Forming Corporate Partnerships for a Holistic Approach to Learning
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When FAU partners with local companies,
students enjoy a taste of the real world along with their academic
training. Thanks to a team of FAU alumni at City Furniture,
the company is becoming a pioneer in developing programs with the
university that help students gain hands-on experience and exposure
before they receive their degrees.
With so many FAU
graduates at the company, additional efforts to cultivate and
recognize corporate alumni, such as a
FAU Day at City
Furniture, also are being formed.
City Furniture's Director of Learning Janet Price Wincko has
been at the forefront of many of these programs.
A founding member of
the Broward Career Advisory Council, which was formed by Assistant
Vice President of Community Relations-Broward Carolyn Stewart,
Janet helped produce a reality TV event that taught students about
important career development skills, such as dressing for success
and handling interview questions.
Company tours at City
Furniture, individual practice interviews and "Career Bites"
workshops over lunch to educate students about the employment
process are additional programs launched with Janet's help.
"It’s a holistic
experience," said Carolyn about the importance of the FAU/corporate
partnership.
"The more
opportunities students receive to understand how business really
works, the better employees they will make."
Janet, who joined City Furniture shortly after earning a
bachelor's degree in business from FAU in 1989, agrees that when
universities and businesses work together everyone benefits.
She earned a master's
degree in business administration in 2003.
She continues to oversee a number of programs aimed at
reaching out to potential City Furniture candidates.
In addition to the
company's internship program, which is available to college
students throughout the state, she conducts City Furniture class
tours and presentations and periodically speaks to classes about
human resources topics.
"It's so valuable for students to be able to see their world
of theory put into practice," said Janet, who also has arranged for
a number of City Furniture donations to FAU programs, including
a laptop computer and
mannequins used for career dress models in the reality TV show. She
also conducts resume writing sessions for the Career Development
Center.
Janet is one of several top City Furniture executives who are
graduates of FAU, including Kevin Koenig '71, the founder of
Waterbed City, which became City Furniture in 1994.
The brother of
Keith Koenig, the
company's current president,
unfortunately passed
away in 2001, but left behind a loyal City Furniture FAU alumni
team who continues to grow a strong relationship with the
university.
Senior Vice President of Operations Bob Forde, another active
member of this FAU executive team, received his bachelor’s
degree in psychology in 1974.
That year FAU was
celebrating its 10
th anniversary, had just selected the burrowing owl as
its mascot and counted less than 6,000 students on its sole campus
in Boca Raton.
Bob went on to earn a
master's of business administration from FAU in 1979 before joining
City Furniture in 1980.
"The FAU MBA program was instrumental in my career," said
Bob, who is active in the university's alumni program and often
consults with university professors on timely business topics, such
as organizational development.
He also works with the
staff and business leaders on alumni relations.
Higher education is so critical to career development at City
Furniture that Bob and his colleague, Senior Vice President of
Sales Garry Ikola, formed a continuing education program for
associates that provides tuition assistance for college studies.
Garry, who joined Waterbed City in 1975, earned a bachelor's degree
in finance in 1988 and a master's of business administration in
1993 from FAU while he was working at City Furniture.
"It's critical for colleges to match up academia with the
real world of business," said Garry, who added that he sees a need
for students to earn advanced degrees in order to develop the
analytical skills required in today's corporate setting.
City Furniture's CFO and Senior Vice President of Finance
Jerry S. Wilder is the fourth top executive to earn the FAU alumni
stripes.
He earned a master's
of business administration in 1987.
Thanks to growing synergies between FAU and City Furniture,
even more FAU graduates are joining City Furniture. Cheryl Young,
'03, for example, met Janet when they were master's degree
candidates.
Both participated in a
Brazil study course.
Two years after
graduation, Janet called Cheryl with the opportunity to leave her
career as an educator in Palm Beach County to join the City
Furniture human resources team. Cheryl now serves as a learning and
development manager for the company.
Mindy Hileman, a City Furniture IT analyst, joined the
company three years ago, just before earning a bachelor’s
degree in business from FAU in 2004.
She believes her
education at FAU prepared her well for her position, and would like
to form an internship in the IT department to help college students
get even better preparation for the computer world.
"Preparing students for the real world and helping our
community's employers fill critical jobs are just two of the
invaluable benefits that result from partnerships like the one we
have with City Furniture," said Carolyn. "As FAU continues to
mirror the diversity and business dynamics of Broward County,
corporate relationships like this will become increasingly more
important."
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