i4 Business - May 2018

Up Close with Felicia Williams

Coach’s Corner Identifying Your Unique Ability

Viable Education Options Vocational Degrees

®

MAY 2018

Elevating Public School

Education

OCPS Superintendent Barbara Jenkins

Feeding the Talent Pipeline Adventist University of Health Sciences

Turning Career Prep into an Art Form Rollins College $4.95

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FEATURES

DEPARTMENTS

16 Work Harder, Get Smarter

14 Publisher’s Note

Dr. Barbara Jenkins, Orange County Public Schools

22 The Ties That Bind Us All

44 Visit Orlando

Adventist University Health Sciences

28 Turning Career Prep into an Art Form

35 Women In Business Profile

Rollins College

48 Coach’s Corner with Jeff Piersall

38 The Value of Trade Jobs

56 Up Close with Falecia Williams

42 The Future Is Bright… The Future Is Orlando

60 Social Entrepreneur

62 Business Seen

Orlando Regional Tech Association

46 Ehre die Familie

Von Stephan Village Bier Garten Restaurant and Fidelity Bank of Florida

COMPANY & EXECUTIVE PROFILES

64 Wright Angle

16

32 Apopka Chamber of Commerce 33 West Orange Chamber 34 ATHENA PowerLink Orange County Public Schools

SPECIAL SECTION 36 Educator Profiles

Up Close with Felicia Williams

Coach’s Corner Identifying Your Unique Ability

Viable Education Options Vocational Degrees

®

MAY 2018

BEST PRACTICES | GUEST EXPERT COLUMNS 50 How To Unite Your Millennial Workforce

Purpose Pioneers | Thomas Waterman

Employment Technologies | Joseph T. Sefcik, Jr.

Turning Career Prep into an Art Form Rollins College $4.95

Cover Photo By Jason Hook

SCB Marketing | Cherise Czaban

M AY 2 0 1 8 8]MAY2018 i4Biz.com

Education

OCPS Superintendent Barbara Jenkins

Adventist University of Health Sciences

54 The Vision of Video Marketing

Public School

Feeding the Talent Pipeline

52 Top 5 Interviewer Mistakes

Elevating

22

Florida Adventist University

28

Rollins College

38

Trade Jobs

42

Orlando Regional Tech Association

46

Von Stephan Village Bier Garten i4Biz.com

MAY2018[9

BUILDING RELATIONSHIPS

FOR LIFE

DESIGN/BUILD | CONSTRUCTION MANAGEMENT | BID BUILD

CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER Jeff Piersall

PRESIDENT Eric Wright EDITORIAL & DESIGN PUBLISHER: Eric Wright MANAGING EDITOR: Jack Roth ASSISTANT EDITOR: Ryan Randall ART DIRECTOR: Nevin Flinchbaugh ART DESIGNER: Tanya Mutton PHOTO EDITOR: Jason Hook PROFILE EDITOR: Meaghan Branham, CONTRIBUTORS WRITERS:

Cherise Czaban, Jeff Piersall, Ryan Randall, Jack Roth, Joseph T. Sefcik, Jr., Jim Thomas, Anthony Wade, Thomas Waterman, Eric Wright PHOTOGRAPHERS:

Jason Hook, Shaun Haugh ADVERTISING VICE PRESIDENT OF BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT: Cherise Czaban (321) 848-3530 SENIOR ACCOUNT EXECUTIVE: Lori Reader (321) 288-3873 PRODUCTION & ADMINISTRATION CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER: Cindy Kane DIRECTOR OF OPERATIONS: Tracy Conner DISTRIBUTION MANAGER: Corbin Williams BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT ASSOCIATE: Alyssa Anelli

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V.P. of Operations

Ken Welsh

President and CEO

Connect With Us

Communication and delivery platforms continually change and evolve. The constant in that change is the power of story. Print or digital, whatever platform you use, we have a way for you to connect to that story.

Making Your Move:

WORK HARDER,

GET SMARTER Orange County Public Schools Superintendent Dr. Barbara Jenkins has elevated public school education to new levels and given every student the opportunity to graduate.

By Eric Wright

Up Close | YOUNG PROFESSIONALS with Felicia Williams

Coach’s Corner Identifying Your Unique Ability

Viable Education Options Vocational Degrees

NAME: Yari Fumero TITLE: Junior Loan Officer

®

COMPANY: Shelter Mortgage YEARS IN AREA: 12 YEARS AT COMPANY: 10

Up Close | YOUNG PROFESSIONALS with Felicia Williams

Coach’s Corner Identifying Your Unique Ability

TITLE: Junior Loan Officer

®

COMPANY: Shelter Mortgage YEARS IN AREA: 12 YEARS AT COMPANY: 10

Elevating

MAY 2018

A

Brevard County resident since 2004, Yari Fumero is a native Floridian, born and raised. Working in the mortgage industry since she was very young, she started her career at Shelter Mortgage nearly a decade ago as a Loan Officer Assistant. After taking a break to start a family, she worked in the title industry where she expanded her knowledge to include the title and closing aspect of the home buying experience. Returning to Shelter Mortgage in early 2016, she arrived as a well-rounded and knowledgeable Junior Loan Officer.

Yari truly enjoys what she does and it fuels her passion to help individuals and families get into their new homes. She also understands the importance of the huge financial decision that her clients are making, because as she says, “They aren’t just buying houses; they’re buying homes for themselves and their families to enjoy for a lifetime.”

Public School

Elevating

Education

Yari truly enjoys what she does and it fuels her passion to help individuals and families get into their new homes. She also understands the importance of the huge financial decision that her clients are making, because as she says, “They aren’t just buying houses; they’re buying homes for themselves and their families to enjoy for a lifetime.”

Public School

Education

Over the years, Yari has worked closely with realtors and homebuilders all over the east coast of Florida and has built many long lasting relationships and partnerships that have served her well. Bilingual, she has used this to her advantage while working with both her English and Spanish speaking clients. Having grown up in a primarily Spanish speaking home and seeing her parents struggle to communicate helped her understand the need for bilingual loan officers. These skills combined with her extensive knowledge of many different mortgage loan programs has allowed her to help hundreds of families finance their dream homes with little to no money out of their pockets. Se Habla Español. ◆

OCPS Superintendent Barbara Jenkins

Over the years, Yari has worked closely with realtors and homebuilders all over the east coast of Florida and has built many long lasting relationships and partnerships that have served her well. Bilingual, she has used this to her advantage while working with both her English and Spanish speaking clients. Having grown up in a primarily Spanish speaking home and seeing her parents struggle to communicate helped her understand the need for bilingual loan officers. These skills combined with her extensive knowledge of many different mortgage loan programs has allowed her to help hundreds of families finance their dream homes with little to no money out of their pockets. Se Habla Español. ◆

OCPS Superintendent Barbara Jenkins

Feeding the Talent Pipeline

Adventist University of Health Sciences

Vinod Philip, Chief Technology Officer

Yari Fumero

MAY 2018

A

Brevard County resident since 2004, Yari Fumero is a native Floridian, born and raised. Working in the mortgage industry since she was very young, she started her career at Shelter Mortgage nearly a decade ago as a Loan Officer Assistant. After taking a break to start a family, she worked in the title industry where she expanded her knowledge to include the title and closing aspect of the home buying experience. Returning to Shelter Mortgage in early 2016, she arrived as a well-rounded and knowledgeable Junior Loan Officer.

Viable Education Options Vocational Degrees

NAME: Yari Fumero

Feeding the Talent Pipeline

Turning Career Prep into an Art Form Yaresmi Fumero -- NMLS#552492

Adventist University of Health Sciences

Rollins College

Shelter Mortgage Company LLC-- NMLS#431223 www.nmlsconsumeraccess.org

50]OCTOBER2016 SCBMarketing.com $4.95

Turning Career Prep into an Art Form

Yari Fumero

Vinod Philip, Chief Technology Officer

Yaresmi Fumero -- NMLS#552492 Shelter Mortgage Company LLC-- NMLS#431223 www.nmlsconsumeraccess.org

Rollins College

50]OCTOBER2016 SCBMarketing.com $4.95

WORK HARDER,

GET SMARTER Orange County Public Schools Superintendent Dr. Barbara Jenkins has elevated public school education to new levels and given every student the opportunity to graduate.

By Eric Wright

Pick Your Platform You are busy. We know because

we are too. That is why we make sure this powerful content is easy for you to access. Our digital editions and exclusive updates keep you connected.

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SUBSCRIBE Visit scbmarketing.com, i4biz.com, spacecoastbusiness.com or send $24.95 for a one-year (12 issues) or $39.95 for a twoyear (24 issues) subscription to: i4 Business or SpaceCoast Business, P.O. Box 410901, Melbourne, FL 32941. Please include name, mailing address, city, state, zip code, phone number and email. Please allow 4-6 weeks for subscription to start.

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12]MAY2018 i4Biz.com

i4 Business® is a registered trademark of Space Coast Business, LLC (“SCB”).

The contents of i4 Business, associated websites, and any other print or electronic publications published by SCB or related to the brand, including advertisements, articles, graphics, websites, web postings, photographs and all other information (“content”), are for informational purposes only, are protected by copyright law and may not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, displayed, published, broadcast or modified in any way without the prior written consent of SCB, or in the case of third party content, the owner of that content.

You may not alter or remove any trademark, copyright or other notice from copies of the content. SCB does not necessarily endorse, verify, or agree with the content, and makes no warranties or representations, express or implied, as to the accuracy, completeness, timeliness, or usefulness of any content. SCB shall not be held liable for any errors or omissions in the content.

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PUBLISHER’S NOTE

O Get Smart [Eric Wright]

ur country, from its inception, has put a premium on education.

Historically, it was considered a prerequisite of good citizenship to be informed and therefore to have the ability to read. It was also part of the country’s spiritual heritage, where reading sacred texts was essential for moral development and personal growth. Education was also seen as a gateway to economic advancement, and it became one of the primary legacies parents wanted to ensure for their children.

Not since the introduction of universal public education has society been reexamining the method and delivery of education like we are seeing today.

Most educators realize we are still using a model that was developed during the industrial revolution, where the premium was on efficiency and mass production, coupled with an annual schedule that gave students the opportunity to aid in cultivation and harvest, i.e. summer vacation.

This month we feature some of the thought leaders in our region to see more clearly what is on the horizon, along with the type of innovations helping create a vibrant talent pipeline for our fast-growing local economy. ◆

i4 Business Production Team Jack Roth (Managing Editor) Ryan Randall (Assistant Editor) Tracy Conner (Production Manager) Jason Hook (Photo Editor) Nevin Flinchbaugh (Art Director)

Favorite Quotes From This this Issue: Issue: “You aren’t born smart; you become smart based on the effort and hard work you invest in learning. Effort cannot be underestimated. If you work harder, you get smarter.”

— Dr. Barbara Jenkins [Pg 16]

14]MAY2018

i4Biz.com

“Narrow job training isn’t going to prepare students for a lifetime of careers in industries that don’t exist right now, nor will it prepare them to critically and collaboratively approach the pressing issues of tomorrow.”

— Grant Cornwell Ph.D. [Pg 28]

Over three-plus decades, Dr. Pizam grew hospitality education at UCF from a single business course into a world-renowned college and pinnacle for the university.

— George Aguel [Pg 44]

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WORK HARDER,

GET SMARTER Orange County Public Schools Superintendent Dr. Barbara Jenkins has elevated public school education to new levels and given every student the opportunity to graduate.

By Eric Wright

“You aren’t born smart, you become smart based on the effort and hard work you invest in learning. If you work harder, you get smarter.”

– Dr. Barbara Jenkins

T

he mission of education, the potential it can unlock in an individual’s life, and the doors it can open for both fulfillment and advancement represent why the field has always been much more than simply a career track for Barbara Jenkins, Ed.D., superintendent of Orange County Public Schools (OCPS). For Jenkins, education is a calling, which is fortunate for those who live and work in Central Florida.

With the region experiencing meteoric growth, one of the primary factors attracting both families and businesses is a school system that positions every student for a successful career track, as well as provides them with the skills that enable them to be lifelong learners in an ever-changing world.

“From the time I was in the first grade, I wanted to be a teacher,” Jenkins said.

“After school I would go home and teach my younger siblings or my dolls because I was so passionate and enamored with school and with sharing what I had learned.

I never wanted to do anything else.”

18]MAY2018 i4Biz.com

The significance of education was stressed in Jenkins’ home, and the focus on academic excellence was an expectation she was raised with. In fact, she and Byron Brooks, the city of Orlando’s chief administrative officer, were first grade classmates in Orlando, and his father, Rufus Brooks, was her elementary school principal.

Early on, Jenkins recognized the power education has to make all the boats in the harbor rise, a fact well documented and universally acknowledged. A half century ago, emerging world powers such as India and China recognized their greatest natural resource was an educated populace, and today we are seeing the fruit of that vision and investment.

“Education,” as George Washington Carver said, “is the key that unlocks the golden door of freedom.” That freedom is what fuels a growing and diverse economy. It is the pipeline that cannot run dry without dire consequences.

Making Good Things Happen

While teaching elementary school, Jenkins’ leadership skills soon became apparent to one of her principals. He was one of the first of many who encouraged Jenkins’ ascent into ever-increasing responsibility, though she was completely contented as a classroom teacher.

“They told me I was having a great impact on students in my classroom and asked if I would like to expand that influence and make good things happen for even more students,” she said.

It was a mantra that was repeated as she rose from teacher, to principal, to one of the senior directors for Elementary Education with OCPS, then to the Charlotte school system and back to OCPS as chief of staff, deputy superintendent and then, since 2012, superintendent.

When Superintendent Ronald Blocker lured her back from Charlotte, he did not mention he was planning his own retirement and saw Jenkins as a natural heir apparent. “I was very happy as a second in command, but he was fantastic about assigning me to positions that expanded my skill set and strategic understanding,” she recalled. “He would say, ‘It is time grasshopper, snatch the pebble from my hand,’” (a reference to the 70’s TV series Kung Fu).

“In our work, we must serve a tapestry of students from homeless to affluent, from severely disabled to brilliant. Some people think I have a terribly difficult job, but the fact is, I can’t think of anything more rewarding or satisfying.” – Dr. Barbara Jenkins Over time, it became obvious leading a school system was not a matter of if, but when and where. In fact, while in Charlotte, she was accepted to participate in the prestigious Eli and Edythe Broad Foundation’s Urban Superintendent Academy.

One reason for her successive rise is the key philosophies that have not only informed her career, but have shaped the DNA of the county’s system. For instance, as she put it, “You aren’t born smart, you become smart based on the effort and hard work you invest in learning. Effort cannot be underestimated.

If you work harder, you get smarter.”

It is a concept that research on the brain is continually substantiating; young people, in particular, can dramatically alter their intellectual capacity by exercising their brains, just like working out strengthens our muscles.

As leader of an organization second only to Disney in employees with over 24,000, more buses than Lynx and serving more meals than any local food franchise, along with a $3.8 billiondollar budget to equip more than 207,000 students, the CEO designation really does apply to Jenkins. The district has won numerous recognitions, including the coveted Broad Prize for Urban Education and the Governor’s Sterling Award for business operations in 2014 and 2017 and for human resources in 2015.

Jenkins is proud that OCPS is one of the most respected systems in the country. “Everyone on our team, from our CFO to our custodians, understands their primary mission is ensuring children are learning,” she said, “and to do that we have to run the business side efficiently.”

However, it is impossible to measure the success of a school system using the same metrics as a business. There is no assembly line, where profit can be measured against cost of goods. Instead, you are dealing with the X-factor of individual people, which can make the challenges quite staggering.

Focusing not only on those academic and non-academic activities that develop grit and resilience in students, her team is also proactive in contacting dropouts to explore the compelling factors that drove their decision and help with solutions such as exploring opportunities through the various career certificate programs offered at Orange Technical College. “The data indicates adolescents don’t have the mental development to make decisions affecting the long-term trajectory of their lives, whether that’s to stay in school or enroll in an AP class,” she explained. “In order to better guide them, our Expectation Graduation program opens various career pathways for engagement and options to assist students in reaching their graduation goal.”

Another revolutionary program Jenkins has led is ensuring every student is at the forefront of digital learning. Thus far, more than 100,000 digital devices have been distributed to all high school and most middle school students, as well as a few elementary schools. The distribution of devices will soon expand to all middle and elementary schools. Middle and high school students can even take these devices home, and high school students will be allowed to use them over the summer. Sprint, the telecommunications giant, has supplied a generous finite number of mobile hotspots for students in need to expand the potential for all students to have Internet access.

The allure learning had for her as a child and the excitement teaching held is still what drives Jenkins today. “I’m extremely passionate about urban education,” she shared. “In our work, we must serve a tapestry of students from homeless to affluent, from severely disabled to brilliant. It’s such an honor to lead our thousands of students to success. Some people think I have a terribly difficult job, but the fact is, I can’t think of anything more rewarding or satisfying.” ◆

Everyone Is Responsible

An area that Jenkins and her team have faced head-on is ensuring students graduate. Not only is the gap in earning potential over $10,000 per year on average between high school and non-high school graduates, graduation also opens the door to more advanced certificates and degrees, which, in turn, is an economic multiplier. Of course, most people view this as a problem that begins in high school, but Jenkins contends it requires deliberate efforts beginning in the first grade.

“Everyone is responsible for graduation,” she said. “We’ve seen great progress, with a nearly 95 percent average graduation rate in our traditional high schools.”

Of the 11,984 graduates in the Class of 2017 who took an AP Exam, 33 percent scored a 3 or higher. This percentage is higher than Massachusetts, the state with the highest rate in the nation.

33.0%

ORANGE COUNTY Massachusetts

32.1%

Maryland

31.2%

Connecticut

31.0%

Florida

30.8%

California

30.3%

U.S. National Average

22.8% This data represents U.S. public school students only.

i4Biz.com

MAY2018[19

| Company Profile

GOODWILL INDUSTRIES

OF CENTRAL FLORIDA EXECUTIVE: Maria Cherjovsky, Vice President of Mission Services and Workforce Innovation FOUNDED: 1959 LOCATION: Headquartered in Orlando, FL WEBSITE: www.goodwillcfl.org

Maria Cherjovsky recently joined Goodwill Industries of Central Florida as vice president of mission services and workforce innovation, where she is charged with ensuring the organization’s programs are doing all they can to fulfill Goodwill’s mission — as well as coming up with innovative ways to get people back to work in our rapidly changing economy.

Before coming to Goodwill, Cherjovsky spent 25 years in workforce development, most recently serving as director of programs, partnership and community development at the University of Central Florida. While at UCF, she worked to identify obstacles to employment and develop creative solutions to connect a diverse student population with suitable jobs.

20]MAY2018

i4Biz.com

Her goal is to help Goodwill better train prospective employees for today’s job market. That means increasing the focus on computer programming and development as well as the trade skills, such as computer maintenance and repair, to support that growing industry. Other fields she sees great opportunity in include teaching, construction and healthcare. She hopes to tap these job markets through invigorated collaboration with new community partners.

Cherjovsky earned an accounting/business analyst degree from Universidad de Belgrano in Argentina. She went on to receive a bachelor’s degree in business administration, a master’s degree in instructional systems design and a graduate certificate in career counseling, all from the University of Central Florida. Cherjovsky is also pursuing a doctorate (Ed.D.) in higher education leadership, policy studies and human performance from UCF. In addition, she has served as president of the Central Florida Region of the Florida Diversity Council since 2012. ◆

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70% BEACON COLLEGE

4-YE AR GR ADUATION R ATE

Beacon’s 10-year average for students completing their bachelor degree in 4 years

105 EAST MAIN STREET LEESBURG, FL 34748

PHONE: 855-220-5376

VS. 37.8%

NATIONAL AVERAGE

4-YE AR GR ADUATION R ATE

National 10-year average for ALL students, with and without an LD (Source: NECS)

EMAIL: ADMISSIONS@BEACONCOLLEGE.EDU

BeaconCollege.edu

ATHENA

POWERLINK PROGRAM

CALL FOR APPLICATIONS ATHENAPowerLink is an advisory program which guides women business owners, whose companies are poised for growth, in defining and achieving tangible goals by providing them with access to a panel of business advisors.

Learn more at athenaorlando.com

i4Biz.com

MAY2018[21

The Ties That Bind Us All With several highly regarded health science programs, Adventist University of Health Sciences is successfully feeding the local healthcare talent pipeline with skilled professionals and good citizens.

By Jack Roth

22]MAY2018 i4Biz.com

A

dventist University of Health Sciences (ADU) works closely with Florida Hospital in Orlando to give students the clinical experience and world-class facilities that only a major medical center can provide. But it also provides something more than a good clinical education, and its former provost and new president is determined to have the entire Central Florida region benefit from it.

“Being newly appointed, I’m getting to know everyone in the organization and in a different way than when I was provost,” said Edwin Hernandez, Ph.D., ADU president. “I want to share thoughts with faculty, staff and students on the future of the school. I also want to communicate our mission as a quality healthcare institution and reinforce the special role we play in the community.”

“Numbers without quality, and quality without character, mean nothing. Our distinguishing characteristic is to educate and develop the whole person.”

– Dr. Edwin Hernandez

“Adding degree programs has been strategic and based on the demand in the industry,” said Chris Bordner, ADU Foundation Chair. “The goal of the university is to not only provide students with a great education, but to get them placed in jobs immediately. A large percentage of students wind up at Florida Hospital; the school’s placement rating is outstanding.”

Strong Roots and Strategic Growth

Adventist University of Health Sciences has a rich tradition associated with the 19th-century, pioneering healthcare and education reform movements started by the Seventh-day Adventist Church, which operates one of the largest worldwide networks of healthcare and education facilities in the world.

Florida Hospital is the largest of more than 590 healthcare facilities operated worldwide by the Seventh-day Adventist

Church. Nursing education began at Florida Hospital in 1913. Over the years, the hospital added programs in Radiography (1962), Practical Nursing (1964) and Sonography (1988). In 1992, those four programs were combined to form a new school — Florida Hospital College of Health Sciences. The school became a baccalaureate-granting institution in 1998 with the addition of a Bachelor of Science in Nursing.

In order to reach students across the country, it became an early adopter of online education in 2001.

In 2008, ADU began its first graduate program offering a master’s degree in Nurse Anesthesia. Other degrees followed, including a master’s degree in Occupational Therapy in 2011; a master’s degree in Healthcare Administration in 2013; a master’s degree in Physician Assistant Studies in 2015; and the first doctoral degree in Physical Therapy in 2016.

“The growth and diversification of this school has been accomplished through strong leadership and vision,” said Hernandez. “I feel like leadership made smart decisions early on about building an identity but also rethinking the model over time as healthcare has evolved.” ▸ i4Biz.com

MAY2018[23

ONLINE

OFFERINGS For those looking to learn remotely, ADU offers affordable, convenient online degree programs geared toward the working professional. These programs include:

• R.N. to B.S. Nursing (completion option) • B.S. Radiologic Sciences (completion degree) • B.S. Diagnostic Medical Sonography (completion degree) • Executive Master of Healthcare Administration • MHA in Strategy & Innovation

24]MAY2018 i4Biz.com

Educating a Healthcare Workforce with a Heart

ADU strives to create an educational environment that fosters its four core values: nurture, excellence, spirituality and stewardship.

From those four ideals, the university has identified seven learning outcomes that inform its curricular and extracurricular endeavors with the goal they be manifested in the lives of its graduates. These include caring, communication, critical thinking, ethics/morality, professional expertise, service to the community and lifelong learning. As a Seventh-day Adventist institution, ADU is Christian-based, but it is inclusive of all faiths and has a culturally diverse campus.

“It’s imperative for the region we have a well-equipped, trained healthcare talent pipeline, but that we also have loving, caring and listening healthcare practitioners,” asserted Hernandez.

“Numbers without quality, and quality without character, mean nothing. Our distinguishing characteristic is to educate and develop the whole person.”

Hernandez continued, “Human beings have a spiritual dimension to them, and when frailty of the body occurs, everyone has questions about the purpose and meaning of life. It’s part of the healing process — spirituality leads to healing. A good healthcare education needs to embrace that each person is precious, and it’s our job to enhance the purpose and meaning process. There’s a void in education if this element isn’t part of it. Treatment needs to be humane and compassionate.”

Community Engagement

With service incorporated directly into classes, ADU students have the opportunity to work in local health clinics providing free care to those in need, to teach healthy habits to local children, and more.

This unique opportunity not only deepens student knowledge, but also allows them to make a difference in the lives of others.

“Our goal is to have an even greater presence in the community,” affirmed Hernandez. “Our vision for the next decade is to raise our profile to better attract students and become more engrained in the region as a ‘good citizen.’ We want to shift the notion that we’re the best-kept secret to one of a known and trusted commodity in Central Florida.”

As a CEO (Synergy Wealth Alliance), Bordner understands the importance of trust when it comes to community partnerships, and he feels strongly the intangible of spirituality as a core value in healthcare professionals is a differentiator for ADU. “Business owners want to know something is well run, efficient and effective, and ADU is all of those things,” he explained, “but beyond that, healthcare is a critical component to quality of life in any community, and ADU is raising quality of life by teaching future healthcare professionals that patients are human, spiritual beings, not just head counts.”

Hernandez agrees and believes at the end of the day, the key element to continued success and growth is that students see ADU as a place they can trust, feel safe and feel confident in their growth.

“People are inherently capable of achieving everything, and we believe in our students and encourage this,” he concluded. “We want to demonstrate this to the community. We put the needs of others first and foremost in our minds; it’s about ethics of service and the human tie that binds all of us.” ◆

COMMUNITY

SERVICE

BY THE NUMBERS •

100 percent of students

•

15,000 approximate

•

21 service learning

•

1512 hours of faculty

participate in service learning service learning hours

partnerships and affiliations service to the community

With service incorporated directly into classes, ADU students have the opportunity to work in local health clinics providing free care to those in need...

i4Biz.com

MAY2018[25

Our home is more than our castle.

Welcome to the other Orlando. A place where the quantity and diversity of commercial and industrial properties are major attractions. From ultra-modern high-rises to undeveloped acreage and everything in between, our inventory includes over 150 million sq. ft. of industrial space and 85 million sq. ft. of office space. No wonder businesses quickly grow to love it here.

Orlando.org

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LARGE PART 3D PRINTING UP TO 36X24X36” 710 South Patrick Drive Satellite Beach, FL, 32937 (P) 321.536.2611 (E) info@rapidps.com

How do you become president of a $75 million geotechnical engineering company founded by your father more than a half century ago? Did you just hang around until Dad gave you the keys?

Mark Israel didn’t. He tackled every tough job at Universal Engineering Sciences, learning the business from below the ground up, just like his dad, Sy Israel. It’s why Mark and Universal’s nearly 800 employees

EARNING IT

have a “whatever it takes” reputation for hard work, integrity and customer service. They earned it.

OFFICES IN ORLANDO, TAMPA, SOUTH FLORIDA, JACKSONVILLE AND 14 OTHER BRANCHES IN FLORIDA AND GEORGIA UNIVERSAL ENGINEERING SCIENCES IS HEADQUARTERED AT 3532 MAGGIE BOULEVARD, ORLANDO, FL, 32811 UNIVERSALENGINEERING.COM 407-423-0504

i4Biz.com

MAY2018[27

28]MAY2018 i4Biz.com

Turning Career Prep into an Art Form By providing a strong liberal arts foundation, Rollins College is preparing students not only for their first job out of college, but for a lifetime of learning and adapting to change.

By Anthony Wade

T

he liberal arts may well be rooted in ancient Greece, where public debate became an esteemed form of communication and higher learning reportedly was first shaped by the teaching of grammar, logic, rhetoric and music, along with arithmetic, astronomy and geometry.

Yet, Grant Cornwell, Ph.D., certainly has done his part in defining the modern view of such an education today. Cornwell is generally well recognized for his work in liberal arts learning.

Also, he is president of Rollins College in Winter Park, which means while his words resonate globally, they can be especially impactful across Interstate 4 in Central Florida.

The value of a liberal arts education in a digital age? Cornwell leaves no room for doubt. â–¸

Best Prepared to Engage

“The world is facing such complex issues, and the jobs of tomorrow don’t necessarily exist for today,” said Cornwell, who arrived at Rollins as president in 2015, leaving the same position at The College of Wooster in Ohio. “Narrow job training isn’t going to prepare students for a lifetime of careers in industries that don’t exist right now, nor will it prepare them to critically and collaboratively approach the pressing issues of tomorrow. Our world moves so fast and changes at a rapid pace, and by structuring the mind in such a way to adapt to and approach head on this change, liberal arts students are best prepared to engage in the 21st century.”

In turn, Cornwell continued, Rollins is focused on career preparation not for tomorrow, but for years down the road.

“We don’t believe in preparing you for your first job after college,” Cornwell explained. “We believe in preparing you for a lifetime of learning, of adapting to change and taking a real leadership role in managing that change. We’re preparing you for a lifelong career where you can navigate and succeed in the ever-evolving technological, social and political world in which we live.

“Think about major problems of our day — terrorism, climate change, global economic instability — they will not be solved by applying one, singular, narrowly focused discipline but instead require a number of people with a depth and breadth

of learning who can connect ideas across disciplines and who can work collaboratively with people from different backgrounds and fields, people who are not like them and do not think like them, to find a solution.”

What Employers Want

While the liberal arts often are all about theory and the abstract, proof of its value is very much evident in concrete statistics from the American Association of Colleges and Universities, based in Washington, D.C. In a 2013 online survey (Employer Priorities for College Learning and Student Success), conducted for AACU by Hart Research Associates, 93 percent of employers agreed that a candidate’s demonstrated capacity to think critically, communicate clearly and solve complex problems was more important than their undergraduate major. Similarly, 95 percent indicated they give hiring preference to college graduates with “skills that will enable them to contribute to innovation in the workplace.”

“When we think of an education that’s going to be most relevant to employees in the 21st century, it’s going to be an education that equips them to be flexible and adaptable to a changing world,” affirmed Emily Russell, Ph.D., the associate dean of curriculum at Rollins. “We know the pace of change in technology is really accelerating and that a kind of narrow training in a single skill set might be relevant immediately upon graduation, but it isn’t going to support 50 years of career change.”

“We’re preparing you for a lifelong career where you can navigate and succeed in the ever-evolving technological, social and political world in which we live.”

– Grant Cornwell, Ph.D.

30]MAY2018 i4Biz.com

The T-Shaped Approach

“A liberal arts education supplies a well-rounded scope of knowledge, allowing you to delve deeply into a subject and to pull across a number of disciplines to strengthen your knowledge base.”

Cavenaugh points to what is called the T-shaped approach to educating students — with T-shaped individuals being people with the depth of academic knowledge complemented by a breadth of understanding about working in groups, cutting across boundaries, being flexible and finding connections with others, among other components.

– Grant Cornwell, Ph.D.

At Rollins, Cavenaugh explained, students take half of their credits in their major, “but the full other half of their college education is involved in the breadth part.”

Course Preparation

As part of curriculum development at Rollins, the what being taught as well as the how it is been taught are analyzed and assessed based on student outcomes following graduation. “Both are critical.

Content is going to be important, but it’s really important for students to understand an analytic method or a method of investigation,” said Russell, who joined the Rollins English Department in 2007.

Notably, that content at Rollins encompasses the sciences. The popular acronym STEM — Science, Technology, Engineering, Math — is far from neglected.

All students, for example, must take a science-lab class to fulfill their generaleducation requirements. Also, while business majors are most popular among students, biology and psychology rank highly, too, cited Russell.

Essentially, a T-shaped curriculum takes a deep dive into an area of study while resting on a strong liberal arts foundation. The approach is born from research that emerged years ago from Michigan State University.

“What you find when you connect both the breadth and depth is an individual with a sense of purpose, a sense of confidence, who knows how to take risks, somebody who has clearly articulated both their aspirations and their values,” described Cavenaugh, holder of the Winifred M. Warden Endowed Chair of Theatre and Dance and the 2010 recipient of Rollins’ Arthur Vining Davis Award for outstanding teaching, scholarship and service to the college.

Well-Rounded Scope

Cornwell put it another way. …

“Understanding and being able to apply scientific and mathematical principles are critical to a number of industries, but so is the ability to contextualize problems around which you apply those principles,” the Rollins president concluded. “One can’t effectively improve water conditions in developing nations without having an understanding of the cultural context of the people there, for instance. One can’t effectively secure grants to conduct scientific research without being able to communicate clearly your needs and your research agenda.

“A liberal arts education supplies a wellrounded scope of knowledge, allowing you to delve deeply into a subject — and STEM is part of that — and to pull across a number of disciplines to strengthen your knowledge base. This kind of 360 education prepares students well for the job market and allows them to stand out.” ◆ Photo credit: Rollins College

At the same time, regardless of subject matter, professors infuse their curricula with the likes of written communication, critical thinking, information literacy and ethical reasoning — for required courses within majors and for elective courses, according to Jenny Cavenaugh, Ph.D., the dean of faculty at Rollins. “All of those skills are embedded in the classes we’re teaching,” she asserted.

i4Biz.com

MAY2018[31

| Executive Profile

ROBERT AGRUSA COMPANY: Apopka Area Chamber of Commerce TITLE: President EDUCATION: Bachelor of Arts degree in Political Science from the University of Florida YEARS IN AREA: 7 YEARS AT COMPANY: 6 months Robert Agrusa, a Florida native and leading advocate for the Central Florida business community, was named the new president of the Apopka Area Chamber of Commerce in September 2017. Since then, Agrusa has been charged to lead the premiere business organization for one of the fastestgrowing communities in Central Florida, both in business commerce and residential development. With Apopka now the second largest city in Orange County after Orlando, Agrusa is focused on implementing the Chamber’s new mission, which includes serving the economic development, prosperity and sustainability of our community and the northwest region through connectivity, leadership, education and support.

Agrusa came to the Chamber from BusinessForce, the political action arm of the Orlando Economic Partnership (formerly the Central Florida Partnership), where he had served as executive director for the previous two years. In that role, Agrusa represented thousands of businesses and their tens of thousands of employees and was directly responsible for advancing the business community’s agenda through public policy advocacy and supporting business-friendly candidates for Florida’s largest regional PAC. Prior to his position at BusinessForce, Agrusa moved to Central Florida in 2011 to serve as the chief political liaison between Sen. Andy Gardiner’s legislative office and his responsibilities as Florida Senate President Designate.

“Apopka is a wonderful place to grow your business,” said Agrusa. “Every day I’m excited about the opportunity to meet the expanding business needs of this rapidly growing community.”

Agrusa is a graduate of Leadership Orlando, Class 91, and the 2013 Central Florida Political Leadership Institute. His community involvement includes serving on the board of directors for the Tiger Bay Club of Central Florida, the Orlando Economic Partnership, the Rotary Club of Apopka and the Central Florida Young Professionals Advisory Council. ◆

32]MAY2018 i4Biz.com

Executive Profile |

STINA D’UVA COMPANY: West Orange Chamber TITLE: President/CEO EDUCATION: Montclair State College; B.S. in Business Administration with a Concentration in Marketing YEARS IN AREA: 30 YEARS AT COMPANY: 17 When looking at Stina D’Uva’s resume of community involvement since relocating from New Jersey 30 years ago, her career with the West Orange Chamber of Commerce seems written in the stars. After obtaining her degree in business administration from Montclair State College and moving to Central Florida, D’Uva sought out community organizations, looking to get better acquainted with her new neighbors. She first joined the Mothers of Twins Club, later becoming the president, and then joined the MetroWest Elementary PTA. She continued her active involvement in Orange County’s school system as her children grew and founded the Olympia High School PTSA. Inspired by the issues that matter most to her, she sought more opportunities to make a difference in everything from homeowners' association matters to healthcare. Soon, her experience and wealth of knowledge inspired her friends to recruit her on their own campaigns, including some for the Board of the County Commissioners and the OCPS Board.

Now, as president and CEO of the chamber, she continues her work by keeping abreast on various issues, staying active in the community and delegating to her talented team. During her tenure as president, the West Orange Chamber has been recognized as Florida Chamber of the Year in 2009, 2012 and 2015. That success has not come without its share of obstacles, but she credits her success to persistence and “knowing there's always a good day around the corner.”

“If you continue to work towards your goals,” she said, ”you eventually see that you’re moving in the right direction.”

While D’Uva has found a way to make the issues she is most passionate about part of her career, her free time is just as full of inspiration, from her long-distance bike rides to entertaining at home with friends and family. ◆

i4Biz.com

MAY2018[33

ATHENA PowerLink COMPANY PROFILE to apply visit: athenaorlando.com

KIZZY M. DOMINGUEZ, PH.D. COMPANY: K. Parks Consulting, Inc. (KPC) TITLE: President and Founder FOUNDED: 2008 LOCATION: Melbourne, FL PHONE NUMBER: (888) 764-3435 EMAIL: kparks@kparksconsulting.com WEBSITE: www.kparksconsulting.com K. Parks Consulting, Inc. (KPC) provides organizational consulting services to Fortune 500 companies and top federal and state government agencies nationwide. KPC creates “difference makers” in the workplace through instructor-led, web-based and blended learning, executive coaching, and virtual reality training and services for organizations and their members to help them perform more effectively and efficiently within those organizations.

KPC’s customized training courses result in more engaged and productive workforces, more highly skilled employees and more people taking on a personal stake in pursuing organizational initiatives. Applying evidencebased methodologies and approaches grounded in adult learning theory and research to deliver training that sticks, the KPC Team reinvigorates workplaces by masterfully combining analytics, curricula development, and training and coaching using the best and most effective industry tools available.

In its quest to continue to be an industry leader, KPC’s founder and president, Dr. Kizzy Dominguez, turned to ATHENAPowerLink. About four years ago, Dominguez experienced significant growth in the company and was concerned with managing the growth while continuing to grow the business. As a result, an advisory board was set up for Dr. Dominguez to assist with human resources, contracting, marketing and sales.

ATHENAPowerLink guides women business owners in defining and achieving tangible goals to accelerate growth and profitability.

34]MAY2018 i4Biz.com

Thanks to ATHENAPowerLink, KPC has since experienced a 50 percent increase in sales, won new accolades (most recently being named one of Inc. 5000’s “Fastest Growing Private Companies” of 2017) and over the last several years has trained and coached more than 10,000 students while collaborating with more public-sector agencies to implement emerging technologies. KPC foresees unlimited growth in the next few years thanks to the guidance and access provided by ATHENAPowerLink. ◆

SABINE O’NEAL Company: University of Central Florida Title: UCF Faculty/Imec Assignee Education: Technische Universität Darmstadt Years in area: 12 ½ Years at Company: 1

W

hen Sabine O’Neal was deciding on her career path, she considered two paths that seemed, at first sight, completely disparate: Linguistics or physics. While she ultimately chose to pursue physics and mathematics, in hindsight her love of these two distinct subjects speaks to the curiosity that has kept her motivated.

Whether language or material sciences, O’Neal was fueled by a desire to understand the fundamental structures that come together to form complex systems that shape our worlds.

O’Neal has followed that desire for knowledge to fascinating places and opportunities, all the way to her current position with UCF as an Imec assignee (Imec USA Nanoelectronics Design Center in Kissimmee).

After attending the Technische Universität Darmstadt in Germany, where she obtained a Masters in Physics, O’Neal went on to the Netherlands, where she completed her Ph.D. in physics at the Leiden University. After completing her degrees, she worked in academic publishing as a publishing editor for five years before moving on to positions that included consultant, expert witness, and research scientist or director for several institutions, including UCF. Working towards identification and development of new and improved device technologies for active imaging systems, her current role with UCF as an Imec assignee means her days are varied with research in new materials and structures for photoconductors, lasers and detectors.

Some days are driven more by work at a desk, pouring over the workings of the latest technologies and research in her field. The others are spent in the lab, studying and creating materials first hand. Still, each one provides her with an opportunity to explore both her love of physics and her appreciation for the power of communication and connection in the journey towards discovery.

It is not only that variety that keeps her motivated, it is the team that surrounds her. Her work is an integral part of projects that often have large teams of individuals working on them.

“Working with complex devices requires integration and teamwork,” O’Neal explained. “It’s more pressure when you’re part of a team that is relying on you, but also more rewarding to know you’re part of a bigger picture.” ◆ i4Biz.com

MAY2018[35

MELINDA GARCIA Medical Assisting Program Director, Orange Technical College EDUCATION: Associates in Medical Assisting

from the National School of Technology YEARS IN AREA: 16 YEARS AT COMPANY: 10

Orange County Public Schools celebrates the work of amazing educators like Melinda Garcia, CMA (AAMA), Orange Technical College - Westside Campus Medical Assisting program director, who was recently appointed to the American Association of Medical Assistants (AAMA) Task Force for Test Construction (TFTC).

The Certifying Board of the AAMA and the Task Force for Test Construction (TFTC) work with the National Board of Medical Examiners (NBME) to develop an examination that tests the depth and scope of knowledge needed by career-ready Certified Medical Assistants.

Now officially approved, Garcia is one of only eight members in the nation who have the opportunity to sit on the Task Force.

The group will meet once a year in Philadelphia to discuss and examine the criteria and questions asked to students prior to industry credentialing. She will be representing Orange Technical College alongside medical assisting practitioners, educators, physicians, physician assistants and nurses from around the country.

Garcia came to Orange County Public Schools after leaving Florida Hospital South in Orlando and discovering a new passion in teaching. Soon after volunteering with the Medical Assisting program at the district’s Orange Technical College –Westside Campus in Winter Garden, almost 10 years ago, she was offered a full-time teaching position, eventually leading to her designation of program director in 2014. Melinda is now an essential component to the high-quality, high-rigor medical programming happening across OTC campuses.

Melinda is an incredible example of the type of commitment and dedication career and technical education educators have for their students and craft. Industry experience, combined with a passion for education, allow OTC teachers to equip students with the tools needed to succeed in the workforce.

Orange Technical College operates within a five-campus college system across Central Florida, providing affordable, industry-based career training programs. ◆ 36]MAY2018 i4Biz.com

ANNA O’CONNOR-MORIN Charter School's Senior Director of Education, United Cerebral Palsy of Central Florida EDUCATION: FSU Bachelors in Education,

UCF Masters in Education YEARS IN AREA: 18 YEARS AT COMPANY: 8

UCP of Central Florida's 63-year legacy of providing vital services to children with disabilities has evolved over the last decade to serve children of all abilities through a ground-breaking inclusion model at its elementary Charter School campuses. Inclusive education is based on the research and philosophy that when children with and without disabilities get the opportunity to learn and grow together, are held to the highest expectations and given access to high-quality education, all students will excel academically, developmentally and socially.

Anna O’Connor-Morin, UCP Charter School's Senior Director of Education, has been key in developing the practice, policy, and educational culture at UCP's campuses over the past eight years. The leadership impact she has had on the UCP community has been a result of the collaboration and vision of UCP Charter School’s teachers and stakeholders. Through an intense focus on student achievement, she has challenged teachers to create classrooms that meet the needs of all students. Whether that need be instruction on grade level standards or assistance with mobility or feedings, all students are getting what they need.

Where many educators would struggle with an inclusive setting, including students with significant disabilities, she offers her team a balance of autonomy and coaching, inspiring and empowering teachers to create an educational experience unique to each child.

UCP Charter Schools are proud to be a University of Central Florida partner school. To learn more about Anna O’ConnorMorin's work and UCP's Support, Inclusive Education Program, and therapy services, visit www.ucpcharter.org. ◆

i4Biz.com

MAY2018[37

The Value of Trade Jobs and the Future of Workforce Development

F

or many of us, going to a four-year college was an automatic choice, if not a mandate from our parents, when we graduated from high school. Since the 1950s, there has been a strong cultural correlation between getting a four-year college degree and financial/ career success. According to the National Center for Educational Statistics, a bachelor’s degree accounted for an average of $16,900 in additional income per year compared to a high school diploma ($30,000 versus $46,900). Over a 30-year career in the workforce, that is more than a $500,000 difference in earnings. Other benefits of getting a degree from a four-year college include the social experience, broader knowledge base and career flexibility.

However, due to the increasingly high costs associated with a college education, as well as the fact that college may not be suited to everyone’s learning style and skill set, more and more people are considering trade school as an education alternative. If you are a hands-on learner, excited by the prospects of getting out of the classroom and starting to work immediately after high school, trade school is a relatively inexpensive option.

Make no mistake, accumulating knowledge, however you decide to do so, is a great thing. And the more options made available to both high school graduates and those seeking continuing education to advance their careers ultimately strengthens regional workforce development, economic development and quality of life.

i4Biz.com

MAY2018[39

TRADE VALUE ALMOST

17%

of Four-Year Graduates have limited job prospects.

8.5%

50%

of College Graduates under 25

are underemployed.

are unemployed.

HIRING COMPANIES

HIRING COMPANIES

COLLEGE GRADUATES

TRADE GRADUATES

are among the most difficult jobs to fill in North America, with electricians,

carpenters/joiners and welders as the most in-demand employees.

the last of the Baby Boomers will have reached retirement age and

77 million

Baby Boomers will have left the workforce.

Most trade jobs are extremely

to another country.

The Future is

BRIGHT... the Future is

ORLANDO

The Orlando Regional Tech Association is dedicated to:

W

e believe innovation is the catalyst for positive change in the world.

The Orlando Tech Association is dedicated to bringing together the brightest minds in technology with leaders across multiple industries to serve people and our planet through collaboration and innovation.

Every great region has a thriving tech community, and we are no different. The Orlando Tech Association is bringing together corporate, civic, educational and community partners around technology to advocate for and foster a forward-looking, prosperous Central Florida.

We are focused on three main objectives: Sharing the rich and diverse tech story of our region, connecting our major tech leaders and companies to our deep talent pool, and continually building up and advocating for our tech community as a whole.

We will achieve this through collaboration and inclusiveness and by being actively engaged in supporting the hard-working, thriving tech businesses and entrepreneurs in our region.

By partnering and featuring our world-leading tech verticals such as space, modeling and simulation, optics and photonics, gaming and mixed reality, health and wellness, and additive and advanced manufacturing, we are becoming one of the nation’s leading tech hubs. As we stand today, if we simply take a holistic look at our existing regional assets from the Space Coast to Orlando and combine with those in Tampa Bay, we are already arguably one of the top tech regions in the nation.

And we are ready to become so much more.

The greatest opportunity for growth and to “future proof ” our region is an aggressive and continual investment into tech and innovation at all levels. The more we embrace opportunities brought about by global connectivity, the more we will thrive.

As Orlando continues to become a world leader in technology and innovation, the quality of life will also improve for all residents throughout our region.

Join us on this journey. ◆

By Jim Thomas, CEO, Orlando Tech Association Jim Thomas is the CEO of the Orlando Tech Association. He can be contacted on social@ JimThomas.URL or at www.OrlandoTech.org.

Get involved at our new website: Orlando.Tech.

• Improving business conditions across all sectors of technology industry and technology-related lines of business for the 4.3 million people in the Central Florida region of Volusia, Brevard, Seminole, Orange, Osceola, Polk and Lake counties.

• Engaging and facilitating in the discussion, review and consideration of various problems, opportunities and best practices relative to the technology industry.

• Promoting innovation and business growth by providing a forum for the exchange of information and ideas for more efficient business development for the technology industry.

• Providing a means of furthering our knowledge and innovation in the technology industry and development of best practices in Central Florida.

• Enhancing the global public awareness of the technology industry in Orlando and the scientific, economic and other benefits it provides.

• Representing the interests of Central Florida’s tech economy before federal, state and local agencies and the public.

Want To Learn More?

For more information on the Orlando Tech Association, please visit

OrlandoTech.org. i4Biz.com

MAY2018[43

TAKE

with Official tourism association for America’s most visited destination.

By the Numbers A closer look at UCF’s Rosen College of Hospitality Management

$18 million

Gift by hotelier Harris Rosen helped build the school

$325,000

awarded in scholarships in 2017

9,425

total alumni

7,624

alumni who live in Florida

3,500

students enrolled

97%

students with jobs upon graduation

72

faculty from 17 countries

70

employers attend each job fair in fall and spring

No. 2

world ranking as a hospitality and hotel management school (CEOWORLD Magazine)

44]MAY2018 i4Biz.com

Q&A with Dr. Youcheng Wang

New Dean Ready to Lead UCF’s Hospitality School

I

n August, Dr. Youcheng Wang will become dean of UCF’s Rosen College of Hospitality Management, a leading pipeline of tourism industry talent and longtime partner of Visit Orlando. Prior to joining UCF as an assistant professor in 2003, Dr. Wang (pronounced “Wong”) worked for the Beijing Institute of Tourism, the Beijing Tourism Administration and the University of Illinois. Currently, he is Rosen College’s associate dean of Academic Affairs and Research. Author of three books, Dr. Wang has received several awards for his research and is a frequent speaker at international conferences and industry forums.

What goals do you have for your first year?

It will be a busy but productive year, focused on collaborating with faculty and staff to develop a strategic plan for the next five to 10 years. Among other things, we will focus on a more comprehensive curriculum targeted to various industry sectors, as well as on continued student success, especially continued high-placement rates. Most importantly, we hope to position UCF Rosen College as a hub of knowledge creation by hosting international conferences and workshops for idea generation and intelligence sharing. We also want to provide faculty and staff with resources for their success; fortify research programs; and communicate research outcomes to various stakeholders while further engaging the hospitality and tourism industry at large.

GEORGE AGUEL Why should employers hire UCF Rosen College graduates?

Our mission is to develop future generations of global hospitality and tourism leaders, while our educational philosophy is to apply creative decisionmaking techniques in responding to different industry opportunities. Our curriculum provides both academic preparation and practical experiences that students will need to enter, succeed and thrive in hospitality management careers. Our approach emphasizes attitude and behavior, which are equally important for successful careers in the service industry.

How successfully do your students transition into careers?

Upon graduation, 97 percent of our students have full-time jobs and are consistently elevated to key management positions within a short period of time. We provide the industry with a high-quality, talented workforce and educated citizens to the society at large.

Why is Visit Orlando an important community partner?

Visit Orlando’s mission is to brand, market and sell the area globally as a premier leisure, convention and business destination, while our mission is to develop future generations of global hospitality and tourism leaders representing all industry segments in the hospitality capital of the world. We are very well-aligned, and we both contribute greatly to the region’s economic growth and play a critical role in preserving our region’s status as the No. 1 destination in North America.

President & CEO of Visit Orlando

EDUCATING TOURISM LEADERS Orlando’s talent pipeline is stronger than ever

While the talent pipeline fueling the continued success of Orlando’s tourism industry draws upon numerous sources, one of the region’s most significant contributors is UCF’s Rosen College of Hospitality Management.

Thanks to the vision and leadership shown by retiring Dean Dr. Abe Pizam and his staff, thousands of Rosen graduates are shaping the future of tourism in Central Florida and beyond.

Over three-plus decades, hospitality education at UCF has grown from a single business course into a world-renowned college and pinnacle for the university. Today, 3,500 students are enrolled, and the college ranks No. 2 globally as a hospitality and hotel management school, according to CEOWORLD Magazine.

As a longtime supporter of Rosen College, Visit Orlando is proud to help foster a bright, highly skilled pipeline of young professionals to meet the everevolving needs of our industry.

On behalf of our organization and our 1,200 member companies, thank you, Dr. Pizam and UCF, for educating generations of talented men and women to become vital parts of our region’s primary economic engine. We look forward to working with Rosen College’s new dean, Dr. Youcheng Wang, to carry on this tradition.

Any closing thoughts on what the future holds for UCF Rosen College?

First of all, I am honored to serve as dean. I understand the responsibilities and value the trust and expectations people have expressed. By working together with faculty, staff, students and industry partners, we will collectively make UCF Rosen College a global center of excellence in hospitality education, research, scholarship and industry engagement. I look forward to all that lies ahead for the college and our industry. ◆

Visit Orlando Chairman Don Engfer and Dr. Abe Pizam, retiring dean at UCF’s Rosen College of Hospitality Management.

i4Biz.com

MAY2018[45

Ehre die Familie Fidelity Bank of Florida

helps Von Stephan “Honor the Family”

W

hen starting a business, there are many different factors that can drive an individual. For some people, it is the desire to provide a service to a particular market. For others, it is the ability to innovate in a field and advance that sector. And for some business owners, their greatest motivation is family; this was the case for Troy Winfred Von Stephan of Von Stephan Village Bier Garten Resturant, located in Cocoa Village.

Von Stephan created the restaurant to honor his family lineage. His great-greatgrandfather, Heinrich Von Stephan, was a general post director for the German Empire who reorganized the country’s postal service. He also introduced the postcard to Germany and proposed utilizing the German-owned company Siemens to manufacture telephones, which led to sizeable business development for the now-worldwide conglomerate.

Heinrich is remembered in a framed picture on a wall behind the restaurant’s bar. To the right of this is a photo of Troy’s father, Winfred, who worked for the Walt Disney Corporation at the Empress Room until his transfer to Victoria & Albert at the Grand Floridian resort.

After Winfred’s passing in 2013, Troy decided to create the Biergarten.

An Authentic Experience

Von Stephan Village Bier Garten Resturant provides patrons with authentic German 46]MAY2018 i4Biz.com

By Ryan Randall

German fare is not only served inside the restaurant, as the exterior of the restaurant boasts self-serve bratwurst and pretzel stations, similar to the kind seen during Oktoberfest. Local jewelers can also sell their merchandise outside the restaurant, creating a local market feel.

Three generations of Von Stephans

food and beverages. Every Wednesday, a Bavarian chef serves genuine dishes from that particular German region.

Desserts include black forest cake and Bavarian cheesecake. There are 35 beers on tap and 40 additional bottled choices.

Guests dine in an environment designed to transport them back to medieval Germany.

The décor includes a watermill near the entrance that Von Stephan built himself.

He achieved an authentic look and feel by spending a month and a half researching different regions throughout Germany.

The Biergarten is not only a destination for quality German food and drink, but also a gathering place for authentic German entertainment. The restaurant’s entertainment director comes directly from the German pavilion at EPCOT, and he presents Oktoberfest-type shows for patrons Wednesday through Sunday evenings. In the near future, Von Stephan Village Biergarten will also feature dueling piano shows on Friday and Saturday nights and a Sunday marionette puppet show for kids, with 15 percent of proceeds going to Brevard schools. For Stephan, getting involved in the community is part of his bigpicture plan for the restaurant.

“The goal is to provide people with an authentic experience they won’t forget,” Von Stephan said. “Anyone can go to a German restaurant, but here you experience a real taste of Bavaria and feel like you’re in a different country.

If you can experience entertainment, culture and great food, I think that’s the ticket.”

Partnership for Growth

Fidelity Bank of Florida helped Von Stephan facilitate his goals for the business. Established in 1990, Fidelity Bank has ingratiated itself to the region’s business community. For Sheri Chamberlain, the Merritt Island branch’s commercial loan portfolio manger, the ability to have a positive presence in the community and meet its banking needs are critical for the success of the institution. In addition to its ties to the community, the bank is one of only a few in the area that finance liquor licenses for establishments like Von Stephan’s.

“We have a personal connection with our customers, and not only that, we know the area,” Chamberlain said. “Cocoa Village is so unique, and something like a biergarten is a no-brainer. With Troy’s talent, background and passion for the project, it’s something you want to be a part of.”

The Von Stephan Village Bier Garten Restaurant is indeed a mix of Troy Von Stephan’s talent, background and passion, but it is also an example of the power of family and how it can inspire a person to achieve success in the business world. With the help of Fidelity Bank, Von Stephan Village Biergarten has become a must-experience place for both locals and visitors that honors history and culture, and provides real value to a resurgent community. ◆ Find the Village Bier Garten Restaurant at: 415 Delannoy Ave. | Cocoa, FL 32922 or www.facebook.com/VillageBierGarten

Fidelity Bank of Florida Commercial Loan Portfolio Manager Sheri Chamberlain, Troy Von Stephan and wife Fiona

Coach's Corner

[IDENTIFYING YOUR UNIQUE ABILITY]

I

n the initial stages of building a company toward a self-management model, the entrepreneur is involved in everything. When the company reaches a point where employees are operating freely and upholding more responsibility, the entrepreneur can shift focus from business development toward his or her area of mastery.

Entrepreneurs are most productive when working with their unique abilities, an individual set of natural talents. There are uncertainties in business, but the entrepreneur can always depend on his or her unique ability — the activities you enjoy doing, in which you possess superior skill and knowledge and that bring you the most energy. Understanding and channeling these distinctive characteristics is the most efficient way to consistently add value to any relationship, both business and personal.

48]MAY2018 i4Biz.com

Most entrepreneurs believe they are great at many things, and to a large extent this is true, but there is only a small set of activities you are actually superior at.

These activities bring you energy; other activities take your energy, and even though you may be good at these other activities, you could pay someone else to do them. Strategic Coach is a program designed for entrepreneurs, and one of the steps in the program is to help you discover your true unique ability. True happiness rests in this discovery and actually spending 80 percent of your time doing what you do best.

Develop your unique ability so it breaks you free from the indistinguishable commodities of the marketplace. Apply your talents to products, services and experiences to deliver creativity and knowledge beyond others. Clients will

recognize, appreciate and refer your unique ability. Remember, the moment you stop creating value, you become inconsequential ‌ an indistinguishable commodity.

Finding Power in Creativity

Research shows that people perform best when they have the freedom to take a personalized approach to a task or problem, so it is important entrepreneurs help employees tune into their unique abilities as well. Your personality may vary from time to time as you experience life-changing events, but your creative instincts remain the same. Under the Kolbe Concept, these instincts are the foundation of mental energy that leads us to take certain actions.

To help determine a person's most productive use of time and instinctive form of communication, Kolbe Indexes are employee assessments that can be

“Success is peace of mind attained only through self-satisfaction in knowing you made the effort to do the best of which you’re capable.” – John Wooden completed online. Unlike other methods of self-assessment, Kolbe Indexes gauge how you naturally perform tasks, your conative tendencies. The test functions at the subconscious level rather than measuring how intelligent you are or your personality traits. These conative performance indicators are born and do not change; it is one of the best tools for getting people in the right seat on the bus.

Not only does Kolbe distinguish your natural strengths, it helps you develop them. Employees who have completed the Kolbe Indexes display more confidence and passion. By placing people in positions where they can do what they love, you optimally increase workplace morale and productivity.

The Fundamental of Balancing Work and Joy

JEFF PIERSALL Jeff Piersall, a former awardwinning collegiate basketball coach, is the CEO & founder of SCB Marketing, an innovative content marketing company that inspires brands to higher levels of success by elevating trust and connecting brands with key people of influence. Jeff is a successful entrepreneur, business consultant, speaker and co-author of “Dogs Don’t Bark at Parked Cars.”

TO CONTACT OR FOLLOW JEFF please call 321-622-5986 or email: jeff@scbmarketing.com

Coach John Wooden led the UCLA men’s basketball team with a 664-162 record, and he was awarded NCAA College Basketball Coach of the Year six times. His legacy, however, reached far beyond the court.

From his gatherings throughout four decades of coaching, Wooden identified countless characteristics and behaviors that help contribute to a person’s success, narrowing his findings to his “Pyramid of Success.”

features wisdom from:

SUCCESS Competitive Greatness Confidence

ce

Fa

ien

ith

t Pa

Poise

Condition

Self-Control

Industriousness

COACH'S CORNER

Friendship

Skill

Alertness

Team Spirit

Initiative

Loyalty

Intentness

Cooperation

Enthusiasm

Understanding the power of this pyramid starts with the knowledge of the cornerstones. Without these cornerstones, the foundation of your pyramid cannot be established, thus competitive greatness is not achievable. The left-hand corner of the pyramid is industriousness, or your work. In the righthand corner is enthusiasm, or your joy. Your work must be your joy and vice versa. Implementing and working in your unique ability will set a strong cornerstone foundation for your pyramid of success.

For a more detailed look at Wooden's “Pyramid of Success,” visit www.coachwooden.com/pyramid-of-success◆

Now available on

Amazon.com i4Biz.com

MAY2018[49

| BEST PRACTICES

MILLENNIAL WORKFORCE

ThomasWATERMAN Thomas Waterman is the co-founder of Purpose Pioneers.

He believes that when we find meaning in our work, we experience real-time fulfillment.

He can be contacted at thomas@ purposepioneers.com and @ purposepioneers on the socials.

Contributors: Angela Minerva

HOW TO IGNITE

YOUR MILLENNIAL WORKFORCE

Today’s employees want more than a job. They want to be valued members of a community of likeminded people.

50]MAY2018 i4Biz.com

Millennials entering the workforce have become the poster children for the modern workplace.

This generation has earned a reputation for needing special treatment, but the truth is, Millennials are not especially needy. They just happen to have been born into a society where there is an abundance of solutions for each of their needs. To them, anything is possible, and they have not known any other kind of reality.

Why Millennial Employees Seem Entitled

met, they live in a state of self-actualization. They want to make work decisions that allow them to reach their highest potential and create a positive impact on the world. Simply, they want meaning and purpose in their work.

We believe igniting millennials in the workplace starts with harnessing purpose to empower them to reach that highest potential. Here are the three steps to accomplishing this:

Step 1: Turn Career Paths into Millennials are making decisions about work Journeys of Personal Growth and life in a market with an unlimited amount of options to choose from. While well-paying jobs are still valuable, there are a growing number of job options from which to choose. This abundance of opportunities frees them up to make choices based on purpose and value. Because most of their needs on Maslow’s hierarchy have been

Today’s employee needs more than a career path in a company. Modern-day workers want help finding their purpose and bringing it to life. This process starts with their own personal growth; they want to know that working with your organization will give them the freedom to grow personally. The key is to support their

individual path in a way that serves the company, too. If there is a certification they want to get, or a self-development conference they want to attend, send them. Give them the resources that empower them to become better people. Examples include life coaching, financial coaching and therapy. When millennials know leaders in the company are there to help them live in their purpose, they want to stay for the long haul and will work with their blood, sweat and tears.

Step 2: Turn Your Staff into a Connected Community

Today’s employees want more than a job. They want to be valued members of a community of like-minded people.

Teams of employees must become more than a staff that simply completes tasks and reaches revenue targets. They must become communities of individuals who care about each other. Millennials want to do meaningful work with others who have similar values and purpose. Teams that effectively foster a connection around common values and purposes are a breeding ground for employees who are not only more fulfilled, but also more productive. In this environment, tasks become opportunities for employees to build meaningful connections with other people. Turning your staff into a community gives employees a sense of unity and deep human connection.

When employees feel deeply connected to others, leaving the company becomes an emotionally tough decision that will go well beyond salary negotiations.

Step 3: Turn Your Offering into a Movement that Matters

Today’s workforce is living in a state of self-actualization.

Employees want more than the corner office or a salary increase.

In a world where millennials can work for any company anywhere in the world and complete their work from any location on Earth, a higher purpose is becoming necessary to compete in the talent market. As most of their needs are met, their energy is shifting outward toward creating a positive impact on others.

The purpose of the organization has become a top variable when millennials are considering what company to work for. It is also the magnet that keeps them working for one company. The need to believe in the purpose of the organization is now vital; it not only attracts and retains top young talent, but it also intrinsically drives these employees to work harder in their daily work. It is the ultimate win-win scenario.

Now that we understand the state of the millennial workforce, forward-thinking companies can seize this perfect opportunity to break the mold of business as usual and engage young talent. Today’s employees want purpose; let us give them what they need to thrive. ◆

Premier Photographer Call for a consultation or to book an appointment today!

TEL: 407.917.3819 i4Biz.com

MAY2018[51

| BEST PRACTICES

HUMAN RESOURCES MANAGEMENT

Joseph T. SEFCIK, JR. Joseph T. Sefcik, Jr. is the founder and president of Employment Technologies. He is a thought leader in simulation and virtual interview technology for talent prediction. info@EmploymentTechnologies.com Call: 888.332.0648 | 407.865.6644

TOP 5 INTERVIEWER MISTAKES Even the most seasoned interviewers make mistakes. And those mistakes may be costing you the best talent.

So, here are the Top 5 interviewer mistakes and our tips to help you avoid them.

Mistake #1: Jumping to Conclusions The outcome of an interview is often decided in the first two minutes. Even though the interview is 30 minutes or longer, our decisions typically occur early in the interview, with the remaining time being used to build our case and support our decision.

Create a checklist for each question, including examples of statements that contribute to a good answer.

52]MAY2018 i4Biz.com

How to Avoid: Nothing sabotages the accuracy of an interview faster than jumping to a quick decision.

To limit this error, separate the decision from the interview. Train yourself to focus on effective note taking during the interview rather than evaluating.

Mistake #2: Going with Your Gut Almost all interviewers overestimate their ability to identify the best candidates. We all think we are a good judge of character and have a unique ability to hire the right people. Ironically, interviewers with the least

experience and training are the most likely to overestimate their ability.

To further complicate things, the least trained interviewers often occupy highlevel positions. Time and again, they simply “know a good candidate when they see one.”

You cannot argue either for or against their intuition because it is not based on objective rationale or evidence.

How to Avoid: The best solution is to make sure that ALL interviewers — whether they are a recruiter, hiring manager or CEO — are properly trained and are using the same standard rating criteria.

To avoid mistakes, hiring decisions must be based on data, not hunches.

Mistake #3: Relying on Limited Data Basing decisions on limited data is a sure way to derail an otherwise great interview process.

Even though there is considerable discourse, it is not uncommon for interview decisions to be based on five to seven key questions. And if you do not take good notes, you are left to make decisions on very limited data and on what you can remember from the interview.

I understand How to Avoid: A reasonable solution is to create a checklist for each question that includes examples of statements that contribute to a good answer. For each question, the checklist might contain five to 10 comments you can use to check and document what the applicant said. This significantly increases the number of data points, increases consistency in your decisions and, most importantly, helps you remember the key elements of each interview that might otherwise be forgotten.

SBA loans

Mistake #4: Being Blinded by Neon Answers Neon always catches our attention. Neon answers do, too.

A neon answer is one that stands out and attracts special attention. It can either be extremely positive or negative. The pitfall of neon answers is that they can outweigh all other answers combined and therefore skew our decisions. In essence, it is like a game where one play determines the outcome of the entire game. It is not always the best team that wins.

How to Avoid: To make sure you hire the best, consider all of the candidate’s answers. The final decision should be a combination of these answers with each answer contributing equally. Since neon answers really pop out, it is easy to catch them. When you do, stop and reflect on how much weight that one answer should be given in comparison to the rest of the interview.

Mistake #5: Talking Instead of Listening Most interviews gather information as well as provide information. So it is hard to balance the time spent talking about your company, asking questions and listening to applicant responses. And just because you are asking the right questions does not mean you will get the information you need.

How to Avoid: To overcome these issues, be sure to spend more time listening than talking. If you are talking more than half the time, you are talking too much. Use open ended questions that ask what, how, and why. This not only gets applicants talking, it also helps you get the information you need to make an effective decision.

To give applicants the information they need, you can provide standard information about the job and your company through a website or a multimedia company preview. This increases consistency and maximizes the time you have to learn about each candidate.

Improving the success of your interviews is all about minimizing potential bias and avoiding basic mistakes.

Luckily, with a little awareness and discipline, we can dramatically improve the accuracy of our interviews and ultimately hire better candidates — who are as impressive on the job as they were in the interview. ◆

Ada Reneau

Commercial Lender

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i4Biz.com

MAY2018[53

| BEST PRACTICES

MARKETING STRATEGIES

THE VISION OF VIDEO MARKETING CheriseCZABAN Cherise Czaban is the vice president of business development at SCB Marketing, i4 Business, SpaceCoast Business and SpaceCoast Living Magazine.

She can be contacted at cherise@scbmarketing.com or (321) 848-3530.

Gone are the days of door-todoor sales and cold calling, and it comes as no surprise when you think about how easy it is to block, scroll by or ignore advertisements.

54]MAY2018 i4Biz.com

It is a problem we have all faced: Someone shares a video on Facebook or Twitter, you decide to watch it thinking you have two minutes to spare, and before you realize it, it has been half an hour and you are clicking on the seventh cat video in a row. And while we have all lost some hours of productivity to the sheer volume of video content so readily available, we can luckily gain some of that back by harnessing the power of video for our digital marketing campaigns.

Undeniable Appeal While there are a myriad of other options for digital content marketing, video has quickly risen to the top because of its versatility. It can easily be integrated into other forms of digital marketing, from blogs to articles to email blasts. It is also the most likely form of content to be shared; once posted to your website or social media, consumers can distribute their favorite content on their own platforms with just one click. Audiences are also

Stop Getting Overlooked! often more likely to watch a video than read a page of copy, with 59 percent of executives agreeing if both text and video are available on the same topic, they are more likely to choose video.

It not only increases your engagement with executives, but with all aspects of your audience. Even the least active consumers are likely to spend a minute watching a video they find informative or entertaining. Video is also easily viewed on mobile devices, and so it is accessible no matter where the consumer is.

Consumers seek brands that they connect with and making that connection is the key to elevating your brand.

Producing Quality Video Content

Creating your own content can either be outsourced through a video production company, or, if you invest in the proper equipment, accomplished in-house. This will depend on both the type of content you are producing and the amount of time you have to devote to the production itself. While an informal, spur-of-the-moment video covering something like an office outing, or even a livestream, can be shot on your phone, this method would appear professional or visually appealing enough for other content. Testimonials, product demos, interviews, or story-based videos should be shot with more attention to quality in order to increase credibility and trust.

Ensuring the subject of your video is well lit, whether that is an individual or the product itself, is vital. Find an area with a lot of natural light, or create your own with the right equipment. The same goes for sound; the right mic and sound editing software can make all the difference between a video a consumer quickly forgets and one they send to their friends.

Either way, the process can be simplified by creating a schedule for production and posting, and then getting the bulk of the videos filmed in one go. After the first batch, you can use audience feedback to come up with new ideas for video content and figure out which formats are getting the most engagement.

Don’t Let Customers Pass You By! At SCB Marketing, we tell your story in a way that provides differentiation and identification, yielding the best results for your business.

Contact your SCB Marketing Representative before more customers get away.

Video Formats

There are so many different styles of video, it may be hard to decide which is right for you, so first consider your audience and your industry. If you are selling a service, testimonials and interviews with experts shot with professional equipment are your best bet. If the focus is on a product, consider a demo.

Video’s power to build an audience relationship lies in formats like Facebook Live, where you can interact with your audience directly. Behind the scenes at the office can not only make your audience feel like they really understand your product, but also your company culture, which increases brand loyalty. ◆

Melbourne Office: 321.622.5986 Orlando Office: 407.917.3819

i4Biz.com

MAY2018[55

up

CLOSE

with Falecia Williams [ By Ryan Randall ]

Valencia College West Campus President Falecia Williams’ journey was an unconventional one. Wanting to make a difference and change lives, the first-generation college student was transformed by her experience in higher education. When she graduated from Rollins College, she was attending Emory University in Atlanta to focus on clinical psychology and teaching part time. Family obligations, however, led her back to her high school home in Lake County, where she worked at Winn-Dixie while taking care of her grandmother.

Back home, Williams encountered teachers and administrators who helped her break into teaching. Williams would go on to teach emotionally challenged, gifted and honors students at the secondary level, and also served as director of a community-based grant program purposed to increase enrollment and college completion among first-generation college students. In 2000, Williams joined Valencia College as an adjunct professor. She then took leadership roles in workforce development, high school outreach programs and dual enrollment. Williams also led a team charged with the creation of the Valencia’s first-ever bachelor’s degrees. Under her leadership, Valencia College West Campus has continued to evolve with the world of higher education.

USING EXPERIENCES TO RELATE TO STUDENTS My life experiences resonate with the stories of my students in many ways. For the students who come in with varying levels of adversity in their background, I can deeply identify with them. For those who are honor students and have been exposed to the most challenging curriculum and are making smart economic and learning decisions, I identify with them as well. I believe the diversity of learned experiences I’ve enjoyed, as well as the diversity of life experiences I have, resonate with the population of students here at Valencia and in the hallways at many other community colleges. People have asked me why I stay at the community college level, and it’s because I believe fundamentally it’s that open door that provides access to a variety of people who are interested in education as the catalyst for change.

EDUCATION TRANSFORMING AN AREA Here I was, having grown up in an impoverished household, and we didn’t have a car. The first car in my family was the one I bought when I received a job offer to teach at Eustis Middle School. In the meantime, I had a $100,000 college degree from Rollins and was riding my bicycle to Winn-Dixie. I would look around at

the other workers, friends and people I knew from the neighborhood, and I’d ask myself what was different in our story, and it was that I had the opportunity to be somewhere else and make other employment choices I was academically prepared for.

That elevated the importance of a college education for me and clearly portrayed the opportunity to move from a place of poverty to a place of sustainability. The minimum credential for being able to do that has become some form of postsecondary education or certification.

It’s rapidly moving to bachelor’s degrees in some fields.

There are still other ways, and there are always going to be exceptions. There’s entrepreneurship and small business ownership, but when we look at the masses of people, the wide mechanism is education.

SHIFTING ROLES IN ORDER TO HELP STUDENTS It’s easy for us as educators to have a very narrow way of thinking and just believe that students are really interested in getting their degree. However, when you get down to a fundamental conversation with students, we recognized the degree becomes the credential for what the real goal is — a profession. We introduced a metaphor that states, “We are not the destination; we are the bridge.” ▸ i4Biz.com

MAY2018[57

It became important for us to think about how we help people move towards their real goal that is beyond the institution. For many, their goal requires a bachelor’s degree or a master’s degree in some fields.

It’s also important for us to be the bridge and minimize any types of barriers that would preclude them from being able to continue in the pathway that will ultimately lead them to their goal. Through our short-term technical programs, the degree can be the destination. They can have a familysustaining wage for a lifetime with just that degree.

HOPES FOR THE FUTURE OF EDUCATION My continued hope is that we offer affordable models that provide the greatest degree of access for higher

education to all members of our community. I’m hoping we’ll find more innovative ways to ensure our students are successful in their progression in higher education, so we’re not just getting students in the door, but recognizing it’s about the student moving through the process and exiting with that credential that makes a difference and allows them to enter the workforce with a great deal of confidence and a higher degree of skill.

Doing this will lead to deeper partnerships with other institutions, from community colleges to universities, as well as partnerships in our K-12 system. There’s still more work to be done in terms of streamlining the student experience and ensuring each transition is shored up so more students are successful. ◆

“People have asked me why I stay at the community college level, and it’s because I believe fundamentally it’s that open door that provides access to a variety of people who are interested in education as the catalyst for change.” – Falecia Williams

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Social Entrepreneur

The Power of Partnership A local partnership between Heart of Florida United Way’s Mission United and JobPath is helping veterans transition to civilian life and find the right jobs.

By Jack Roth

A

pproximately 50,000 military veterans are currently living on U.S. streets, struggling to survive. Studies show veterans suffer from post-traumatic stress disorder at twice the rate of non-veterans and an average of 20 veterans are lost to suicide every day. These statistics are sobering, but two entities with local ties are teaming up to help veterans better transition to civilian life and satisfying jobs.

60]MAY2018 i4Biz.com

“We read an article on Mission United, and we joined its employment committee right away because we both have the same mission,” said Jack Fanous, co-owner of JobPath, a cutting-edge training and recruitment portal designed to help returning veterans and their family members find jobs. “We approached them about putting our platform on their website to create a hyper-local job source tool.”

Fanous and his partner, Jay Chaudhari, who started JobPath in 2014, realized a good fit when they saw it. Mission United, launched in 2015, is a collaborative effort between non-profit, government agencies and corporate partners to focus on veterans; it is supported by the Heart of Florida United Way. The organization addresses the fragmented delivery system of services and programs for veterans and their families in Orange, Osceola and Seminole counties by serving as the centralized point for these programs and services. Designed with similar goals, the JobPath portal gives veterans the ability to develop the capacity to work in any specific job through positionspecific online training modules developed by participating companies. Users can also connect with mentors, from fellow veterans to business leaders, who can assist them as they work to find a career and improve their skills.

“This partnership is a great way to leverage the United Way brand to help veterans and fix the job-related issues they face upon returning to civilian life,” said Laura Whitfield, director of Mission United. “We have effective tools — case managers, partner agencies, etc. — but this portal, which can be accessed from anywhere, gives veterans and employers the ability to link up with the click of a button.”

FILLING A CRITICAL NEED In 2017, Mission United conducted a survey and focus group discussions to clarify what veterans believe are the most important issues to address, where the Central Florida community is doing well and what focus is missing. The top needs they identified were ranked as follows: 1) Employment; 2) Education; 3) Mental Health; 4) Housing.

Employment ranked first despite the oft-touted low unemployment rates. By partnering with JobPath and launching missionunitedjob.org, Mission United now offers a complete suite of employment tools for employers to post job openings, utilize a unique military skills translator and access to a national database to find qualified veteran candidates.

“This partnership is a great way to leverage the United Way brand to help veterans and fix the job-related issues they face upon returning to civilian life.”

- Laura Whitfield

“Skill sets are labeled differently in the military, which is often a problem for veterans when it comes to their resumes,” explained Fanous. “Employers look at key words, and if these key words don’t match what they’re looking for, they dismiss the resume. A veteran may actually have matching skill sets, but the employer doesn’t recognize them as written on the resume.”

Chaudhari added that 7,500 translations were incorporated into the software so veterans can build their resumes using the right job skill terminology. “We want to get this software into every veteran’s hands,” he said. “With Mission United’s wide reach and resources, this technology can assist more veterans.”

Whitfield, a former marine, knows firsthand that transitioning back into civilian life can be difficult, not because the agencies and resources are not available, but because they are scattered and uncoordinated. “Coordinating care is critical,” she asserted.

“JobPath has given us an electronic platform that gives veterans a jumpstart on the process; it’s a win-win for everyone involved.” ◆

Want To Learn More?

For more information, please visit

www.YourJobPath.com and www.MissionUnitedJobs.org. i4Biz.com

MAY2018[61

| BUSINESS SEEN

WOMEN'S INSPIRED LEADERSHIP AWARDS LUNCHEON On March 7, at the beautiful Country Club of Orlando, the annual i4 Business Women’s Inspired Leadership Awards Luncheon was held. The event recognized a pantheon of women business leaders across the diverse spectrum of the Central Florida economy.

Sandy Hostetter

Ada Reneau and Eunice Choi

Cherise Czaban

62]MAY2018 i4Biz.com

Wendy Brandon

Amanda Gillooly, Megan Zee, Odessa Joseph

Amy Yoder

Pam Nabors and Jane Trnka

BUSINESS SEEN |

Shawna Andrews, Debbie Katsaras, Nova Schaffnit

Rolando Garcia, Brad Lowitz, Tony Duke

Beth Cocchiarella

Laura Kelley

Jeff Piersall and Wendy Kurtz

Eric Wright

Dr. Deborah German and Wendy Brandon

Ken Croston Jr., Debbie Perez, Rob Panepinto, Wendy Kurtz, Debbie Nelson, Robert Agrusa

i4Biz.com

MAY2018[63

The Wright Angle

by Eric Wright

Setting Up For

Success

What makes a relationship truly valuable is its ability to make each person better. This is what adding “value” really means. At a business where people are engaged — whether it is a tech company, a law firm or even, as in the case of the book Fish, a seafood market — everyone’s creativity, commitment and business acumen goes up simply by being part of that type of organization.

Opportunity Knocks

Since all of us view education as a lifelong pursuit, this value exchange is what education, at every level, is about.

As John Dewey said, “Education is not preparation for life, it is life itself.”

At our December Business Leaders of the Year event, we spoke about our commitment to women in business and what that could mean to the future of Orlando. Little did we know that a few months later we would be proudly announcing that Cherise and her team would be exclusively leading the i4 Business platform. Her two highly regarded business partners, Diane Sears, a local media leader and a regional advocate of women-owned business, and Donna Duda, the communications director at A. Duda & Sons, a diversified land company, seem like a perfect team to take the brand to new levels.

In a company, one of the signs this goal is being achieved is that everyone remains motivated and inspired to reach for more. Which may mean they will not stay at that company for their entire business career. Although this desire to grow can and should happen within the company, it may result in some people moving into the nonprofit sector or stepping out on their own to start a business.

As an organization that focuses on nurturing the entrepreneurial spirit in ever yone, when one of our employees moves from our employ to chase an entrepreneurial dream, that is like a graduation. Hats are tossed in the air and streamers are unfurled.

Five years ago, we began i4 Business magazine to cover the dynamic and diverse business environment across Central Florida. I was a contributing columnist when our company started its first magazine over a decade ago, but i4 Business was a publication and communication platform that I actually helped launch. I still remember the first issue, with a cover story on the automobile dynasty of the Holler family. Since then, we have endeavored to share many of the region’s key stories, from start-ups to Fortune 500 companies, social entrepreneurs and emerging trends.

One of our key players in i4 Business magazine’s acceptance and success has been Cherise Czaban, our vice president of business development. Her friendly and gracious demeanor, which seems to make everyone she meets feel like her best friend, along with her very sharp and perceptive business mind, have afforded her broad acceptance and helped us in innumerable ways.

We could not be more excited about this move and look forward to working with the new i4 Business leadership. Our involvement and engagement in the region will continue, along with editorial contributions to the magazine. We are certain the vision Cherise and her partners have outlined will play a significant role in shaping the region’s future.

Looking back, our initial business plan was to build a platform that enabled us to encourage, educate and inspire entrepreneurs and business leaders. That passion has not changed or wavered from our vision of “Creating freedom through ethical capitalism.” We are now expanding to publishing books, developing an educational platform that has the potential for a global reach, along with developing seminars and curriculum for people hungering to turn their ideas into profitable, scalable businesses.

Congratulations Cherise, Diane and Donna for taking the risk.

We know you will be fabulously successful. Carpe Diem! ◆

inspiring the TREP in you 64]MAY2018 i4Biz.com