Financial Advisor in the Best of Hartford Magazine 2016, 2017 and 2018. In 2013, Matthew was selected by Hartford Business Journal for inclusion in the 40 Under Forty, an honor bestowed on outstanding business leaders in the community. Matt is highly sought after for his expertise in the media and has been featured in notable publications such as: The Wall Street Journal, U.S. News & World Report, Forbes, Consumer Reports and Money.

Outside of the professional sphere, Matthew stays actively involved in his community through a number of leadership and mentorship positions. He serves as a member of the board or trustee for several organizations, including the Greater Hartford Boys and Girls Club, St. Thomas More School, and the Kevin Ollie/21st Century Tolland Fund, which raises money and awareness for athletes with disabilities. Matthew coached for the city of Hartford\’s Saturday Hoopsters basketball program, founded Hartford High School\’s High Hopes College Ladder program, and was a participant in Leadership Greater Hartford\’s Quest program. He also has served as the secretary of the West End Civic Association and was co-chairman of the Hartford St. Patrick\’s Day Parade. In addition, Matthew is a past president of the Friendly Sons of Saint Patrick, a member of the Knights of Columbus, and a member of the Irish American Home in Glastonbury, CT.